System and method for optimizing a path for a marine vessel through a waterway

• US 8,155,811 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Noffsinger, Joseph Forrest, Houpt, Paul Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US12/345,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100168942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/21, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701200-202, 440/1, 180/117, 180184-186
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• 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: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00

Abstract

A system is provided for optimizing a path for a marine vessel through a waterway from an initial location to a final location. The system includes a propulsion system and a directional system on the marine vessel, which impart a selective propulsion force on the marine vessel at a selective direction based on a received propulsion command and direction command from a processor. The processor determines an optimal path for the marine vessel, an optimal propulsion command and optimal directional command at a respective incremental location along the optimal path, so to optimize a performance characteristic of the marine vessel. The determination of the optimal path, the optimal propulsion command and the optimal directional command is based on the initial location, the final location, at least one operating parameter, the performance characteristic, and navigational data of the waterway.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store navigational data of a waterway and at least one operating parameter of one or more of a first marine vessel and a second marine vessel coupled together as a combination of marine vessels; and

a processor configured to determine a path for the combination of marine vessels through the waterway from a first location to a second location, the processor also configured to determine a first propulsion command for a first propulsion system of the first marine vessel, a second propulsion command for a second propulsion system of the second marine vessel, a first direction command for a first directional system of the first marine vessel, and a second direction command for a second directional system of the second marine vessel;

wherein the first propulsion command, the second propulsion command, the first direction command, and the second direction command are determined to at least one of reduce fuel consumed, reduce emissions generated, increase energy efficiency, reduce a transit time, or decrease an arrival time at one or more locations along the path by at least one of the first marine vessel or the second marine vessel as the combination of marine vessels travel along the path relative to traveling along the path according to one or more other propulsion commands or direction commands; and

wherein the path, the first propulsion command, the second propulsion command, the first direction command, and the second direction command are based on the first location, the second location, the at least one operating parameter, and the navigational data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating parameter includes at least one of:

a mass of one or more of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels,

a drag coefficient of one or more of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels, or

a power characteristic of one or more of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, or a combination of the first propulsion system and the second propulsion system.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to be operably connected to the processor and to form a communication link with a remote control unit positioned proximate to the second location;

wherein, subsequent to the combination of marine vessels having traveled along the path to within a threshold distance of the second location, the processor is configured to

cease transmission of the first propulsion command, the second propulsion command, the first direction command, and the second direction command to the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, and the second directional system so that the remote control unit can transmit propulsion commands and direction commands to one or more of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, or the second directional system to control movement of the combination of marine vessels toward the second location.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a position determination device configured to be positioned on the combination of marine vessels to determine a measured position of at least one of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels;

wherein the path that is determined by the processor includes an expected position of at least one of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of the marine vessels through the waterway from the first location to the second location; and

wherein the processor is configured to compare the measured position with the expected position of the at least one of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, when the processor compares the measured position with the expected position and determines that the measured position deviates from the expected position by less than a designated threshold distance, the processor is configured to determine at least one of a corrective propulsion command or a corrective direction command for at least one of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, or the second directional system, the at least one of the corrective propulsion command or the corrective direction command determined to propel the combination of marine vessels toward the path.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the at least one of the corrective propulsion command or the corrective direction command to an operator interface for presentation to an operator of at least one of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels to direct the operator to control the at least one of the first marine vessel, the second marine vessel, or the combination of marine vessels according to the at least one of the corrective propulsion command and or the corrective direction command.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to automatically transmit the at least one of the corrective propulsion command or the corrective direction command to one or more of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, or the second directional system to autonomously guide the combination of marine vessels along the path.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the navigational data includes at least one of a location of an obstacle within the waterway or vessel traffic within the waterway;

