Slashdot Mirror
Patent Filed for Underwater GPS
Matthew Sparkes writes "GPS doesn't work underwater, as the signal cannot reach the satellite from a submersible, but researchers have now patented an add-on to the system that could provide GPS navigation for submarines. A base station is tethered to the sea bed at a known depth and GPS location. A submersible anywhere in the area sends out a sonar pulse to which the base station replies with a signal, giving a GPS position and depth as well as the bearing angle from which the submersible's request arrived. The submersible then uses its own depth, which is easily measured, plus the round trip pulse time and the bearing angle sent by the base, to calculate its own position."
This is great!
How long before lost submarines are meandering up our rivers and streams because the GPS mapping told them this was the way to go?
On a slightly more serious note, no self respecting spy submarine will emit a ping to this service ever. There is no way you would want to give your position away so freely.
liqbase
Ryan, be careful of what you ping. Some systems don't react well to sonar.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
thats what THEY tell you...
open your mind too much and your brain falls out!
Darn...I think you just ruined this guy's patent.
Men will do anything to avoid stopping and asking for directions
Use your head, can't you, use your head,
You're on earth, there's no cure for that - S. Beckett
I hate it when people are perjuditial to wheels.
Patrick Doyle
I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
Yes but unfortunately it will cause a flood (No pun intended) of "Underwater" software patents now. You're going to have underwater one-click shopping, Underwater shopping carts. Underwater mp3 compression... and the USPTO will grant Every... Single... One.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
100 comments and nobody's asked whether this is a submarine patent yet? Come on, guys! You must be working or something.
I can explanate how to administrate your network. You must configurate and segmentate it, so it can computate.
So let me get this straight. The drivers were getting mad at you because they thought you were transmitting data about them to the GPS satellites. So you tried to comfort them by saying that data can't be sent to the GPS satellites. Meanwhile you were transmitting data about them over the cell phone network by CDPD. And you wonder why they didn't trust you?