Patent ID: 7679999

Claim:
A marine acoustic sensor assembly comprising: an acoustic panel having a forward surface and an after surface; a laser scanner disposed proximate and removed from the acoustic panel after surface, said laser scanner being oriented so as to project a laser beam onto the acoustic panel after surface; a sensor disposed and oriented so as to receive reflections of the laser beam off said acoustic panel and to transmit data from which a position of a sound generating source can be determined; wherein said acoustic panel is provided with a sound absorber layer extending over the after surface of said acoustic panel; wherein said sound absorber layer is provided with holes extending therethrough, the holes being of a size sufficient to permit passage of the laser beams therethrough to the acoustic panel after surface and the reflections to pass therethrough and to said sensor, the holes being of a size that is small relative to a wavelength of an acoustic wave that originates from the sound generating source; and whereby to minimize reflections and noise originating from aft of the after surface, while permitting sound incoming from forward of said acoustic panel to be measured.