wherein the processor is configured to compare the measured position with the navigational data and, if the measured position is within a predetermined threshold distance of the at least one of the location of the obstacle or the vessel traffic, the processor is configured to provide at least one of an emergency propulsion command or an emergency direction command to at least one of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, or the second directional system to avoid the at least one of the obstacle or the vessel traffic.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to correct an error in at least one of the first location, the second location, the at least one operating parameter, or the navigational data that is attributable to a deviation of the measured position from the expected position.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine a substitute path for the combination of marine vessels through the waterway from the measured position to the second location when the measured position deviates from the expected position by more than a designated threshold distance, the processor also configured to determine at least one of a substitute propulsion command or a substitute direction command for one or more of the first propulsion system, the second propulsion system, the first directional system, or the second directional system for guiding the combination of marine vessels along the substitute path.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an operator input interface having a display and an input device, the operator input interface configured to be coupled to the processor;

wherein the input device is activated to input at least one of the first location, the second location, or a designated transit time; and

wherein the input device is configured to be activated to permit the processor to determine at least one of the path, the first propulsion command, the second propulsion command, the first direction command, or the second direction command.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigational data includes at least one of a geographical map of the waterway, a location of at least one obstacle within the waterway, at least one dimension of the waterway, at least one dock location along the waterway, forecast data of the waterway, water current data of the waterway, and vessel traffic data within the waterway.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to be operably connected to the processor and to form a communication link with a remote station located off board the combination of marine vessels, the transceiver configured to receive the at least one operating parameter or the navigational data from the remote station and to provide the at least one operating parameter or the navigational data to the processor.

14. A system comprising:

a processor including a memory configured to store at least one operating parameter of a first marine vessel and navigational data of a waterway;

a first propulsion system and a first directional system on the first marine vessel, the first propulsion system and the first directional system being coupled to the processor and configured to respectively impart a first selective propulsion force on the first marine vessel at a first selective direction based on a respectively received first propulsion command and first direction command from the processor; and

at least one secondary marine vessel that is coupled to the marine vessel to form a combination of vessels;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a path for the first marine vessel through the waterway from a first location to a second location, the first propulsion command and the first direction command to be transmitted to the first propulsion system and the first directional system at a respective incremental location along the path to improve a performance characteristic of the first marine vessel along the path; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine the path, the first propulsion command, and the first direction command based on the first location, the second location, the at least one operating parameter, the performance characteristic, and the navigational data;

wherein the at least one secondary vessel has a respective secondary propulsion system and a respective secondary directional system, the secondary propulsion system and the secondary directional system being coupled to the processor and configured to respectively impart a second selective propulsion force on the secondary marine vessel at a second selective direction based on a respectively received second propulsion command and second direction command from the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to determine the path for the combination of vessels through the waterway from the first location to the second location, the respective secondary propulsion command, and the respective secondary directional command to be transmitted to the respective secondary propulsion system and the secondary directional system of the respective at least one secondary marine vessel at a respective incremental location along the optimal path to improve a respective performance characteristic of said at least one secondary marine vessel;

wherein the memory is further configured to store at least one respective operating parameter of the at least one secondary marine vessel; and

wherein the optimal path of the combination of vessels, the respective secondary propulsion command, and the respective secondary directional command is based on the first location, the second location, the respective at least one operating parameter of the at least one secondary vessel, the respective performance characteristic of the at least one secondary vessel, and the navigational data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a spatial arrangement of the at least one secondary marine vessel with respect to the first marine vessel;

the spatial arrangement including a respective attachment location of the at least one secondary marine vessel with respect to the marine vessel;

and wherein the determination of the respective spatial arrangement is based on at least one of the operating parameter of the first marine vessel, the operating parameter of the at least one secondary marine vessel, the navigational data, the first location, and the second location.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is one of a master processor or slave processor;

wherein the master processor is positioned on a first one of the first marine vessel and the at least one secondary marine vessel, and wherein the slave processor is positioned on a second one of the first marine vessel and the at least one secondary marine vessel;

wherein the master processor is configured to determine the path of the combination of vessels; and

wherein the slave processor is configured to control the propulsion system and the directional system of the second one of the first marine vessel and the at least one secondary marine vessel, based on the path that is determined.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein:

