JP4237098B2 - Underwater exploration buoy and its antenna mounting and holding method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a subsea exploration buoy and its antenna mounting and holding method, and more particularly to GPS (Global
Positioning System (Global Positioning System) The present invention relates to an underwater exploration buoy that includes an antenna, calculates accurate position information, and can transmit wirelessly, and a method for mounting and holding the antenna.

  Most of the earth's surface is covered with water (seawater). It is preferable that a transportation means such as an aircraft and a ship knows the current position of the flight or navigation accurately. Various targets and wireless communication facilities are provided on the ground (that is, on land), and it is relatively easy to know the position thereof. However, it is difficult to know the exact current position on the sea where there is no target, especially in the ocean such as the Pacific Ocean. In addition, there are natural or man-made dangerous places on the sea that prevent safe flight or navigation, and there are cases where accurate location information is desired due to the need for rescue and the like.

  Conventional techniques relating to buoys that float on the sea and wirelessly communicate with a base station or the like to receive various information such as position information are disclosed in various technical documents. For example, a buoy antenna with attitude control is disclosed that maintains good wireless communication by controlling the attitude of the antenna even if the attitude of the main body changes due to waves (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Moreover, a floating bag device for a communication buoy that includes an antenna that uses the sea surface as a ground surface and that investigates the sea state using various sensors housed in a cylindrical main body is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2). .

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-121308 (first page, FIGS. 1 and 2) Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 6-45355 (page 3-4, FIGS. 1 and 2)

  As described above, the conventional buoy includes a communication antenna for wireless communication with a base station or the like, and is unmanned so that necessary information can be acquired. By the way, since the position information can be measured very accurately by using GPS in recent years, it is possible to easily acquire the accurate position information by adopting GPS technology in a navigation system or surveying device of a vehicle or a ship. It has become. That is, it is possible to receive radio waves from three or more geostationary satellites orbiting in geostationary orbit, and to accurately obtain the position of the reception point by calculation. However, there is no subsea exploration buoy with a GPS antenna. Therefore, conventional buoy position information is generally measured by a radio phase difference with a base station or the like that communicates with the buoy antenna, and there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp continuous positions with low accuracy. was there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an undersea exploration buoy and an antenna mounting / holding method thereof that use the GPS function to overcome or reduce the above-described problems.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the underwater exploration buoy and its antenna mounting and holding method according to the present invention employ the following characteristic configuration.

(1) A floating part integrally attached to a sealed float that imparts buoyancy in water is provided, and a communication antenna that wirelessly communicates with the outside and a GPS antenna that receives GPS signals are provided in the floating part, and the GPS Underwater buoy configured to be able to notify the outside of the position obtained by receiving a signal with the GPS antenna with the communication antenna,
The GPS antenna is disposed in a pendulum-shaped holder with a fulcrum formed at a position away from the floating part of the float as a center, and a position near the floating part is connected from the bottom surface of the holder by an elastic support line. underwater exploration buoy to.

(2) The underwater exploration buoy according to (1) , wherein the fulcrum of the holder is the other end of the communication antenna having one end attached near the opposite end of the floating portion of the float .

(3) The underwater exploration buoy according to (1) , wherein the communication antenna is integrated with the holder .

(4) The underwater exploration buoy according to (1) , (2), or ( 3), wherein the float is foldable and expands into a substantially spherical shape when dropped and landed on the sea surface .

(5) a float that provides buoyancy, a floating portion that is integrally attached to the float and is positioned substantially near the sea surface, and a submerged portion that is connected to the floating portion with a connection cable and sinks in water, In the antenna mounting method of a submarine exploration buoy including a communication antenna that wirelessly communicates with the outside in the float and a GPS antenna that receives GPS signals and obtains position information,
Providing a fulcrum in the vicinity of the opposite end of the float of the float; forming a pendulum-shaped holder having an upper end fixed to the fulcrum; and elasticizing the vicinity of the float of the float from the bottom of the holder An underwater exploration buoy antenna mounting method comprising: coupling with a support line having; and disposing the GPS antenna on a bottom surface of the holder .

  According to the undersea exploration buoy and the antenna mounting and holding method of the present invention, the following remarkable practical effects can be obtained. First, since the GPS technology is used, the current position can be obtained accurately and quickly. In addition, since the GPS antenna maintains a horizontal state regardless of the inclination of the float, it is possible to reliably receive GPS signals without being substantially affected by rough waves or strong winds. In addition, the float can be folded and dropped into the sea from an aircraft or the like.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a preferred embodiment of an underwater exploration buoy and its antenna mounting and holding method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a preferred embodiment of the subsea exploration buoy according to the present invention. In the underwater exploration buoy shown in FIG. 1, (A) shows a front view in a vertical state, and (B) shows a front view in a state tilted from the vertical state by being shaken by a wave or the like.

  A submarine exploration buoy 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a spherical float 20, a floating portion 30 fixed to the float 20, and a cable 42 suspended from the bottom surface of the floating portion 30. It is constituted by the lowered underwater part 40. Most of the float 10 floats from the sea surface 50, and the floating portion 30 is located near the sea surface 50 due to the buoyancy of the float 20.

