Underwater camera communication system

• US 8,331,856 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Csignum Limited
• Original Assignee: Wfs Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Rhodes, Mark, Wolfe, Derek, Hyland, Brendan
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/210,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/40, 455/572, 455/502, 455/96, 455/98, 455/72, 367/131, 367/134, 367/142, 367/904, 367/901, 340/850
• 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 camera system comprising a camera and an underwater communications system, said communication system comprising:

at least one transmitter and at least one remote receiver, said at least one transmitter comprising;

a data input representative of image data at least;

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

an antenna for transmitting modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals to a remote receiver, and

said at least one remote receiver comprising;

an antenna for receiving modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals,

wherein at least one of the transmitter and/or remote receiver is underwater;

wherein the said at least one transmitter further comprises a digital data compressor for compressing said image data at least that is to be transmitted, wherein said the digital data compressor is configured to reduce occupied transmission bandwidth such as to increase the range of signal reception underwater.

2. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein each said antenna is an electrically insulated, magnetic coupled antenna.

3. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein each said antenna is an electric field couple antenna.

4. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein said receiver further comprises a demodulator, for demodulating modulated signals received by the receiver.

5. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein the remote receiver further comprises a digital data de-compressor for decompressing the demodulated signals output from the said demodulator.

6. The underwater camera system of claim 1 where the said at least one transmitter further comprises a data processor.

7. The underwater camera system of claim 6 wherein the said data processor includes an acoustic interface operable to allow transmission of voice data.

8. The underwater camera system of claim 6 wherein the said data processor includes a camera interface operable to allow transmission of image data.

9. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein the 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.

10. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein each said antenna includes at least one of loops and solenoids.

11. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the transmitter or remote receiver is placed in a propagating medium which is water and at least one of the transmitter or receiver is place in a propagating medium which is air.

12. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein each said antenna is surrounded with a material having a permittivity to match that of the propagating medium.

13. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein one or more intermediate transceivers are provided between the transmitter and the remote receiver to relay signals between said transmitter and said remote receiver.

14. The underwater camera system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the said one or more intermediate transceivers and one of said transmitter or remote receiver are under water and are operable to pass a signal between one another through a water propagation path.

15. The underwater camera system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the said plurality of intermediate transceivers and one of said transmitter or remote receiver are in air and are operable to pass a signal between one another through an air propagation path.

16. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter and said receiver are operable to communicate within a near field of said electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals.

17. The underwater camera system of claim 1 wherein said near field of said electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals corresponds to the region around said transmitter wherein at least one of inverse distance squared (1/r²) and inverse distance cubed (1/r³) field components of said electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals is greater than an inverse distance (1/r) field component thereof.

18. An underwater camera system operable to allow audio and/or image communication comprising a camera and a communications system comprising two or more transceivers, each transceiver comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, said at least one transmitter comprising:

a data input;

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

an antenna for transmitting modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals to a remote receiver, and

said at least one receiver comprising;

an antenna for receiving modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals,

wherein at least one transceiver is underwater;

wherein the said at least one transmitter further comprises a digital data compressor for compressing said image data at least that is to be transmitted, wherein said the digital data compressor is configured to reduce occupied transmission bandwidth such as to increase the range of signal reception underwater.

19. An underwater camera system comprising a camera and an underwater communications system, said communication system comprising:

at least one transmitter and at least one remote receiver, said at least one transmitter comprising;

a data input representative of image data at least;

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

an antenna for transmitting modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals to a remote receiver, and

said at least one remote receiver comprising;

an antenna for receiving modulated electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals,

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