WO2018134462A1 - Location system for kitesurfing - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a location system for kitesurfing, which comprises: a board unit (ET) to be attached to a kitesurfing board, which comprises an emitter (6) that emits an omnidirectional radiofrequency signal; and a user unit (EU) suitable for being worn by a user, which comprises a radiofrequency receiver (16) with directional sensitivity and means (10, 13) for determining the orientation of the user unit, wherein the user unit (EU) determines the direction of the board unit (ET) according to the source of said signal and the distance to the board unit (ET) as a function of the power of said signal, and wherein the user unit (EU) also comprises indicator means (14) for indicating to the user in real time said direction and/or distance to the board unit (ET) according to the orientation of the user unit (EU).

Description

 DESCRIPTION

Kitesurf location system

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains in general to the field of water sports, and more particularly to the water sport known as kitesurfing.

The object of the present invention is a location system capable of determining the position of a lost kitesurf board and indicating said position to the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kitesurfing is a sport consisting of navigating on a board hooked to the athlete's feet thanks to the force exerted on the user by means of a kite anchored to his body. Occasionally, it may happen that an athlete loses the board due to a wind blow or the force of a wave. When this happens, the athlete is in a dangerous situation that lasts until the moment he manages to recover the board and continue sailing. The situation is particularly dangerous when the loss of the board occurs at a great distance from the thing and / or in unfavorable atmospheric conditions. However, locating the table visually by the athlete himself is not always easy, particularly in case of very bad seas.

At present there is no equipment that allows the athlete to determine where the table is. While the use of radiofrequency technology for the location of various types of objects is known, none of the known systems is intended for use in the aquatic field. Note that the search in aquatic environments through radio frequency signals presents an additional problem with respect to the traditional search on land. On land, the signal emitted by the transmitter is stable in the sense that it is not conditioned by the means in which the signal is propagated. On the contrary, in the aquatic environment the existence of waves produces alterations in the emitted radio frequency signal that the receiving device must filter efficiently. In addition, the emitter may be partially submerged and oscillating, which makes detection difficult. This particular problem of the aquatic environment prevents the use of search systems traditional for the location of the kitesurf board.

In short, there is a problem not yet solved in this field of technique. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above problems by means of a new kitesurf board location system comprising at least one board equipment, configured for attachment to the kitesurf board, and a user equipment, configured to be carried by the athlete or Username. When the user loses the table, the user equipment determines the position of the table based on the origin and strength of a radio frequency signal emitted by the table equipment, and communicates to the user the address according to which the table is through a means of indication particularly designed for this purpose. The transmitter and receiver of this location system can also include two GPS devices to determine the position of the table in case the radiofrequency location fails.

While this document specifically talks about the location of a kitesurf board, note that the same system would be applicable to the location of other sporting elements in aquatic environments. For example, the system could locate windsurf boards, surfboards, paddles, sails, or any other element used in a water sport and likely to be lost by the athlete.

The present invention describes a location system for kitesurfing, characterized in that it basically comprises a board equipment and a user equipment. Each of these elements is described in more detail below. a) Table equipment

The board equipment is configured for fixing to a kitesurf board. It is therefore a device of small size and equipped with mechanical fasteners such as, for example, adhesives, holes for screws or nails, or any other mechanical fastener suitable for making a firm attachment to the table of Kitesurf The table equipment also comprises a first transmitter for the emission of an omnidirectional radio frequency signal. For example, it may be a LoRa transmitter configured for the periodic emission of a radio frequency signal that will allow to determine the position of the board equipment and, therefore, of the kitesurf board itself. b) User equipment

The user equipment is configured to be carried by a user. Therefore, this equipment should also be small enough for the user to carry it without compromising their mobility, either stored in their insulating suit or fixed to their body in any other way. For example, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the user equipment is in the form of a bracelet.

The user equipment also comprises a radio frequency receiver with directional sensitivity. It is a receiver capable of determining the direction from which a given received radio frequency signal comes. For example, the radio frequency receiver may have a highly directional reception pattern, so that it will only receive the radio frequency signal if it is oriented towards the emitter of said radio frequency signal. This allows you to easily deduce the address according to which the issuer attached to the table is located. The user equipment also comprises means for determining the orientation of said user equipment. The means for determining the orientation of the user equipment may comprise any element capable of determining the orientation of the user equipment, that is, determining the spatial orientation of a reference system fixed to the user equipment. This is important to be able to correctly indicate to the user the address according to which the table is located regardless of their position at any time. For example, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for determining the orientation of the user equipment comprise an accelerometer and a gyroscope, although it would also be possible to use these elements to combine with other types of devices such as digital compasses or the like.

