Inductively coupled underwater modem
US6271767A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 1, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 7, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 1, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V1/22
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a subsurface instrument and a system for the collection and transmission of deep ocean data utilizing standard buoy mooring lines. The system includes a moored surface buoy and a submerged data collection instrument both inductively coupled to the buoy cable. The instrument has a transducer responsive to the characteristics of seawater. A slave modem is interconnected to the transducer through an A/D converter allowing analog transducer signals to be converted to standard telephone modem signals. The modem signals are inductively coupled into the mooring cable and received by a master modem located in the buoy. The buoy may contain a satellite transceiver allowing transmission of the signals to a remote location. The subsurface instrument is battery powered and battery life is extended by powering down when the instrument is not in use. Upon receipt of a signal from the master modem or an internal timer, a wake-up circuit in the instrument is activated causing the transmission of ocean data to be initiated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.