Underwater drop type position guiding apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an underwater drop type position guiding apparatus, the apparatus including an underwater drop type body having a lower end part in a shape of a cone pointing downward. The underwater drop type body is provided with a GPS module, an underwater communication transmitter, a controller, and a battery. After being installed on the sea floor by being dropped to the water from above the surface of the water, the apparatus guides underwater coordinates to various underwater vehicles using GPS location information having received from above the surface of the water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An underwater drop type position guiding apparatus for being dropped into water from above a surface of the water and for being installed on a sea floor, the apparatus comprising:
 an underwater drop type body including a tubular shell extending vertically, a cover coupled with an upper end part of the tubular shell, a cone-shaped head pointing downward coupled with the lower end part of the tubular shell to be embedded and fixed on the sea floor by own weight thereof and being manufactured with material having a specific gravity greater than material of the tubular shell and the cover, and a plurality of streamlined fins provided on an outer peripheral surface of the upper end part of the tubular shell for vertical descending of the tubular shell;   a GPS module provided on the underwater drop type body for receiving GPS position information;   an underwater communication transmitter provided upwardly on the cover of the underwater drop type body for transmitting underwater coordinates to a neighboring underwater vehicle while being kept in an exposed state above the sea floor;   an underwater acoustic wave receiver provided upwardly on the cover of the underwater drop type body for sensing an acoustic wave of an underwater vehicle while being kept in an exposed state above the sea floor;   an underwater acoustic wave transmitter provided upwardly on the cover of the underwater drop type body for generating an acoustic wave to guide access of the underwater vehicle while being kept in an exposed state above the sea floor;   a controller for generating and storing the underwater coordinates using GPS position information received by the GPS module, for controlling the underwater communication transmitter to transmit the underwater coordinates, and for controlling the underwater communication transmitter to be changed from inactive state to an active state as the underwater acoustic wave receiver senses the acoustic wave of the underwater vehicle; and   a battery provided for supplying electric power to the GPS module, the underwater communication transmitter, the underwater acoustic wave receiver, the underwater acoustic wave transmitter, and the controller and disposed in the lower portion of the inside of the tubular shell.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a water depth sensor is further provided on the underwater drop type body for sensing water depth information in the water, and the controller generates the underwater coordinates using the GPS position information received by the GPS module and the water depth information sensed by the water depth sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller includes an underwater coordinate generator for generating the underwater coordinates from the GPS position information received by the GPS module and the water depth information sensed by the water depth sensor, an underwater coordinate storage unit for storing the underwater coordinates generated by the underwater coordinate generator, and an underwater coordinate transmission controller for controlling the underwater communication transmitter to transmit the underwater coordinates stored in the underwater coordinate storage unit. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the underwater communication transmitter is an underwater optical communication transmitter using an optical communication signal. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein an underwater optical communication receiver is further provided on the underwater drop type body for receiving an optical communication signal of the underwater vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the underwater acoustic wave transmitter is used together with the underwater optical communication transmitter for transmitting the underwater coordinates to the underwater vehicle.