Underwater Navigation System

Abstract

To provide technology for guiding a diver to a place of a prescribed search object underwater.SOLUTION: An underwater navigation system S100 includes an underwater moving body 10, a dive computer 20, and positioning means 30, the underwater moving body 10 includes a search unit 141 for searching for a search object T underwater, an alarm information generation unit 142 for generating the alarm information when the search object T is detected by the search unit 141, and a moving body transmission unit 144 for transmitting the alarm information, the positioning means 30 generates relative position information indicating the position of the underwater moving body 10 relative to the position of the dive computer 20 when the dive computer 20 receives the alarm information, the dive computer 20 has a terminal reception unit 241 for receiving the alarm information and the relative position information and a display processing unit 242 for causing a display device 22 to display the relative position indicated by the relative position information associated with the alarm information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater navigation system, an underwater vehicle, and a dive computer. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a system is known that notifies a diver of the location where the diver is wandering underwater via a display device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-275920 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when diving, if guest divers want to see a certain underwater creature, a guide diver will usually go ahead of the guest divers to find the target underwater creature and guide the guest divers to that location. Also, when repairing a damaged part of a structure underwater, for example, a diver will first find the damaged part, and then other workers will move to that location and perform the work.

[0005] Thus, in the past, when diving or repair work was performed underwater, a diver would search for the target location, and then other people would head to that location. The system in Patent Document 1 allows divers to know their own location, but does not reduce the burden on divers of searching for the target when diving, repair work, etc.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its object is to provide a technique that can guide a diver to the location of a specified underwater search target. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The underwater navigation system of the present invention comprises an underwater moving body that moves underwater, a dive computer capable of communicating with the underwater moving body, and a positioning means for positioning the relative position between the underwater moving body and the dive computer, wherein the underwater moving body has a search unit that searches for an underwater search target, an alarm information generation unit that generates alarm information when the search unit detects the search target, and a moving body transmission unit that transmits the alarm information, and when the dive computer or the positioning means receives the alarm information, the positioning means generates relative position information indicating the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body and the position of the dive computer, and the dive computer has a terminal receiving unit that receives the alarm information and the relative position information, and a display processing unit that displays the relative position indicated by the relative position information associated with the alarm information on a display device.

[0008] The underwater moving body may further have a moving body control unit that operates the underwater moving body to follow the search object after detecting the search object, and when it receives an acknowledgement notification from the dive computer indicating that the user has confirmed the alarm information, ends following the search object and starts searching for other search objects.

[0009] The underwater moving body may further have a moving body control unit that operates the underwater moving body to follow the search object after detecting the search object, and that ends following the search object and starts searching for other search objects when the distance from the underwater moving body to the dive computer becomes less than a predetermined threshold.

[0010] When the mobile transmitter detects the object to be searched and then discovers another object to be searched, it may transmit the warning information about the other object to be searched, and the dive computer may store the relative position information generated by the positioning means in response to the warning information about the other object to be searched in association with the warning information about the other object to be searched.

[0011] The display processing unit may update the relative position displayed on the display device based on movement information indicating the route traveled by the dive computer and the relative position information received from the positioning means.

[0012] The display processing unit may update the relative position displayed on the display device based on the latitude and longitude information of the dive computer measured by the surface equipment and the relative position information received from the positioning means.

[0013] The display processing unit may display a plurality of relative positions between the dive computer and the plurality of underwater vehicles in response to a plurality of pieces of alarm information received from the plurality of underwater vehicles.

[0014] The search unit may identify a moving direction and a moving speed of the moving search object, and the moving body transmitting unit may transmit the moving direction and the moving speed to the dive computer.

[0015] The underwater moving body of the present invention is an underwater moving body that moves underwater and is equipped with a search unit that searches for a search target underwater, an alarm information generation unit that generates alarm information when the search target is detected, a positioning means that generates relative position information indicating the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body and the position of a dive computer when the search target is detected, and a moving body transmission unit that associates the relative position information with the alarm information and transmits it.

