Methods and apparatus for underwater electrical near-field signal system

• US 9,490,873 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Koehler, Frederick B., Mccreery, Thomas P., Rinker, Robert, Rogers, Darrell R., Rosenwald, Ross D., Sanderson, Terry M., Sar, David R., Fasse, Ernest D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US14/504,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/40, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/00 Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/72 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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: H04B 2001/3894 Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a near-field signal system to generate signals underwater for navigation and/or communication. In one embodiment, a system includes a signal processing module coupled to a first antenna to transmit near-field signals underwater and a second antenna to receive near-field signals underwater transmitted by the first antenna. In one embodiment, a wetsuit includes an integrated near-field signal system.

Claims

1. A near-field signal system to generate signals underwater, comprising:

a signal processing module;

a first antenna to transmit electrical near-field signals underwater coupled to the signal processing module;

a second antenna to receive near-field signals underwater transmitted by the first antenna, wherein the second antenna is coupled to the signal processing module; and

a salinity sensor to measure salinity of water coupled to the signal processing module, wherein a current and/or a voltage of the electrical near-field signals transmitted by the first antenna is adjusted based upon the measured water salinity.

2. The system according to claim 1, further including a temperature sensor to obtain temperature information for the water coupled to the control module.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second antenna includes a dipole array.

4. The system according to claim 1, further including a user interface to display information on objects detected by the second antenna.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the user interface includes a head up display.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a sound generator.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the near-field signal system forms a part of a wetsuit.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein the near-field signal system forms part of an underwater vehicle and the dipole array is located around the vehicle.

9. A method, comprising:

measuring salinity of water using a salinity sensor,

transmitting electrical near-field signals underwater by a first antenna, wherein a current and/or a voltage of the electrical near-field signals transmitted by the first antenna is based upon the measured water salinity;

receiving near-field signals underwater transmitted by the first antenna; and

processing the received near-field signals to provide information to a user.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information comprises navigation information to avoid underwater objects.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information comprises communication data from another underwater entity.

12. The method according to claim 9, further including using the measured water salinity to process the received near-field signals.

13. The method according to claim 9, further including using temperature information for the water coupled to process the received near-field signals.

14. The method according to claim 9, further including receiving the near-field signals with a second antenna that includes a dipole array.

15. The method according to claim 9, further including formatting the processed information for display to a user.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first antenna forms a part of a wetsuit.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first antenna forms a part of an underwater vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information comprises multiple messages, and frequency separation is used for sending the multiple messages to the user substantially simultaneously.

22. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information comprises locations of conductive and non-conductive objects.

18. A system, comprising:

a display;

a signal processing means coupled to the display, the signal processing means to generate signals for transmission of electrical near-field signals underwater by a first antenna and to process near-field signals transmitted by the first antenna and received by a second antenna, and

a salinity sensor to measure salinity of water coupled to the signal processing module, wherein a current and/or a voltage of the electrical near-field signals transmitted by the first antenna is adjusted based upon the measured water salinity.

19. A near field communication system for generating signals underwater, comprising:

a signal processing module;

a first antenna to transmit signals;

a second antenna to receive near field signals originating from a further near field communication system that is underwater, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are connected to the signal processing module, and

a salinity sensor to measure salinity of water coupled to the signal processing module, wherein a current and/or a voltage of the signals transmitted by the first antenna is adjusted based upon the measured water salinity.

20. A near field signal system for generating signals underwater comprising:

a signal processing module;

a first antenna to transmit a navigation signal, a communication signal, or both;

a second antenna to receive the navigation signal from the first antenna or a communication signal from a further near field signal system; and

a salinity sensor to measure salinity of water coupled to the signal processing module, wherein a current and/or a voltage of the signal transmitted by the first antenna is adjusted based upon the measured water salinity;

wherein first and second antennas are connected to the signal processing module, and wherein the signal processing module is configured to interpret the received signals as either the navigation signal from the first antenna or the communication signal from the further near field signal system.