Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G3/00—Traffic control systems for marine craft

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for maritime surveillance. It applies in particular in the context of maritime surveillance and control to improve traffic safety.
• Radar images, electronic maps, satellite positioning systems, means of telecommunications on board ships and in shore centers are generally the tools used by navigators and controllers. These tools, which are notably elements of integrated maritime and port traffic management systems, have certain drawbacks.
• a first series of drawbacks resides in the fact that the radar field of vision of the controllers in the centers on land is limited. Each surveillance zone by the shore centers is limited to the coverage area of the radar means on the ground. For example, for the English Channel, the existence only of a first center in Brest, a second in Jocios and a third in Calais implies ignorance of the traffic existing outside their close perimeters. This results in particular, outside these perimeters:
• the subject of the invention is a method for monitoring maritime traffic which comprises at least:
• the invention also relates to a device for implementing the method.
• the main advantages of the invention are in particular that it increases the capacity for controlling maritime traffic, that it allows better optimization of commercial investments through better navigation, that it allows the monitoring of ships deliberately wishing to remain discreet, than that it provides ships with a privileged channel for raising personalized alerts from a center on land, and that it makes it possible to cover a large maritime area in an economical manner.
• FIG. 2 an example of a situation for collecting maritime traffic information in the context of the invention
• FIG. 3 an example of tracking a ship in a maritime traffic area by the means of the invention
• FIG. 1 illustrates the possible stages of the process according to the invention
• the method comprises two main stages, a first stage 1 of developing the global situation of maritime traffic and a second stage 2 of collective exploitation of this global situation
• the first stage 1 includes a first sub-step 101 of periodic collection of local traffic situations and for example a second sub-step 102 of management of the overall traffic situation
• the second step 2 comprises a first sub-step 201 of distribution to subscribers of the required maritime traffic situation, a second sub-step 202 of presentation to the subscriber of the information extracted and a third sub-step 203 of retrospective management of maritime traffic Examples of the implementation of these stages and sub-stages are described below.
• the first step therefore includes a first sub-step 101 of periodic collection of local maritime traffic situations.
• the invention notably uses the fact that nowadays many ships are equipped with radar and can then have a vision of all the boats and ships present in their vicinity Currently, this knowledge of traffic remains unfortunately unfortunately local, that is to say - say does not leave the ship carrying a radar
• this first step 101 the radar situations developed on board the ships and present in the area to be monitored are collected These ships which have a radar and which provide this traffic information will be called by The continuation of cooperative ships In addition to this information collected on cooperative ships, there is also the information conventionally collected by coastal surveillance centers
• FIG. 2 illustrates a situation of collecting traffic information carried out in the first step This figure presents a surveillance zone 21, situated between the two dotted lines, along a coast
• three shore-based surveillance centers CT1, CT2, CT3 are represented, located on land and each having radar coverage. data 23, 24, 25 and three cooperative vessels NC1, NC2, NC3 having radar coverage given 26, 27, 28.
• Four unknown vessels NU, NI2, NI3, NI4 are also represented, always by way of example.
• a first unknown vessel NU is detected inside the radar coverage of a first shore-based surveillance center CT1.
• a second unknown ship NI2 is detected by a first cooperative ship NC1.
• a third unknown vessel NI3 is detected by the second shore-based monitoring center CT2.
• a fourth unknown ship NI4 is detected by the second cooperative ship NC2 and by the third cooperative ship NC3.
• the traffic information thus collected by the shore-based surveillance centers and by the cooperative vessels is routed, for example periodically, to a regrouping center 29 in order to have at this level a traffic image of the most complete area and the more precise.
• the data are transmitted to this grouping center 29 by an appropriate medium.
• This center 29 also includes means for storing each local traffic situation transmitted by a cooperative ship or by a shore-based monitoring center.
• the coverage of the area to be monitored can for example be supplemented by the use of aircraft detection systems transiently flying over this area, which makes it possible to improve the identification of the traffic elements as well as the control thereof.
• the data collected is for example formatted taking into account in particular the date of sampling, the position of the ship and the identity provided by the local operator.
• This first step therefore makes it possible to constitute the overall maritime traffic situation for a large area, in particular from local traffic information held by each of the cooperative vessels regularly transiting in this area.
• This traffic information comes from radar equipment on board ships.
• An advantage of the invention is that it allows in particular the monitoring of ships deliberately wishing to be discreet, that is to say non-cooperative, and this in an almost continuous manner.