one of the first marine vessel and the at least one secondary vessel is designated as a master vessel, the processor is a master processor on the master vessel and is configured to determine the path of the combination of vessels, and wherein each of the at least one secondary vessel is designated as a slave vessel, and the system further comprises a slave processor on each slave vessel; and

further comprising a respective transceiver configured to be positioned on the master vessel and each slave vessel and to establish a communication link; and

a respective position determination device configured to be positioned on each slave vessel and to measure a position of the slave vessel, the position determination device configured to be coupled to the respective transceiver to communicate the position of the slave vessel that is measured to the master vessel over the communication link;

wherein the path of the combination of vessels includes a respective expected position of each slave vessel through the waterway from the first location to the second location; and

wherein at the respective incremental location, the master processor receives the respective measured position of each slave vessel from the respective transceiver, and the master processor is configured to compare the measured position of the slave vessel with the expected position of the slave vessel at the respective incremental location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, subsequent to a determination that the measured position of the slave vessel has varied with the expected position of the slave vessel by less than a predetermined threshold, the master processor is configured to transmit a corrective propulsion command and a corrective directional command to the slave vessel over the communication link such that the slave vessel is propelled toward the path;

and

wherein, subsequent to a determination that the measured position of the slave vessel has varied with the expected position of the slave vessel by greater than the predetermined threshold, the master processor is configured to determine a substitute path for the combination of vessels through the waterway from the measured position to the second location, a substitute propulsion command, and a substitute direction command of the slave vessel at a respective incremental location along the substitute path;

wherein the substitute path, the substitute propulsion command, and the substitute direction command are based on the measured position, the second location, the at least one operating parameter of the master vessel, said at least one operating parameter of the slave vessel, the performance characteristic of the slave vessel, and the navigational data.

19. A system comprising:

a processor configured to be communicatively coupled with a propulsion system and a directional system on each of a plurality of marine vessels that are coupled together to form a combination of marine vessels, the processor configured to determine a path for the combination of marine vessels to travel through a waterway from a first location to a second location, propulsion commands to direct the propulsion systems to move the combination of marine vessels along the path, and direction commands to direct the directional systems to guide the combination of marine vessels along the path,

wherein the processor is configured to determine the path, the propulsion commands, and the direction commands to at least one of reduce fuel consumed by the combination of marine vessels, reduce emissions generated by the combination of marine vessels, increase energy efficiency of the combination of marine vessels, or reduce transit time of the combination of marine vessels to the second location relative to traveling along the path according to one or more other propulsion commands or other direction commands, the propulsion commands and the direction commands based on the first location, the second location, at least one respective operating parameter of the combination of marine vessels, and a navigational data of the waterway.

20. A method comprising:

determining a path for a combination of marine vessels through a waterway from a first location to a second location, the combination of marine vessels including a first marine vessel and a second marine vessel coupled together, each of the first marine vessel and the second marine vessel including a propulsion system to propel the first marine vessel and the second marine vessel and a directional system to guide the first marine vessel and the second marine vessel; and

determining propulsion commands and direction commands to be transmitted to the propulsion systems and the directional systems of the combination of marine vessels as the combination of marine vessels moves along the path;

wherein the path, the propulsion commands, and the direction commands are determined to at least one of reduce fuel consumed by the combination of marine vessels, reduce emissions generated by the combination of marine vessels, increase energy efficiency of the combination of marine vessels, or reduce transit time of the combination of marine vessels to the second location relative to traveling along the path according to one or more other propulsion commands or other direction commands.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating docking propulsion commands and docking direction commands, for transmission to the propulsion systems and the directional systems of the combination of marine vessels, respectively, for controlling movement of the combination of marine vessels when the combination of marine vessels is within a designated threshold distance from the second location that includes a docking station along the waterway;

wherein the docking propulsion commands and the docking direction commands are generated based on control signals received from a remote control unit located off board the combination of marine vessels at the docking station.