[0016] The dive computer of the present invention is a dive computer capable of communicating with an underwater moving body, and comprises a terminal receiving unit that receives alarm information indicating that the underwater moving body has detected a search target, a positioning means that, when the alarm information is received, generates relative position information indicating the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body and the position of the dive computer, and a display processing unit that displays the alarm information and the relative position indicated by the relative position information on a display device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, a technique can be provided that can guide a diver to the location of a predetermined underwater search target. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an underwater navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an underwater navigation system. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of the basic operation of the underwater navigation system after detecting a search object. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the underwater moving body after detecting a search target. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an underwater navigation system according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an underwater navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the underwater navigation system.

[0020] [Overview of the S100 Underwater Navigation System] 1 and 2, the underwater navigation system S100 of this embodiment includes an underwater vehicle 10, a dive computer 20, and positioning means 30. In the following, a configuration will be exemplified in which the first positioning device 31 and the second positioning device 32 constituting the positioning means 30 are separate from the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, but in the present invention, the first positioning device 31 may be incorporated into the dive computer 20, and the second positioning device 32 may be incorporated into the underwater vehicle 10.

[0021] The underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 are connected in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other underwater. The positioning means 30 determines the relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20. The search object T searched for by the underwater vehicle 10 may be any object, but in the following, the search object T is illustrated as a marine organism. The marine organism is not limited to a specific object, but may be, for example, an organism that needs to be exterminated, such as a crown-of-thorns starfish.

[0022] One of the features of the underwater navigation system S100 of this embodiment is that when the underwater vehicle 10 detects a search object T, a notification is sent to the dive computer 20, and the positioning means 30 measures the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, and this relative position is displayed on the dive computer 20. With this configuration, the underwater vehicle 10 detects the search object T in advance, and the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 is displayed on the dive computer 20, so the diver can be well guided to the location where the specified search object T is located. The relative position may be, for example, the position of the underwater vehicle 10 as seen from the dive computer 20. The configuration of each part will be described in detail below.

[0023] [Underwater Vehicle 10] The underwater vehicle 10 is, for example, an underwater drone capable of diving underwater. As shown in Fig. 2, the underwater vehicle 10 has a camera 11, a communication unit 12, a memory unit 13, and a control unit 14, and searches for a search target T set as a search target. The underwater vehicle 10 can communicate with operating devices on the water surface via, for example, an underwater cable or wireless communication, and can be remotely controlled by a pilot on the water surface.

[0024] The camera 11 takes images at predetermined intervals and outputs the captured images. The communication unit 12 is a communication interface for communicating with external devices and is implemented by a known underwater communication module such as optical wireless communication or acoustic communication. The underwater vehicle 10 communicates with the dive computer 20 underwater via the communication unit 12. The memory unit 13 stores a computer program for operating the underwater vehicle 10 and various information referenced when the computer program is executed.

[0025] The control unit 14 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the underwater moving body 10, and functions as a search unit 141, an alarm information generation unit 142, a moving body control unit 143, and a moving body transmission unit 144 by executing programs stored in the memory unit 13.

[0026] The search unit 141 searches for a search object T in water. Specifically, the search unit 141 analyzes a captured image taken by the camera 11 and determines whether a predetermined search object T is captured in the captured image. The search unit 141 also identifies the type of the search object captured in the captured image, for example.

[0027] When the search object T is a moving object such as a fish, the search unit 141 may identify the movement direction and movement speed of the moving search object T. The search unit 141 may, for example, analyze a plurality of captured images that are continuously captured, and identify the movement direction and movement speed of the search object T. Note that the search unit 141 may also identify the movement direction and movement speed of the search object T that moves due to, for example, the current.

[0028] When the search unit 141 detects a search object T, the alarm information generation unit 142 generates alarm information in association with the search object. The alarm information is, for example, information indicating that the search object T has been detected.

