Abstract:
The apparatus includes a watertight main body and a display screen disposed on the main body. The display screen has a writing pad, which receives information by applying a pressure to the writing pad. An auto-equalizing device is disposed in the main body to ensure that the writing pad remains equalized underwater. A method for capturing site data includes activating an apparatus that has a watertight main body and a display screen disposed on the main body. The display screen has a writing pad, which receives information by applying a pressure to the writing pad. An auto-equalizing device is disposed in the main body to ensure that the writing pad remains equalized and operational underwater. The method also includes alternating between a first mode and a second mode and inputting information through the writing pad.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates generally to integrating a real-time recording capability with the dive computer.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Personal digital assistants (PDAs) currently provide a wide variety of productivity applications, such as a calendar, an address book, notes and memos, and an extensive memory in a convenient, hand held form. One of the most popular current PDA&#39;s is the Palm™ Handheld manufactured by Palm, Inc.  
         [0003]     PDA designs have recently been improved to incorporate a number of features previously found only in traditional laptop or desktop computers. For example, many recent PDAs have touch sensitive screens that allow a user to quickly and efficiently enter information by touching a stylus to the screen. The PDAs may employ a user-friendly graphical user interface such as a Windows™ or Windows™ CE interface. In addition, the user may write messages directly on the screen using the stylus. The image produced may be transmitted via electronic mail or facsimile or may simply be stored in memory. With the advances in handwriting recognition, the PDA can interpret the writing and convert it into a text format.  
         [0004]     Scuba divers record information about their dives in a logbook at the conclusion of each dive. Some of the information recorded is as follows: (1) name of the dive site; (2) parametric data such as depth and duration (3) location; (4) weather conditions; and (5) other observations. This log is used to validate the diver&#39;s experience level and provide a “dive profile” in the event of a medical emergency, as well as create a diary of the event. Often, the environment is too harsh to create a written record immediately after the conclusion of the dive and is deferred until later in the day. As a consequence, if the dive is recorded at all, much of the pertinent information is forgotten.  
         [0005]     In addition, many divers now use dive computers to measure depth, elapsed time, temperature, and most importantly, no-decompression limits. All information is displayed on a water-resistant liquid crystal display screen carried with the diver underwater.  
         [0006]     There also exists underwater writing slates that are plastic slabs and are not connected with a dive computer. Divers are able to capture dive information while underwater; however, this information needs to be transcribed to the permanent logbook after the dive is completed.  
         [0007]     There also exists an underwater diving assistant, which uses a pen digitizer that has been modified to operate underwater at a depth. However, due to the use of a pen digitizer, the product is more complicated to make and as a result, is very expensive.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for capturing site data while scuba diving. The apparatus includes a watertight main body and a display screen disposed on the main body. The display screen has a writing pad, which receives information by applying a pressure to the writing pad. An auto-equalizing device is disposed in the main body to ensure that the writing pad remains equalized underwater. A method for capturing site data includes activating an apparatus that has a watertight main body and a display screen disposed on the main body. The display screen has a writing pad, which receives information by applying a pressure to the writing pad. An auto-equalizing device is disposed in the main body to ensure that the writing pad remains equalized underwater. The method also includes alternating between a first mode and a second mode and inputting information through the writing pad.  
         [0009]     Other apparatus and methods according to embodiments will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional apparatus and methods be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Referring now to the figures, which are exemplary embodiments and wherein the like elements are numbered alike:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a hand held unit, which includes a dive computer with a writing pad incorporated therein in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the hand held unit in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method for operating the hand held unit of  FIG. 1  in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the hand held unit of  FIG. 1  connected to a personal computer and to the Internet. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a hand held unit  10 , which has a display screen  12  and a main body  14 . The display screen  12  has a writing pad  20  that can be incorporated into an area of the display, or can be incorporated into the entire display. Hand held unit  10  also incorporates all of the standard functions of a dive computer. For example, just like a dive computer, the hand held unit  10  is watertight and can be exposed to harsh environments, such as an underwater environment, rain, sleet, and snow.  
         [0016]     Hand held unit  10  includes a metallic, passive stylus  30 , which is used to write messages, such as location, weather conditions, and site notes, on the writing pad  20 . The stylus  30  is passive because the stylus does not require an electronic connection or signal to operate. Instead, the writing pad  20  operates by pushing the stylus  30  against the writing pad  20  so as to apply a pressure to the writing pad  20 .  
         [0017]     The stylus can be stored in a known manner, as part of the handheld unit  10 . The stylus  30  is used to draw or write on the writing pad  20  as an ordinary pen and conveys the information to the writing pad  20  through pressure on the writing pad  20 . The stylus  30  can be attached by a string  32  to the hand held unit  10 . The string  32  serves no other purpose than to assure that the stylus  30  does not get lost, especially when using the handheld unit  10  in a harsh environment.  
         [0018]     Writing pad  20  works through pressure applied to the screen by the stylus  30 . Pressure sensitive touch pads are commonly used with PDAs and other portable electronic devices. Pressure sensitive touch pads convert mechanical pressure into an electrical output.  
         [0019]     Writing pad  20  includes a resistive touchscreen that includes a flexible top sheet  34 , a small gap  36 , and a glass base  38 . Similar to all resistive touchscreens, the top sheet  34  and the glass base  38  are separated by insulating dots (not shown). The top sheet  34  is coated with a variable-resistance elastomer (not shown), and the glass base  38  is coated with a transparent metal oxide (not shown) on their inside surfaces (on either side of the gap  36 ). A voltage gradient is applied across the glass base  38 . Pressing on the flexible top sheet  34  creates a resistive electrical contact between the top sheet  34  and the glass base  38 , allowing a current flow. The writing algorithm interprets the x-y coordinates of the contact. The gap  36  is extremely narrow and generally, not more than 0.005 inches. To facilitate the writing process, predictive text employing artificial intelligence techniques can be incorporated into the writing algorithms.  
