Water friend or foe system for global vessel identification and tracking

• US 7,889,100 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Landon C. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rushing; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/838,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20090045983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 340/984, 340/985, 342/45
• US Class Current: 340/984
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00

Abstract

A Water Friend or Foe System (WFSS) includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in a SIM reader on a marine vessel. A transmitter, which is coupled to the SIM reader, transmits information from the SIM card, as well as positioning information, to a WFFS tracking station.

Claims

1. A Water Friend or Foe System (WFFS), comprising:

a first computing system located at a WFFS issuer of marine vessel authenticators, the first computing system comprising;

a processor,

a data bus coupled to the processor,

a memory coupled to the data bus, wherein the memory is coupled to a vessel licensing database that includes vessel identification information, and

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card programmer, wherein the SIM card programmer is capable of storing, on a SIM card, vessel identification information, which is retrieved from the marine vessel licensing database, for a marine vessel;

wherein the first computing system is designed to support a system that comprises;

a first transceiver located on the marine vessel;

a Global Information System (GIS) system located on the marine vessel, wherein the GIS system is capable of identifying a location of the marine vessel, and wherein the GIS system derives global positioning information from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that is located on the marine vessel;

a SIM card reader located on the marine vessel, wherein the SIM card reader is capable of reading, from the SIM card, vessel identification information about the marine vessel; and

a second transceiver located at a WFFS tracking station, wherein the second transceiver tracks the location of, and confirms an identity of, the marine vessel in real time by received SIM data and GIS data that is transmitted from the first transceiver on the marine vessel, wherein the first transceiver is coupled to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip that identifies the first transceiver, and wherein the first transceiver periodically communicates an identity of the first transceiver to the second receiver based on data from the RFID chip; and

wherein the GIS system includes a communication system selected from a group that includes a Global Marine Distress Safety System (GMDSS) transceiver, a GMDSS transmitter, and an Automatic Identifier System (AIS) transceiver; and

wherein the GIS system includes a Global Information System (GIS) system located on one or more additional marine vessels capable of interacting with each other, wherein each additional transceiver tracks a location of, and confirms an identity of, other marine vessels in real time by received SIM data and GIS data that is transmitted from the first transceiver on the marine vessel, wherein SIM and GIS data is exchanged among all such transceivers in range; and

wherein the GIS system on the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with a SIM card in the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system; and

wherein the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system; and

wherein the marine vessel further comprises;

a security device coupled between the SIM card reader and the first transceiver located on the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the security device detecting a tampering of the SIM card reader, the first transceiver transmits a tampering alarm to the second transceiver.

6. The WFFS of claim 1, wherein the GIS system on the marine vessel further comprises one or more of:

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with a SIM card in the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system; and

a security device coupled between the SIM card reader and the first transceiver located on the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the security device detecting a tampering of the SIM card reader, the first transceiver transmits a tampering alarm to the second transceiver.

2. A Water Friend or Foe System (WFFS), comprising:

a first computing system located at a WFFS issuer of marine vessel authenticators, the first computing system comprising;

a processor,

a data bus coupled to the processor,

a memory coupled to the data bus, wherein the memory is coupled to a vessel licensing database that includes vessel identification information, and

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card programmer, wherein the SIM card programmer is capable of storing, on a SIM card, vessel identification information, which is retrieved from the marine vessel licensing database, for a marine vessel;

wherein the first computing system is designed to support a system that comprises;

a first transceiver located on the marine vessel;

a Global Information System (GIS) system located on the marine vessel, wherein the GIS system is capable of identifying a location of the marine vessel; and

a SIM card reader located on the marine vessel, wherein the SIM card reader is capable of reading, from the SIM card, vessel identification information about the marine vessel; and

wherein the GIS system on the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with a SIM card in the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system.

