Underwater location and communication device

• US 6,272,073 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary L. Doucette, Matthew C. Rivotto
• Original Assignee: Gary L. Doucette, Matthew C. Rivotto
• Inventors: Doucette, Gary L., Rivotto, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/197,150
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 367/134, 367/131, 367/6, 367/127
• US Class Current: 367/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/02 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy

Abstract

An electronic device for use by recreational divers, that uses ultrasonic signals to measure distance, to indicate relative direction, and to maintain contact between at least two diving partners during a diving session. One of the devices is worn and operated by each diving partner, and each device, through an arrangement of ultrasound transmitters and receiver pairs affixed thereto, monitors relative distance between itself and each other device in use by a diving partner. The device has a user interface, including a plurality of push-buttons and liquid crystal display, to set and indicate relative distance, relative direction, low battery fault, and chime or vibration warning mode. The warning mode alerts a diver when a distance limit between companion divers has been exceeded.

Claims

1. An underwater location and communication device for use by a diver, said device comprising:

an outer case or housing that is durable and waterproof;

a plurality of manually operable switches attached to said housing and used by said diver to operate said device;

an electronic display also attached to said housing and readable from the exterior of said housing by said diver;

a fastening means attached to said housing and used to permit said device to be worn by said diver;

a plurality of transmitter/receiver pairs affixed to said housing and employed to emit and intercept an ultrasonic wave;

an electric power source contained within said housing;

a plurality of warning means enclosed in said housing and employed to alert said diver when a distance limit selected by said diver between said device and a companion device worn and operated by a companion diver is exceeded;

a microcontroller circuit in electrical communication with said plurality of manually operable switches, said electronic display, said electric power source and said plurality of warning means; and

a transceiver circuit in electrical communication with said plurality of transmitter/receiver pairs and said microcontroller circuit.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing has a front panel, a rear panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, a left side panel and a right side panel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of manually operable switches are situated on said front panel of said housing.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of manually operable switches is a plurality of push-button switches.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plurality of push-button switches is comprised of a first push-button switch, a second push-button switch, a third push-button switch and a fourth push-button switch.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first push-button switch is a power push-button switch that starts and stops a flow of an electric current from said electric power source to said electronic display, said microcontroller circuit and said transceiver circuit.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second push-button switch is a range push-button switch that permits said diver to select said distance limit between said device and said companion device.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said third push-button switch is a warning indicator push-button switch that allows said diver to choose a warning means from said plurality of warning means.

9. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said device has a plurality of operating channels and said fourth push-button switch is an operating channel push-button switch that permits said diver to select an operating channel for said device from said plurality of operating channels.

10. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said power push-button switch further controls a means to reset said device in the event a fault condition occurs in said device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of warning means includes a vibration producing means and an audible sound producing means.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said vibration producing means is a motor and said audible sound producing means is a speaker.

13. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic display is located on said front panel of said device.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic display means is a liquid crystal display having a plurality of informational readouts.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said plurality of informational readouts comprises:

a range readout that registers said distance limit between said device and said companion device selected by said diver with said range push-button switch;

an active alarm readout that is activated when said diver with said warning indicator push-button means chooses said warning means from said plurality of warning means;

an operating channel readout that registers said operating channel selected by said diver with said operating channel push-button switch;

a direction readout that registers a direction indication for said companion device and said companion diver; and

a low-battery readout that becomes visible when said electric current from said electric power source diminishes to a predetermined level.

16. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transmitter/receiver pairs is comprised of:

a first transmitter/receiver pair located on said front panel;

a second transmitter/receiver pair located on said top panel;

a third transmitter/receiver pair located on said bottom panel;

a fourth transmitter/receiver pair located on said left side panel; and

a fifth transmitter/receiver pair located on said right side panel.

17. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric power source is comprised of a plurality of coin-cell batteries.

18. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microcontroller circuit includes:

a microcontroller;

a LCD driver;

a vibration indicator circuit;

an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM);

a four bit binary counter;

a DC to DC converter;

a plurality of toggling pins;

said plurality of batteries;

an audible alarm circuit;

said liquid crystal display;

said power push button switch;

said range-push button switch;

said warning indicator push-button switch; and

said operating channel push button switch.

19. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit includes a transmitter section and a receiver section, said transmitter section comprising an operational amplifier and a plurality of piezoelectric transmitters and said receiver section comprising a plurality of piezoelectric receivers, an analog multiplexer, a plurality of operational amplifiers, and a switched capacitor band pass filter.

20. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said microcontroller generates a carrier frequency upon which is encoded a first number for identifying said device and a second number for identifying said companion device.

21. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said LCD driver is in electrical communication with said microcontroller and said liquid crystal display and controls said range readout, said active alarm readout, said operating channel readout, said directional readout and said low-battery readout.

22. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said vibration indicator circuit is in electrical communication with said microcontroller and is comprised of said motor, a vibration indicator circuit diode and a vibration indicator circuit resistor.

23. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said audible alarm circuit is in electrical communication with said microcontroller and is comprised of said speaker and a audible alarm circuit resistor.

24. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said EEPROM is in electrical communication with said microcontroller and said LCD driver and stores said distance limit selected with said range push-button switch, said warning means chosen with said warning indicator push-button switch, and said operating channel selected with said operating channel push-button switch.

25. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said four bit binary counter is in electrical communication with a master clock and said microcontroller and divides a master clock frequency to a reduced clock frequency and said reduced clock frequency is used to set up a sampling rate for said adaptive bandpass filter.

26. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said DC to DC converter is in electrical communication with said batteries, said power push-button switch, said transceiver circuit, said microcontroller, said LCD driver and said EEPROM.

27. A device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said DC to DC converter and said microcontroller boost a battery voltage provided from said batteries to a regulated voltage, said regulated voltage being employed to energize said transceiver circuit.

28. A device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said operational amplifier of said transmitter section amplifies a carrier signal generated by said microcontroller and said plurality of piezoelectric transmitters convert said carrier signal to a sound wave, said sound wave being propagated to a plurality of companion device receivers in said companion device of said companion diver.

29. A device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said plurality of piezoelectric receivers convert a sound wave propagated from a plurality of companion device transmitters into an electrical signal, said analog multiplexer and said microcontroller cooperate to connect said electrical signal to said plurality of operational amplifiers, said plurality of amplifiers cooperate with said band pass filter to convert said electrical signal into a digital signal for said microcontroller to convert.

30. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said microcontroller employs a computer program to control said device, said program is comprised of a plurality of commands for said device:

to activate said speaker, said motor, said range read out, said active alarm readout, said operating channel readout, said direction readout and said low-battery readout;

to read said distance limit, said warning means, and said operating channel stored on said EEPROM;

to enter a new selection for said distance limit, said warning means, and said operating channel to be stored on said EEPROM;

to query said companion device to confirm its presence and to determine its identity;

to poll said companion device by sending out a stream of ultrasonic pulses from said plurality of piezoelectric transmitters of said device; and

to poll said plurality of piezoelectric receivers of said device for a companion device ultrasonic pulse emitted from said companion device.