[0029] The mobile body control unit 143 controls a propulsion mechanism (not shown) of the underwater moving body 10 to move the underwater moving body 10. The mobile body control unit 143 controls the propulsion mechanism so that the underwater moving body 10 moves, for example, along a preset movement route. When the underwater moving body 10 finds a search object T, the mobile body control unit 143 ends the search operation and operates the underwater moving body 10 to follow the search object T. If the search object T is a moving object such as a fish, the underwater moving body 10 will move in pursuit of the search object T. On the other hand, if the search object T is an object that does not move or is substantially stationary, the underwater moving body 10 will hover in place (an operation in which the underwater moving body 10 remains at a predetermined position in the water).

[0030] (Search for search object T) In the underwater navigation system S100 of this embodiment, when the underwater vehicle 10 detects a search object T, alarm information is sent to the dive computer 20, and the relative position of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, as determined by the positioning means 30, is displayed on the dive computer 20. The diver can approach the search object T detected by the underwater vehicle 10 while looking at the information displayed on the dive computer 20. In such a configuration, it is preferable, for example, that when the diver approaches the underwater vehicle 10 to a certain extent, the underwater vehicle 10 is ready to start searching for the next search object T.

[0031] Therefore, the mobile object control unit 143 may terminate tracking of the search object T when the distance from the underwater mobile object 10 to the dive computer 20 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. Specifically, the mobile object control unit 143 determines whether the distance from the underwater mobile object 10 to the dive computer 20 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold based on the positioning result of the positioning means 30. The "predetermined threshold" is determined, for example, based on the distance at which the search object T can be seen by a diver. The mobile object control unit 143 may determine the transparency of the water based on, for example, a captured image, and determine the threshold so that the lower the determined transparency, the smaller the threshold. Here, the process of determining the transparency may be performed by a functional unit different from the mobile object control unit 143.

[0032] After completing tracking, the moving body control unit 143 starts searching for other search objects T. With this configuration, after the underwater moving body 10 detects the search object T, the underwater moving body 10 can start searching for other search objects T without waiting for the diver to move to the underwater moving body 10, so that the search object T can be searched for efficiently.

[0033] The underwater vehicle 10 may end tracking and start searching for another search object T when the diver, who is the user, confirms the warning information transmitted from the underwater vehicle 10. To achieve this, the vehicle control unit 143 may end tracking the search object T and start searching for another search object T when it receives an acknowledgement notification from the dive computer 20 indicating that the diver has confirmed the warning information. With this configuration, the underwater vehicle 10 can start searching for another search object T even if the diver does not approach the underwater vehicle 10, thereby enabling efficient searching.

[0034] Furthermore, the mobile unit transmitting unit 144 of the underwater vehicle 10 sends a notification to the dive computer 20 when the distance from the underwater vehicle 10 to the dive computer 20 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and upon receiving this notification, the dive computer 20 may display on the display device 22 a confirmation message asking whether or not to end tracking and start searching for the next search object T. The diver then inputs an acknowledgement to the dive computer 20, and the dive computer 20 transmits an acknowledgement to the underwater vehicle 10.

[0035] The underwater vehicle 10 may not start searching for the next search object T until it receives this acknowledgement notification, and may start searching for the search object T on the condition that it has received the acknowledgement notification. With this configuration, the search for the next search object T will not be started simply because the dive computer 20 has approached the underwater vehicle 10, so that, for example, if the underwater vehicle 10 is located in a place that is close to the diver but out of sight of the diver, the underwater vehicle 10 is prevented from moving before the diver has fully confirmed its location.

[0036] This method is effective when the underwater vehicle 10 functions as the master unit (details below) of the positioning means and the dive computer 20 functions as the slave unit (details below), since the underwater vehicle 10 has the positioning information. However, even in this case, similar processing is possible by transmitting the positioning information held by the master unit to the slave unit.

[0037] When the underwater vehicle 10 functions as a slave device of the positioning means and the dive computer 20 functions as a master device, the dive computer 20 may, for example, determine whether the distance between the devices is equal to or less than a threshold, and may display a confirmation message asking whether or not to start searching for the next search object T. When the diver inputs his / her consent, the dive computer 20 may notify the underwater vehicle 10, and upon receiving the notification, the underwater vehicle 10 may start searching for the next search object T.

