Vessel routing system

• US 9,157,746 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bruce, Alan E., Blanarik, Trevor C., Chen, Henry, Nakamoto, Kyle, Gadler, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US13/297,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 701/21, 701/301, 701/527
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/00 Maritime or waterways transport

Abstract

A method and apparatus for routing a vessel from a start point to an end point. Routes are generated from the start point to the end point based on a number of objectives. A group of waypoints is added between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest in response to a segment between two waypoints in a route in the routes crossing a region of interest.

Claims

1. A method for routing a vessel from a start point to an end point, the method comprising:

generating on a processor a plurality of routes from the start point to the end point over an ocean based on a number of objectives, the number of objectives including at least arrival time and fuel usage of the vessel;

determining on the processor whether the plurality of routes include segments that cross a region of interest;

responsive to a segment between two waypoints in a route in the plurality of routes crossing a region of interest, generating on the processor a plurality of groups of waypoints around the region of interest, the plurality of groups of waypoints defining a number of segments including at least a first segment and a second segment, each of the number of segments providing a route with respect to the region of interest;

determining on the processor a predicted performance for each of the number of segments based on at least two of the number of objectives including the arrival time and the fuel usage;

identifying a set of segments, from the number of segments, comprising potential routes from the number of segments, the set of segments in the potential routes selected for dominating the number of segments for both fuel usage and arrival time such that the values for arrival time in the set of segments and the set of values for fuel usage are at least equal to or better than those values for the other routes in the number of segments;

incrementing a variable for the number of segments that has been dominated by another set of segments so as to form an incremented variable, the incremented variables including at least wind and current;

performing a second evaluation of the number of segments with variables that have been incremented;

selecting a segment from among the set of segments to form a selected segment, the selected segment based on the number of objectives and the incremented variables;

adding one of the selected segment from the set of segments to the route between the start point and the end point so as to add a group of waypoints between two waypoints in the route with respect to the region of interest; and

routing the vessel from the start point to the end point using the group of waypoints.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment each includes a number of waypoint and a number of speeds between the waypoints.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment each comprise a group of waypoints that form a path around the region of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is a land mass with a channel and wherein the group of waypoints forms a path through the channel, and further comprising identifying the land mass in a region of interest database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is a land mass with a channel and wherein adding the group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest comprises:

generating a first group of waypoints through the channel;

adding the first group of waypoints between the two waypoints in the route;

generating a second group of waypoints around the land mass; and

adding the second group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest based on the number of objectives in a copy of the route to form a new route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the region of interest is selected from one of a land mass, a political boundary, and a hostile region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the routes from the start point to the end point based on the number of objectives comprises:

generating initial routes from the start point to the end point; and

generating new routes from the initial routes, wherein the new routes are based on modifications to the initial routes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modifications comprise at least one of combining a portion of another route with the route, changing a number of speeds for segments in the route, and changing a series of waypoints in the route.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a number of routes in the routes as ones best meeting the number of objectives as a set of potential routes for the vessel.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

selecting the route for the vessel from the set of potential routes for the vessel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of objectives further includes at least one of safety of the cargo, safety of the vessel, comfort, maintenance, detectability, and gas emissions.

12. A method for routing a vessel from a start point to an end point, the method comprising:

generating initial routes on a processor;

determining on the processor whether the routes include segments that pass through a region of interest;

generating new routes from the initial routes, wherein the new routes are based on modifications to the initial routes;

adding waypoints with respect to the region of interest to any of the new routes that cross the region of interest;

performing an evaluation on the processor of the new routes to generate values for a number of objectives for the new routes, the number of objectives including at least two objectives selected from the group consisting of;

lateness, fuel consumption, safety of the cargo, safety of the vessel, comfort, maintenance, detectability, and gas emissions;

identifying a set of potential routes from the new routes, the set of potential routes dominating the new routes for both fuel usage and arrival time such that the values of fuel consumption and lateness for each of the potential routes are at least equal to or better than the values of fuel consumption and lateness for the other routes in the new routes;

determining whether a desired convergence has occurred for the set of potential routes, the desired convergence established when new routes have not been added to set of potential routes in a selected number of generations of new routes and their evaluation;

performing the steps of using the set of potential routes as the initial routes, generating the new routes from the initial routes, wherein the new routes are based on the modifications to the initial routes;

adding the waypoints with respect to the region of interest to the any of the new routes that cross the region of interest; and

performing the evaluation using the new routes to generate values for the number of objectives for the new routes until the desired convergence has occurred;

incrementing a variable for the number of segments that has been dominated by another set of segments;

performing a second evaluation of the number of segments with variables that have been incremented;

selecting a selected route in the set of potential routes based on the number of objectives for each route in the potential routes; and

routing the vessel from the start point to the end point using selected route.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modifications comprise at least one of combining a portion of another route with the new routes, changing a number of speeds for segments in the new routes, and changing a series of waypoints in the new routes.

14. A vessel routing system comprising:

a processor configured to execute a route generation tool configured to generate new routes from a start point to an end point based on a number of at least four objectives, the at least four objectives comprising arrival time, fuel usage, winds, and currents;

the processor further configured, responsive to a segment between two waypoints in a route in the routes crossing a region of interest, to add a group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest;

the processor configured to generate a number of routes that provide a desired route for the region of interest;

a region of interest database that includes information regarding a number of regions of interest, the processor configured to execute the route generation tool receiving information from the region of interest database;

the processor configured to evaluate a predicted performance for the number of new routes based on the at least four of the number of objectives including arrival time, fuel usage, winds, and currents;

identify a set of potential routes from the new routes, the set of potential routes including first segments dominating second segments in the new routes for both fuel usage and arrival time, such that the set of potential routes includes values of fuel usage and arrival time for the potential routes that are at least equal to or better than the values for the other routes in the new routes; and

select a selected route in the set of potential routes based on the number of objectives for each route in the potential routes; and

determine whether a desired convergence has occurred for the set of potential routes, the desired convergence established when new routes have not been added to set of potential routes in a selected number of generations of new routes and their evaluation; and

the processor ordering the vessel to navigate from the start point to the end point using the selected route after the desired convergence is established.

15. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein the group of waypoints forms a path around the region of interest.

16. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein the region of interest is a land mass with a channel and wherein the group of waypoints forms a path through the channel.

17. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein the region of interest is a land mass with a channel and wherein in being configured to add the group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest, the processor that executes the route generation tool being configured to use the route generation tool to generate a first group of waypoints through the channel;

generate a second group of waypoints around the land mass;

select from between the first group of waypoints and the second group of waypoints based on the number of objectives to form a selected group of waypoints; and

add the selected group of waypoints between the two waypoints.

18. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein in being configured to add the group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest, the processor that executes the route generation tool being configured to use the route generation tool to generate a plurality of groups of waypoints around the region of interest;

select the group of waypoints from the plurality of groups of waypoints based on the number of objectives to form a selected group of waypoints; and

add the selected group of waypoints between the two waypoints.

19. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein the region of interest is a land mass with a channel and wherein in being configured to add the group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest, the processor that executes the route generation tool being configured to use the route generation tool to generate a first group of waypoints through the channel;

add the first group of waypoints between the two waypoints in the route; and

is further configured to generate a second group of

waypoints around the land mass; and

add the second group of waypoints between the two waypoints with respect to the region of interest based on the number of objectives in a copy of the route to form a new route.

20. The vessel routing system of claim 14, wherein the region of interest is selected from one of a land mass, a political boundary, and a hostile region.