Low power telemetry system and method
First Claim
1. A telemetry system comprising:
- a bus having a termination device;
a plurality of sensing channels each coupled to the bus; and
a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated to for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel.
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Abstract
A telemetry system is described in which a plurality of channels are coupled to a bus. A control subsystem controls the channels so that one of the channels presents to the bus during its designated time period a channel characteristic. The control subsystem interrogates in the analog domain each of the channels during its designated time period, and forms a signal representative of the channel characteristic. The control subsystem may combine one or more of the signals into a digital packet, and transmit the same via transceiver over a wireless network. The channels may be contained within a submersible enclosure and displaced at intervals along the bus, thereby forming an array for monitoring waterborne threats. The array may lie along an ocean floor, may be towed by a marine vehicle, or may suspended from a deployable buoy containing the control subsystem, transceiver, and a remote power source. The array may further comprise a defensive countermeasure deployable responsive to detecting a threat.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A telemetry system comprising:
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a bus having a termination device; a plurality of sensing channels each coupled to the bus; and a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated to for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A telemetry system comprising:
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a bus having a termination device; a transmitter coupled to the bus; a plurality of sensing channels, each sensing channel coupled to the bus and comprising a sensor and sensor conditioning electronics contained within a submersible enclosure; and a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel, and (5) combining channel signals into a packet for external transmission. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A mobile marine surveillance system comprising:
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a termination device; a bus having a plurality of submersible enclosures displaced at intervals, each submersible enclosure enclosing a sensing channel coupled to the bus; a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel; and a marine vehicle means for towing the bus through water. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A remote waterborne telemetry system for triggering a defensive countermeasure, comprising:
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a bus having a termination device; a transceiver coupled to the bus; a plurality of submersible sensing channels displaced at intervals along the bus, each sensing channel coupled to the bus; a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel;
(5) combining channel signals into a packet; and
(6) transmitting the packet via the transceiver to a host platform;a buoy for deploying the bus and enclosing the termination device, controller, and transmitter; and a triggering means for triggering the defensive countermeasure responsive to receiving a firing signal from the host platform. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification