Device for and method of dive monitoring

• US 5,806,514 A
• Filed: 05/30/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uwatec AG (Johnson Outdoors, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Uwatec AG (Johnson Outdoors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mock, Markus, Vollm, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US08/619,479
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.27, 128/201.28, 128/204.18, 128/204.21, 128/204.22, 128/204.23, 128/204.26, 128/205.23, 128/202.22, 128/205.11
• US Class Current: 128/204.23
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/32 Decompression arrangements; Exercise equipment
• 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

Abstract

Device for and method of dive monitoring, wherein the pressure in a diving flask of a breathing equipment and the ambient pressure which the diver is exposed to at the respective water depth are detected. A decompression computing means is used to determine the respective decompression stops which the diver has to observe in surfacing, and how much time surfacing will require altogether. A performance index is derived from the variation of the pressure versus time in the diving flask, which index is a measure of the physical work performed by the diver. This performance index is supplied to the decompression computing means and is considered in the calculation of the total surfacing period.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring the dive of a diver, comprising:

a first pressure transducer which detects pressure in a diving flask of a breathing apparatus supplying the diver with breathing air;

a second pressure transducer which detects ambient pressure which is a measure of the water depth reached by the diver;

a timer serving to determine the time the diver has spent underwater;

a decompression computing means serving to compute, on the basis of time and ambient pressure values of said timer and said second pressure transducer, respectfully, which decompression stops the diver has to perform in surfacing and a total surfacing time;

a display means including a first display on which dive parameters may be indicated and which further comprises;

a memory means for storing pressure values as detected by said first pressure transducer in chronogical succession; and

a second computing means for (1) deriving a performance index from the stored pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer, which index is a measure of physical work performed by the diver, and (2) supplying this performance index to said decompression computing means so that this performance index is utilized by the decompression computing means in computing the decompression stops and the total surfacing time.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure values of said first pressure transducer are detectable at short intervals;

said second computing means can determine from the pressure values detected by the first pressure transducer how often the diver breathes during a preceding period, and can derive a respiratory rate of the diver therefrom; and

said memory means stores a computing rule by which said performance index is derivable from the respiratory rate so derived or a plurality of respiratory rate reference values, with which a specific predetermined performance index is accociated, and said second computing means can select a next respiratory rate reference value from the derived respiratory rate for determining therefrom said performance index.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said second computing means can compute air consumption of the diver per unit time from the pressure values detected by the first pressure transducer and from a known predetermined volume of the diving flask;

said memory means stores a computing rule by which said second computing means derives said performance index from the air consumption of the diver per unit time;

or a plurality of predetermined air consumption reference values, with associated performance indices, by which said second computing means determines the performance index from the computed diver'"'"'s air consumption and these predetermined air consumption reference values.

4. A device according to claim 3, additionally comprising an input means by means of which the diver may enter a volume of the diving flask prior to the beginning of the dive, and a display in which the volume of the diving flask that may be entered is visible.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said input means includes at least one safety means for preventing potential inadvertent modification of said diving flask volume value so entered.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein normalized pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer during a first interval are stored in said memory means and compared against normalized pressure values determined during at least one second interval, and said performance index is derivable from a comparison between the normalized pressure values detected during said first interval and from the normalized pressure values detected during said second interval.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said first interval is a period prior to the beginning of the dive;

a basic pressure consumption value is determinable from the pressure values detected during the first interval; and

an actual pressure consumption value is determinable from the pressure values detected during a second and each of any successive interval, by a comparison against said basic pressure consumption value, and said performance index is derivable from said comparison.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein a differential pressure value Δ

NPC_i is determinable from a pressure value NPC_i-1 detected during a first interval and a pressure value NPC_i detected in a next succeeding interval;

an average differential pressure consumption Δ

NPC_av is determinable from these said pressure values as well as from a number of preceding pressure values; and

the performance index is derivable from a variation of actual detected pressure value Δ

NPC relative to said average pressure value Δ

NPC_av for a number of successive pressure values Δ

NPC_i-2,i-1,i-.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said second computing means can determine normalized pressure values from the pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer and from the ambient pressure values detected by said second pressure transducer, which normalized pressure values are convertible to normal pressures at sea level and which are referred to as original parameters for determining the performance index.

10. A device according to claim 2, wherein said second computing means can determine normalized pressure values from the pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer and from the ambient pressure values detected by said second pressure transducer, which normalized pressure values are convertible to normal pressures at sea level and which are referred to as original parameters for determining the performance index.

11. A device according to claim 3, wherein said second computing means can determine normalized pressure values from the pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer and from the ambient pressure values detected by said second pressure transducer, which normalized pressure values are converted to normal pressures at sea level and which are referred to as original parameters for determining the performance index.

12. A device according to claim 6, wherein said second computing means can determine normalized pressure values from the pressure values detected by said first pressure transducer and from the ambient pressure values detected by said second pressure transducer, which normalized pressure values are convertible to normal pressures at sea level and which are referred to as original parameters for determining the performance index.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least the first pressure transducer, the timer and a signal processing means are disposed in a first housing which is fastened on or in the vicinity of said diving flask;

a display means is disposed in a second housing remote from said first housing; and

said device further comprises a data transmission means for transmitting data from the first housing to the second housing.

14. A device according to claim 9, wherein at least the first pressure transducer, the timer and a signal processing means are disposed in a first housing which is fastened on or in the vicinity of said diving flask;

a display means is disposed in a second housing remote from said first housing; and

said device further comprises a data transmission means for transmitting data from the first housing to the second housing.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein said data transmission means includes a transmitting means for receiving signals from the said first pressure transducer and transmits said signals via an antenna, and that in said second housing a receiving means is disposed which includes a second antenna for receiving the signals transmitted by said transmitting means and supplies said signals to said display.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein said data transmission means includes a transmitting means for receiving signals from the said first pressure transducer and transmits said signals via an antenna, and that in said second housing a receiving means is disposed which includes a second antenna for receiving the signals transmitted by said transmitting means and supplies said signals to said display.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein said first housing and said second housing are physically interconnected by said data transmission means, with said data transmission means capable of transmitting data electrically or optically.

18. A device according to claim 14, wherein said first housing and said second housing are physically interconnected by said data transmission means, with said data transmission means capable of transmitting data electrically or optically.

19. A device according to claim 1, wherein said decompression computing means and said second computing means are combined in one microprocessor means.

20. A method of monitoring a dive performed by a diver with mobile breathing equipment, including the following steps:

detecting the pressure values in an air supply tank of said mobile breathing equipment;

storing successively detected pressure values;

detecting an index of air consumption by the diver in a predetermined period of time;

with simultaneous execution of the following steps;

detecting ambient pressure around the diver and determining a diving depth at which the diver is staying;

computing the period for which the diver stays at said diving depth;

whereupon the following steps are performed;

determining a performance index from the detected index of air consumption, which is a measure of physical work performed by the diver during a specific period;

computing decompression stops and total surfacing time period in consideration of time for which the diver has stayed at the respective diving depth levels, and from the measure of physical work performed by the diver during his stay; and

displaying on a display at least one index which is decisive for the decompression conditions.

21. A method according to claim 20, including the following further steps:

determining the time period for which the air supply will presumably be sufficient, on the basis of the detected pressure values in the air supply tank and a predetermined threshold defined for a minimum pressure value in said air supply tank;

subtracting from this determined time period the total surfacing time period computed to provide a differential time result; and

displaying said differential time result as a period for which the diver may remain at a respective diving depth level while he continues production of work and air consumption.