Process for monitoring ship traffic at sea while recognizing oil spills and potential ship collisions

• US 5,633,644 A
• Filed: 06/27/1996
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dornier GmbH (Government of France)
• Original Assignee: Dornier GmbH (Government of France)
• Inventors: Schussler, Harald, Herrmann, Jorg, Langemann, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/671,358
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 342/29, 342/37, 342/41, 342/455, 342/456, 342/357, 364/461
• US Class Current: 342/455
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/90 using synthetic aperture techniques , e.g. synthetic aperture radar [SAR] techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/917 for marine craft or other waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/937 of marine craft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/955 mounted on satellite
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0263 Passive array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for detection of oil spills and icebergs at sea and for aiding the navigation of ship traffic to avoid collisions between ships and icebergs. A constellation of polar orbiting satellites is used to determine the position of icebergs and oil spills within an observation area, and this information is transmitted to a data processing center which also receives information concerning the position of ships within the observation area. The data processing center uses this information to evaluate the likelihood of collisions between ship and icebergs and sends warning signals to the ships, alerting them to the danger. The data processing center also correlates the position of ships and oil spills to determine the likely cause of the latter.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring ship traffic comprising:

a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, each having at least a synthetic aperture radar microwave sensor for observing the earth'"'"'s surface, said satellites being deployed in staggered orbits whereby successive such satellites observe any particular point on the earth'"'"'s surface at predetermined intervals;

a data processing center for receiving and processing data transmitted from said satellites concerning position of icebergs, oil spills and ships detected by said microwave sensors;

said data processing center also having means for receiving and processing information concerning position of ships in an area observed by said satellites;

said data processing center having means for correlating said information concerning position of said ships, icebergs, and oil spills to evaluate

a possibility of collisions between ships;

a possibility of collisions between ships and icebergs; and

possible causes of oil spills; and

said data processing center also having means for transmitting warning signals to ships concerning said possibilities of collisions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for controlling said synthetic aperture radar microwave sensors to rotate an observing axis thereof to an alignment which is transverse to an orbital path of the satellite.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said synthetic aperture radar microwave sensors have phased array antennas.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising position determining devices mounted on ships within an area observed by said satellites for providing position information to said data processing center.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said position information is transmitted to said data processing center by relay from said satellites.

6. Method for monitoring ship traffic comprising the steps of:

monitoring position of ocean borne icebergs and oil spills by means of a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, each having at least a synthetic aperture radar microwave sensor for observing the earth'"'"'s surface, said satellites being deployed in staggered orbits whereby successive such satellites observe any particular point on the earth'"'"'s surface at predetermined intervals;

transmitting position information concerning said icebergs and oil spills from said satellites to a data processing center;

monitoring position of ships within an area observed by said satellites and transmitting position information concerning said ships to said data processing center;

correlating said position information concerning said icebergs, oil spills and ships to evaluate

a possibility of collisions between ships;

a possibility of collisions between ships and icebergs; and

possible cause of oil spills; and

transmitting warning signals to said ships concerning possible collisions.