  In the float 20, a holder 21, a GPS antenna 22 in the holder 21, a support line 23, a connection cable 24, a communication antenna 25, and an antenna support cable 26 are provided. On the other hand, a signal processing unit 31, a communication control unit 32, and a battery (power supply unit) 33 are provided in the floating portion 30. In this particular undersea exploration buoy 10, the holder 21 is swingably suspended with the lower end of the communication antenna 25 as a fulcrum 27 as shown in FIG. 1.

  Next, main functions of each component constituting the undersea exploration buoy 10 will be described. The float 20 is a sealed structure having a sufficient volume, and generates sufficient buoyancy to float the communication antenna 25 and the like on the sea surface. The GPS antenna 22 receives wireless GPS signals from a plurality of GPS artificial satellites (not shown). The holder 21 holds the GPS antenna 22 in the float 20 while maintaining a substantially horizontal state as will be described later. The support line 23 is a braking unit that suppresses the holder 21 from abnormally vibrating inside the float 21 due to the vertical swing of the float 20. The signal processing unit 31 processes the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 22 from the above-described GPS artificial satellite, and obtains the current position of the underwater exploration buoy 10 by calculation. The communication control unit 32 controls wireless communication from the signal processing unit 31 to the communication antenna 25. The battery 33 supplies power for driving the signal processing unit 31 and the communication control unit 32. The connection cable 24 connects an electrical signal between the GPS antenna 22 and the signal processing unit 31. The communication antenna 25 communicates the current position (and other observation information) of the undersea exploration buoy 10 and the like on the plane (or base station) by radio using radio waves. The antenna support cable 26 holds the communication antenna 25 in the float 20 in a normal state. The floating portion 30 is a watertight container that houses the signal processing unit 31, the communication control unit 32, and the battery 33. For example, the underwater portion 40 is a weight having a predetermined weight that sinks into the sea at a depth determined by the length of the connection cable 42, and is an observation device that includes a sensor that performs predetermined observations such as seawater temperature and ocean current. Good. Here, the former will be described as a simple weight.

  Hereinafter, an overview of the overall operation of the underwater survey buoy 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This undersea exploration buoy 10 is dropped into the sea from, for example, an aircraft. Then, it communicates wirelessly with an aircraft or the like flying over the dropped sea surface to provide its position information. In the subsea exploration buoy 10 of this specific embodiment, the float 20 is folded and attached to the floating portion 30 in a normal state (before use), and has a function of expanding after landing on the sea surface 50 and floating on the sea surface. (For example, like a vehicle airbag, an impact at the time of landing is detected, and a float is inflated with a gas generated by causing a chemical reaction inside the vehicle). The GPS antenna 22 has a function of receiving a GPS signal from an artificial satellite for measuring the position of the underwater exploration buoy 10 floating on the sea surface 50. The holder 21 is held inside the float 20 so as to be swingable like a pendulum at a fulcrum, and is configured to swing due to gravity when the float 20 is tilted by an ocean wave. That is, even if the float 20 is tilted, the GPS antenna 22 held therein is held in a substantially horizontal state. The line 23 holds the GPS antenna 22 in a horizontal state even when the holder 21 is shaken up and down.

  The holder 21 and the support line 23 are made of a flexible material having elasticity such as rubber and nylon, and have a function of folding the float 20 on the floating portion 30 (before use). The signal processing unit 31 has a function of processing the GPS signals from the plurality of artificial satellites received by the GPS antenna 22 as described above and measuring the current position of the underwater exploration buoy 10. The communication control unit 32 has a function of communicating the position information of the undersea exploration buoy 10 obtained by the signal processing unit 31 to the outside, for example, on-board, via the communication antenna 25. The battery 33 is a power supply unit that supplies operating power necessary for driving the signal processing unit 31 and the communication control unit 32. The connection cable 24 connects the GPS antenna 22 and the signal processing unit 31. The communication antenna 25 communicates the position information of the underwater exploration buoy 10 with the radio by radio. The antenna support cable 26 that holds the communication antenna 25 maintains the communication antenna 25 in a straight line regardless of the inclination of the float 20. The floating portion 30 is a watertight container and houses the signal processing unit 31, the communication control unit 32, and the battery 33. The cable 42 connects the floating part 30 and the underwater part 40 and holds the underwater part 40 in the sea.

  The operation of the underwater survey buoy 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1A, when the underwater exploration buoy 10 is dropped from an aircraft and landed on the surface of the sea, the float 20 accommodated in the floating portion 30 expands, and the communication antenna is formed by the antenna support cable 26 inside. The GPS antenna 22 is held at a predetermined position by the holder 21 and the line 23 at the same time, and floats on the sea surface 50 by the buoyancy of the float 20. Further, the battery 33 is activated to operate the signal processing unit 31 and the communication control unit 32. Then, the underwater portion 40 sinks into the water (underwater) having a depth determined by the cable 42.