3. A Water Friend or Foe System (WFFS), comprising:

a first computing system located at a WFFS issuer of marine vessel authenticators, the first computing system comprising;

a processor,

a data bus coupled to the processor,

a memory coupled to the data bus, wherein the memory is coupled to a vessel licensing database that includes vessel identification information, and

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card programmer, wherein the SIM card programmer is capable of storing, on a SIM card, vessel identification information, which is retrieved from the marine vessel licensing database, for a marine vessel;

wherein the first computing system is designed to support a system that comprises;

a first transceiver located on the marine vessel;

a Global Information System (GIS) system located on the marine vessel, wherein the GIS system is capable of identifying a location of the marine vessel; and

a SIM card reader located on the marine vessel, wherein the SIM card reader is capable of reading, from the SIM card, vessel identification information about the marine vessel; and

wherein the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system.

4. A computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for tracking marine vessels by performing the steps of:

encoding a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card with marine vessel information about a marine vessel;

supplying the SIM card to a SIM card reader on the marine vessel, wherein the marine vessel information and a real-time location of the marine vessel are transmittable to a tracking station;

encoding a security device on the SIM card for the marine vessel; and

transmitting, by the transceiver on the marine vessel, an alarm message if the security device detects an unauthorized use of the SIM card;

wherein the computer program code is executed within a Water Friend or Foe System (WFFS), which comprises;

a first computing system located at a WFFS issuer of marine vessel authenticators, the first computing system comprising;

a processor,

a data bus coupled to the processor,

a memory coupled to the data bus, wherein the memory is coupled to a vessel licensing database that includes vessel identification information, and

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card programmer, wherein the SIM card programmer is capable of storing, on a SIM card, vessel identification information, which is retrieved from the marine vessel licensing database, for a marine vessel;

wherein the first computing system is designed to support a system that comprises;

a Global Information System (GIS) system located on the marine vessel, wherein the GIS system is capable of identifying a location of the marine vessel;

a SIM card reader located on the marine vessel, wherein the SIM card reader is capable of reading, from the SIM card, vessel identification information about the marine vessel; and

a first transceiver located on the marine vessel, wherein the first transceiver transmits SIM data and GIS data to a second transceiver located at a WFFS tracking station, wherein the second transceiver tracks the location of, and confirms an identity of, the marine vessel in real time by received SIM data and GIS data that is transmitted from the first transceiver on the marine vessel; and

wherein the first transceiver also transmits SIM data and GIS data to one or more transceivers of other marine vessels within a range of the first transceiver of the marine vessel;

wherein the GIS system on the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with a SIM card in the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system.

5. A computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for tracking marine vessels by performing the steps of:

encoding a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card with marine vessel information about a marine vessel;

supplying the SIM card to a SIM card reader on the marine vessel, wherein the marine vessel information and a real-time location of the marine vessel are transmittable to a tracking station;

encoding a security device on the SIM card for the marine vessel; and

transmitting, by the transceiver on the marine vessel, an alarm message if the security device detects an unauthorized use of the SIM card;

wherein the computer program code is executed within a Water Friend or Foe System (WFFS), which comprises;

a first computing system located at a WFFS issuer of marine vessel authenticators, the first computing system comprising;

a processor,

a data bus coupled to the processor,

a memory coupled to the data bus, wherein the memory is coupled to a vessel licensing database that includes vessel identification information, and

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card programmer, wherein the SIM card programmer is capable of storing, on a SIM card, vessel identification information, which is retrieved from the marine vessel licensing database, for a marine vessel;

wherein the first computing system is designed to support a system that comprises;

a Global Information System (GIS) system located on the marine vessel, wherein the GIS system is capable of identifying a location of the marine vessel;

a SIM card reader located on the marine vessel, wherein the SIM card reader is capable of reading, from the SIM card, vessel identification information about the marine vessel; and

a first transceiver located on the marine vessel, wherein the first transceiver transmits SIM data and GIS data to a second transceiver located at a WFFS tracking station, wherein the second transceiver tracks the location of, and confirms an identity of, the marine vessel in real time by received SIM data and GIS data that is transmitted from the first transceiver on the marine vessel; and

wherein the first transceiver also transmits SIM data and GIS data to one or more transceivers of other marine vessels within a range of the first transceiver of the marine vessel;

wherein the marine vessel further comprises;

a controller coupled between the SIM card reader and a propulsion system for the marine vessel, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an anomaly with the SIM card reader, the controller disables the marine vessel by issuing a command that shuts down the propulsion system.