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."

Great!

[LiquidCoooled]

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.

Re:Verify

[UnknowingFool]

Ryan, be careful of what you ping. Some systems don't react well to sonar.

Re:GPS is passive

[klik]

thats what THEY tell you...

Re:Which way do those signals go?

[Radon360]

Darn...I think you just ruined this guy's patent.

same old story

[rodney dill]

Men will do anything to avoid stopping and asking for directions

Re:Great!

[MrShaggy]

One ping and one ping only..

one ping to rule the world.

Re:Mod parent up

[p3d0]

I hate it when people are perjuditial to wheels.

Re:deserves a patent

[Greyfox]

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.

Submarines?

[Sax Maniac]

100 comments and nobody's asked whether this is a submarine patent [wikipedia.org] yet? Come on, guys! You must be working or something.

Re:GPS is passive

[mrcaseyj]

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?