Marine vessel monitoring and communications system and method

• US 20060176193A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomas G. Faria Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thomas G. Faria Corporation
• Inventors: Wraight, Richard G.
• Application Number:
  US11/249,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/984
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/00 Monitoring properties or operating parameters of vessels in operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A system for monitoring conditions of a marine vessel, the system comprising: a monitoring enclosure; the monitoring enclosure comprising: a monitoring device circuit board; a cell phone module in communication with the monitoring device circuit board; a GPS receiver in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, and the cell phone module; a satellite modem in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, the GPS receiver, and the cell phone module; a bus input in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, and configurable to be in communication with a marine vessel data bus; and where the monitoring enclosure is configurable to be in communication with an internet and provide marine vessel operating conditions to a website. A method for transmitting operating conditions of a marine vessel. The method comprises: collecting data from a data bus or other inputs; determining whether a cellular network is available; transmitting data to a website via the cellular network, if it is determined that a cellular network is available; and transmitting data to a website via a satellite network, if it is determined that a cellular network is not available. A system for monitoring conditions of a marine vessel. The system comprises: a marine vessel data bus; a monitoring enclosure located on the marine vessel and in communication with the marine vessel data bus and other inputs; an internet in communication with the monitoring enclosure; a website in communication with the internet, configured to store data from the monitoring enclosure; and where the monitoring enclosure is in communication with the internet via a means selected from the group comprising a cellular network and a satellite network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring conditions of a marine vessel, the system comprising:

a monitoring enclosure;

the monitoring enclosure comprising;

a monitoring device circuit board;

a cell phone module in communication with the monitoring device circuit board;

a GPS receiver in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, and the cell phone module;

a satellite modem in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, the GPS receiver, and the cell phone module;

a bus input in communication with the monitoring device circuit board, and configurable to be in communication with a marine vessel data bus; and

wherein the monitoring enclosure is configurable to be in communication with an internet and provide marine vessel operating conditions to a website.

2. The system of claim 1, where the monitoring enclosure further comprises:

a user operated emergency switch; and

a display configurable to indicate that an emergency signal was received.

3. The system of claim 1, where the monitoring enclosure further comprises:

a satellite modem in communication with the GPS receiver; and

wherein the monitoring enclosure is further configurable to provide marine vessel operating conditions to a website using the satellite modem if a cellular network is not available.

4. The system of claim 1, where the website is configurable to receive data from a plurality of monitoring enclosures, and the website is configurable to tabulate data from devices made by a particular manufacturer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein access to the data is restricted to the manufacturer.

6. The system of claim 1, where the website is configurable to receive data from a user'"'"'s marine vessel, and displays the data on a website.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein access to the data is restricted to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, where the monitoring enclosure further comprises:

an operator interface;

an operator control unit in communication with the operator interface and the monitoring device circuit board; and

wherein the operator control unit is configurable to display marine vessel operation data from the marine vessel data bus.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operator control unit is further configured to display alarms from data obtained by the cell phone module or additional microprocessor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operator control unit is further configured to display alarms from data obtained by a microprocessor in communication with an external monitoring unit.

11. The system of claim 1, where the monitoring enclosure further comprises:

an analog input in communication with the monitoring device circuit board and cell phone module, and wherein the analog input is configurable to be in communication with a current monitoring bilge pump monitor;

and wherein a user may be notified of a bilge pump alarm via a means selected from the group comprising website, email, pager, cell phone, fax, and telephone.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the analog input is also in communication with a microprocessor in communication with an external monitoring unit.

13. The system of claim 11, where the monitoring enclosure further comprises:

an emergency input operable by a user;

wherein the emergency input is configurable to cause an emergency signal to be sent to an appropriate authority.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency input is further configurable to provide a one button push input.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the monitoring enclosure is configurable to provide an emergency signal successfully received notification if the emergency signal was successfully received.

16. A method of transmitting operating conditions of a marine vessel comprising:

collecting data from a data bus;

determining whether a cellular network is available;

transmitting data to a website via the cellular network, if it is determined that a cellular network is available; and

transmitting data to a website via a satellite network, if it is determined that a cellular network is not available.

17. A system of monitoring conditions of a marine vessel comprising:

a marine vessel data bus;

a monitoring enclosure located on the marine vessel and in communication with the marine vessel data bus;

an internet in communication with the monitoring enclosure;

a website in communication with the internet, configured to store data from the monitoring enclosure; and

wherein the monitoring enclosure is in communication with the internet via a means selected from the group comprising a cellular network and a satellite network.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one other monitoring enclosure located on at least one other marine vessel; and

wherein the website is further configured to tabulate data for a plurality of equipment from a manufacture.