JP2005119333A - Beacon device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beacon device excellent in portability, requiring no operation and always sending AIS information of dynamic and unique information of a one's own vessel while power source is turned on for a small vessel to rouse attention of adjacent vessels equipped with AIS device constantly and simply and to show who the vessel is. <P>SOLUTION: The beacon device 1 uses speed and course information calculated by a speed/route calculation process part 6 based on position information successively provided by a satellite navigation receiving processing part 8 instead of own dynamic information, and uses own vessel unique information preset at a time of introduction of the device instead of unique information. AIS information process part 5 constructs AIS information based on the information and sends the same to a transmission circuit 2, and transmits the same to AIS network 14 to make the near-by vessels 16 equipped with the AIS device recognize the one's own vessel. Since the beacon device 1 has a rechargeable battery 9 built in and a function is automatically started when a power switch 10 is turned on and constantly lasts, the beacon device 1 does not require any operation and is excellent in portability. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a beacon device that automatically transmits own ship information to an AIS network.

  The Universal Ship-borne Automatic Identification System (hereinafter referred to as “AIS device”) is a navigation device that is required to be installed on ships under the SOLAS Convention (The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea). Using two internationally assigned VHF radio frequencies managed by Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), ship's name, ship type, etc. Information that clarifies the contents of the voyage (hereinafter referred to as “unique information”) and navigation information that changes from time to time such as position, speed, course, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “dynamic information”) are constantly transmitted. Receives similar transmissions from similar ships that exist within the VHF radio notification range (hereinafter “neighboring”), and transmits the unique information and dynamic information of the ships navigating the vicinity (hereinafter “neighboring ships”) Operator By providing the display is a device for supporting the grasped identification and navigational conditions in the vicinity of the ship. Since these operations are performed autonomously and automatically by the AIS device, the operator can continuously know the presence and trends of nearby vessels without any awareness of communication.

  The time division multiple access method divides one frame (corresponding to one minute) into 2250 slots for each of the two VHF radio frequencies, and any ship's transmission is used for either transmission as required. This is accomplished by transmitting in no time slot (hereinafter simply “slot”). Which slot occupies each of all ships participating in a network formed by AIS transmission / reception (hereinafter referred to as “AIS network”) autonomously randomly selects a slot that is not used in the vicinity, Managed by sending. This method is called a self-organized time division multiple access method (Self-Organized TDMA method, hereinafter referred to as “SOTDMA method”). Since the SOTDMA system performs non-centralized slot selection based on the slot usage status of neighboring ships without interaction between the ships, the base station is connected to all the children instead of having the disadvantage that multi-access without any interference can be realized. In addition to eliminating the need for infrastructure that can be easily deployed so that stations can be used, it is not necessary to adjust and manage assignments for stations that join or leave at any time. There is an advantage that the use efficiency of the communication capacity is good because the communication for the communication is not performed. In AIS, when a ship appears in the vicinity, a network is formed in such a way that each other's constant transmissions are received or newly joined to the network, and when they leave the vicinity, they cannot receive each other's transmissions. In this case, the network is canceled or left.

  Information exchanged in the AIS network can transmit 256 bits per slot, and 256 bits are used as a unit, and a report is defined in which information to be transmitted is assigned to a bit field according to the purpose. The AIS standard defines 22 types of reports according to the purpose of use, and includes specific information reports and dynamic information reports. In addition, text messages, inquiries and responses, and operation change instructions for the competent authority to perform exceptional operation control of the AIS network in the jurisdiction of the AIS network are defined, and the AIS device automatically generates the notification. Then, the slot is secured by the above-described method and transmitted.

  The notification of the unique information and the dynamic information is automatically and autonomously generated as long as the power of the AIS device is turned on, and is continuously transmitted at a constant interval, so that the operator is not bothered. The standard is automatically set at a set time interval that is determined autonomously depending on whether the ship is anchored or sailing, and if it is sailing, the speed is low or high, or whether it is moving. It stipulates that it repeatedly obtains the latest status information, generates a report, and sends it. The treaty obligates AIS equipment to maintain the transmission state at all times without turning off the power unless there is a specific reason.

