Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B49/00—Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
  • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
  • G01C21/38—Electronic maps specially adapted for navigation; Updating thereof
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G3/00—Traffic control systems for marine craft
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B39/00—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude

Definitions

• the technical sector of the present invention is that of electronic devices for assisting the navigation of ships, of the military or commercial ships type.
• the sector also extends to that of automatic routing methods using such devices.
• Responsiveness is conditioned by several factors including: the increased mobility of operational contexts, the need for “real-time” decision-making due to the high speed of information flow provided by new technologies; the need to build a response adapted to the objective pursued within set deadlines.
• the transoceanic course routing allows an optimization of the course to be followed according to the winds encountered or forecast and the operating poles of the float (angle of descent or ascent to the wind).
• the routing of merchant ships makes it possible to avoid, by reading isobaric maps, meteorological zones at risk for the float, such as zones with a strong ocean swell.
• the aim of the present invention is therefore to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above by proposing a navigation aid device making it possible to avoid human accidents, aircraft accidents as well as irreversible deformations of the structure of the ship by reducing the tasks to be carried out by the shift manager and the bridge commander.
• Another object of the invention is to present an automatic routing process for ships using such a device.
• the invention will aim to adapt this device and this method so that they are suitable for at least two ships, one master and the other slave.
• the object of the invention will be the integration of this device into the mobile navigation system.
• the invention relates to an electronic navigation aid device for ships such as military or commercial ships being subjected to constraints of the meteorological and / or operational type comprising the following elements: means for collect data such as meteorological data, loading data and operational constraint data,
• the invention also relates to an automatic routing method for ships such as military or commercial ships being subject to constraints of the meteorological and / or operational type, using an electronic navigation aid device and comprises the steps following: the collection of data of the meteorological data type, loading data and operational constraint data, modeling of the meteorological and operational context,
• the invention also relates to a device or a method as mentioned above and applicable to at least two ships, including at least one master and at least one associated slave.
• the electronic navigation aid device comprises a computer transmission network comprising a land / ship and ship / shore satellite link, as well as an on-board network in an active tree with access technique Ethernet (Starlan).
• a computer transmission network comprising a land / ship and ship / shore satellite link, as well as an on-board network in an active tree with access technique Ethernet (Starlan).
• This invention provides many notable advantages such as increased performance in terms of navigation management. Indeed, this increase is obtained by first of all a reduction in the cognitive constraints undergone by human operators such as for example:
• the invention has the advantage of providing decision support, for example:
• FIG. 1 represents an example of energy density spectra of two wave components used by the means of the invention to model the wave / ship interactions
• FIG. 2 represents a diagram illustrating the manner in which the invention makes it possible to calculate the interactions between the ship and the swell
• FIG. 3 represents an example of a two-dimensional graph in heading / speed indicating the admissible areas of navigation with regard to the roll criterion
• FIG. 4 represents an example of a two-dimensional graph in heading / speed indicating the operable areas of navigation by superimposing the areas admissible for the criterion of roll, pitch, heave, structural deformations as well as the direction and strength of the relative wind
• FIG. 1 represents an example of energy density spectra of two wave components used by the means of the invention to model the wave / ship interactions
• FIG. 2 represents a diagram illustrating the manner in which the invention makes it possible to calculate the interactions between the ship and the swell
• FIG. 3 represents an example of a two-dimensional graph in heading / speed
• FIG. 5 represents a diagram of an example of a data transmission network used when the invention is implemented on several ships, at least one of which is master and the other associated slave;
• FIG. 6 represents an example of a two-dimensional graph in heading / speed indicating the operable areas of navigation during an operational phase, as well as the graphic solution of a ship going from point A to point B and implementing aircraft for three hours;
• FIG. 7 represents an example of display that can be integrated into the electronic navigation map comprising a two-dimensional heading / speed graph indicating the operable areas of navigation as well as other criteria such as the speed of the ship.
• the invention therefore firstly refers to an electronic navigation aid device.
• This device can be used just as well on military ships as on commercial ships or any other type of similar machine.
• These types of buildings or ships are subject to multiple constraints during their use.
• the stresses suffered by these ships can also be operational depending on the task they have to perform.
• the invention can relate to a single ship, but also to a plurality of ships cooperating with each other.
