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US 2022/0017192 A1Published application
Buoyant camera device and method
AssigneeFugro N.V.
InventorChad PASTOR
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A buoyant camera device that is mechanically connectable to existing equipment to image underwater objects and underwater processes, and method of using the device to image the underwater objects and the underwater processes.
Claims24
A buoyant camera device comprising:
- a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of sidewalls, and at least one accessory aperture configured to at least partially receive an accessory;
- a reservoir within the housing operable to provide an adjustable degree of buoyancy to the device;
- and
- a first receiver secured to the top surface enabling in-line attachment of the device to a portion of another device,
- a second receiver secured to the top surface enabling in-line attachment of the device to another portion of the another device,
- wherein,
- the first receiver and the second receiver enable mechanical coupling of the device to the another device.
4 more elements
-10. (canceled)
(canceled)
-30. (canceled)
A method of imaging an underwater tool and/or underwater process, the method comprising:
- providing a buoyant camera housing having a plurality of accessory apertures and a plurality of receivers;
- mounting a first accessory in a first one of the plurality of accessory apertures;
- mounting a second accessory in a second one of the plurality of accessory apertures;
- mechanically coupling the buoyant camera housing to a tool and a tether by (i) securing the tool to a first one of the plurality of receivers, and (ii) securing the tether to a second one of the plurality of receivers;
- activating the first accessory and the second accessory;
- moving the buoyant camera housing and the tool into a suspended position by retracting the tether;
- moving the buoyant camera housing and the tool into a submerged position by extending the tether;
- and
- collecting images of an underwater environment using the first accessory and the second accessory.
6 more elements
The method of claim 30, further comprising:
- storing the images of the underwater environment using one of the first accessory and the second accessory;
- moving the buoyant camera housing and the tool into the suspended position by retracting the tether;
- moving the buoyant camera housing and the tool into a docked position by extending the tether;
- and
- transferring the images from the one of the first accessory and the second accessory to a display.
2 more elements
-38. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.