Underwater transceiver device, underwater communication system and related communication method
First Claim
1. An underwater transceiver device comprising;
- a sensor unit or a sensor connection for an external sensor unit for providing a sensor value, anda communication unit functionally connected to the sensor unit or sensor connection, said communication unit having, means for wirelessly transmitting the sensor value to at least one out of a number of other underwater devices, in a self-organized network of underwater transceiver devices, as data packets according to a transmission timing scheme comprising a set of time slots allowed for transmitting, andmeans for wirelessly receiving signals transmitted by said other underwater devices and further comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer executable instructions for causing the transceiver device to carry out the steps of;
listen to signals containing data packets from said other underwater devices in said self-organized network, andselecting and reserving a free time slot in said transmission timing scheme for transmitting based on the time of receipt of data packets from said underwater devices in order to synchronize said underwater transceiver device with said other underwater devices in said self-organize network.
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Abstract
The invention concerns an underwater transceiver device, communications system and method of communicating sensor data underwater. The transceiver device comprises a sensor unit or a sensor connection for an external sensor unit for providing a sensor value and a communication unit functionally connected to the sensor unit or connection and comprising means for wirelessly transmitting the sensor value to another underwater device as data packets according to a timing scheme. According to the invention, the communication unit further comprises means for wirelessly receiving data packets of other underwater devices, and means for adjusting the timing scheme based on data packets received so as to avoid simultaneous transmitting of underwater devices. The invention enables energy-efficient and robust communications between diving equipment.
12 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An underwater transceiver device comprising;
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a sensor unit or a sensor connection for an external sensor unit for providing a sensor value, and a communication unit functionally connected to the sensor unit or sensor connection, said communication unit having, means for wirelessly transmitting the sensor value to at least one out of a number of other underwater devices, in a self-organized network of underwater transceiver devices, as data packets according to a transmission timing scheme comprising a set of time slots allowed for transmitting, and means for wirelessly receiving signals transmitted by said other underwater devices and further comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer executable instructions for causing the transceiver device to carry out the steps of; listen to signals containing data packets from said other underwater devices in said self-organized network, and selecting and reserving a free time slot in said transmission timing scheme for transmitting based on the time of receipt of data packets from said underwater devices in order to synchronize said underwater transceiver device with said other underwater devices in said self-organize network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An underwater communication system, the system comprising
at least two underwater transceiver devices, each transceiver device having means for wirelessly transmitting a sensor value to another underwater transceiver device in a self-organized network of underwater transceiver devices as data packets according to a transmission timing scheme comprising a set of time slots allowed for transmitting, means for wirelessly receiving data packets transmitted by another transceiver device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer executable instructions for causing a transceiver device in said self-organized network to listen to signals containing data packets from other underwater devices and to select and reserve a free time slot in said transmission timing scheme for transmitting data packets based on a time of receipt of data packets from said other underwater devices in order to synchronize said transceiver device with said other underwater devices in said self-organized network and a monitoring device comprising means for listening to the data packets of the transceiver devices in said self-organized network during repeating listening periods.
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20. A method of communication of sensor data in an underwater communication system comprising at least two underwater transceiver devices forming a self-organized network of underwater devices, each being arranged to receive sensor data from at least one sensor unit integrated or functionally connected to the transceiver device and each having a programmed repeating timing scheme with a limited number of time slots allowed for transmission of data packets, the method comprising
powering on the underwater transceiver devices, transmitting a signal from at least a first underwater transceiver device as a data packet according to a transmission timing scheme of said first transceiver device, receiving said data packet in a second underwater transceiver device, synchronizing a transmission timing scheme of the second underwater transceiver device with the transmission timing scheme of the first underwater transceiver device based on the time of receipt of the data packet from the first underwater transceiver device by selecting and reserving a free time slot in said transmission timing scheme such that the first and second underwater transceiver devices use different time slots for transmission of data packets in said self-organized network of underwater devices, and transmitting sensor data containing signals from said first and second transceiver devices according to their synchronized transmission timing schemes, so that their data packets form an ordered data stream.
Specification