Encoding method for anti-collision system for sea navigation

• US 5,210,534 A
• Filed: 04/10/1991
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Janex, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US07/682,950
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 340/984, 340/985, 340/961, 364/461, 342/455, 342/29, 342/41, 342/30
• US Class Current: 340/984
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

The disclosed system has, for each equipped ship, a transmitter that repetitively transmits the geographical coordinates, speed and course of its own ship. Furthermore, it transmits an identification code of any nature serving as an address for the exchange of messages. If it wishes to make concerted arrangements with other surrounding ships in order to perform maneuvers, it sends encoded messages taken out of a glossary.

Claims

1. An anti-collision system for sea navigation, wherein each ship implementing said system comprises:

transmitting means for repetitively transmitting, on a channel common to all ships implementing said system, information comprising data pertaining to the ship'"'"'s geographic position, course and speed, and an identification code, said identification code being changeable for preventing a unique identification of each ship and having a distinctive portion automatically generated by the system;

receiving means for receiving homologous information from surrounding ships implementing said system; and

display means for displaying the received homologous information by symbols on a panoramic type screen.

2. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein each ship implementing said system further comprises:

detecting means for detecting if a second ship has an identification code identical to its identification code.

3. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein the distinctive portion is automatically generated by a pseudo-random generator.

4. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein the identification code includes an identification of the type of ship.

5. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein the identification code includes an element indicating whether the identification code is taken out of a glossary.

6. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein the distinctive portion of the identification code is changed periodically.

7. The anti-collision system according to claim 6, wherein the change takes place during a period of inactivity when no homologous information is received.

8. The anti-collision system according to claim 1, wherein said information further comprises data encoded messages, forming part of a glossary at the disposal of all ships implementing the system, in their own language, said glossary containing messages liable to be exchanged among ships.

9. The anti-collision system according to claim 8, wherein the messages of the glossary include words or phrases necessary for indicating different maneuvers that may be carried out by the ships.

10. The anti-collision system according to claim 8, wherein the messages of the glossary are repeated several times, at randomly determined intervals.