  In the SOTDMA system, each AIS device participating in the network independently manages time division multiple access and does not have a central slot assignment. Therefore, it frequently occurs that a plurality of AIS devices transmit at the same time as using the same slot that is recognized as empty, and are received by interference. This phenomenon, called Slot Conflict, means that the message to be received cannot be decoded and the ship that was temporarily transmitted is lost. However, as a characteristic of the VHF radio system adopted in the AIS device, the transmission from the ship closer to the receiving ship has higher power than the transmission from the farther ship, and the two notifications cause a slot collision. If the distance ratio between the two transmitting vessels is twice or more, the notification transmitted by the farther vessel is suppressed as an interference signal, and the notification transmitted by the closer vessel is received. In general, distant information is low in navigation devices and close information is high, so slot collision is a phenomenon that can be tolerated in navigation devices.

  AIS equipment is installed on ships required by the Convention. If the sending ship to be measured does not transmit the report continuously and permanently, it will be equivalent to unmeasurable, so as a navigation device, it is indispensable for all ships to participate in the AIS network. . However, the treaty requires that all passenger ships, ships with 300 gross tons or more engaged in international voyages, and ships with 500 gross tons or more not engaged in international voyages must be installed. It is not a target. In view of this, it has been studied to provide an AIS device mounted on a ship that is required to be mounted as Class A and to provide a similar device that is mounted on a ship that is not required to be mounted as Class B. Class B devices share almost the same communication procedure and device configuration as Class A devices, and both Class A and B participate in the same AIS network. However, in Class B, the amount of notifications to be transmitted is greatly reduced to reduce the communication strain on the network.

  However, in reality, it is predicted that many of small ships that are difficult to recognize from nearby ships and that it is considered safe to install an AIS device will not be equipped with even a Class B device, The reality is that all ships are far from participating in the AIS network. The reason for this is that small ships have little room for mounting an AIS device in terms of inboard space, power supply capacity, etc., and there is often no room for manpower to operate the device.

  On the other hand, emergency position indicating radio beacon (commonly known as satellite EPIRB) and search and rescue are things that have been widely used as a means for small ships to recognize nearby ships. Radar transponders (SART), radar reflectors, etc. Satellites EPIRB and SART are rescue signal transmitters that are used when a ship is lost. Satellite EPIRB covers the entire sea area and the location of the ship is determined from the signal received by the satellite. Conventionally, SART receives the transmission radar signal of the radar device from which the reflected wave is measured and transmits it so that its position becomes clear, and is effective when the ship carrying the radar device is navigating the vicinity. Demonstrate. Radar reflectors are not intended for rescue, but are reflectors that match the wavelength of radar signals mounted on ships that do not reflect radar signals, and produce reflected waves such as small ships and wooden ships that are smaller than the resolution of radar equipment. It is mounted on a difficult ship. All of these are portable or can be installed only so that they can be easily mounted on a small vessel, do not impose onboard space or onboard power supply capacity, and require no operation at all. However, it does not work unless it is a distress, or is effective only for ships equipped with a radar device, and does not have the function of clarifying its identity like the AIS device.

The related literature of the present invention is listed below. The SOLAS Convention Chapter V of Non-Patent Document 1 is a rule that obligates ships to install an AIS device, Non-Patent Document 2 is an international performance standard of the AIS device, and Non-Patent Document 3 receives the performance standard. Non-Patent Document 4 defines a standard for inspecting the electrical characteristics, and Non-Patent Document 5 defines a standard for electrical characteristics and an inspection standard for the AIS class B device.
SOLAS Convention Chapter V International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee Resolution 74 (69) Annex 3 ITU-R M1371-1 IEC61993-2 IEC62287 (draft)

The following Patent Document 1 is a past application example related to a radar beacon, and Patent Document 2 is a US patent considered as a basic patent related to an AIS device.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-128441 US Pat. No. 5,506,587

  It is an object of the present invention to call attention to a nearby vessel on which a small vessel is equipped with an AIS device constantly and easily, and to clarify who the vessel is. The AIS notification is always transmitted while the power is turned on, and no operation is required, and a beacon device having excellent portability is provided.

