Low power telemetry system and method

• US 20100111098A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chancey J. Lamar, Kenneth B. Tysinger, Michael D. Holt
• Original Assignee: Chancey J. Lamar, Kenneth B. Tysinger, Michael D. Holt
• Inventors: Holt, Michael D., Tysinger, Kenneth B., Chancey, J. Lamar
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/82 where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1308 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13092 Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13305 Transistors, semiconductors in general
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13322 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A telemetry system is described in which a plurality of channels are coupled to a bus. A control subsystem controls the channels so that one of the channels presents to the bus during its designated time period a channel characteristic. The control subsystem interrogates in the analog domain each of the channels during its designated time period, and forms a signal representative of the channel characteristic. The control subsystem may combine one or more of the signals into a digital packet, and transmit the same via transceiver over a wireless network. The channels may be contained within a submersible enclosure and displaced at intervals along the bus, thereby forming an array for monitoring waterborne threats. The array may lie along an ocean floor, may be towed by a marine vehicle, or may suspended from a deployable buoy containing the control subsystem, transceiver, and a remote power source. The array may further comprise a defensive countermeasure deployable responsive to detecting a threat.

Claims

1. A telemetry system comprising:

a bus having a termination device;

a plurality of sensing channels each coupled to the bus; and

a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated to for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each channel further comprises a variable impedance element that presents channel impedance proportional to the signal sensed by the channel.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of buses coupled to the controller, each bus coupled to a plurality of sensing channels.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises a network interface configured to combine signals sensed by the channels into a packet for transmission over the network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each sensing channel comprises a sensor and sensor conditioning electronics contained within a submersible over-molded enclosure.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each sensing channel includes a sensor type selected from the group comprising acoustic, magnetic, MEMS, seismic, e-field, environmental, and CBRNE.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least two sensing channels have different sensor types.

8. A telemetry system comprising:

a bus having a termination device;

a transmitter coupled to the bus;

a plurality of sensing channels, each sensing channel coupled to the bus and comprising a sensor and sensor conditioning electronics contained within a submersible enclosure; and

a controller for (1) providing power to the channels, (2) controlling the channels so that each channel presents a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel, and (5) combining channel signals into a packet for external transmission.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the submersible enclosures are displaced at intervals along the bus.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a buoy enclosing the termination device, controller, and transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a retractable antenna coupled to the transmitter.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of buses, each bus coupled to a plurality of sensing channels and terminating at the central controller enclosed within a buoy.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensing channels of at least one of the buses form a horizontal array.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensing channels of at least one of the buses form a vertical array.

15. The system of claim 8 further comprising one or more buses, each bus coupled to a plurality of submersed sensing channels and terminating at a central controller mounted to a stationary location on land.

16. A mobile marine surveillance system comprising:

a termination device;

a bus having a plurality of submersible enclosures displaced at intervals, each submersible enclosure enclosing a sensing channel coupled to the bus;

a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) transmitting, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, and (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel; and

a marine vehicle means for towing the bus through water.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each channel further comprises a variable impedance element that presents channel impedance proportional to the signal sensed by the channel.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of buses coupled to the controller, each bus coupled to a plurality of sensing channels.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the controller further comprises a network interface configured to combine signals sensed by the channels into a packet for transmission over the network.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein each sensing channel comprises a sensor and sensor conditioning electronics contained within a submersible over-molded enclosure.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein each sensing channel includes a sensor type selected from the group comprising acoustic, magnetic, MEMS, seismic, e-field, environmental, and CBRNE.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein at least two sensing channels have different sensor types.

23. A remote waterborne telemetry system for triggering a defensive countermeasure, comprising:

a bus having a termination device;

a transceiver coupled to the bus;

a plurality of submersible sensing channels displaced at intervals along the bus, each sensing channel coupled to the bus;

a controller for (1) providing power to each channel, (2) controlling each channel to present a channel impedance to the bus during a time period designated for the channel, (3) sending, from the termination device, an analog pulse over the bus during the time period designated for each channel, (4) receiving a channel signal from a partial reflection of the pulse returning to the termination device during the designated time period, the amplitude of the reflected pulse representing an impedance mismatch proportional to a signal sensed by the channel;

(5) combining channel signals into a packet; and

(6) transmitting the packet via the transceiver to a host platform;

a buoy for deploying the bus and enclosing the termination device, controller, and transmitter; and

a triggering means for triggering the defensive countermeasure responsive to receiving a firing signal from the host platform.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein each channel further comprises a variable impedance element that presents channel impedance proportional to the signal sensed by the channel.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising a plurality of buses coupled to the controller, each bus coupled to a plurality of sensing channels.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the bus includes at least one sensing channel having a sensor type selected from the group comprising acoustic, magnetic, MEMS, seismic, e-field, environmental, and CBRNE.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein at least two sensing channels have different sensor types.