Apparatus for measuring water depth

• US 4,122,429 A
• Filed: 02/24/1977
• Issued: 10/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tashiro Fukumoto
• Original Assignee: Tashiro Fukumoto
• Inventors: Hatai, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Myracle, Jerry W.
• Application Number:
  US05/771,676
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 73/290 V, 116/129 H, 116/129 T, 177/42, 340/1 C, 340/3 R, 343/5 DP
• US Class Current: 367/108
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/008 measuring depth of open water
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/14 wherein a voltage or current pulse is initiated and terminated in accordance respectively with the pulse transmission and echo reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/56 Display arrangements short-range imaging G01S7/52053

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring water depth comprising a range discrimination circuitry and an indication circuitry. The range discrimination circuitry includes a unit pulse generator, digital counters and digital gates. The indication circuitry includes a latch circuit, BCD-to-decimal decoders and indication lamps.

Claims

1. An electronic underwater depth gauge comprising:

unit pulse generating means for generating a unit pulse;

divider means connected to said unit pulse generating means for frequency dividing the pulse units generated by said pulse generating means;

first binary counter means connected at the inlet thereto to said divider means for further frequency dividing the pulses divided by said divider means;

sound wave generating and receiving means connected to said first binary counter means for generating and converting high frequency impulses from pulses from said first binary counter means into sound waves and for receiving and converting reflected sound waves into high frequency impulses;

a voltage source;

double switching means connected to said voltage source for directing the voltage from said voltage source, said switching means having first and second positions;

a first AND gate connected at the input thereinto to said first position of said double switching means and to said divider means;

an OR gate connected at the input thereto to said first AND gate;

binary counting and decoding means connected to said OR gate and to said wave generating and receiving means for counting pulses through said OR gate, for comparing said counted pulses from said OR gate and said wave generating and receiving means, and for converting said binary pulses to decimal signals and storing said decimal signals, said binary counting and decoding means further being connected to said first binary counter means for being reset by the pulses therefrom;

visual display means connected to said binary counting and decoding means for visually displaying the decimal signals stored therein;

a second AND gate connected at the input thereinto to said second position of said double switching means and at the outlet therefrom to said OR gate, said second AND gate further being connected to said unit pulse generating means;

second binary to decimal decoder means connected to said first binary counter means for converting the binary input signals from said counter means to a series of delayed decimal output pulses, said second decoder means having a plurality of outlets therefrom for said delayed pulses;

switching means connected to said second binary to decimal decoder means for selecting an output terminal from said decoder means; and

pulse setting means connected between said second AND gate and said switching means and further having pulse input from said unit pulse generating means for producing and directing a regulated pulse to said second AND gate based on said selected decimal output signals from said second binary to decimal decoder, whereby when said second AND gate receives in unison a voltage from said double switching means, and appropriate signals from said unit pulse generating means and said pulse setting means, and said second AND gate is opened to said OR gate.

2. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sound wave generating and receiving means is comprised of:

high frequency impulse generating means connected to said first binary counter means for producing pulses and generating a high frequency amplified impulses;

a duplexer connected to said high frequency impulse generating means;

transducer means connected to said duplexer for translating said amplified high frequency impulses into saound waves, and for receiving sound waves and converting said sound waves into high frequency impulses and returning said convered sound waves to said duplexer; and

envelop detector means connected to said duplexer for producing echo signals coincident in time with one of said reflected sound impulses.

3. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said binary counting and decoding means is comprised of:

a second binary counter means connected at the input thereinto to said OR gate for converting input pulses thereinto into pure binary codes which appear on a plurality of parallel outlet terminals, said second binary counter means further being connected to and receiving input from said first binary counter means, said signals to said parallel outlets being delayed in time by pulses from said OR gate;

a quad latch having input terminals connected to said outlet terminals of said second binary counter means and said sound wave generating and receiving means and further having four output terminals therefrom;

first binary to decimal decoder means connected to said output terminals of said quad latch for converting the binary output signals from quad latch into decimal signals; and

analog memory means connected to said first binary to decimal decoder means for storing the output signal of said first binary to decimal decoder.

4. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said visual display means is comprised of a plurality of light emitting diodes connected to said binary counting and decoding means.

5. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pulse setting means is comprised of:

7. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switching means is comprised of:

a rotary switch interlocked with said plurality of outlet terminals of said second binary to decinal decoder means, said switch being rotatable between and in contact with said plural outlets of said pulse setting means; and

a scale member interconnected with said switch and having a plurality of scale markings indicating different depth ranges corresponding to said individual outlets on said second binary to decimal decoder, said scale member markings being aligned with said visual display means.

8. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switching means is comprised of:

a stationary panel having a plurality of equally spaced first openings therein corresponding to said visual display means and at least one second opening therein adjacent said first openings corresponding to a predetermined position of said first openings, said first openings being numbered;

a sliding scale member behind said second opening, said scale member having scale marking thereon which appear in said second opening; and

a movable switching member connected to said sliding scale member, whereby said scale member may be moved, and connected between said outlet terminals of said second binary to decimal decoder and said pulse setting means, the outlet terminal in contact with said switch member varying with the movement of said switch member.

9. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said switching member has a pinion portion on the outer surface thereof; and

said sliding scale member has a rack portion at one end thereof in contact with said pinion portion, whereby movement of said switching member between said outlets causes said scale member to move.

10. An electronic underwater depth gauge as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said stationary panel has at least two second openings therein adjacent said first openings corresponding to predetermined positions of said first openings; and

said sliding scale member has spaced scale markings thereon, said scale markings being different by the number of first openings between said second openings.

6. a third binary counter means connected to said unit pulse generating means for counting unit pulses generated by said pulse generating means;

and

a flip flop switch means receiving output from and providing input into said third binary counter means and also connected between said switching means and said second AND gate, said flip flop switch means producing a pulse from said second bianry to decimal decoder means to said second AND gate regulated in sequence by the unit pulses counted by said third binary counter means.