Underwater communications system

• US 7,873,316 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Csignum Limited
• Original Assignee: Wfs Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Rhodes, Mark, Wolfe, Derek, Hyland, Brendan
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US12/714,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 455/40, 455/72, 455/96, 455/98, 367/901, 367/132, 367/910, 367/904, 367/141, 367/131, 367/142, 340/850, 343/719, 455/02
• US Class Current: 455/40
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/901 Noise or unwanted signal reduction in nonseismic receiving system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/904 Doppler compensation systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/91 Portable sonar devices

Abstract

An underwater communications system is provided that transmits electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals to a remote receiver. The transmitter includes a data input. A digital data compressor compresses data to be transmitted. A modulator modulates compressed data onto a carrier signal. An electrically insulated, magnetic coupled antenna transmits the compressed, modulated signals. The receiver that has an electrically insulated, magnetic coupled antenna for receiving a compressed, modulated signal. A demodulator is provided for demodulating the signal to reveal compressed data. A de-compressor de-compresses the data. An appropriate human interface is provided to present transmitted data into text/audio/visible form. Similarly, the transmit system comprises appropriate audio/visual/text entry mechanisms.

Claims

1. An underwater communications system comprising:

a transmitter which transmits electromagnetic signals to a remote receiver said transmitter comprising a data input;

a modulator for modulating the data onto a carrier signal; and

an electric field coupled antenna for transmitting the modulated signals,

wherein at least one of said transmitter and said remote receiver is underwater

said transmitter and said receiver being operable to communicate within a near field of said electromagnetic signals, said near field of said electromagnetic signals corresponding to the region around said transmitter where at least one of inverse distance squared (1/r2) and inverse distance cubed (1/r3) field components of said electromagnetic signals is greater than an inverse distance (1/r) field component thereof.

2. The underwater communications system of claim 1 wherein said data input includes at least one of:

a text input;

an audio input for capturing audio signals;

an image input for capturing an image and a video input for capturing a video image.

3. The underwater communications system of claim 2, further comprising a display for allowing digital data to be viewed prior to transmission.

4. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein said remote receiver has an electric field coupled antenna for receiving said electromagnetic signals and a demodulator for demodulating said electromagnetic signals.

5. The underwater communications system of claim 4, wherein said remote receiver further comprises a display for displaying demodulated data.

6. The underwater communications system of claim 4, wherein said remote receiver further comprises a device for generating sound representative of the demodulated data.

7. The underwater communications system of claim 1, said transmitter further comprising a digital data compressor for compressing data that is to be transmitted.

8. The underwater communications system of claim 7, wherein said remote receiver comprises a de-compressor for de-compressing said compressed data.

9. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein said electric field coupled antenna is formed of a long wire.

10. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit signals having a frequency in the range of 1 Hz to 100 MHz.

11. The underwater communication system of claim 1, further comprising a converter for converting captured speech to digital text to be input at said transmitter data input.

12. The underwater communication system of claim 11, wherein speech synthesis is used to reconstruct audible speech at said remote receiver.

13. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein at least one intermediate transceiver is provided, said intermediate transceiver being operable to pass a signal from said transmitter to said remote receiver.

14. The underwater communications system of claim 13 wherein said at least one intermediate transceiver is above water and is operable to pass a signal from said transmitter to said remote receiver through an air propagation path.

15. The underwater communications system of claim 13, wherein said at least one intermediate transceiver is mobile.

16. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of intermediate transceivers are provided.

17. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said transmitter and said remote receiver is an above water station.

18. The underwater communications system of claim 17 wherein said above water station comprises an electric field coupled antenna.

19. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein each said transmitter and said remote receiver is located underwater.

20. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said transmitter and said remote receiver includes a device for varying the signal gain.

21. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter and said remote receiver are both located underwater, and wherein said electromagnetic signals follow a signal path which is at least partially an air path that is above water.

22. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic signals follow a signal path which is at least partially through the sea bed.

23. The underwater communication system of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic communication system having an acoustic transmitter.

24. The underwater communication system of claim 23, further comprising a device for selecting one of said transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic signals and said acoustic transmitter.

25. The underwater electromagnetic communication system of claim 1, wherein information is transferred from said transmitter to said remote receiver using multiple narrow frequency channels.

26. The underwater communications system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said transmitter and said remote receiver includes a device for varying the signal gain.

27. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein the frequency of said carrier signal has the lowest useable value to allow a given rate of data transfer between said transmitter and said remote receiver.

28. The underwater communications system of claim 1, wherein the underwater communications system is operable to vary said carrier frequency based on range of operation.

29. The underwater communications system of claim 28, wherein said underwater communications system is configured to establish a connection;

commence transmission at a first frequency;

once communication is established, vary the frequency and select the frequency based on the received signal strength.