Autonomous oceanographic profiler

A portable free drifting instrument package for cyclically collecting oceanic and/or fresh water environmental data over a range of depths, comprising:

• a submersible housing;
• a sensor suite mounted to said housing for collecting selected environmental data relating to a surrounding medium;
• a data storage resource mounted to said housing for storing environmental data sensed by said sensor suite;
• a dive control system mounted to said housing for controllably positioning the instrument package at a selected depth;
• a data communications system mounted to said housing for facilitating bi-directional (full duplex) communication between the instrument package and a remote communications site, said data communications system including a cellular telephone communication device;
• a locating system mounted to said housing for self determination of navigational position of the instrument package;
• a rechargeable power system mounted to said housing for providing operational power to the instrument package;
• an energy collection system mounted to said housing for collecting energy from the environment to recharge said power system;
• and
• a system controller mounted to said housing for controlling operations of said sensor suite, said data storage resource, said dive control system, said data communications system, said locating system, said rechargeable power system and said energy collection system.

A portable free drifting instrument package for cyclically collecting oceanic and/or fresh water environmental data over a range of depths, comprising:

• a submersible housing;
• a sensor suite mounted to said housing for collecting selected environmental data relating to a surrounding medium;
• a data storage resource mounted to said housing for storing environmental data sensed by said sensor suite;
• a dive control system mounted to said housing for controllably positioning the instrument package at a selected depth;
• a data communications system mounted to said housing for facilitating bi-directional (full duplex) communication between the instrument package and a remote communications site;
• a locating system mounted to said housing for self determination of navigational position of the instrument package, said locating system including a global positioning system receiver module for receiving plural satellite data transmissions, said receiver module including means to determine its own position and facilitate autonomous decisions based on position, and said locating system further including an antenna formed from a ceramic substrate, a thick film conductor pattern deposited on said substrate and a relatively thin glass covering formed over said substrate and said conductor pattern;
• a rechargeable power system mounted to said housing for providing operational power to the instrument package;
• an energy collection system mounted to said housing for collecting energy from the environment to recharge said power system;
• and
• a system controller mounted to said housing for controlling operations of said sensor suite, said data storage resource, said dive control system, said data communications system, said locating system, said rechargeable power system and said energy collection system.

An automated method for obtaining environmental data in an ocean or fresh water body comprising the steps of:

• deploying into an ocean or fresh water body a portable free drifting instrument package including sensor means for collecting environmental data samples, storage means for storing environmental data samples, dive control means for positioning the instrument package over a range of depths, data communication means for providing data communications with one or more remote receiving stations, location means for determining a position of the instrument package, rechargeable power means for providing operational power to the instrument package, energy collection means for recharging said power source, said system control means for controlling operation of said sensor means, said storage means, said dive control means, said data communications means, said locating means, said rechargeable power means, and said energy collection means;
• controlling said instrument package to obtain and store environmental data samples over a selected range of depths while freely drifting in the ocean or fresh water body;
• controlling said instrument package to periodically surface;
• controlling said instrument package, upon surfacing, to obtain a position;
• controlling said instrument package to transmit said position and said stored environmental data samples to a remote receiving station in response to said instrument package drifting to a predetermined geographical position;
• and
• controlling said energy collection system to periodically recharge said rechargeable power supply, as necessary.

An automated method for obtaining environmental data in an ocean or fresh water body comprising the steps of:

• deploying into an ocean or fresh water body a portable free drifting instrument package including sensor means for collecting environmental data samples, storage means for storing environmental data samples, dive control means for positioning the instrument package over a range of depths, data communication means for providing data communications with one or more remote receiving stations, location means for determining a position of the instrument package, system clock means for synchronizing one or more time-based instrument functions of the instrument package, system clock reset means for receiving a time signal from a remote source and resetting said system clock means and time-based instrument functions, rechargeable power means for providing operational power to the instrument package, energy collection means for recharging said power source, said system control means for controlling operation of said sensor means, said storage means, said dive control means, said data communications means, said locating means, said rechargeable power means, and said energy collection means;
• controlling said instrument package to obtain and store environmental data samples over a selected range of depths while freely drifting in the ocean or fresh water body;
• controlling said instrument package to periodically surface;
• controlling said instrument package, upon surfacing, to obtain a position and reset said system clock means for energy efficiency;
• controlling said instrument package to transmit said position and said stored environmental data samples to a remote receiving station;
• and
• controlling said energy collection system to periodically recharge said rechargeable power supply, as necessary.

