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US 4,290,043 AGranted
Method of and system for detecting marine obstacles
OwnerIrwin M. Kaplaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine obstacle avoidance system for and method of alerting a helmsman of a marine vehicle to the danger of maritime collision with floating and/or submerged objects. The system includes an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, and an alarm. The transmitter transmits an incident light beam towards the waterline, whereupon a reflected light beam and a refracted lightbeam are generated. An obstacle in the path of either the incident and/or reflected and/or refracted beams is detected by reflecting the light back towards the receiver which, in turn, sounds the alarm.
Claims42
A marine obstacle avoidance system for alerting a helmsman of a marine vehicle to the danger of maritime collision with floating and/or submerged obstacles, comprising:
- (a) transmitter means mounted on the marine vehicle at a location above the air-water interface, for generating light radiation with at least one wavelength in the range including the ultraviolet light region, the visible light region and the infrared light region of the light spectrum, and thereupon for transmitting the generated light radiation as an incident light beam along a path which extends generally forwardly away from the marine vehicle, as considered along the forward direction of advancement of the vehicle, and downwardly towards the water surface at a predetermined angle below the horizon,
- (1) one portion of the transmitted incident light beam being reflected off the water surface to constitute a reflected light beam which extends along a path only forwardly away from the marine vehicle and upwardly into the air, and
- (2) another portion of the transmitted incident light beam being refracted into the water to constitute a refracted light beam which extends along a path only forwardly away from the marine vehicle and downwardly into the water,
- said incident, reflected and refracted light beams being redirected in direction towards the marine vehicle when obstacles are located in their respective paths, and not being redirected towards the marine vehicle when obstacles are not located in their respective paths;
- (b) receiver means mounted on the same marine vehicle for detecting the presence of any redirected light radiation which was initially transmitted by the transmitter means and which was thereupon reflected off obstacles lying in the paths of the incident light beam and/or the reflected lightbeam and/or the refracted light beam, and for also detecting the non-return of the incident, reflected and refracted light beams when no obstacles are located in their respective paths;
- and
- (c) alarm means responsive to detection by the receiver means for alerting the helmsman to the presence of a floating obstacle in the paths of the incident light beam and/or the reflected light beam, and also for alerting the helmsman to the presence of a submerged obstacle in the path of the refracted light beam, whereby the helmsman is forewarned to the danger of a maritime collision of the marine vehicle with obstacles located generally forwardly of the same.
4 more elements
A method of alerting a helmsman of a marine vehicle to the danger of maritime collisions with floating and/or submerged obstacles, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating light radiation with at least one wavelength in the range including the ultraviolet light region, the visible light region and the infrared light region of the light spectrum, and thereupon transmitting the generated light radiation as an incident light beam along a path which extends generally forwardly away from the marine vehicle, as considered along the forward direction of advancement at the vehicle, and downwardly towards the water surface at a predetermined angle below the horizon,
- (1) one portion of the transmitted incident light beam being reflected off the water surface to constitute a reflected light beam which extends along a path only forwardly away from the marine vehicle and upwardly into the air, and
- (2) another portion of the transmitted incident light beam being refracted into the water to constitute a refracted light beam which extends along a path only forwardly away from the marine vehicle and downwardly into the water,
- said incident, reflected and refracted light beams being redirected in direction towards the marine vehicle when obstacles are located in their respective paths, and not being redirected towards the marine vehicle when obstacles are not located in their respective paths;
- (b) detecting the presence of any redirected light radiation which was initially transmitted and which was thereupon reflected off obstacles lying in the paths of the incident light beam and/or reflected light beam and/or the refracted light beam, and for also detecting the non -return of the incident, reflected and refracted light beams when no obstacles are located in their respective paths;
- and
- (c) alerting, in response to said detection, the helmsman to the presence of a floating obstacle in the paths of the incident light beam and/or the reflected light beam, and also for alerting the helmsman to the presence of a submerged obstacle in the path of the refracted light beam, whereby the helmsman is forewarned to the danger of a maritime collision of the marine vehicle with obstacles located generally forwardly of the same.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.