Scuba tank air pressure monitor system

• US 10,358,199 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Kleinigger, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US16/135,458
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 455 40
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/22 carried by diver
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/26 Communication means, e.g. means for signalling the presence of diverselectric communication in general H04
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2011/021 Diving computers, i.e. portable computers specially adapted for divers, e.g. wrist worn, watertight electronic devices for detecting or calculating scuba diving parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2011/188 comprising warning means for breathing gas run-out

Abstract

A scuba tank pressure monitor system comprises a scuba tank pod and a wearable electronic device. The scuba tank pod includes an air pressure detector, a first transducer element, and a first processing element. The air pressure detector detects an internal air pressure of the scuba tank. The first transducer element transmits sonar waves including scuba tank related status data having a first frequency range. The first processing element controls the first transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data. The wearable electronic device includes a second transducer element, and a second processing element. The second transducer element receive sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data from the scuba tank pod and transmits sonar waves including alert tones having a second frequency range. The second processing element controls the second transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones.

Claims

1. A scuba tank pod configured to interface with a scuba tank, the scuba tank pod comprising:

an air pressure detector configured to detect an internal air pressure of the scuba tank and communicate an air pressure electronic signal;

a transducer element configured to transmit sonar waves including scuba tank related status data having a first frequency range and transmit sonar waves including alert tones having a second frequency range; and

a processing element in electronic communication with a memory element, the processing element configured or programmed to

receive the air pressure electronic signal,

determine the internal air pressure and scuba tank related status data from the air pressure electronic signal,

control the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data, and

control the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones based on the scuba tank related status data.

2. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, wherein the transducer element transmits sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data having the first frequency ranging from approximately 30 kilohertz to approximately 50 kilohertz.

3. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, wherein the transducer element transmits sonar waves including alert tones having the second frequency ranging from approximately 1 kilohertz to approximately 10 kilohertz.

4. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, wherein the processing element controls the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data on a regular, periodic basis.

5. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, wherein the processing element controls the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones at times which vary according to the scuba tank related status data.

6. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, further comprising a fitting configured to receive air pressure from the scuba tank.

7. The scuba tank pod of claim 1, wherein the transducer element has a hollow cylindrical shape including a circumferential side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface.

8. The scuba tank pod of claim 7, further comprising a housing including a hollow roughly cylindrical shell and the transducer element is positioned within the housing such that the outer surface of the transducer element is adjacent to an inner surface of the shell.

9. A wearable electronic device for use with scuba diving, the wearable electronic device comprising:

a transducer element configured to receive sonar waves having a first frequency range and communicate a corresponding receive electronic signal, the transducer element further configured to transmit sonar waves including alert tones having a second frequency range; and

a processing element in electronic communication with a memory element, the processing element configured or programmed to

receive the receive electronic signal,

determine scuba tank related status data from the receive electronic signal, and

control the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones based on the scuba tank related status data.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the transducer element receives sonar waves having the first frequency ranging from approximately 30 kilohertz to approximately 50 kilohertz.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the transducer element transmits sonar waves including alert tones having the second frequency ranging from approximately 1 kilohertz to approximately 10 kilohertz.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processing element controls the transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones at times which vary according to the scuba tank related status data.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the transducer element has a roughly planar disc shape with a central opening and diametrically opposing flat edges.

14. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a housing including a bottom wall and the transducer element is positioned within the housing adjacent to an upper surface of the bottom wall.

15. A scuba tank pressure monitor system comprising:

a scuba tank pod including

an air pressure detector configured to detect an internal air pressure of a scuba tank and communicate an air pressure electronic signal;

a first transducer element configured to transmit sonar waves including scuba tank related status data having a first frequency range; and

a first processing element in electronic communication with a first memory element, the first processing element configured or programmed to

receive the air pressure electronic signal,

determine the internal air pressure and scuba tank related status data from the air pressure electronic signal, and

control the first transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data; and

a wearable electronic device including

a second transducer element configured to receive sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data and communicate a receive electronic signal including the scuba tank related status data, the second transducer element further configured to transmit sonar waves including alert tones having a second frequency range; and

a second processing element in electronic communication with a second memory element, the second processing element configured or programmed to receive the receive electronic signal,

determine scuba tank related status data from the receive electronic signal, and

control the second transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones based on the scuba tank related status data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first transducer element transmits sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data having the first frequency ranging from approximately 30 kilohertz to approximately 50 kilohertz.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second transducer element transmits sonar waves including alert tones having the second frequency ranging from approximately 1 kilohertz to approximately 10 kilohertz.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first processing element controls the first transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the scuba tank related status data on a regular, periodic basis.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the second processing element controls the second transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones at times which vary according to the scuba tank related status data.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first transducer element is further configured to transmit sonar waves including alert tones and the first processing element is further configured or programmed to control the first transducer element to transmit sonar waves including the alert tones.