Thanks to these elements, the user equipment determines the direction according to which the table equipment is based on the origin of said radio frequency signal. In addition, the user equipment can also determine the approximate distance to which the table equipment is based on the power of said radio frequency signal received by the receiver. This is achieved thanks to knowledge of the emission power, the characteristics of the antennas and the dielectric characteristics of the environment.

Additionally, the user equipment further comprises an indication means to indicate in real time to the user the address and / or the distance according to which the table equipment is based on the orientation of the user equipment determined by the determination means. . This means of indication may in principle be of various types provided that it allows the user to indicate a certain address according to which the table is located. For example, it can be a visual indication means, such as one or more LEDs, or auditory, such as a horn. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the indication means is a screen, for example of the LCD type or the like. The address according to which the first emitter is located can be indicated, for example, by an arrow or the like shown on the screen in a manner similar to a compass that always marks the position of the table.

Thanks to this system, the user can recover the table in case of loss. The omnidirectional radiofrequency signal is periodically emitted by the table equipment and received by the user equipment. Thanks to this signal, the user equipment determines the relative position of the table in relation to the position of the user equipment. Next, the screen of the user equipment shows the address according to which the table equipment is located, the indicative element of the address being updated, such as an arrow or the like, depending on the orientation and relative position of the user equipment in every moment. Therefore, to reach the table the user would only have to look at the screen of the user equipment and swim in the direction indicated by the arrow shown through it.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the kitesurf location system of the invention, the board equipment and the user equipment further comprise two GPS devices that determine the geographical location of the board and the user. Thus, the user equipment determines the direction according to which the table equipment is located and the approximate distance to which the table equipment is based on geographic data provided by the GPS devices. Indeed, once the geographical positions of both the table and the user are known, determining the direction and distance that the table equipment is in relation to the user equipment constitutes a simple geometric problem. Note that, in this case, the issuer of the table team will include the position Geometric obtained by the GPS device in the omnidirectional radio frequency signal emitted.

In another particularly preferred embodiment of the kitesurf tracking system of the invention, the user equipment further comprises a distress button that causes the sending of a distress radio frequency signal through a transmitter of the user equipment. This distress signal can be picked up by any vessel located around the user. In addition, thanks to the fact that the user equipment can have a GPS device, it is possible to add the user's GPS position to the distress signal emitted when the distress button is pressed, thus greatly facilitating rescue operations in case they are necessary. Moreover, the presence of the GPS device allows the user equipment to be programmed so that the corresponding one periodically automatically sends a radio frequency signal with the geographical position of the user. This would allow tracking the geographical evolution of the user throughout the test from a monitoring or control center.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises an external equipment configured to be located outside the water, that is, outside the water itself, such as land, a ship, or even an air means such as a helicopter. . Therefore, it is not necessary that the outdoor equipment has a high level of insulation against water or moisture. The outdoor equipment comprises a radio frequency receiver to receive the distress radio frequency signal emitted by the transmitter of the user equipment. In addition, the external equipment comprises a means of communication, for example by telephone communication (GPRS, UMTS, GSM, or others), internet, SMS, Wifi, Bluetooth, etc. This means of communication may retransmit any information received through said distress radio frequency signal. For example, the outside team may notify the authorities, request rescue means, or simply to provide such information to a monitoring or control center. In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the table equipment and the user equipment further comprise batteries. These batteries are responsible for providing power to both teams.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the table device further comprises battery recharge means powered by wave movement. Indeed, since the kitesurf board to which the board equipment is fixed is constantly moving on the surface of the waves, it is possible to take advantage of this movement for the generation of the electrical energy necessary for its feeding. For this, any type of recharge medium based on movement can be used, whether mechanical, magnetic, inductive, capacitive, or any other type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows an example of table equipment according to a particular example of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an example of user equipment according to a particular example of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows an example of outdoor equipment according to a particular example of the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is described below with reference to the attached figures.

Fig. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of an example of table equipment (ET). In this example, the table equipment (ET) includes a microprocessor (2) that manages the operation of the rest of the elements. Specifically, the microprocessor (2) is connected to a transmitter (6) for the periodic emission of a radio frequency signal that includes the identity of the table. The microprocessor (2) generates a custom table identification code and sends it periodically, through a modulator (3) that works on a carrier RF generator (4) and a signal amplifier (5), to the transmitter antenna (6). The table equipment (ET) also includes a rechargeable battery (7) for the power supply of the different elements that compose it. A button allows the table device to be activated and deactivated, and an LED indicates the current operating status.

