System for tracking and monitoring vessels

• US 6,933,884 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Al Behrendt Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alfred F. Behrendt, Kenneth L. Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Kenneth L., Behrendt, Alfred F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/491,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 701/207, 701/213, 455/12.1, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 342/357.55
• 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: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00

Abstract

A system for remotely tracking, monitoring and messaging vessels (14) utilizing a global positioning system satellite constellation, having a transceiver located on the vessel to be tracked and monitored, a monitoring center located remote from the vessel, a communications means allowing the bi-directional communication between the transceiver and the monitoring center, a communications means allowing the uni-directional communication from the global positioning system satellite constellation to the transceiver, sensors on the on-board systems of the vessel, a communications means allowing communication between the sensors and the transceiver, an input/output means for messaging, and a communications means allowing communication between the input/output means and the transceiver.

Claims

1. A system for remotely tracking the location of and monitoring the on-board systems of vessels, comprising:

a. a primary terminal located on the vessel to be tracked and monitored;

b. a remote terminal located remote from the vessel;

c. a first communications means allowing bi-directional communication between the primary terminal and the remote terminal;

d. a second communications means allowing uni-directional communication from a global positioning system satellite constellation to the primary terminal;

e. at least one sensor on at least one of the on-board systems of the vessel; and

f. a third communications means allowing communication between the at least one sensor and the primary terminal,

wherein the primary terminal receives location information from the global positioning system satellite constellation via the second communications means, the primary terminal receives status information about the on-board systems from the at least one sensor via the third communications means, and the primary terminal and the remote terminal transceive between each other the location information and the status information via the first communications means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communications means comprises a transceiver selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency transceiver and an optical transceiver.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second communications means comprises a global positioning system receiver.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remote terminal is a monitoring center comprising means for monitoring the location information and the on-board systems status information of the vessel and means for allowing a party responsible for the vessel to access the location information and the on-board systems status information.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the location information and the on-board systems status information in real time.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the on-board system is at least one system selected from the group consisting of electrical systems, hydraulic systems, fluid systems, mechanical systems, electronic systems, power systems, alarm systems, and operating systems.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vessel is a pleasure vessel.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vessel is a commercial vessel.

19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is not capable of controlling the vessel.

7. A system for remotely tracking the location of vessels, comprising:

a. a first transceiver located on a vessel to be tracked;

b. a global positioning system receiver located on the vessel;

c. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel;

d. a first communications means allowing bi-directional communication between the transceiver and a second transceiver located at the monitoring center; and

e. a second communications means allowing uni-directional communication from a global positioning system satellite constellation to the global positioning system receiver,

wherein the global positioning system receiver receives location information from the global positioning system satellite constellation via the second communications means, and the first transceiver transceives to the second transceiver transceive the location information of the vessel via the first communications means.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first transceiver comprises a transceiver selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency transceiver and an optical transceiver.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the monitoring center comprises means for monitoring the location information of the vessel and means for allowing a party responsible for the vessel to access the location information.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the location information in real time.

20. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vessel is a pleasure vessel.

21. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vessel is a commercial vessel.

22. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system is not capable of controlling the vessel.

11. A system for remotely monitoring the on-board systems of vessels, comprising:

a. a first transceiver located on a vessel to be monitored;

b. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel;

c. a first communications means allowing bi-directional communication between the transceiver and a second transceiver located at the monitoring center;

d. at least one sensor on at least one of the on-board systems of the vessel; and

e. a third communications means allowing communication between the at least one sensor and the transceiver,

wherein the first transceiver transceives status information about the at least one on-board system with the at least one sensor via the third communications means, and the first transceiver transceives to the second transceiver the status information via the first communications means.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first communications means comprises a transceiver selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency transceiver and an optical transceiver.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the monitoring center comprising means for monitoring the status information of the vessel and means for allowing a party responsible for the vessel to access the status information.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the status information in real time.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the on-board systems are at least one internal vessel system selected from the group consisting of electrical systems, hydraulic systems, fluid systems, mechanical systems, electronic systems, power systems, alarm systems, and operating systems.

23. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vessel is a pleasure vessel.

24. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vessel is a commercial vessel.

25. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the system is not capable of controlling the vessel.

15. A real-time system for remotely tracking, monitoring and messaging boats, consisting essentially of:

a. a first transceiver located on the vessel to be tracked and monitored;

b. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel, wherein the monitoring center comprises means for monitoring the location information, the status information and the messaging and means for allowing a party responsible for the vessel to access the location information, the status information and the messaging;

c. a first communications means allowing the bi-directional communication between the first transceiver and a second transceiver located at the monitoring center;

d. a second communications means allowing the unidirectional communication from a global positioning system satellite constellation to a global positioning system receiver acting in cooperation with the first transceiver;

e. at least one sensor on at least one on-board system of the vessel, wherein the on-board system is at least one internal vessel system selected from the group consisting of electrical systems, hydraulic systems, fluid systems, mechanical systems, electronic systems, power systems, alarm systems, and operating systems;

f. a third communications means allowing communication between the at least one sensor and the first transceiver;

g. an input/output means for messaging; and

h. a fourth communications means allowing communication between the input/output means and the first transceiver,

wherein the global positioning receiver receives location positioning information from the global positioning system satellite constellation via the second communications means;

the first transceiver is selected from the group consisting of radio frequency transceivers and optical transceivers and transceives status information about the at least one on-board system with the at least one sensor via the third communications means;

the first transceiver transceives messaging from the input/output means via the fourth communications means;

the first transceiver and the second transceiver transceives between each other the positioning information, the status information and the messaging via the first communications means; and

a party responsible for the vessel can access the location information, the status information and the messaging in real time.

26. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the vessel is a pleasure vessel.

27. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the vessel is a commercial vessel.

28. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the system is not capable of controlling the vessel.