Sonar/television system for use in underwater exploration
First Claim
1. A sonar/television system for use with a hollow underwater conductor in locating underwater objects comprisinga first housing having exterior dimensions which enable insertion thereof into the hollow of the underwater conductor,a television camera disposed within said housing so that the camera is directed downwardly of the housing to record scenes appearing therebelow, andtransducer means carried by said housing for transmitting acoustical signals downwardly of the housing and also generally laterally of the housing through an angle of substantially 360°
- about the housing and for receiving reflected acoustical signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sonar/television system and method is disclosed whereby an underwater drill pipe may be guided to a re-entry guide base or assembly positioned on a sea floor. The system includes a scanner assembly having first and second elongated housings whose exterior dimensions enable insertion of the housings into the bore of the drill pipe. The upper end of the first housing is rotatably mounted to the lower end of the second housing. A television camera is disposed within the first housing and fixed to the second housing so that the camera remains fixed when the first housing is rotated, and a sonar transducer is mounted in the first housing to rotate therewith. Scenes viewed by the camera are reproduced on a screen of a television display apparatus in such a manner that, when the re-entry guide base is within view, markings on the screen indicate both the lateral positioning of the drill pipe relative to the guide base and also the altitude of the drill pipe above the guide base.
43 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A sonar/television system for use with a hollow underwater conductor in locating underwater objects comprising
a first housing having exterior dimensions which enable insertion thereof into the hollow of the underwater conductor, a television camera disposed within said housing so that the camera is directed downwardly of the housing to record scenes appearing therebelow, and transducer means carried by said housing for transmitting acoustical signals downwardly of the housing and also generally laterally of the housing through an angle of substantially 360° - about the housing and for receiving reflected acoustical signals.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A sonar/television system for use in guiding an underwater pipe to a guide base positioned on a sea floor comprising
a housing having exterior dimensions which enable insertion thereof into the bore of said pipe, a television camera disposed within said housing so that the camera is directed downwardly of the housing to record scenes appearing therebelow, sonar transducer means carried by said housing for transmitting acoustical signals outwardly of the housing and for receiving reflected acoustical signals, and television display means coupled to said television camera for displaying scenes viewed by the camera, said display means including a face plate having a plurality of markings thereon positioned and spaced to indicate the lateral positioning of the underwater pipe relative to the guide base and, when certain of the markings are aligned with certain portions of the guide base displayed on the display means, to indicate the altitude of the drill pipe above the guide base.
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13. A method of guiding an underwater pipe suspended from a vessel on the surface of a body of water to an underwater well in which at least one acoustical reflector is positioned near the well, said method comprising
a. lowering a sonar/television system within the bore of said pipe to a position in which the system partially protrudes out the lower end of the pipe so that a television camera of the system may record scenes appearing below the lower end of the pipe and so that a sonar transducer means of the system may transmit acoustical signals outwardly from the lower end of the pipe and receive reflected acoustical signals, b. activating the sonar transducer means to scan generally downwardly and laterally of the lower end of the pipe through an angle of 360° - to detect the location of the acoustical reflector,
c. moving the lower end of the pipe toward the acoustical reflector, d. activating the television camera to transmit the scenes viewed thereby to a television receiver located on the vessel, and e. moving the lower end of the pipe into a position wherein the well is within view of the television camera below the pipe, - View Dependent Claims (14)
- to detect the location of the acoustical reflector,
Specification