Underwater vehicle docking system

Abstract

One example includes an underwater docking system. The system includes an underwater dock that includes a docking rod. The docking rod includes electrical contacts around a periphery of the docking rod. The system also includes a docking assembly mounted on an underwater vehicle. The docking assembly includes an actuator and a hook assembly that includes a docking arm and a jaw assembly. The docking arm physically guides the docking rod into the jaw assembly and the actuator closes the jaw assembly around the docking rod to provide electrical connection of brush contacts of the jaw assembly with the electrical contacts of the docking rod to provide electrical power from a power source via the electrical contacts to the underwater vehicle. Each of the electrical contacts and the brush contacts can be formed from a self-passivating material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing an underwater dock for docking an underwater vehicle, the method comprising:
 securing an anchor of the underwater dock to a seabed;   coupling a power source to the underwater dock to provide electrical power to the underwater dock;   electrically connecting a docking rod to the power source, the docking rod comprising electrical contacts formed from a self-passivating material and disposed about a periphery of the docking rod; and   receiving a brush contact of the underwater vehicle at the docking rod to provide electrical connection between the electrical contacts of the docking rod and the brush contact to provide the electrical power to the underwater vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coupling the power source to the underwater vehicle comprises coupling the power source to the underwater vehicle via the anchor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching a float to the docking rod to provide an upward force on the docking rod to provide a vertical mooring of the underwater dock. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a location signal to the underwater vehicle via a beacon to facilitate docking of the underwater vehicle with the underwater dock via the brush contact electrically coupled to the docking rod. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein providing the location signal comprises:
 receiving a first sonar ping signal provided from the underwater vehicle; and   providing a second sonar ping signal in response to receiving the first sonar ping signal.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein providing the location signal comprises providing an optical signal from the underwater dock to provide a location of the underwater dock to the underwater vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the docking rod comprises a pair of the electrical contacts that are disposed along respective opposite portions of the periphery of the docking rod. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encoding data onto the electrical power via a docking controller to provide a communication signal to the underwater vehicle via the electrical power. 
     
     
         9 . A method for docking an underwater vehicle to an underwater dock, the method comprising:
 guiding a docking rod associated with the underwater dock into a hook assembly of the underwater vehicle;   detecting entry of the docking rod into the hook assembly via a proximity sensor;   providing electrical connection of a set of brush contacts of the hook assembly with electrical contacts of the docking rod in response to detecting the entry of the docking rod into a jaw assembly associated with the hook assembly, each of the electrical contacts and the brush contacts being formed from a self-passivating material; and   providing electrical power from the underwater dock via the electrical contacts and the brush contacts to the underwater vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining that the underwater vehicle is within a threshold distance of the underwater dock; and   extending a docking arm associated with the hook assembly in response to determining that the underwater vehicle is within the threshold distance.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining that the underwater vehicle is within the threshold distance comprises:
 receiving at the underwater vehicle a location signal emitted from the underwater dock; and   determining a location of the underwater dock based on the location signal.   
     
     
         12 . A method for docking an underwater vehicle to an underwater dock, the method comprising:
 extending a docking arm associated with a hook assembly mounted to the underwater vehicle;   guiding a docking rod associated with the underwater dock into a jaw assembly associated with the hook assembly;   detecting entry of the docking rod into the jaw assembly via a proximity sensor; and   closing the jaw assembly around the docking rod via an actuator in response to detecting the entry of the docking rod into the jaw assembly to provide electrical connection of a set of brush contacts of the jaw assembly with electrical contacts of the docking rod, the brush contacts being formed from a self-passivating material.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein both the brush contacts of the jaw assembly and the electrical contacts of the docking rod are formed from a self-passivating material, wherein closing the jaw assembly comprises receiving electrical power from the underwater dock to the underwater vehicle via the electrical connection of the brush contacts and the electrical contacts. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the jaw assembly comprises three brush contacts that are equally angularly disposed, wherein closing the jaw assembly comprises closing the jaw assembly to provide the electrical connection of at least one of the three brush contacts of the jaw assembly with each of a pair of electrical contacts disposed about a periphery of the docking rod. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising rectifying electrical power provided from a power source associated with the underwater dock through the pair of electrical contacts to the three brush contacts via a bridge circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising decoding data that is encoded on electrical power provided to the underwater vehicle by the underwater dock to receive a data signal at a controller of the underwater vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein extending the docking arm comprises:
 receiving a location signal provided from a beacon associated with the underwater dock via a sensor arrangement of the underwater vehicle;   determining if the underwater vehicle is within a threshold distance of the underwater dock in response to the location signal; and   extending the docking arm in response to determining that the underwater vehicle is within the threshold distance.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the location signal comprises:
 providing a first sonar ping signal from the underwater vehicle; and   receiving a second sonar ping signal provided from the underwater dock in response to the underwater dock receiving the first sonar ping signal.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the docking rod is at least partially flexible, wherein the jaw assembly comprises a set of rollers, the method further comprising maintaining contact of the brush contacts with the electrical contacts during deceleration of the underwater vehicle via the set of rollers based on facilitating axial motion of the docking rod through the jaw assembly via the set of rollers. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the hook assembly is arranged on a lateral side of the underwater vehicle a distance of less than approximately one-half a length of the underwater vehicle from a front of the underwater vehicle, wherein the underwater vehicle comprises a guide structure at the front of the underwater vehicle, the method comprises guiding the docking rod from the front of the underwater vehicle to the lateral side of the underwater vehicle via the guide structure while the docking arm is extended.