Communicating using sonar signals at multiple frequencies
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a communication circuit operable to generate first and second information signals; and
a transducer array coupled to the communication circuit and operable to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of an apparatus includes a communication circuit and a transducer array coupled to the communication circuit. The communication circuit is operable to generate first and second information signals, and the transducer array is operable to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency. The transducer array may generate the first and second sonar signals simultaneously to increase the transmission bandwidth. Where such an apparatus is a buoy, then the buoy may relay signals from an above-surface vessel to an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), and may relay signals from the UUV to the vessel. Therefore, the buoy allows the vessel to control the UUV without a cable linking the buoy and the vessel, and thus allows one to eliminate the tether between the UUV and the vessel for applications in which a tethered UUV may be unsuitable.
-
Citations
41 Claims
-
1. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a communication circuit operable to generate first and second information signals; and a transducer array coupled to the communication circuit and operable to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a transducer array operable to receive a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to receive a second sonar signal having a second frequency; and a communication circuit coupled to the transducer array and operable to generate a first information signal in response to the first sonar signal and operable to generate a second information signal in response to the second sonar signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method, comprising:
-
generating a first sonar signal having a first frequency and a first duration; and generating a second sonar signal having a second frequency and a second duration that overlaps the first duration. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method, comprising:
-
receiving a first sonar signal having a first frequency and a first duration; receiving a second sonar signal having a second frequency and a second duration that overlaps the first duration; and recovering information from the first and second sonar signals. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. A method, comprising:
-
transmitting a first signal that represents information; receiving the first signal with multiple devices; generating with each device a respective second signal from the first signal, each of the second signals representing the information; and transmitting the respective second signal from each device to a destination. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor:
-
to cause a communication circuit to generate first and second information signals; and to cause a transducer array coupled to the communication circuit to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency.
-
-
37. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor:
-
to allow a transducer array to receive a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to receive a second sonar signal having a second frequency; and to cause a communication circuit coupled to the transducer array to generate a first information signal in response to the first sonar signal and to generate a second information signal in response to the second sonar signal.
-
-
38. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a controller operable to generate at least one command that, when received by a communication circuit of remote device having a transducer array, causes the communication circuit to generate first and second information signals, and causes the transducer array to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency; and a local communication circuit coupled to the controller, operable to generate a command signal that represents the command, and operable to transmit the command signal to the remote communication circuit 39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the remote device comprises a buoy.
-
-
40. A vessel, comprising:
-
a controller operable to generate at least one command that, when received by a communication circuit of remote device having a transducer array, causes the communication circuit to generate first and second information signals, and causes the transducer array to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency; and a local communication circuit coupled to the controller, operable to generate a command signal that represents the command, and operable to transmit the command signal to the remote communication circuit.
-
-
41. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor:
-
to generate at least one command that, when received by a communication circuit of an apparatus remote from the processor and having a transducer array, causes the communication circuit to generate first and second information signals, and causes the transducer array to generate in response to the first information signal a first sonar signal having a first frequency, and to generate in response to the second information signal a second sonar signal having a second frequency; and to cause a communication circuit local to the processor to generate a command signal that represents the at least one command, and to transmit the command signal to the remote communication circuit.
-
Specification