USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Lonnie Allen Hamme

Daniel Joseph Braun

William H Marn

James Gabriel Buescher

Christopher D Mailey

Ryan Michael Stenson

Christopher Lawson Fletcher

Vladimir Djapic

James Ben Penney

Robert Kevin Creber

A diver navigation, information and safety buoy system and method. The system and method incorporate a float device, and an ultra-short baseline acoustic array in communication with a diver transponder. The system and method also include a GPS system having a GPS antenna device mounted on the float device. The system also includes an AIS system having an AIS antenna mounted on the float. A diver processor permits a diver's location information to be calculated, and the diver can be navigated to a desired destination.

Diver navigation, information and safety buoy

An underwater wireless network can include plurality of nodes, each node having a cylindrical housing, a repeater, a transducer and a buoy. The housing defines a void and encloses the repeater. The transducer can be tethered to the housing and a buoy can be tethered to said transducer. Each node also includes at least two hemi-cylindrical flukes that can be pivotably attached to the housing. The housing can further be formed with at least two flood ports, and corresponding plugs are inserted into a respective fill port. Lanyards interconnect each flukes with a respective plug. During transport, the flukes can surround the transducer and the void is empty, which renders the node neutrally buoyant for ease of transport. For deployment, the flukes are pivoted away from each other to tighten the lanyards, which pull the plugs out of the flood ports, to further flood the void and deploy the node.

Underwater network having buoyancy compensation and anchoring systems

An underwater load release device for a deployed underwater load comprising a fixed support member having a hinge end and a fixed end, a rotating member connected to the first hinge end, the rotating member initially held in a closed position by a rotatable bail to hold the underwater load, the bail initially held in the closed position by a galvanic timed release link, the galvanic link applying a predetermined bail tension to the bail during load deployment, a spring mechanism for applying a predetermined back tension to the bail during the load deployment, the galvanic release link corroding over a predetermined timed release when immersed underwater whereby the back tension overrides the bail tension of the galvanic link so that the galvanic link releases, the bail rotates into an open bail position and the rotating member then rotates into an open load position, thereby releasing the load.

Underwater galvanic load release device

In various embodiments, an apparatus for use in the recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles includes a recovery vehicle configured to be coupled to a winch via a tether. The recovery vehicle includes one or more sensors for locating the unmanned underwater vehicle, a first mechanical linking device for coupling the recovery vehicle to the unmanned underwater vehicle, and a plurality of steering mechanisms for actively guiding the unmanned underwater vehicle in such a way as to allow the first mechanical linking device to capture the unmanned underwater vehicle by locking onto a second mechanical linking device of the unmanned underwater vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Jamul, CA, United States of America

Lonnie Allen Hamme