Navigation system for diving operations

• US 6,029,515 A
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lahteenmaki, Ari, Nikkola, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US08/768,842
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 73/178 R, 342/58, 356/5.01, 367/6, 367/127, 367/128, 367/129, 367/131, 367/134, 367/910, 33/355 R, 33/361
• US Class Current: 73/178.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/805 using adjustment of real or effective orientation of directivity characteristics of a transducer or transducer system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that transducer or transducer system, e.g. to give a maximum or minimum signal

Abstract

A navigation system and method for diving operation in view of facilitating navigation under water to a specific location, in particular navigation back to a dive starting point, i.e., to the place from which the diving was started. The system includes a base station fixed to the starting point, such as a boat or equivalent, and arranged to transmit a signal to its environment, and a mobile unit carried along by the diver. The mobile unit includes a compass and a locating part which receives the signal transmitted by the base station. The locating part converts the signal to information on the return direction, and combines the information on the return direction with the magnetic information on the direction obtained from the compass, so that the information on the return direction from the position of the diver when the signal is received is maintained irrespective of the momentary location and position of the diver and the mobile unit.

Claims

1. A spatial orientation system to facilitate navigation for a diver under water, comprising

a base station fixable at a location to which the diver wants to arrive after completing a dive, said base station comprising transmitter means for transmitting a signal, and

a mobile unit adapted to be carried by the diver, said mobile unit comprising a compass and locating means for determining information on a return direction from the current position of said mobile unit to said base station, said locating means comprising

receiving means for receiving the signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station,

converting means for converting the signal to information on the return direction of said mobile unit to said base station upon receipt of the signal by said receiving means, and

combining means for combining said information on the return direction of said mobile unit to said base station from said converting means with magnetic information on the current position of the diver obtained from said compass in order to maintain current information on the return direction irrespective of the momentary location and position of the diver and said mobile unit.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said locating means of said mobile unit comprises means for determining the location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station upon receipt of the signal by said locating means.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein said momentary location determining means determine the intensity of said signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station and based on the intensity, determine the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station.

4. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein said momentary location determining means determine the travel time of said signal transmitted by said transmitter means from said base station to said mobile unit and based on the travel time, determine the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station.

5. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein said locating means of said mobile unit is arranged to continually determine information on the return direction from the current position of said mobile unit to said base station and continually determine the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station.

6. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein said locating means of said mobile unit is arranged to determine information on the return direction from the current position of said mobile unit to said base station only at certain predetermined time intervals and determine the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station only at certain predetermined time intervals.

7. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein said locating means of said mobile unit is arranged to be manually switched on by the diver to determine information on the return direction from the current position of said mobile unit to said base station and determine the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted by said transmitter means of said base station.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said base station further comprises receiver means and said mobile unit further comprises transmitter means such that a two-way connection is established between said base station and said mobile unit.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means of said base station are structured and arranged to transmit an ultrasound signal.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means of said base station are structured and arranged to transmit an electromagnetic wave.

11. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means of said base station are structured and arranged to transmit light to be received by said mobile unit.

12. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein said base station is fixed at the location at which the diver began the dive.

13. A method for facilitating navigation for a diver under water to arrive a specific location, comprising

fixing a base station to the location,

transmitting a signal from the base station,

determining information on a return direction from the current position of a mobile unit being carried along by the diver to said base station, said return direction information determining step comprising the steps of receiving the signal transmitted from said base station and converting the signal to information on the return direction, and

maintaining the information on the return direction irrespective of the momentary location and position of the diver by combining the information on the return direction with magnetic information on the current position of the diver obtained from a compass arranged in the mobile unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted from said base station.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining the intensity of the signal transmitted from said base station, and

determining the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station based on the intensity.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining the travel time of the signal transmitted from said base station from said base station to said mobile unit, and

determining the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station based on the travel time.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

continually determining information on the return direction from the current position of said mobile unit carried along by the diver to said base station, and

continually determining the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted from said base station.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining information on the return direction from the current position of said mobile unto carried along by the diver to said base station only at certain predetermined time intervals, and

determining the momentary location of said mobile unit with respect to said base station from the signal transmitted from said base station only at certain predetermined time intervals.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting data from said mobile unit to said base station by arranging a transmitter in connection with said mobile unit and arranging a receiver on connection with said base station.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said base station is fixed at the location at which the diver began the dive.

21. A spatial orientation system for diving operation to facilitate navigation for a diver under water, comprising

a base station fixable at a location to which the diver wants to arrive after completing a dive, said base station comprising a transmitter for transmitting a signal, and

a mobile unit adapted to be carried by the diver, said mobile unit comprising a compass and a locating system for determining information on a return direction from the current position of said mobile unit to said base station,

said locating system being arranged to receive the signal transmitted by said transmitter of said base station, convert the signal to information on the return direction of said mobile unit to said base station upon receipt of the signal by said locating system, and combine said information on the return direction of said mobile unit to said base station with magnetic information on the current position of the diver obtained from said compass in order to maintain current information on the return direction irrespective of the momentary location and position of the diver and said mobile unit.