The above problem can be solved by a beacon device described below.
That is, a beacon device having a built-in rechargeable battery power source and having portability, and as a substitute information for the dynamic information of the ship, based on the momentary position information obtained from the built-in satellite navigation reception processing unit A function that calculates and outputs the position, speed, and course of the ship, a function that outputs ship-specific information such as the ship name and ship type of the ship as a substitute for the ship-specific information, and an AIS report from a nearby ship All functions including the function to receive and detect an empty slot and the function to configure the substitute information as AIS predetermined dynamic information report and unique information report and transmit through the empty slot are automatically performed by turning on the power switch. The beacon device, which is started and thereafter continuously continued.

  In a normal AIS device, the dynamic information of the ship is configured based on information obtained from instruments such as a gyro device and a log device, but in this beacon device, it is sequentially obtained from a built-in satellite navigation reception processing unit. Based on the position information of the ship, the speed, course, etc. are calculated and replaced with dynamic information. This is in order to eliminate the need for various instruments and make it possible to mount the beacon device on a small vessel not equipped with instruments. In addition, the unique information originally includes variable information such as destination and estimated arrival date and time in addition to ship-specific information such as ship name and ship type, and the contents are updated as necessary. The ship-specific information such as the ship name and ship type of the ship input to the preset memory when the apparatus is installed is replaced with the unique information. This is to make all operations including the information update operation unnecessary. Such characteristics of the beacon device are also suitable for installation in unmanned facilities such as navigation signs.

  The beacon device uses an AIS report received from a nearby vessel only for the purpose of detecting an empty slot, and does not provide any display to the operator or alarm. Concerning the transmission of reports, AIS reports are configured at the same reporting rate as AIS class B devices that do not impose a strain on the AIS network, and the reports are transmitted at the slot time required in the multiple access procedure for participating in the AIS network. . All these operations are automatically started when the power switch is turned on and continue until the switch is disconnected or the battery is exhausted.

  Unlike the AIS class B device, the beacon device of the present invention does not require any operation other than turning on and off the power, is excellent in portability, and can be easily mounted even on a small ship with a small number of personnel and a small power supply capacity. Moreover, since the notification transmitted by this beacon device can be received and displayed by a standard AIS device installed in a nearby vessel, unlike a conventional marine beacon device, its presence can be accurately determined by position, speed, course and Since it can always be recognized together with the unique information, it is possible to prevent a marine accident that may occur because it is not visible from a nearby large ship or the like.

  The best embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by the following Example 1.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a beacon device according to the present embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a beacon device, 2 is a transmitting circuit, 3 and 4 are first and second receiving circuits, 5 is an AIS notification processing unit, 6 is a speed / course calculation processing unit, and 7 is specific information management processing. , 8 is a satellite navigation reception processing unit, 9 is a rechargeable battery, 10 is a power switch, 11 is a preset memory, 12 is a battery, and 13 is an interface. As external elements related to the beacon device, reference numeral 14 denotes an AIS network formed by a plurality of nearby ships on which the AIS device is mounted, 15 denotes a navigation satellite, and 16 denotes a nearby ship equipped with one or more AIS devices. In the figure, a range surrounded by a dotted line indicates a range in which the rechargeable battery 9 supplies power, and the same power is supplied to the satellite navigation reception processing unit 8. Since the notification received by the receiving circuits 3 and 4 of the beacon device 1 from the AIS network 14 is handled differently from the case where the nearby ship 16 equipped with the AIS device receives, it is indicated by a dotted line. Since a plurality of senders and receivers participate in the AIS network 14, this is indicated by a plurality of incoming and outgoing arrows.

  The AIS report processing unit 5 interprets the AIS report from the nearby ship 16 received by the two VHF channel receiving circuits 3 and 4 based on the standard AIS communication procedure, grasps the slot use state of each channel, and Determine the channel and slot to be used for transmission at the standard reporting rate for Class B devices. In addition, the speed / course calculation processing unit 6 receives information such as speed and course instead of the dynamic information, and the unique information management processing unit 7 receives the information specific to the mounted ship instead of the specific information. Is transmitted to the transmission circuit 2 at the time of the corresponding channel and slot.