[0038] The mobile body transmission unit 144 transmits the alarm information generated by the alarm information generation unit 142 to an external device. Specifically, the mobile body transmission unit 144 transmits the alarm information in association with identification information for identifying the underwater moving body 10. As described above, when the underwater moving body 10 continuously searches for multiple search objects T, the mobile body transmission unit 144 transmits alarm information about the detected search object T each time the underwater moving body 10 detects a search object T.

[0039] The mobile unit transmitting unit 144 may transmit an image captured by the camera 11, which image shows the search object T, in association with the alarm information. The mobile unit transmitting unit 144 may also transmit the movement direction and movement speed of the search object T identified by the search unit 141 to, for example, the dive computer 20. The dive computer 20 receives this information and displays it on the display device 22. Although it depends on the type of search object T, with this configuration, the diver can determine whether or not to quickly approach the search object T based on the information displayed on the dive computer 20.

[0040] [Dive Computer 20] The dive computer 20 is a device used by a diver underwater, and includes a communication unit 21, a display device 22, a memory unit 23, and a control unit 24. The dive computer 20 also includes, as an example, a housing (not shown) that houses the communication unit 21, the display device 22, the memory unit 23, and the control unit 24. The dive computer 20 is carried by the diver or worn by the diver. The shape of the dive computer 20 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a wristwatch-like shape or a tablet terminal-like shape.

[0041] The communication unit 21 is a communication interface for communicating with external devices, and is realized by a known underwater communication module such as optical wireless communication or acoustic communication, similar to the communication unit 12 of the underwater vehicle 10. The dive computer 20 communicates with the underwater vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21. The display device 22 is a display that displays various information. The memory unit 23 stores a computer program for operating the dive computer 20 and various information referenced when this computer program is executed.

[0042] The control unit 24 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and functions as a terminal receiving unit 241 and a display processing unit 242 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 23 .

[0043] The terminal receiving unit 241 receives information transmitted from an external device. Specifically, the terminal receiving unit 241 receives alarm information transmitted by the underwater moving body 10. The terminal receiving unit 241 also receives relative position information generated by the positioning means 30, which indicates the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body 10 and the position of the dive computer 20. For example, the terminal receiving unit 241 associates the relative position information received from the positioning means 30 with the alarm information and stores it in the memory unit 23.

[0044] When the underwater moving body 10 continuously searches for search objects T, the terminal receiving unit 241 associates multiple pieces of alarm information about the multiple search objects T with multiple pieces of relative position information and stores them in the memory unit 23. That is, if a specific search object T is detected and then another search object T is detected, the terminal receiving unit 241 associates the alarm information about the other search object T with the relative position information generated by the positioning means in accordance with the alarm information and stores it in the memory unit 23 after the specific search object T is detected. In this way, information about the multiple search objects T detected by the underwater moving body 10 is successively accumulated in the memory unit 23.

[0045] The display processing unit 242 controls the operation of the display device 22. Specifically, the display processing unit 242 causes the display device 22 to display the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, which is indicated by relative position information associated with the alarm information received from the underwater vehicle 10. The display processing unit 242 causes the display device 22 to display, for example, the distance, depth, and direction from the dive computer 20 to the underwater vehicle 10. The display processing unit 242 causes the display device 22 to display, for example, the relative position and, as alarm information, that a search object T has been detected. For example, when the diver inputs an input indicating that the alarm information has been confirmed, the display processing unit 242 causes the communication unit 21 to transmit an acknowledgement notice to the underwater vehicle 10. Note that this input may be input, for example, via a button (not shown) provided on the dive computer 20.

[0046] [Positioning means 30] The positioning means 30 is a known positioning device that measures the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 underwater. When the dive computer 20 receives alarm information, the positioning means 30 generates relative position information that indicates the relative position between the position of the underwater vehicle 10 and the position of the dive computer 20. Specifically, for example, when the dive computer 20 notifies the first positioning device 31 that it has received alarm information, the positioning means 30 performs positioning.