Fig. 2 shows a simplified block diagram of an example of user equipment (EU). The user equipment (EU) allows the user to be informed about the direction to which the table is located and to give an approximate indication of the distance. In addition, you can send an alarm signal at the user's request. The user equipment (EU) comprises a microprocessor (12) that manages the operation of the rest of the elements. Specifically, The microprocessor (12) is connected to a radio module (9) that receives the signal from the table equipment transmitter through the directional type receiving antenna (16). The microprocessor (12) is also connected to an accelerometer (10) and a gyroscope (13) that allow to determine the orientation of the arm, as well as to satellite position meters (11), for example of GPS type. The user equipment (EU) also includes a screen (14) to show the user the address according to which the table equipment (ET) is located, as well as a transmitter (17) for the omnidirectional emission of a distress signal, or information obtained by the GPS device (11) about the position of the user equipment (EU). All these elements are powered by an internal battery (15).

The radio frequency signal received from the table equipment (ET) is processed in the microprocessor (12) together with the signals from the different sensors, such as the accelerometer (10) and gyro (13), in order to obtain the direction and approximate distance to which the table is. Note that the directional reception system to detect the address using non-continuous packets must be robust. This system is completed with software that correlates the direction of the user's arm, on whose wrist the user equipment (EU) is located, with the signals that are received from the transmitter (6) of the table. The level of signal detected in each packet joins the measurements of the accelerometer (10) and gyroscope (13) that let you know the direction of the arm. This set of measures is used to determine the reliable direction of location of the table.

Alternatively, as mentioned earlier in this document, the presence of two GPS devices (1, 11) can be used both in the table equipment (ET) and in the user equipment (EU) to determine the orientation and coordinates of position of both the table and the user. In this case, communication between the user equipment (EU) and the table equipment (ET) is carried out using LoRa technology. LoRa technology allows the sending and receiving of point-to-point information using the spread spectrum technique, allowing to send and receive signals at different speeds using a bandwidth wider than necessary, allowing communication distances of 20km in favorable conditions or 2km in very unfavorable conditions such as those of a strong swell, all at frequencies below 1 GHz. Once the user equipment (EU) has received the geographical position of the table equipment (ET) through communication technology previously mentioned, calculates the distance and the direction according to which the table is and shows it on the screen (14).

As mentioned, the table equipment (ET) also has a transmitter (17) that allows the Radio frequency communication with the external equipment (EE). Fig. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of an example of outdoor equipment (EE). In this example, the external equipment is an RF-Bluetooth transcoder whose mission is to receive the radio frequency signal from the user equipment (EU) and connect with a mobile phone (21) that will forward the serial to the selected authorities or persons. More specifically, the external equipment (EE) comprises a transcoder module that receives the signal from the user equipment (EU) through a receiving antenna (18), decodes and converts said signal and transmits it to a mobile telephone (21) or another telematic device, through the transmitting antenna (20).

Claims

1. Location system for kitesurfing, characterized in that it comprises:  - a table equipment (ET) configured for fixing to a kitesurf board, comprising a transmitter (6) that emits an omnidirectional radio frequency signal; Y  - a user equipment (EU) configured to be carried by a user, comprising a radio frequency receiver (16) with directional sensitivity and means (10, 13) for determining the orientation of said user equipment,  so that the user equipment (EU) determines an address according to which the table equipment (ET) is based on the origin of said radio frequency signal and an approximate distance to which the table equipment (ET) is located as a function of the power of said radio frequency signal received by the receiver (16), and  where the user equipment (EU) further comprises an indication means (14) for indicating in real time to the user said address and / or distance according to which the table equipment (ET) is located depending on the orientation of the equipment user (EU) determined by the means (10, 13) of determination. 2. Location system for kitesurf according to claim 1, wherein the means (10, 13) for determining the orientation of the user equipment (EU) comprise an accelerometer (10) and a gyroscope (13). 3. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indication means (14) is a screen. 4. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the board equipment (ET) and the user equipment (EU) further comprise two GPS devices (1 1) that determine the geographical location of the board and of the user, so that the user equipment (EU) determines the direction according to which the table equipment (ET) is located and the approximate distance to which the table equipment (ET) is based on geographic data provided by GPS devices (1 1). 5. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the user equipment (EU) also comprises a distress button that causes the sending of a distress radio frequency signal through a transmitter (17) of the User equipment (EU). 6. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising:  - an external equipment (EE), configured to be located outside the water, comprising a radio frequency receiver (18) to receive the distress radio frequency signal emitted by the transmitter (17) of the user equipment (EU), and which further it comprises an additional communication means (20) for retransmitting information received through said distress radio frequency signal. 7. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the board equipment (ET) and user equipment (EU) comprise two batteries (7, 15). 8. Location system for kitesurfing according to claim 7, wherein the board equipment (ET) further comprises battery recharge means (8) powered by the movement of the waves. 9. Location system for kitesurf according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the user equipment (EU) is in the form of a bracelet.