• the periodic collection of local traffic situations is followed by a step 102 of managing the overall traffic situation.
• This step is mainly implemented at the grouping center 29.
• This the center which in fact manages surveillance of the entire area will be called the main maritime traffic surveillance center.
• the position of each vessel is readjusted with the latest data collected.
• the data received can for example be enriched with identity, cargo or destination information provided by cooperative vessels.
• the overall traffic situation can also be supplemented by environmental information such as, for example, weather information, information relating to accidents or information relating to port availability.
• environmental information such as, for example, weather information, information relating to accidents or information relating to port availability.
• radars also make it possible to determine the surface and the silhouette of the vessels detected, to make a classification, to obtain the speed and direction of the wind, the appearance of the sea and waves as well as the cloud density. It should be noted, however, that not all ships are equipped with such high-performance radars, in particular for cost reasons. In this case, they transmit for example only their position and their identification.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a monitoring of the position of an unknown vessel by the main surveillance center 29.
• the surveillance zone is the same as that of FIG. 2.
• the monitoring is carried out on an unknown vessel NI4. Its successive detected positions are represented by a first star 31, a second star 32 and a third star 33.
• the position of the ship NI4 is thus successively detected by the third cooperative ship NC3, by the second cooperative ship NC2 and by the second center at CT2 land, which transmit their information to the main monitoring center 29.
• the monitoring illustrated in Figure 3 can be supplemented and refined by information such as the departure time of the ship NI4 from the port, whose situation coincides for example with the third CT3 shore monitoring center, the navigation plan and the loading of the ship. All this information can be provided by the third CT3 monitoring center.
• NI4 vessel tracking requires no collaboration here on his part. This can in particular be of great interest for customs or police missions.
• the method according to the invention therefore makes it possible to carry out effective surveillance in a given area which may be large, in particular due to the contribution of cooperative ships.
• the detection and classification of ships are made in particular by the detections and classifications of the data provided by the shore centers and by cooperative ships entering this area, as well as the identification and position monitoring of ships.
• the main monitoring center 29 includes, for example, means for periodically archiving the overall traffic situation, in particular for the purpose of retrospective operation.
• the method according to the invention comprises for example a series of steps 201, 202, 203 allowing the collective exploitation of this overall situation.
• a first step 201 notably consists in distributing to subscribers the required maritime traffic situation, that is to say an interesting or useful traffic situation for these subscribers.
• These subscribers are for example navigators, maritime traffic controllers or fleet operators.
• the main monitoring center 29 broadcasts the overall situation of maritime traffic through the appropriate media. For example, it collects and decrypts information supplied by subscribers beforehand, so that it only distributes to each subscriber the information to which it is entitled. There is thus a filtering of information according to the subscribers. This filtering can also be done by means equipping the subscribers.
• a second step 202 notably consists in presenting to each subscriber the information extracted from the previous filtering.
• the grouping center notably allows each subscriber to view the maritime traffic situation, this situation being associated with the local cartography relating to the subscriber. It communicates in particular the data specific to each selected vessel such as for example the identity, the route, the speed, the ports of departure and destination or the type of cargo. It alerts the subscriber in case of detection of a dangerous situation and proposes an optimum plan in the organization of rescue in the event of an accident.
• the invention therefore makes it possible to give all the navigators and maritime traffic controllers visibility on the traffic within a large area 21, without commensurate measurement with that provided by the means usually employed, by broadcasting periodically the overall traffic situation and allowing the visualization of all or part of the traffic.
• An advantage of the invention is in particular that it provides a privileged channel for raising personalized alerts from the main monitoring center 29.
• a third step 203 can for example be provided.
• This step consists of a posteriori management of maritime traffic.
• the global situation is periodically archived.
• the a posteriori management of the traffic can for example consist in reconstructing the course of a ship, in producing statistical traffic reports or even in predicting the traffic.
• FIG. 4 illustrates by a block diagram a device for implementing the method according to the invention.
• a device comprises at least one network of cooperative ships NC passing through the zone 21 to be monitored and the main monitoring center 29.
• the shore-based monitoring centers usually used.
• planes passing through the area to be monitored can be integrated into the device.
• the aforementioned means allow in particular the collection of maritime traffic information.
• a cooperative ship NC is equipped for example with a maritime surveillance radar 41, a satellite communications access terminal 42 and means 43 for collecting and shaping the information provided by the radar.
• these means 43 take the data of the radar situation developed by the maritime surveillance radar 41, put this data in an adapted form taking into account in particular the date of sampling, the position of the cooperative vessel and the identity of the vessels detected supplied by the local operator, on board the cooperative vessel.