[0047] In this embodiment, the positioning means 30 has a first positioning device 31 provided in the dive computer 20 and a second positioning device 32 provided in the underwater vehicle 10, and measures the relative positions of the first positioning device 31 and the second positioning device 32 (corresponding to the relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20). Although not limited thereto, for example, the first positioning device 31 may function as a master device, and the second positioning device 32 may function as a slave device. Both the first positioning device 31 and the second positioning device 32 have means for generating sound and multiple microphones for receiving sound. The positioning means 30 utilizes, for example, a known underwater acoustic positioning technology. An example of the underwater acoustic positioning technology is the SSBL (Super Short Baseline, also known as USBL: Ultra Short Baseline) method. By using such a technique, for example, the relative position (direction, distance, and depth) of the second positioning device 32 on the underwater moving body 10 side with respect to the first positioning device 31 can be measured in real time.

[0048] Specifically, first, the first positioning device 31 emits a sound underwater, and when the second positioning device 32 receives the sound, the second positioning device 32 emits a sound in response. The first positioning device 31 receives the sound from the second positioning device 32 using multiple microphones, and calculates the direction of the second positioning device 32, which is the source of the sound, and the distance from the first positioning device 31 to the second positioning device 32. In this way, the relative positions of the first positioning device 31 and the second positioning device 32 are determined. As another method, the first positioning device 31 can receive a sound intermittently emitted by the second positioning device 32, and the first positioning device 31 can calculate the direction of the second positioning device 32 and the distance to the second positioning device 32, etc. Here, the distance, etc. includes, for example, depth in addition to distance.

[0049] The positioning means 30 transmits relative position information indicating the relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 to the dive computer 20 or the underwater vehicle 10. The positioning means 30 may continuously measure the relative position at predetermined time intervals and continuously transmit the relative position information to the dive computer 20 or the underwater vehicle 10.

[0050] In this embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which the first positioning device 31 of the dive computer 20 is the positioning device and the second positioning device 32 of the underwater moving body 10 is the position-receiving device, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second positioning device 32 may operate as the positioning device and transmit the positioning results to the first positioning device 31. Alternatively, the underwater moving body 10 may acquire the positioning results from the second positioning device 32 and transmit the positioning results to the dive computer 20 via the communication unit 12. In such a case, the position of the first positioning device 31 as seen from the second positioning device 32 side may be converted into the position (azimuth, distance, and depth) of the second positioning device 32 as seen from the first positioning device 31 side. This processing may be performed by the positioning means 30, or by the underwater moving body 10 or the dive computer 20. The display processing unit 242 displays the relative position, which is the position of the second positioning device 32 as seen from the first positioning device 31 side, on the display device 22.

[0051] The second positioning device 32 may be provided as a part of the underwater moving body 10, and specifically, for example, the second positioning device 32 may be disposed inside a housing (not shown) of the underwater moving body 10. In the underwater moving body 10 provided with the second positioning device 32 as a positioning means, the moving body transmitting unit 144 may associate the relative position information generated by the second positioning device 32 with the alarm information generated by the searching unit 141 and transmit this information to the dive computer 20.

[0052] Furthermore, the first positioning device 31 may be provided as part of the dive computer 20, and specifically, for example, the first positioning device 31 may be disposed inside a housing (not shown) of the dive computer 20.

[0053] [Example of operation of the underwater navigation system S100] (Basic operation after detecting search target T) FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the basic operation of the underwater navigation system S100 after the search object T is detected.

[0054] First, in step S1, the underwater moving body 10 searches for a search object T as shown in FIG. 1, and detects the search object T based on an underwater image.

[0055] Next, in step S2, the alarm information generating unit 142 of the underwater moving body 10 generates alarm information indicating that the search object T has been detected, and the moving body transmitting unit 144 transmits the alarm information to the dive computer 20.

