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Apparatus for the detection and prevention of collision risks in deep sea and coastal navigation

  • US 4,466,068 A
  • Filed: 01/26/1981
  • Issued: 08/14/1984
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1979
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In combination an automatic radar plotting aid system and an apparatus for assessing maneuvers as concerns heading and/or speed to be carried out by a first vehicle in order to avoid collision with other vehicles and/or obstacles, said apparatus comprising:

  • (a) electronic means connected to said aid system for memorizing data input signals provided by said system and representing the coordinate signals and movement parameters of said first vehicle and said others vehicles and/or obstacles;

    (b) order signal generating means;

    (c) computing means connected to said order signal generating means and said electronic means for computing from said order signals and said memorized signals, the present velocity vector of said first vehicle and dangerous sectors peculiar to each of said other vehicles and/or obstacles;

    (d) visualization means for displaying said present velocity vector and said dangerous sectors on a display means, in order to ascertain;

    (i) if said first vehicle would pass at a distance lower than predetermined safety distances, respectively ahead or astern with respect to at least one of said other vehicles and/or obstacles, if the end of the instantaneous speed vector is located within the sector corresponding to said other vehicle and/or obstacle;

    (ii) if said first vehicle would pass at a distance higher than or equal to said safety distances ahead or astern with respect to the remaining other vehicles and/or obstacles by checking after a modification of speed and/or heading of said first vehicle if the end of the new velocity vector is loacted outside all the peculiar sectors computed and displayed for said other vehicles and/or obstacles;

    (e) said computing means comprising means for calculating for each of said sectors the ends of at least three straight line segments, said visualization means and said computing means comprising means for defining said at least three segments by means of the interesting points of three half lines and a circle the center of which represents said first vehicle and the radius of which is determined by a vector representing maximum velocity of said first vehicle, said at least three half lines being the following;

    (i) a half line called collision line resulting from a translation over a distance equal to the present velocity vector of the other vehicle and/or obstacle, of a half line extending between said center and a point representing said other vehicle and/or obstacle, whereby said first vehicle will run into said other vehicle and/or obstacle if the end of its present velocity vector coincides with a point of said collision line;

    (ii) a half line called ahead passage line having the same origin as said collision half line and making an angle therewith the sinus of which equals the quotient of said safety distance ahead and of the present distance between said first vehicle and said other vehicle and/or obstacle;

    (iii) a halfline called astern passage line having the same origin as said collision half line and making an angle therewith, the sinus of which equals the quotient of said safety distance astern and of the present distance between said first vehicle and said other vehicle and/or obstacle.

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