# US 10,309,779 B2 · System and method for monitoring underwater organic solid buildup and related emissions background > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,779 B2 - Document ID: US10309779B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/031,708 - Filed: 2018-07-10 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-07 - Assignees: Ross McArthur - Applicants: Ross McArthur - Inventors: Ross McArthur - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309779B2 ## CPC - G01C 13/008: {measuring depth of open water} - B64U 10/13: Flying platforms - G01C 13/00: Surveying specially adapted to open water, e.g. sea, lake, river or canal (liquid level metering G01F) - G01N 1/10: in the liquid or fluent state {(burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00)} - G01N 1/2273: {Atmospheric sampling} - B63B 2035/008: {remotely controlled} - B64U 2101/32: for cartography or topography - B64U 2201/20: Remote controls - G01N 33/1886: {using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys} - G01N 2001/1031: {Sampling from special places} - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) ## Abstract The present invention generally relates to monitoring underwater organic solid buildup and related emissions, and more particularly to a monitoring system and method using a sonar-equipped drone watercraft and a monitoring controller in communication with the drone watercraft to monitor the underwater organic solid buildup and related emissions and to analyze and present results of the analysis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of monitoring and calculating a plurality of lagoon-related data for maintaining a lagoon with known dimensions and geometry constructed in a lagoon facility wherein the plurality of lagoon-related data includes a volume of a sediment and solid mass material buildup deposited or formed at a bottom portion of the lagoon and a volume of a body of water on top of the sediment and solid mass material buildup, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting an operational sequence to a monitoring system controller, wherein the monitoring system controller includes at least a microprocessor and a database; initializing a drone watercraft for capturing a plurality of data samples over a time period, wherein the drone watercraft is equipped with one or more sonar transducers configured as a down scan sonar or a side scan sonar, a GPS device, and a network interface device, wherein the plurality of data samples include a plurality of sonar data and GPS data, and wherein the monitoring system controller is communicatively coupled via one or more wireless communication networks with the drone watercraft; updating a plurality of sonar watercraft parameters stored on the drone watercraft; storing the plurality of sonar data and GPS data in the database; determining an average sonar depth reading over an entire portion of the lagoon from the plurality of sonar data and GPS data in the database, wherein the volume of the sediment and solid mass material buildup and the volume of the body of water on top of the sediment and solid mass material buildup is determined using the average sonar depth reading and the known dimensions and geometry of the lagoon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: synchronizing a plurality of time information from the plurality of data samples over the time period to form a synchronized and historical data set and generating a presentation output from the synchronized and historical data set on a display device, wherein the presentation output visually represents a topology of the lagoon, including a plurality of structures surrounding the lagoon and the sediment and solid mass material buildup, wherein the presentation output includes charts, graphs, two dimensional images, three dimensional images, augmented reality images, virtual reality images, audio, text, graphics, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: analyzing the plurality of sonar data and the GPS data via the monitoring system controller to determine a berm length; and calculating an approximation of a volume of the lagoon and a plurality of depth measurements via the monitoring system controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lagoon includes a basin having a plurality of sloped sides and a flat bottom. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of sloped sides and the flat bottom of the basin determine a geometry and a total volume of the basin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the sediment and solid mass material buildup and the volume of the body of water on top of the sediment and solid mass material buildup is generated by a 3D imaging program using the average sonar depth reading over the entire portion of the lagoon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the down scan sonar or a side scan sonar is configured for measuring various depths of the lagoon at a given data point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the given data point is defined by a plurality of data entries, including a plurality of location coordinates from the GPS device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the given data point is defined by a depth measurement as measured by one or more sonar readings at the given data point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the given data point is collected as a record in the database along with a plurality of other data points covering many different locations of the lagoon according to a predetermined pattern, including a grid pattern, traversed by the drone watercraft traveling on a top surface of the body of water in the lagoon. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of a sediment and solid mass material buildup deposited or formed at the bottom portion of the lagoon provides an indication of growth of waste matter accumulating on the basin of the lagoon.