[0056] Next, in step S3, when the dive computer 20 receives alarm information from the underwater vehicle 10, the positioning means 30 measures the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20. Specifically, as an example, the first positioning device 31 receives a sound emitted by the second positioning device 32 in response to a sound emitted by the first positioning device 31, and measures the relative position between the first positioning device 31 and the second positioning device 32. The first positioning device 31 generates relative position information indicating the measured relative position and transmits it to the dive computer 20.

[0057] Next, in step S4, the terminal receiving unit 241 of the dive computer 20 that has received the relative position information stores the relative position information in association with the alarm information in the storage unit 23. The display processing unit 242 also displays the relative position indicated by the relative position information on the display device 22 of the dive computer 20. As a result, the display device 22 displays, for example, the distance, depth, and direction from the dive computer 20 to the underwater vehicle 10, and the diver can look at this information and move toward the search target T detected by the underwater vehicle 10.

[0058] (Example of operation for tracking search target T) 4 is a flowchart of an example of the operation of the underwater vehicle 10 after detecting the search object T. The underwater navigation system S100 may operate the underwater vehicle 10 as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0059] First, in step S11, the underwater vehicle 10 detects the search target T and transmits alarm information to the dive computer 20. The relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 are measured by the positioning means 30 using the same method as described above, and the alarm information is displayed on the display device 22 of the dive computer 20 together with the relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20.

[0060] When the search object T is detected, the underwater moving body 10 stops searching for the search object T in the water in step S12 and follows the detected search object T.

[0061] Next, in step S13, the moving body control unit 143 of the underwater moving body 10 determines whether or not it has received an acknowledgement sent from the dive computer 20, and if it has received an acknowledgement (Yes in S13), in step S14 the underwater moving body 10 ends tracking and starts searching for another search object T. If it is No in step S13, this step is repeated.

[0062] In this way, with a configuration in which the underwater moving body 10 starts searching for other search objects T upon receiving an acknowledgement notification, after the underwater moving body 10 detects a predetermined search object T, it can search for the next search object T without waiting for the diver to move to the location of the search object T, thereby enabling efficient searching.

[0063] (Effects of the underwater navigation system S100) As described above, according to the underwater navigation system S100 of this embodiment, when the underwater moving body 10 detects a search object T underwater, the relative position between the underwater moving body 10 and the dive computer 20 is measured by the positioning means 30, and the relative position is displayed on the dive computer 20, so that the diver can be well guided to the location where the specified search object T is located.

[0064] Furthermore, if the underwater vehicle 10 is configured to stop following the search object T and start searching for another search object T when it receives an acknowledgement from the diver indicating that it has confirmed the alarm information displayed on the dive computer 20, the search object T can be searched for efficiently.

[0065] In addition, the underwater vehicle 10 can be configured to stop following the search object T and start searching for another search object T when the distance from the underwater vehicle 10 to the dive computer 20 becomes less than a predetermined threshold, thereby making it possible to efficiently search for the search object T.

[0066] <Variation 1> As described above, in the underwater navigation system S100 of this embodiment, when the underwater vehicle 10 detects the search object T, alarm information is notified to the underwater vehicle 10, and the positioning means 30 determines the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, and the determined relative position is displayed on the dive computer 20. Meanwhile, it is convenient for the diver if the relative position between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 is updated while the diver is moving toward the underwater vehicle 10 and the updated information is displayed on the dive computer 20.

[0067] Therefore, the display processing unit 242 of the dive computer 20 may update the relative position displayed on the display device 22 based on movement information indicating the route traveled by the dive computer 20 and the relative position information received from the positioning means 30. Specifically, the relative position may be updated by identifying a position obtained by moving the dive computer 20 from the position of the dive computer 20 at the time the initial relative position was identified in the movement direction indicated by the movement information of the dive computer 20 by the movement amount indicated by the movement information, and calculating the relative position between the identified position and the underwater vehicle 10.

[0068] When the underwater vehicle 10 detects multiple search objects T and multiple pieces of relative position information are stored in the dive computer 20, the display processing unit 242 may update the relative positions of these multiple pieces of relative position information as described above. Note that the display processing unit 242 may update and display the relative position information corresponding to the search object T (as an example, one identified search object T) that is in the direction the diver is moving among the multiple search objects T, and may not update or display the relative position information corresponding to the other search objects T. By operating the display processing unit 242 in this way, information unnecessary for the diver is not displayed, making it easier for the diver to grasp the relative position of the search object T that he is heading towards and reducing the processing load.