• this device comprises the various means cited below: - means for collecting data of the meteorological data type, loading data and operational constraint data,
• - means for modeling the meteorological and operational context - means for modeling the platform of the ship, means for modeling the swell / ship interactions according to criteria such as roll, pitch, structural deformation, heaving, the bearing and the strength of the relative wind, - means for determining the admissible navigation zones for the vessel heading / speed, this for each of the criteria used when modeling the swell / vessel interactions, means for determining the operable zones for the vessel by combining the admissible zones of at least two criteria.
• the collection of meteorological data can, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, be carried out via a satellite land / ship and ship / land link, this link being integrated into a computer network as a support. physics of the invention. Using this link, it is then possible to access available weather models such as those provided by the US government weather forecasting organization.
• the loading data as well as that concerning the operational constraints can be partly entered manually. These are parameters such as load distribution on the ships.
• All of the other means constituting the invention are preferably generated by a second branch of the computer network, physical support of the invention, namely an on-board LAN network in active tree with Ethernet access technique.
• the latter includes support for the user interface, and also support for the computational kernel performing the following operations:
• the execution of the data fusion algorithm allowing to reach the admissible and operable areas of the ship.
• the swell modeling performed by the computational kernel, can give rise to a graphic representation such as visible in Figure 1, where we can see the energy density spectra of two wave components, these spectra being used for the subsequent modeling of wave / ship interactions.
• a graphic representation such as visible in Figure 1, where we can see the energy density spectra of two wave components, these spectra being used for the subsequent modeling of wave / ship interactions.
• To arrive at such a modeling one can for example take the hypotheses of a linear, sinusoidal and deterministic polychromatic swell.
• the fluid is then considered to be perfect and irrotational, and the analysis of the state of the sea can take the form of a spectral analysis, its density spectrum used being the JONSWAP spectrum (Joint North Sea Wave Project), or a spectrum similar.
• the modeling of the vessel is carried out using the slice method.
• Different calculations are carried out such as the determination of the hydrostatic, hydrodynamic and mechanical coefficients, such as for example the stability modulus, the hull coefficients, the added mass and damping coefficients, the mass inertia or even the section inertia .
• These calculations can in particular be carried out by discretizing the live works in six vertical sections and ten longitudinal sections, and the dead works in seven vertical sections and ten longitudinal sections, this making a total of two hundred and sixty facets for the boat hull alone.
• This discretization is carried out from the shape plan of the ship and the loading of the model is carried out in accordance with the actual loading case and the estimate of the masses.
• the calculation kernel then combines all of these data to deduce the swell / ship interactions (figure 2) according to an appropriate calculation method, and using calculation hypotheses. like for example an established periodic regime, or even amplitude movements low.
• This modeling of the swell / ship interactions is then determined for different criteria such as roll, pitch, structural deformation, heaving, bearing and the strength of the relative wind.
• the following application of the computational kernel corresponds to the execution of the data fusion algorithm.
• the architecture of the data fusion system is advantageously a centralized architecture where all the information is collected and analyzed by the computational kernel.
• the information collected is of two types. First of all, this is the static type, for all ship modeling data and models for forecasting the state of the sea before sailing.
• wave modeling is information of the dynamic type for real-time information in platform movements from inertial navigation units, results of modeling of wave / ship interactions, downloaded data for modeling weather conditions on the operating area and meteorological observations of the on-board user.
• the operable zones are then defined, as was recalled above, by superimposing the graphs of different criteria, to deduce therefrom the heading / speed zones being the least unfavorable for the deformations of the structure of the ship.
• An example of such a graph is visible in Figure 4, where the light parts represent the operable areas of navigation when taking into account all of the following criteria: roll, pitch, structural deformation, heaving , the bearing and the strength of the relative wind.
• the computer platform used is mainly characterized by its ergonomics, ease of access and scalability.
• the device of the invention s, addressing among others in combat building users, it needs to offer a similar feel to that of standard computer applications such as Microsoft ®, already widespread in ships.
• the programming language is preferably an object oriented language like Visual Basic ® from Microsoft ®.
• the criteria for choosing this language are multiple: we can notably cite the fact that the language is of the graphic type, offering a very O 02/097763
• the scripting language allows among other things the writing of calculation routines, of communication between the applications and the extraction of data in a flow of information. Language must also enable compliance with the standard Windows ® environment and Microsoft ® OOP. This standard then allows the use of any component of the program: object, graphical interface, and this by an external application thanks to ActiveX ® technology. Finally, Visual Basic ® allows to generate after compilation, independent executable files which can be launched from any machine under Windows 98 ® or Windows NT ® .
