Underwater warnings

• US 10,183,731 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aqualung Corporate
• Original Assignee: Pelagic Pressure Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Hollis, Robert R., Lewis, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/484,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/02 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/26 Communication means, e.g. means for signalling the presence of diverselectric communication in general H04
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2011/021 Diving computers, i.e. portable computers specially adapted for divers, e.g. wrist worn, watertight electronic devices for detecting or calculating scuba diving parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03

Abstract

Dive computers in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a mobile phone handset, including a microprocessor, a microphone connected to the microprocessor, a speaker connected to the microprocessor, a telephone transceiver connected to the microprocessor, memory, a display, and an external connector for communicating with external devices wherein the memory contains a software application, and a waterproof housing including a pressure transducer, where the mobile phone handset is located within the waterproof housing and connected to the pressure transducer via the external connector, and wherein the software application configures the mobile phone handset to create a dive log stored in memory, wherein the dive log comprises recorded information including depth of submersion information recorded from the pressure transducer and display the recorded information during the dive.

Claims

1. A dive computer comprising:

a processor;

a display in communication with the processor;

a communications port in communication with the processor;

a temperature sensor in communication with the processor;

a pressure sensor in communication with the processor; and

clock circuitry in communication with the processor;

wherein the processor;

determines time and date using the clock circuitry;

determines depth of submersion using the pressure sensor;

determines water temperature using the temperature sensor;

calculates at least one decompression stop based on the determined time and depth of submersion;

displays elapsed dive time using the display during a dive, where the elapsed dive time is calculated based on the time determined using the clock circuitry when the dive computer is underwater;

displays the water temperature determined using the temperature sensor;

generates a warning in response to unsafe conditions;

combines depth information and time information into a dive log;

provides the dive log using the display; and

transmits the dive log to an external device using the communications port;

wherein the depth information comprises the maximum depth reached during the dive;

wherein the time information comprises the duration of the dive and the date of the dive; and

wherein the temperature information comprises the temperature of the water during the dive.

2. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein:

the dive computer comprises an audio device capable of playing back audio data;

the warning comprises audio data; and

the processor further plays back the warning using the audio device.

3. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein:

the warning comprises visual data; and

the processor further displays the warning using the display.

4. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the processor displays a rate of ascent during a dive using the display.

5. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein calculating decompression stops comprises:

determining the depth of at least one decompression stop; and

determining the time to remain at the at least one decompression stop.

6. The dive computer of claim 5, wherein the processor generates a warning when the time to remain at the at least one decompression stop is zero.

7. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the processor further:

determines air temperature using the temperature sensor;

displays the air temperature using the display; and

stores the air temperature in the dive log.

8. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further connected to an air tank pressure transducer; and

the processor further;

obtains air tank pressure from the air tank pressure transducer; and

generates a warning when the air tank pressure is below a threshold value.

9. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a warning in response to the depth of submersion reaching an unsafe value.

10. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a warning in response to the water temperature reaching an unsafe value.

11. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a warning in response to the elapsed dive time reaches an unsafe value.

12. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein:

the dive computer further comprises an input device connected to the processor; and

the processor changes which information is displayed in response to a user input received using the input device.

13. The dive computer of claim 12, wherein the processor further changes which warnings are displayed in response to a user input to the input device.

14. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the communications port comprises a wireless transceiver.

15. The dive computer of claim 14, wherein the wireless transceiver complies with the Bluetooth standard.

16. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the communications port comprises a connector, and wherein a wire can be connected to the connector.

17. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the dive log further comprises a measurement of time at a particular depth measured by the pressure transducer.

18. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a backlight.

19. The dive computer of claim 18, wherein the backlight comprises at least one light emitting diode.

20. The dive computer of claim 1, wherein the display comprises at least one liquid crystal display segment.