• These means transmit for example in encrypted form ⁇
• a device also includes, for example, subscribers AB1, AB2.
• a subscriber may or may not be a cooperative vessel. It can also be a fleet operator of ships or a control center CT1, CT2, CT3 for maritime traffic control on land. It is notably equipped with the means set out below.
• the subscriber AB2 is a ship, it comprises for example a satellite communications access terminal 42.
• the subscriber AB1 is a fleet operator or a shore-based control center, it comprises for example a terminal 46 d access to a telematic network 20, for example the Internet network.
• a subscriber receives the information broadcast by the main monitoring center 29.
• a subscriber for example includes an electronic nautical chart 47 on which the local operator can carry out all the traditional monitoring operations.
• a subscriber includes means 48 for managing the local situation of maritime traffic. The input of these means is connected to the access means 42, 46, their output being for example connected to the electronic nautical chart 47.
• These means 48 include for example the following functions:
• the main monitoring center 29 includes for example the means described below. It therefore includes a satellite communications access terminal 42 associated with an antenna 44 for exchanging data with ships, in particular with cooperative and subscriber ships. It includes an access terminal 46 to the telematic network for exchanging data with ground actors, in particular information collectors and subscribers. It also includes, for example, an electronic nautical chart 47 on which an operator can carry out all the traditional navigation operations.
• the main monitoring center 29 also includes means for managing the overall situation of maritime traffic 49 connected to the access means 42, 46 and for example to the electronic nautical chart 47. These means collect traffic information from ships. cooperative by receiving them via the satellite access terminal. This information being collected, they ensure in particular the management of the overall situation of maritime traffic by the following functions:
• the management means 49 of the main center 29 also disseminate information relating to the overall situation of maritime traffic to the management means 48 equipping the subscribers, via the satellite communication means 42, 44 or via the network communication means 46 telematics 20. This information is for example broadcast in encrypted form.
• the management means 49 of the main center can also carry out a posteriori management of maritime traffic, for example by periodically archiving the global situation, by producing statistical traffic reports or by predicting traffic.
• a device therefore comprises for example a network of elements for collecting maritime traffic information.
• These elements are, for example, onshore surveillance centers, of the traditional type, and cooperative ships NC equipped with collection and shaping means 43 whose functions have been described previously.
• These collection means 43 use the information from the navigation equipment of cooperative ships, in particular their radar.
• the additional equipment necessary for a cooperative vessel to fulfill its task of collecting maritime traffic information essentially consists of collection means 43, since navigation equipment such as radar is already used elsewhere for traditional applications.
• these navigation equipment there are also generally the means access to satellite communications 42, 44 used in particular by GPS systems.
• the collection means 43 can equip planes fitted with radar and regularly fly over the area to be monitored. These planes are then cooperative and have the same function as a cooperative ship.
• a network of subscribers In addition to this network of actors in the collection of maritime traffic information, there is for example a network of subscribers, who may or may not be actors in the collection of information. These subscribers, who are therefore ships, maritime traffic control centers or flotilla operators for example, include means 48 for the local management of maritime traffic from information provided by the main center 29. These management means 48 still essentially constitute the additional equipment for accessing information insofar as the subscribers also use the means of access to satellite communications to a telematic network for their traditional applications.
• the coordination, dissemination and central management of all maritime traffic information is ensured by the main monitoring center 29, essentially using its means for managing the overall situation of maritime traffic 49, the latter notably exchanging information with the means for collecting 43 cooperative elements and with the means for managing the local situation 48 of the subscribers.
• the collection means 43 or management means 48, 49 are produced on the basis of processors, memory circuits and interfaces. Their material appearance is classic. They can, for example, be integrated into on-board computers or shore-based processing systems. They do not require any complex or costly specific hardware. An economic advantage of the invention therefore appears here. The latter allows effective surveillance over a large area with a limited overall surplus of equipment that is inexpensive.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Instructional Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 1999
  • 1999-12-21 FR FR9916165A patent/FR2802691B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-12-15 WO PCT/FR2000/003561 patent/WO2001046932A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-12-15 US US10/148,899 patent/US20030028293A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-12-15 JP JP2001547373A patent/JP2003518307A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-12-15 EP EP00988938A patent/EP1247270A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-12-15 AU AU25274/01A patent/AU2527401A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-12-15 CA CA002395081A patent/CA2395081A1/fr not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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