• the invention also relates to an automatic routing method capable of implementing the device as described above.
• This process therefore comprises the following stages: the collection of data of the meteorological data type, loading data and operational constraint data, modeling of the meteorological and operational context,
• the device is produced so as to apply to at least two ships, including at least one master ship and at least one associated slave ship.
• each ship not to have all of the means such as those used during the implementation of the invention for a single ship, but only have certain on-board means, data which may be transmitted by vessels working on their behalf.
• each ship namely the master ship and the two associated slave ships, comprises means for collecting data of the loading data type and operational constraint data. In the case of associated slave ships, this data is transmitted to the master ship.
• each master ship further comprising the following means: means for collecting meteorological data type data, means for modeling the meteorological context, means for modeling the operational context of the ship as well as that of the two associated slave ships, - means for modeling the platform of the ship as well as those of the two associated slave ships, means for modeling the swell / ship interactions according to criteria such as roll, pitch, structural deformation, heaving, bearing and the strength of the relative wind, this for the ship as well as for each of the two associated slave ships, means for determining the permissible navigation zones in heading / speed for the ship as well as for each associated slave ship, this for each of the criteria used during modeling of the swell / ship interactions, means for determining the operable areas for the ship as well than for each associated vessel by combining the zones of at least two criteria.
• the device preferably includes a computer network as a physical medium for the invention.
• the latter also consists of a land / ship and ship / shore satellite link, this being found only on the master ship.
• the link then forms part of the means for collecting meteorological data, and also allows the transmission from the master ship to the two associated slave ships, modeling for these ships of the swell / ship interactions, as well as admissible and operable areas of navigation.
• the satellite link allows at the same time the transmission of the slave ships to the master ship with which they are associated, loading data of the ship as well as data corresponding to the operational constraints.
• the computer network comprises an on-board network with an active tree of the Starlan type, the latter being in particular part of the means for modeling the meteorological context, means for modeling the platform.
• the results are presented in a similar manner to that used in the first embodiment, namely by the use of a graphic support diagramming a two-dimensional graph in heading / speed.
• the main modification with respect to the first embodiment of the invention therefore corresponds to the different data transmissions between the master ship and the two associated slave ships, thus allowing each ship not to embark the entire device according to the invention.
• An automatic routing method implementing such a device is also an object of the invention. It then comprises the following steps: the collection of data of the loading data and operational constraint data type and, in the case of a slave ship, the transmission of this data to the master ship with which it is associated.
• the following steps are carried out on the master ship: collecting data of the meteorological data type, - modeling the meteorological context, modeling the operational context of the ship as well as modeling the context of each associated slave ship, modeling of the platform of the ship as well as the modeling of the platform of each associated slave ship, O 02/097763
• An application of the devices according to the invention consists of an automatic routing method making it possible to determine for each vessel, during a phase of operations of the latter and knowing the duration t of these operations as well as the points of departure and arrival of each vessel, the heading / speed pair belonging to the operable zones of the vessel making it possible to minimize the distance to be traveled by the vessel between its position at the end of the operation phase and its arrival point previously fixed.
• This navigation optimization must integrate the following data: the operable areas of the vessels concerned, the departure and arrival points of each vessel, as well as the duration of the sensitive operations. According to the example given, it is a vessel going from point A to point B and operating aircraft for a period of three hours. The method then makes it possible to choose the heading / speed pairs belonging to the operable navigation zones which will have the consequence that at the end of the operations, the ship O 02/097763
• FIG. 7 Another embodiment of the invention consists of an electronic navigation map integrating the display of the results of such a device, and also other important parameters when making a decision. It will then be a display (FIG. 7) which may include: a two-dimensional heading / speed graph corresponding to one criterion or to a multitude of criteria combined, depending on the choice of use,

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Navigation (AREA)

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• 2001
  • 2001-06-01 FR FR0107248A patent/FR2825502B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-06-03 EP EP02748922A patent/EP1393283A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-06-03 WO PCT/FR2002/001855 patent/WO2002097763A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2002-06-03 PL PL02359498A patent/PL359498A1/xx unknown

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