System for tracting and monitoring vessels

• US 20040217900A1
• Filed: 04/01/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 6,933,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.07
• 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 and monitoring 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 the bi-directional communication between the primary terminal and the remoter terminal;

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

e. at least one sensor on at least one on-board system 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 at least one on-board system 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 radio frequency transceiver.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communications means comprises an optical transceiver.

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

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote terminal is a monitoring center comprising means for monitoring the location information and the status information of the vessel and means for allowing a party responsible for the vessel to access the location information and the status information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the location information and the status information in real time.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, 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, operating systems, and combinations thereof.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, 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.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the status information in real time.

8. A system for remotely tracking vessels, comprising:

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

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 the bi-directional communication between the transceiver and a second transceiver located at the monitoring center; and

e. a second communications means allowing the 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 via the first communications means.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first transceiver comprises a radio frequency transceiver.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first transceiver comprises an optical transceiver.

11. 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.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the location information in real time.

13. A system for remotely monitoring vessels, comprising:

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

b. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel;

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

d. at least one sensor on at least one on-board system 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.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first communications means comprises a radio frequency transceiver.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first communications means comprises an optical transceiver.

18. A system for remotely tracking, monitoring and messaging vessels, comprising:

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

b. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel;

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;

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 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, and 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.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first communications means comprises a radio frequency transceiver.

20. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first communications means comprises an optical transceiver.

21. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the monitoring center comprising 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.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the party responsible for the vessel can access the location information, the status information and the messaging in real time.

23. A system for remotely messaging vessels, comprising:

a. a first transceiver located on a vessel;

b. a monitoring center located remote from the vessel;

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

d. an input/output means for messaging acting in cooperation with the first transceiver; and

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

wherein the first transceiver transceives messaging with the input/output means via the fourth communications means, and the first transceiver and the second transceiver transceive the messaging between each other via the first communications means.