Navigation device and method of notifying service life of component

• US 9,507,343 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/896,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.9
• 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: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

A component service life notifying device configured to notify, beforehand, a service life of a component is provided to prevent the service life of the component from terminating on the sea. The navigation device (component service life notifying device) includes a route setting module, a navigation time calculating module, a service life acquiring module, and a notifying module. The route setting module sets a route for navigation. The navigation time calculating module calculates a scheduled navigation time period of the route. The service life acquiring module acquires an estimated service life of the component. A comparing module outputs a comparison result between the scheduled navigation time period to a predetermined destination of the route set by the route setting module and the estimated remaining service life. The notifying module notifies a situation that the comparison result outputted from the comparing module indicates that the estimated remaining service life is shorter than the scheduled navigation time period when the situation occurs.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

one or more hardware processors that execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least;

design a route for navigation of a vehicle between an origin location and a destination location;

calculate a scheduled navigation time period for navigating the route by the vehicle;

estimate a remaining service life of a component of the vehicle;

compare the scheduled navigation time period to the estimated remaining service life of the component to obtain a comparison result; and

output an alert when the comparison result indicates that the estimated remaining service life of the component is shorter than the scheduled navigation time period.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the route, wherein the one or more hardware processors further execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least:

set as a waypoint an intermediary destination between the origin location and the destination location along the route;

select a first display mode to display the waypoint on the display unit when the vehicle stops at the waypoint before the estimated remaining service life is satisfied; and

select a second display mode to display the waypoint on the display unit when the vehicle stops at the waypoint after the estimated service life is satisfied.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the route, wherein the one or more hardware processors further execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least:

select a first display mode to display the route on the display unit when the vehicle reaches the destination location of the route before the estimated remaining service life is satisfied; and

select a second display mode to display the route on the display unit when the vehicle reaches the destination location of the route after the estimated remaining service life is satisfied.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the estimated remaining service life of the component is calculated based on an ambient temperature around the component detected by a temperature sensor.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits component data including at least one of the estimated remaining service life and the comparison result.

6. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter transmits the component data to a particular onshore location.

7. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter transmits the component data to a land station.

8. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein the one or more hardware processors further execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least:

determine whether to replace the component when the estimated remaining service life is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the components is to be replaced, transmitting the component data.

9. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors further execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least notify a service station located a threshold distance of the route when the estimated remaining service life is satisfied during navigation of the route and the component is replaceable.

10. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the one or more hardware processors further execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least output for display on a display unit at least one of a cost and a service time for replacement of the component for one or more service stations when the component is replaceable.

11. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein a vehicle instrument is in communication with the navigation device via a network, and wherein the component is part of the vehicle instrument.

12. The navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory that stores a service life of the component, the component part of a vehicle instrument mounted on the same vehicle as the navigation device, wherein the one or more hardware processors estimates the remaining service life of the component based at least in part on the service life of the component accessed from the non-volatile memory.

13. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a ship.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific computer-executable instructions,

determining a route for navigation of a vehicle between a first location and a second location;

calculating a scheduled navigation time period for navigating the route by the vehicle;

determining an estimated remaining service life of a component of the vehicle;

comparing the scheduled navigation time period to the estimated remaining service life of the component to obtain a comparison result; and

outputting an alert when the comparison result indicates that the estimated remaining service life of the component does not satisfy the scheduled navigation time period.