         [0020]     When a diver descends underwater, the pressure of the environment increases and pressure is applied to the writing pad  20 . Accordingly, because of the gap  36 , the outside screen  34  will have a tendency to push into the gap  36  and contact inside screen  38 . If this occurs, then the screen will mark because the screen will interpret the pressure as information being inputted.  
         [0021]     In order to ensure that this does not happen and to ensure that the writing pad  20  can function in such an environment, and also to ensure that marks do not appear on writing pad  20  from the ambient water pressure applied to the writing pad  20 , the gap  36  must be automatically equalized. The gap  36  is automatically equalized electronically by an auto-equalizing device  50 . The auto-equalizing device  50  is implemented by hardware and/or software and works by comparing the voltage gradient against the pressure gradient reported by the pressure sensor, and an offset current relative to the depth is computed. The offset current is updated as the depth changes. Accordingly, writing is detected with reference to the offset current and the writing pad  20  is able to work underwater even as the water pressure vanes.  
         [0022]     Main body  14  is made of a durable material that can withstand harsh environments, such as an underwater environment. In order for the main body  14  to withstand an underwater environment and the pressure associated with such an environment, main body  14  has minimal air pockets contained within the main body. For instance, with the exception of the gap  36 , the main body  14  may be filled with a layer of silicon-based gel or some other inert material to fill any air pockets.  
         [0023]     Hand held unit  10  includes standard controls  22 , which are usually found on a dive computer and which operate the dive computer. The standard controls  22  may also include a keyboard, such as the keyboards located on known PDAs. Hand held unit  10  can be attached to a high pressure hose  40  or can be a stand alone unit that can be attached to the diver in some known manner, i.e., a wrist band, etc.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a flow diagram illustrates a method for capturing site data. At step  100 , hand held unit  10  is activated or turned on. Hand held unit  10  has two modes: (1) write mode; and (2) dive mode. When the hand held unit  10  is activated, either the write mode or the dive mode may be activated. For illustrative purposes, this flow diagram illustrates that the hand held unit  10  is initially in dive mode when the hand held unit is activated.  
         [0025]     Accordingly, step  100  also illustrates that the hand held unit  10  is in dive mode. At step  101 , the user may initiate some customizing options. Such customizing options include (1) toggle predictive text mode, (2) activate calculator, and (3) change default dive profile template.  
         [0026]     At step  102 , dive mode is changed to write mode. There are two ways that the hand held unit  10  can change from write mode to dive mode and vice versa. The first way is to tap on the writing pad  20  with the stylus  30  a plurality of times in a short time interval, which will activate the write mode. Exemplary embodiments illustrate that the user will hold the stylus  30  and tap on the writing pad  20  four times within two seconds to activate the write mode. Alternatively, the hand held unit  10  can change from dive mode to write mode by pressing a button  42  located on the handheld device  10 , which will switch the mode from dive to write and vice versa.  
         [0027]     At step  104 , once the write mode is activated, the user can choose one of the stored dives by selecting a dive number or by selecting a current dive for the most recent dive. At step  106 , the user then draws and/or writes on the writing pad  20  with the stylus  30  to record the pertinent data. At step  108 , once all the data has been entered, the hand held unit  10  is placed back in dive mode. Exemplary embodiments illustrate that the user taps the writing pad  20  with the stylus  30  a plurality of times in a short time interval to deactivate the write mode and return the hand held unit  10  to the dive mode  44 . The user may also push the button  42  to return the hand held unit  10  to dive mode. Alternatively, the write mode will time out after a predetermined period of inactivity on the writing pad  20 .  
         [0028]     Hand held unit  10  includes all of the functions of a standard dive computer. Examples of standard dive computer functions are the Oceanic DataMax dive computer, which incorporates a water tight computer that can automatically compensate for altitude up to 14,000 feet, giving adjusted no-decompression times and depths. The computers also automatically recalibrate the depth display for freshwater instead of seawater. The dive computer also has replaceable batteries. The dive computers can calculate current depth, tank pressure, the diver&#39;s breathing rate, ascent time, and decompression status to tell the diver exactly how much time the diver can remain underwater.  
         [0029]     While one of the most common dive computers are attached to a high pressure hose, there also exists dive computers with hoseless transmission. Dive computers have the ability to offer hoseless transmission of dive information with a full array of features.  
         [0030]     After a dive is complete, the hand held unit  10  contains information regarding that specific dive. The information can be viewed on the hand held unit  10  via software that is included on the hand held unit  10 . In addition or alternatively, the hand held unit  10  includes means for downloading that information, such as a USB port and/or an infrared port, to a personal computer  60  (see  FIG. 4 ) or to another PDA. There is software that is loaded on either the personal computer, the PDA, and the hand held unit  10 , which activates the upload of the data from the hand held unit  10  to the other computer. That software then displays or reports the data of the specific dive.  
         [0031]     The software that is loaded on the hand held unit  10 , personal computer, and/or PDA provides intuitive post-dive analysis and logging. The software allows the diver to add and/or edit many pieces of information to customize the logbook, with data such as depth and decompression status during a dive, maximum depth, bottom time, air consumption, air time remaining, no-decompression status, descent and ascent rate, surface interval, and any violations recorded automatically.  
         [0032]     While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to a particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.