ES2728709A1 - DEVICE FOR OBTAINING THE POSITION OF A PRODUCT, SUBPRODUCT, ACTIVE OR PHYSICAL ELEMENT THROUGH A SUPPLY CHAIN ¿¿OF THE NAVAL INDUSTRY (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

The present description refers to a device (100) for obtaining the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry, the device being attachable to said product, by-product, active or physical element This device comprises a device positioning module (101); a communication module (103) comprising at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface; a control module (102) for obtaining the positioning of the device (100) from data provided by the positioning module (101); select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with an external system (105; 106); transmit to the external system (105; 106) at least the positioning obtained from the device (100). The device further comprises a power module (104) to provide power to the different modules of the device. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device to obtain the position of a product, by-product, asset or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry

The present description refers to a device for obtaining the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element, along a supply chain of the naval industry.

STATE OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE

The traceability of products, by-products, assets or elements of heavy industry is the object of multiple lines of research framed in the application of the principles of Industry 4.0.

The concept of products, by-products, assets or elements has been used to describe objects that can be transported within the naval industry, and that could be, by way of non-limiting example: tubes, pallets, containers, accessories, vehicles, ship blocks , armament and / or personnel. In the broadest sense, the term can be applied to anything that can move and / or be transported in the naval industry. It should be considered that, unlike other industries, goods and assets of great value can be moved in the naval industry.

Products, by-products, assets or items are transported from multiple suppliers and different means of transport to their final destination. Currently, there is some standardization in certain aspects of transport logistics (for example, containers with ISO certifications that contain pallets). Containers are usually transported on cargo ships and it is common to use cranes to remove containers from ships. Containers can be stored until a truck or train is available to take them to the next destination. Container contents are extracted when a warehouse is reached. It should be considered that this is only one possible example, since there may be multiple ways of transporting the assets, and the present invention can be applied to any type of transport means.

Although each entity in the business model records the location of an asset, it is difficult to contemplate traceability throughout the entire supply chain since each stakeholder or agent involved uses a different system. For example, the inventory in the shipyard may use a different technology from that available in a warehouse. The existence of multiple decentralized systems adds cost, complexity and increases the probability of human errors. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate different systems to identify each asset.

As an example, there are hundreds or thousands of assets dispersed and potentially stored on top of each other in the stores. The traceability system must be able to contemplate the most complex designs of the storage facility.

Currently, in order to carry out the traceability of products, by-products, assets or elements in locations and / or facilities owned by the shipbuilding industry, assets are identified using mainly marking with 2D code reading systems (QR code), 1D codes ( bars), characters (OCR font) or RFID technology.

Especially relevant is the use of passive RFID tags or tags in products, by-products, assets or elements (for example, pallets), performing monitoring when passing through a gateway or gateway, which acts as a reader. Passive RFID tags are relatively cheap and can last indefinitely. The main limitation of this system is that the products have to go through designated areas, which implies the need to have an infrastructure deployed in each location and / or installation (for example, warehouse, workshop or shipyard) and the added inconvenience of having to go through a gateway or gateway.

Another alternative solution may be based on the use of triangulation systems using multi-antenna techniques, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO). The system can make periodic requests to the network of passive RFID tags coupled to products, by-products, assets or elements and multiple antennas can triangulate the tag location. The main problem with this solution is that the antenna network is not very flexible and limits coverage to the location and / or installation. Therefore, the system must be replicated in each specific infrastructure, location and / or installation (for example, in a shipyard or warehouse).

In the prior art, document DE 202016000502 U1 discloses a sensor unit (ie, temperature, relative humidity, acceleration, pressure, air quality, gases), location and wireless alarm Wide Area Network (WAN) with low consumption power.

Document CN 206077690U discloses a tracking system based on LoRa and GPRS communications technology with the aim of increasing positioning accuracy and reducing consumption.

Document US 2009/0290512 A1 discloses a Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LR-WPAN) wireless communications system that allows communication of a control station with multiple containers loaded on a cargo ship. The system includes a device configured to establish and manage a pre-configured wireless data network and communicate with the server through a local area network and multiple tracking devices each with a transceiver and routing capabilities. The device is configured to perform an intermittent network scan to locate each connected device and reconfigure the network topology to include each connected device.

