Back to results
US 10,945,211 B2Granted
Underwater power saving mechanism for use in an communication network
OwnerBrendan Peter Hyland, Grant MacLeaninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An underwater communications network comprising a plurality of communication nodes operable to wirelessly communicate with at least one other node in the network, each node having a transceiver and an observation mechanism wherein the observation mechanism is operable to monitor signals received by the transceiver and upon reception of a first predetermined tone the observation mechanism outputs a signal operable to adjust the node from a passive operation mode to an active operation mode. Each node can be a discreet underwater device.
Claims19
An underwater communications network comprising:
- a plurality of communication nodes operable to wirelessly communicate with at least one other node in the underwater communications network, each communication node of the plurality of communication nodes having a transceiver and an observation mechanism, wherein:
- the observation mechanism is configured to:
- monitor signals received by the transceiver,
- upon reception of a first predetermined tone at the transceiver while the transceiver operates in a passive operation mode:
- determine that the communication node is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the transceiver from the passive operation mode to an active reception mode and activate provision of power to the transceiver to enable the transceiver to operate in the active reception mode, and
- upon reception of a second predetermined tone at the transceiver while the transceiver operates in the passive operation mode:
- determine that the communication node is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the transceiver from the passive operation mode to an active transmission mode and activate provision of power to the transceiver to enable the transceiver to operate in the active transmission mode.
6 more elements
An underwater device comprising:
- a transceiver configured to:
- receive signals from a remote device via an underwater communications network,
- receive a first predetermined tone while operating in a passive operation mode, the first predetermined tone indicating a move from the passive operation mode to an active reception mode, and
- receive a second predetermined tone while operating in the passive operation mode, the second predetermined tone indicating a move from the passive operation mode to an active transmission mode;
- and
- an observation mechanism configured to:
- monitor the signals received by the transceiver, and
- upon reception of the first predetermined tone at the transceiver:
- determine that the underwater device is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the transceiver from the passive operation mode to the active reception mode and activate provision of power to the transceiver to enable the transceiver to operate in the active reception mode, and
- upon reception of the second predetermined tone at the transceiver:
- determine that the underwater device is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the transceiver from the passive operation mode to the active transmission mode and activate provision of power to the transceiver to enable the transceiver to operate in the active transmission mode.
10 more elements
An underwater communications system comprising:
- a first underwater unit comprising a first transceiver and an observation mechanism;
- and
- a second remote unit comprising a second transceiver;
- wherein the second remote unit is operable to transmit one or more predetermined tones to the first underwater unit which is operable to be received by the first transceiver of the first underwater unit whereupon the observation mechanism is configured to:
- monitor signals received by the first transceiver,
- upon reception of a first predetermined tone at the first transceiver while the first transceiver operates in a passive operation mode:
- determine that the first underwater unit is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the first transceiver from the passive operation mode to an active reception mode and activate provision of power to the first transceiver to enable the first transceiver to operate in the active reception mode, and
- upon reception of a second predetermined tone at the first transceiver while the first transceiver operates in the passive operation mode:
- determine that the first underwater unit is to be woken up, and
- output a signal operable to switch the first transceiver from the passive operation mode to an active transmission mode and activate provision of power to the first transceiver to enable the first transceiver to operate in the active transmission mode.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.