  Next, the GPS antenna 22 receives a GPS signal from the artificial satellite described above. The GPS signal received by the GPS antenna 22 is sent to the signal processing unit 31 through the connection cable 24, and the current position of the underwater buoy 10 is measured. The position information of the underwater exploration buoy 10 measured by the signal processing unit 31 is communicated by the communication control unit 32 through the communication antenna 25 by radio waves, for example, on the aircraft.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the float 20 is tilted and / or up and down swayed by wind and waves at sea. However, according to the underwater exploration buoy 10 of the present invention, when the float 20 is tilted, the holder 21 is supported in a pendulum shape at the fulcrum, so that the holder 21 is tilted and held vertically by gravity. For this reason, the GPS antenna 22 held by the holder 21 substantially holds the horizontal state. Further, when the holder 21 is shaken up and down, the line 23 that supports the holder 21 suppresses the up and down shake of the holder 21. For this reason, the GPS antenna 22 is held in a substantially horizontal state, and reception of GPS signals from artificial satellites is prevented from being interrupted.

  Next, a second embodiment of the subsea exploration buoy according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the subsea exploration buoy 10A shown in FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are used for the components corresponding to the subsea exploration buoy 10 shown in FIG. In the following description, differences will be mainly described.

  In the underwater exploration buoy 10A of the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the fulcrum 27 of the holder 21 that holds the GPS antenna 22 is separated from the communication antenna 25, for example, inside the float 20, for example, the communication antenna 25. A fulcrum 27 is provided on the right side of the hanger. The support line 23 that suppresses the vertical movement of the holder 21 is provided between the float 20 corresponding to the fulcrum 27 from the bottom surface of the holder 21. This specific configuration is characterized in that radio wave interference between the GPS signal from the artificial satellite and the position information of the underwater search buoy transmitted from the underwater search buoy 10A is reduced. Other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the undersea exploration buoy 10 of the first embodiment described above.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a description will be given of a third embodiment of the subsea exploration buoy according to the present invention. The undersea exploration buoy 10B of the third embodiment is different from the above-described underwater exploration buoys 10 and 10B of the first and second embodiments in that the holder 21 is also used as the communication antenna 25. .

  The undersea exploration buoy 10B shown in FIG. 3 is similar to the undersea exploration buoys 10 and 10A of the first and second embodiments described above in the basic material, configuration, and operation, but with the holder 21 and the communication antenna 25. By integrating these functions, even when the float 20 is tilted due to wind or wave fluctuations, the holder 21 can hold the GPS antenna 22 in a horizontal response and reduce the number of components required.

  In the above, several embodiments of the subsea exploration buoy according to the present invention and its antenna holding method have been described in detail. However, it should be noted that such examples are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the invention in any way. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and changes can be made according to a specific application without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The schematic structure of 1st Example of the undersea exploration buoy by this invention is shown, (A) is a normal state (state in which a float is in a vertical position), and (B) is the state in which the float inclines with the wave and wind of a sea surface. Indicates. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the normal state of 2nd Example of the undersea search buoy by this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the normal state of 3rd Example of the subsea exploration buoy by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10A, 10B Underwater exploration buoy 20 Float 21 Holder 22 GPS antenna 23 Support line 25 Communication antenna 27 Holder fulcrum 30 Floating part 31 Signal processing part 32 Communication control part 40 Underwater part 50 Sea surface

Claims (5)

A floating portion integrally attached to a sealed float that imparts buoyancy in water; a communication antenna that wirelessly communicates with the outside and a GPS antenna that receives GPS signals in the floating portion; and In the underwater exploration buoy configured to be able to notify the position obtained by receiving with the GPS antenna to the outside with the communication antenna,
The GPS antenna is disposed in a pendulum-shaped holder with a fulcrum formed at a position away from the floating part of the float as a center, and a position near the floating part is connected from the bottom surface of the holder by an elastic support line. underwater exploration buoy, characterized by. 2. The underwater exploration buoy according to claim 1 , wherein the fulcrum of the holder is the other end of the communication antenna having one end attached in the vicinity of the opposite end of the floating portion of the float . The underwater exploration buoy according to claim 1, wherein the communication antenna is integrated with the holder . The underwater exploration buoy according to claim 1 , wherein the float is foldable and expands into a substantially spherical shape when dropped and landing on the sea surface . A float that provides buoyancy, a floating portion that is integrally attached to the float and is positioned substantially near the sea surface, and a submerged portion that is connected to the floating portion with a connection cable and sinks in water, In an antenna mounting method for an underwater exploration buoy including a communication antenna that wirelessly communicates with the outside and a GPS antenna that receives GPS signals to obtain position information,
Providing a fulcrum in the vicinity of the opposite end of the float of the float; forming a pendulum-shaped holder having an upper end fixed to the fulcrum; and elasticizing the vicinity of the float of the float from the bottom of the holder A submarine buoy antenna mounting method comprising: coupling with a supporting line, and disposing the GPS antenna on a bottom surface of the holder .

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