Document ES 2385913 A1 (P 200931303) discloses a hardware platform that allows high connectivity both by cable and wireless, ensuring ultra low consumption through the use of switched power supplies and the combination of technologies. It also includes a high precision data acquisition system and a GPS module for the geolocation of the platform. This system allows the different parts of the platform to be disconnected locally or remotely, to ensure high power autonomy. It allows online debugging and real-time traffic capture between the different modules of the platform. It guarantees the integrity and confidentiality of the data through encryption.

Document MX PA01002487 A discloses a method for locating in a wireless communication system from signals transmitted from a set of satellites.

Document MX 2014003311 A discloses a hardware and software system of geolocation, telemetry, communication and security of vehicles, people, objects and animals. The device has a GNSS module that obtains the geographical position and sends it to the control platform via internet and GSM / GPRS / 2G / 3G / 4G, TETRA and IRIDIUM wireless technologies supported by the communication module (it does not include LPWAN technologies such as SigFox or LoRa). The system allows the most appropriate technology to be switched on stage. Record routes when there is no GNSS signal using motion sensors: gyroscope, barometer, magnetometer and accelerometer. It contains an SD memory to store calls and movement history. It has a panic button for emergency communication with a predetermined number.

The document MX PA06007257 A presents a method to improve the accuracy and robustness of the location by integrating the information obtained through A-GPS (Assisted GPS) and performing additional calculations considering characteristics of the signal (eg, TOA, TDOA) that can be extracted from base stations

Document MX 9503068 A discloses a wireless calling and localization system in the local area that operates with very high frequency batteries and hertzian waves. The wireless signals are generated by manually activated buttons, sensors (eg, presence, smoke, open window) that are received through a radio receiver and sent by cable to a communication module from where they pass to the central processing unit, coupled to a man-machine interface, which returns them processed so that a radio transceiver sends them to the locators. The system is designed for department stores and self-service, restaurants, hospitals and bank, industrial, commercial and residential protection systems.

WO / 2011/140435 discloses methods and apparatus for performing geolocation in urban and indoor environments, including a method that involves the relay of the signal received from some wireless devices to others for geolocation based on the physical characteristics of the received signal, a state transition matrix and a state occupation vector.

Document US 2003 / 0137968A1 proposes the monitoring of assets through wireless communications throughout the entire supply chain, using a minimum additional infrastructure and in a way that is easily integrated into different industries. The document presents four scenarios:

• A remote monitoring station and a network of identification tags . Each tag is paired to an asset and is configured to communicate wirelessly with other tags in the network within a predetermined proximity range. Each tag can be configured with the remote monitoring station either directly or by relay with other tags;

• A wireless identification tag associated with an asset to be monitored, where the tag belongs to a network of tags configured to communicate with the remote monitoring station. The tag includes a portable power supply and a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with other tags in a predetermined proximity range. Distance is a function of the power provided by the power supply. The tag includes a memory that stores information about the asset it monitors. The memory is configured to store the logic of several algorithms (for example, communications relay ) and a processor to execute that logic;

• Multiple radio frequency identification tags associated with the asset to be monitored.

Each tag communicates with others within its proximity network creating multiple networks. The system includes multiple remote monitoring stations and a central monitoring station that communicates with all the remote ones;

• Each asset has a tag, which is part of a network, which transmits the location.

The tags are surveyed to monitor environmental conditions by means of temperature, pressure, humidity, radiation and vibration sensors.

The document focuses on the logical configuration of the network.

Document US 2007/0080153 describes an apparatus and system for wirelessly identifying, locating and monitoring the status of welding devices in the operator's workplace or in warehouses.

WO2011038018A1 presents a device and method for monitoring assets with a passive radio frequency tag . The device includes a transceiver with a radio frequency module, an asset with a tag attached, a memory associated with the tag and an active radio frequency reader that transmits the scanned data to a server.

Consequently, there is a need for a device that at least partially solves the problems mentioned above.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, a device is provided to obtain the position of a product, byproduct, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry. This device can be attachable to said product, byproduct, active or physical element. It is characterized by the fact that the device comprises:

• a device positioning module;

• a communications module comprising at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface;

• a control module configured to:

^or obtain the positioning of the device from data provided by the positioning module of the device;

^or select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with an external system;

^or transmit to the external system, through the selected sub-module of communications, at least the positioning obtained from the device;

• a power module to provide power to at least the device positioning module, the communications module and the control module.