[0069] Any known device can be used to detect the path traveled by the dive computer 20, but it may also be, for example, an inertial navigation system that continuously measures the acceleration of a moving object to determine the path traveled from a predetermined reference point, and this inertial navigation system may be provided within the housing as a part of the dive computer 20.

[0070] <Variation 2> Figure 5 is a diagram showing an underwater navigation system according to a modified example of the present invention. The underwater navigation system S100A in Figure 5 further includes a surface facility 40 in addition to the configuration in Figure 2. The other components are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0071] The waterborne facility 40 is a facility located on water. The waterborne facility 40 does not need to be fixed to a predetermined installation location, and may be, for example, equipment that floats on water. Specifically, the waterborne facility 40 may be equipment located on a ship.

[0072] The surface facility 40 is configured to be able to communicate with the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20. The surface facility 40 measures the latitude and longitude of at least one of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20, and generates latitude and longitude information. The surface facility 40 transmits the generated latitude and longitude information to the dive computer 20.

[0073] 5 , for example, the surface equipment 40 may generate latitude and longitude information for the dive computer 20, and the relative position displayed on the display device 22 may be updated based on the generated latitude and longitude information and relative position information between the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 generated by the positioning means 30. As a specific example, the dive computer 20 may acquire latitude and longitude information from the surface equipment 40, and the display processing unit 242 may update the relative position based on the latitude and longitude information and the relative position information received from the underwater vehicle 10. The display processing unit 242 displays the updated relative position on the display device 22. Such updating of the relative position and display on the display device 22 may be performed continuously at predetermined time intervals.

[0074] With this configuration, even if the dive computer 20 is not equipped with an inertial navigation system, the relative positions of the underwater vehicle 10 and the dive computer 20 can be updated using the latitude and longitude information generated by the surface equipment 40.

[0075] In the above example, the surface facility 40 is illustrated as equipment on a ship, but the surface facility 40 may also be a surface drone that constitutes part of a combined water-air drone. In this case, the surface facility 40, which is a surface drone, floats on the water, while the underwater vehicle 10, which is an underwater drone, separates from the surface drone and dives underwater. The two drones are connected to each other, for example, by an underwater cable.

[0076] 5, the underwater moving body 10 may transmit alarm information to the surface facility 40 when it detects a search target T. The surface facility 40 may receive the alarm information in association with identification information that identifies the underwater moving body 10, and transmit the information to an external server or the like.

[0077] 5, when surface equipment 40 is present, as an example, surface equipment 40 may have a positioning function (function as a parent device for positioning), measure the positions of dive computer 20 and underwater vehicle 10, and transmit that information to dive computer 20 and underwater vehicle 10. That is, in this invention, a device other than underwater vehicle 10 or dive computer 20 may have a positioning function, and the results of positioning by that device may be used, and even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0078] <Variation 3> In the above-described embodiment, the underwater navigation system S100 includes one underwater vehicle 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The underwater navigation system may include multiple underwater vehicles 10 capable of communicating with the dive computer 20. In this case, for example, the terminal receiving unit 241 of the dive computer 20 receives multiple pieces of alarm information from each of the multiple underwater vehicles 10, associated with the identification information of each underwater vehicle 10. The display processing unit 242 may then display multiple relative positions between the dive computer 20 and the multiple underwater vehicles 10 on the display device 22 in response to each piece of alarm information. With this configuration, for example, if multiple underwater vehicles 10 detect search objects T in different locations, the position of each underwater vehicle 10 that detected the search object T is displayed on the display device 22. Therefore, the diver can move toward the desired search object T among the multiple detected search objects T in order of proximity to the current location, for example.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the search unit 141 of the underwater vehicle 10 detects the search object, but a functional unit equivalent to the search unit 141 may be provided in a device other than the underwater vehicle 10.

