Systems and methods for mobile electrofishing monitoring

Abstract

A mobile electric field monitor with a floatable housing, an electric field probe, and a computer processor to measure the electric field generated by an electrofisher while the electrofisher is being used in a body of water, this mobile electric field monitor is coupled to computing system to generate a three dimensional map of electric field.

Claims

1. A process of controlling an electric field of an electric field barrier in a body of water, the process comprising the steps of: determining an operability of the electric field barrier by: placing one or more floatable mobile electric field monitors in the body of water, proximate to the electric field barrier; each of the mobile electric field monitors making a multiplicity of electric field measurements via one or more mechanically connected electric field probes, which are adjustable depth wise in the body of water; storing the multiplicity of electric field measurements; associating a time stamp with each electric field measurement; measuring a geographic location coincident with each electric field measurement; transmitting the multiplicity of electric field measurements to a computer system operable to store the multiplicity of electric field measurements along with the respective time and geographic location; and executing a stored computing system such that the multiplicity of electric field measurements are mapped coincident with the geographic location to provide a real-time and graphical map of an electric field of the electric field barrier at one or more depths; remotely positioning the electric field monitors in the electric field barrier by moving the electric field monitors via an internal programming system that designates waypoints based on the real-time and graphical map of the electric field generated by the electric field barrier in the body of water; and the electric field monitors interactively modifying the electric field of the electric field barrier in a closed loop fashion by using reduced amount of electricity.

2. The process of using multiple electric field monitors as in claim 1 located proximate to the electric field barrier, wherein the electric field monitors are remotely positioned by a power source and a rudder.

3. The process of using multiple electric field monitors as in claim 1 located proximate to the electric field barrier, wherein the electric field monitors connect to a base station and transmit multiplicity of electric field measurements to the base station via a wireless communication network.

4. The process of using multiple electric field monitors as in claim 3 located proximate to the electric field barrier, wherein the base station processes the data and generates real-time electric field maps.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a prior art diagram of electrofishing in a body of water.

(2) FIG. 2 is a representative diagram of the preferred embodiment of the mobile electrofishing monitor.

(3) FIG. 3 is block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the mobile electrofishing monitor.

(4) FIG. 4 is representative diagram of the preferred embodiment of multiple electrofishing monitors integrated with a monitoring computer.

(5) FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operational program of the electrofishing monitors.

(6) FIG. 6 is a representative diagram of the preferred embodiment with a remote positioning device.

(7) FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of FIG. 4 with use of an electrofishing boat.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(8) 110 Operator 120 Mobile Electrofisher 130 Anode Pole 140 Rat-Tail Cathode 150 Induced Electric Field 160 Aquatic Species 200 Mobile efield monitor 210 Water 220 Body 230 Electric Field Probe 310 Electric field probe 320 Central processing unit 330,340 Wireless communication unit 420 Base station 410 Base station wireless connection 510 Electric field 530 Sampled 540 Electric field map 610 Power Source 620 Rudder 710 Electrofishing Boat

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) Representative embodiments according to the inventive subject matter are shown in FIGS. 1-7 wherein similar features share common reference numerals.

(10) Now referring to FIG. 1 which depicts the prior art configuration of the use of a mobile electrofisher 100. The mobile electrofisher 100 includes an operator 110, a backpack-type pulse generator 120, an anode pole 130, a rat-tail cathode 140, an induced electric field 150, and an aquatic species 160. As the operator 110 sweeps the anode pole 130 through the water, the electric field 150 is induced between the anode pole 130 and the rat-tail cathode 140 which affects the nearby aquatic species 160, controlling the swimming direction, orientation, and assemblage of the aquatic species 160, or even the biological state (e.g., electrotaxis, stun, etc. . . . ) of the aquatic species 160.

(11) Referring to FIG. 2, an example of a mobile and floatable electric field monitor is illustrated. The mobile electric field or efield monitor 200 floats on the water 210. The body 220 of the mobile efield monitor 200 floats on the water 210 with an electric field probe 230, which includes a detector portion 230, extending downwards, below the surface of the water. The electric field probe 230, 230 can be adjusted to any depth, but will typically be set at a depth where aquatic species will be most present. Although one electric field probe 230, 230 is shown here, the electric field monitor 200 may have an array (not shown) of electric field probes that can measure the electric field at multiple depths.

(12) Now referring to FIG. 3 which depicts a system block diagram of the inventive subject matter. The electric field probe 310 is connected to a central processing unit 320 which programmatically gathers data from the electric field probe. Also included in this data may be a time-stamp indicating the time and date of a particular data point, a location-stamp indicating a location of the mobile e-field monitor (this location being determined by local determination or by GPS). Further connected to the central processing unit is a wireless communication unit 330,340. The wireless communication unit 330,340 being able to communicate with a remote base station and/or other mobile electric field monitoring units.

(13) Now referring to FIG. 4 which illustrates the use of the mobile electrofisher in the field. The operator 110 with the mobile electrofisher 120 has an anode pole 130 and a rat-tail cathode 140 which generates an electric field in the water. The mobile electrofisher monitors 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D are wirelessly 240A, 240B, 240C, 240D connected to the base station 420 which has a base station wireless connection 410. The mobile electrofisher monitors can also transmit electric field information from the electric field monitors to a electrofisher wireless 430 monitor.

(14) It is understood by those well versed in the art of computer programming and software development that the data produced by each of the mobile electric field monitors 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D can be seemlessly connected to the base station 420. The base station 420 can then process the data to generate electric field maps that display the electric fields in a real time and/or graphical basis.

(15) Now referring to FIG. 5 which depicts a flowchart of the operational use of the mobile electric field monitors in creating a field map. Each electric field is measured 510 in a sequential fashion 520. Once all of the electric field monitors have sampled 530 an electric field map is created.

(16) Now referring to FIG. 6 which depicts an alternate embodiment of the mobile efield monitor 200. The mobile efield monitor 200 may be remotely positioned by a power source 610 and a rudder 620. The mobile efield monitor could also move via an internally programming system that designates certain waypoints and/or covers an area of a body of water.

(17) Now referring to FIG. 7 which depicts an alternate embodiment of the mobile efield monitor's 200 use in a body of water. An electrofishing boat 710 is located on the body of water proximate to a number mobile efield monitors with wireless connections 240A, 240B, 240C, 240D, and 240E.

(18) Alternate embodiments include the use of mobile efield monitors proximate to electric field barriers. The use of the mobile efield monitors could be used to map the field strength of the electric field barriers. Alternately, the mobile electric field monitors can be used to interactively modify, in a closed loop fashion, the field strength of a barrier. This interactive modification could be used to reduce the amount of (and hence cost) of electricity consumed by the barrier. Also, the mobile electric field monitors can be used to determine if the barrier becomes inoperable.

(19) Persons skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts and actions which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this inventive concept and that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit and scope of the teachings and claims contained therein.

(20) All patent and non-patent literature cited herein is hereby incorporated by references in its entirety for all purposes.