A portable free drifting instrument package for cyclically gathering environmental information over a selected range of depths in an ocean or fresh water body, comprising:

• a submersible housing having mounted thereto an upper antenna module and a sensor mounting platform;
• a sensor suite mounted to said sensor mounting platform for collecting selected environmental data relating to a surrounding medium;
• a data storage resource including a digital memory mounted in said housing for storing environmental data sensed by said sensor suite;
• a dive control system for controllably positioning the instrument package over a range of depths, said dive control system including a ballasting control cylinder extending through said sensor mounting platform, a trimming piston slideably arranged in said ballast control cylinder and a drive motor mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said trimming piston;
• a data communications system including a cellular telephone communications device mounted in said housing for facilitating bi-directional (full duplex) communication between the instrument package and a remote communications site, said data communications system further including an antenna mounted to said antenna module;
• a locating system including a global positioning system receiving device mounted in said housing for determining a navigational position of the instrument package, said navigational control system including antennae mounted to said antenna module, an antenna being formed from a thick film conductor pattern mounted on a ceramic substrate with a thin glass covering mounted over said conductor pattern and substrate;
• a rechargeable power system including a primary battery and a secondary rechargeable battery mounted in said housing for providing operational power to the instrument package;
• an energy collection system mounted in said housing for collecting energy from a surrounding environment to recharge said power system, said energy collection system including a solar cell array or a thermo-electric device having a thermal mass in thermal communication with a surrounding medium for generating a voltage potential in response to a thermal potential difference across said thermal mass and the surrounding medium;
• and
• a system controller including a programmable digital processing device mounted in said housing for controlling operations of said sensor suite, said data storage resource, said dive control system, said data communications system, said locating system, said rechargeable power system and said energy collection system.

An automated method for obtaining environmental data in an ocean or fresh water body comprising the steps of:

• deploying into an ocean or fresh water body a portable free drifting instrument package including sensor means for collecting environmental data samples, storage means for storing environmental data samples, dive control means for positioning the instrument package over a range of depths, data communication means for providing data communications with one or more remote receiving stations, location means for determining a position of the instrument package, rechargeable power means for providing operational power to the instrument package, energy collection means for recharging said power source, and system control means for controlling operation of said sensor means, said storage means, said dive control means, said data communications means, said locating means, said rechargeable power means, and said energy collection means;
• controlling said instrument package to obtain and store environmental data samples over a selected range of depths while freely drifting in the ocean or fresh water body;
• controlling said instrument package to periodically surface;
• controlling said instrument package, upon surfacing, to obtain a position;
• controlling said instrument package to transmit said position and said stored environmental data samples to a remote receiving station;
• controlling said energy collection system to periodically recharge said rechargeable power supply, as necessary;
• and
• controlling said instrument package to reside below the photic zone for a period of time sufficient to substantially eliminate biofouling.

A portable free drifting instrument package for cyclically collecting oceanic and/or fresh water environmental data over a range of depths, comprising:

• a submersible housing;
• a sensor suite mounted to said housing for collecting selected environmental data relating to a surrounding medium;
• a data storage resource mounted to said housing for storing environmental data sensed by said sensor suite;
• a dive control system mounted to said housing for controllably positioning the instrument package at a selected depth;
• a data communications system mounted to said housing for facilitating bi-directional (full duplex) communication between the instrument package and a remote communications site;
• a locating system mounted to said housing for self determination of navigational position of the instrument package;
• a rechargeable power system mounted to said housing for providing operational power to the instrument package;
• an energy collection system mounted to said housing for collecting energy from the environment to recharge said power system, said energy collection system including a horizontal and/or vertical solar collector and thermo-electric device;
• and
• a system controller mounted to said housing for controlling operations of said sensor suite, said data storage resource, said dive control system, said data communications system, said locating system, said rechargeable power system and said energy collection system.