Controllable buoys and networked buoy systems

• US 9,563,203 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Davoodi, Faranak, Davoudi, Farhooman
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sood, Anshul
• Application Number:
  US14/729,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 701/21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2022/006 specially adapted for measuring or watch purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/02 specially adapted for mooring a vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/20 Ballast means
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/22 Inflatable buoys with gas generating means B63B22/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/24 container type, i.e. having provision for the storage of material
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2203/00 Communication means
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/02 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/007 by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Buoyant sensor networks are described, comprising floating buoys with sensors and energy harvesting capabilities. The buoys can control their buoyancy and motion, and can organize communication in a distributed fashion. Some buoys may have tethered underwater vehicles with a smart spooling system that allows the vehicles to dive deep underwater while remaining in communication and connection with the buoys.

Claims

1. A buoy comprising:

a shell;

at least one communication device;

at least one energy-providing device comprising at least one solar cell, magnet configured to move in a solenoid when the buoy moves, or wind turbine;

at least one propulsion control unit; and

an extendible tube or stick comprising a means for penetrating ice, said extendible tube or stick being fully retractable into an inner structure of the shell, said extendible tube or stick being controlled by the propulsion control unit.

2. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the means for penetrating ice comprises a heating element.

3. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the shell is inflatable and comprises a chamber, the chamber configured to contain a fluid, and wherein the chamber comprises a pump to control a volume of the fluid within the chamber, thereby controlling buoyancy, and wherein the buoy further comprises an electronic controller module located in a rigid protective chamber at a center of the inflatable shell, the electronic controller module comprising a processor.

4. The buoy of claim 3, wherein the buoy is configured to deploy at any water depth up to sea floor.

5. The buoy of claim 4, further comprising at least one sensor, wherein the at least one communication device is configured to transmit and receive data from the at least one sensor.

6. The buoy of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera, a biochemical sensor, a radiation sensor or a pressure sensor.

7. The buoy of claim 3, wherein the buoy is configured to submerge a majority of its shell under the water surface.

8. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a radio frequency transceiver and an acoustic transceiver.

9. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy-providing device further comprises a battery.

10. The buoy of claim 9, wherein the shell is spherical and comprises a transparent dome at its top, and wherein a solar array is located beneath the transparent dome.

11. The buoy of claim 10, wherein the transparent dome comprises a low frequency resonator.

12. The buoy of claim 11, further comprising a hydrophone and an acoustic transceiver.

13. The buoy of claim 9, wherein the energy harvesting device is configured to generate energy from a temperature gradient in water, the temperature gradient being between a temperature at the water surface and a temperature underwater.

14. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the buoy is configured to enter a lower-energy consumption state with reduced activity, and to enter a higher-energy consumption state upon reception of a wake-up signal.

15. The buoy of claim 1, further comprising a propulsion unit controlled by the propulsion control unit, wherein the propulsion unit is an artificial jellyfish propulsion unit.

16. The buoy of claim 1, further comprising a propulsion unit controlled by the propulsion control unit, wherein the propulsion unit comprises a jetting unit and a paddle unit.

17. The buoy of claim 1, wherein the buoy is configured to control its horizontal speed by actively controlling a ratio between an unsubmerged portion of the buoy exposed to wind and a submerged portion of the buoy.

18. A network of buoys comprising a plurality of buoys as in claim 1, the buoys configured to communicate and coordinate among each other.

19. A method to organize a plurality of buoys, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of buoys, each buoy comprising;

a shell;

an extendible tube or stick comprising a means for penetrating ice, said extendible tube or stick being fully retractable into the shell;

at least one sensor;

at least one communication device;

at least one energy-providing device comprising at least one solar cell, magnet configured to move in a solenoid when the buoy moves, or wind turbine;

at least one processor; and

at least one propulsion unit; and

programming the plurality of buoys with a plurality of contingencies and behaviors, said plurality of contingencies and behaviors including using the extendible tube or stick to control the horizontal movement of said each buoy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of contingencies further comprise at least one of:

detecting a vehicle entering a designated area, detecting a communication signal within the designated area, detecting a natural event within the designated area, taking a measurement within the designated area, and receiving an assignment to deploy within the designated area for surveillance.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the designated area is on a non-terrestrial body.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the non-terrestrial body is Titan.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of behaviors comprise assigning a location to each buoy of the plurality of buoys, coordinating signal emissions from a subset of buoys of the plurality of buoys thereby enabling beam forming, deploying a subset of buoys at a specific water depth, or triangulating a position of an object.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

deploying, at a water depth under a thermocline level, a first subset of buoys of the plurality of buoys; and

sending communication signals between the first subset of buoys under the thermocline level.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting the communication signals from the first subset of buoys to a second subset of buoys of the plurality of buoys.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting or calculating an Ekman spiral of velocity vectors underwater; and

determining a specified water depth based on the detected or calculated Ekman spiral, the specified water depth having a velocity in a desired direction different from a wind velocity at the water top surface; and

submerging at least a subset of the plurality buoys to the specified water depth.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of behaviors includes triangulating a position of a buoy, a tethered vehicle, an underwater industrial asset, or a vehicle.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a subset of buoys each with at least one chamber containing at least one biochemical compound;

detecting an industrial pollution accident; and

cleaning a designated area at different depths, with the at least one biochemical compound, by deploying each buoy at the different water depths.