  Note that the two channels used for transmission and reception are called AIS1 and AIS2 channels, and are frequencies allocated to AIS devices defined by international law or domestic law. The transmission / reception modulation method is a GMSK / FM method that can be transmitted / received by a standard AIS device. The transmission power uses a low output among the two types of high output and low output defined by the international standard of the AIS device. This is because a standard AIS device notification (usually high output) is preferentially received at the time of a slot collision, so that unnecessary communication strain is not given to the AIS network 14 in which only the AIS device originally participates. This is also for the purpose of suppressing the consumption of the rechargeable battery 9.

  The AIS report transmitted by the beacon device 1 can be received by the nearby vessel 16 equipped with a standard AIS device, processed in the same manner as the transmission report of the AIS device, and displayed and provided to the operator of the vessel. As a result, a ship equipped with the beacon device 1 can be constantly recognized by a nearby ship with higher accuracy than when a radar signal is used, and therefore, safety is great.

  The speed and course calculation processing unit 6 of the beacon device 1 calculates the speed and course from the momentary displacement amount of its own position information, which is sequentially acquired from the satellite navigation reception processing unit 8, and converts these into the original dynamic information. The information is supplied to the AIS report processing unit 5 as alternative information. In this way, the beacon device 1 is not required to be connected to a ship-mounted instrument such as a gyro apparatus or a log apparatus, and can be mounted on a small ship or a route sign that does not have these instruments.

  The satellite navigation reception processing unit 8 receives a satellite navigation signal from a standard navigation satellite 15 such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device, performs calculation for identifying its own position, and outputs this position information. Since a precise time synchronization signal called 1PPS signal can be output, this synchronization signal is supplied to the transmission circuit 2 and the reception circuits 3 and 4 to establish synchronization of transmission and reception.

  In addition to the speed and course, the information to replace the above dynamic information is sufficient to construct the notification type 18 “Class B device standard position report” defined by the AIS device standard, the true direction is unused, and the MMSI The number is assigned by the competent authority and supplied from the unique information management processing unit 7.

  The unique information management processing unit 7 reads information unique to the ship held in the preset memory 11, generates information in place of the unique information including the variable information, and supplies the information to the AIS notification processing unit 4.

  Information in place of the above-mentioned specific information includes the ship name, MMSI number, ship type, ship dimensions, and the dynamic information and the report type 19 “Class B device extended position report” defined by the AIS equipment standard. (It is a location report, but it is a report that includes unique information in addition to the location report). The MMSI number is assigned by the competent authority.

  The power required for the above operation is supplied from the rechargeable battery 9. As a result, the beacon device 1 does not require power supply from the outside such as a ship power supply, can be used even in an environment where power supply capability is poor such as a small ship, and is excellent in portability, and can be easily introduced.

  The above function is automatically started when the power switch 10 is turned on, and the autonomous continuous notification transmission similar to a standard AIS device is performed until the power switch is disconnected or the rechargeable battery 9 is exhausted. Continue constantly. Therefore, since the operator does not need to perform any operation other than turning on and off the power, it can be adapted to an unmanned environment such as a shortage of personnel or a route sign.

  Since the present invention relates to a navigation device mounted on a ship, it relates to many industrial fields such as fishing, shipping, shipbuilding, and navigation device manufacturing, and contributes to the development of these various industries.

It is a block diagram which shows the beacon apparatus based on the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Beacon apparatus 2 ... Transmission circuit 3, 4 ... 1st, 2nd reception circuit 5 ... AIS notification process part 6 ... Speed and course calculation process part 7 ... Specific information management process part 8 ... Satellite navigation reception process part 9 ... Charging Battery 10 ... Power switch 11 ... Preset memory 12 ... Memory retention battery 13 ... Input interface 14 ... AIS network 15 ... Navigation satellite 16 ... Near ship

Claims (1)

A beacon device having a built-in rechargeable battery power source and having portability
A function for calculating and outputting the position, speed, and course of the ship based on the position information obtained from the built-in satellite navigation reception processing unit as substitute information for the dynamic information of the ship.
Function to output ship-specific information such as ship name, ship type, etc., as substitute information for ship-specific information
A function to detect an empty slot by receiving an AIS report from a nearby ship,
The substitute information is configured as an AIS predetermined dynamic information report and unique information report, and is transmitted through the empty slot.
The beacon device is characterized in that all functions including are automatically started when the power switch is turned on and continuously thereafter.

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