[0080] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning means 30 performs positioning when the dive computer 20 receives an alarm notification as a trigger, but the positioning means 30 may also perform positioning when the positioning means 30 itself receives an alarm notification as a trigger.

[0081] Furthermore, although the underwater vehicle 10 and the diver searching for marine life have been described as an example, the underwater navigation system of the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to various search objects. For example, the present invention can also be applied to underwater tourist guidance, inspection of damaged parts of buildings, and search and recovery of lost items.

[0082] Furthermore, this invention will make it possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote innovation and resilience."

[0083] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments.

[0084] This application also discloses any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, apparatus, system, computer program, data structure, recording medium, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Underwater Vehicles 11 Camera 12 Communications Department 13 Storage section 20 Dive Computer 21 Communications Department 22 Display Devices 23 Memory section 30 Positioning Methods 31 First positioning device 32 Second positioning device 40 Water equipment 141 Search Department 142 Alarm information generation section 143 Mobile Control Unit 144 Mobile transmitter 241 Terminal receiving unit 242 Display processing section S100 Underwater Navigation System S100A Underwater Navigation System T Search target

Claims

1. a dive computer capable of communicating with the underwater moving body; and a positioning means for measuring a relative position between the underwater moving body and the dive computer; The underwater vehicle is A search unit that searches for a search object in the water that is not a diver or an object attached to a diver; an alarm information generation unit that generates alarm information when the search unit detects the search object; a mobile transmitter that transmits the alarm information; and The positioning means When the dive computer or the positioning means receives the alarm information, it generates relative position information indicating the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body and the position of the dive computer, The dive computer a terminal receiving unit that receives the alarm information and the relative position information; a display processing unit that displays, on a display device, the relative position indicated by the relative position information associated with the alarm information; and The underwater vehicle is a mobile unit control unit that operates the underwater mobile unit to follow the search object after detecting the search object, and terminates following the search object and starts searching for other search objects when an acknowledgement notice is received from the dive computer indicating that the user has confirmed the alarm information; Underwater navigation system.

2. A system comprising: an underwater moving body that moves underwater; a dive computer that can communicate with said underwater moving body; and positioning means that measures the relative positions of said underwater moving body and said dive computer; The underwater vehicle is A search unit that searches for a search object in the water that is not a diver or an object attached to a diver; an alarm information generation unit that generates alarm information when the search unit detects the search object; a mobile transmitter that transmits the alarm information; and The positioning means When the dive computer or the positioning means receives the alarm information, it generates relative position information indicating the relative position between the position of the underwater moving body and the position of the dive computer, The dive computer a terminal receiving unit that receives the alarm information and the relative position information; a display processing unit that displays, on a display device, the relative position indicated by the relative position information associated with the alarm information; and The underwater vehicle is a mobile unit control unit that operates the underwater moving body to follow the search object after detecting the search object, and ends following the search object and starts searching for other search objects when the distance from the underwater moving body to the dive computer becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold; Underwater navigation system.

3. the mobile body transmitting unit, when detecting another search object after detecting the search object, transmits the alarm information about the other search object; the dive computer stores the relative position information generated by the positioning means in response to the warning information about the other search object in association with the warning information about the other search object; 3. An underwater navigation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The display processing unit updating the relative position displayed on the display device based on movement information indicating the route traveled by the dive computer and the relative position information received from the positioning means; 3. An underwater navigation system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The display processing unit updating the relative position displayed on the display device based on the latitude and longitude information of the dive computer measured by the surface equipment and the relative position information received from the positioning means; 3. An underwater navigation system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The display processing unit displaying a plurality of relative positions between the dive computer and the plurality of underwater vehicles in response to a plurality of pieces of alarm information received from the plurality of underwater vehicles; 3. An underwater navigation system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The search unit identifies a moving direction and a moving speed of the moving search object, The moving body transmitter transmits the moving direction and the moving speed to the dive computer.

3. An underwater navigation system according to claim 1 or 2.

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