In this way, a device is provided which, depending on the environment in which the external system is located, has the ability to select a sub-module with a communications interface suitable for connecting to said external system. Therefore, it allows to obtain the position of any product, by-product, active or physical elements with a precision of meters, with a fast and simple deployment and with a low cost of implementation and maintenance, throughout the entire supply chain of The naval industry, that is, allows to optimize the traceability, identification, monitoring and location of the different products, by-products, assets or elements that make up the main processes of the naval industry throughout its life cycle.

In addition, the device eliminates the need to deploy additional infrastructure, being a quick and simple deployment; With a low cost of implementation and maintenance. All the work of configuration, detection and management of new nodes can be done in a way automatic In this regard, any end user could add a node to the network quickly and easily.

On the other hand, the architecture of the invention allows, therefore, the use of several communications technologies and the choice of the most appropriate solution at every moment, offering at all times the best compromise between the requirements of the scenario, the lowest consumption, the speed of refreshment needed, as well as the technology with greater coverage. On the other hand, its design and interoperability allow you to easily add technologies that offer greater precision such as BLE ( Bluetooth Low Energy), UWB ( Ultra-WideBand) or Wi-Fi to extend the system to indoor positioning.

The invention is designed considering the paradigm of Internet of Things (Internet of Things, IoT). Its modular architecture allows integration with multiple nodes (sensors, actuators or devices that control movement), making it a versatile alternative.

In order to minimize consumption, these communication interfaces can remain off or in a low consumption mode most of the time. Because data is sent with a very low periodicity, most hardware must remain in an ultra-low power state until it is necessary to acquire and / or send data. The refresh rate is not considered critical, it may be hours or depending on the scenario, even days. As a consequence, the data transfer rate is extremely low. For example, coordinates of one position every hour can be about 480 bytes / day.

The term "dockable" refers to the fact that the device can be associated or fixed to the product, byproduct, active or physical element, for its positioning.

In some examples, the at least one communications sub-module may comprise at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system if it is in an uncontrolled, long-range environment. outside infrastructure. This sub-module communications interface can be based on LPWAN ( Low-Power Wide Area Networks) technology with external infrastructure, such as SigFox or 2G / 3G / 4G.

In this scenario, any element of relevant size can be located in a naval field along its supply chain. For example, in the case of a shipyard, a pallet or a container could be located during the transfer of material from the supplier to the arrival at the port or the shipyard.

In some examples, the at least one communications sub-module may comprise at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system if it is in a controlled, medium-range and infrastructure environment. own. This sub-module communications interface can be based on LPWAN technology with its own infrastructure, such as LoRa.

In this scenario it is possible to locate any relevant element within an industrial infrastructure (for example, a vehicle, a block or machinery) or within the facilities and storage areas (for example, stands, workshops, etc.).

In any case, the use of LPWAN-based communications technologies is appropriate because they are wireless communication technologies that meet the requirements of heavy industry. To achieve great distances, they use bands below GHz since these frequencies are more resilient to attenuation and multipath when the transmission powers are reduced. They also implement modulations that sacrifice transfer rates in favor of transmitting more energy in each symbol, achieving reception sensitivities of up to -134 dBm (for example, LoRa). To achieve these very low sensitivities, LPWAN technologies mainly use narrowband and spread spectrum. In addition, the use of LPWAN also provides high scalability.

In some examples, the communications module may comprise:

^or at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system if it is in an uncontrolled, long-range and external infrastructure;

^or at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system if it is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure.

In some examples, the control module, to select a sub-module of the communications module, comprising a communication interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system, may be configured to, once the device positioning is obtained:

■ select, based on the positioning of the device obtained, a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises an appropriate communication interface to establish communication with the external system.

On the other hand, the control module, to select a sub-module of the communications module, comprising a communication interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system, may be configured to:

■ perform a scan to obtain at least one communications interface available on the external system;

■ select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system, based on the at least one communication interface of the external system obtained in the scan performed.

According to some examples, the device may further comprise a device for detecting movement of the device, and in which the control module is configured to:

^or receive a control signal indicative of the movement of the device, from the motion detection module.

In this way, it is possible both to send the positioning data periodically and to use some device that allows the detection of movements, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, so that updates of the device position are only sent when the element monitored scrolls. This allows to vary the periodicity of the sending of data in function of the movement, obtaining greater precision and lower consumption.

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In some examples, the control module may be configured to receive the control signal indicative of the movement of the device:

or obtain the positioning of the device from data provided by the positioning module of the device;

or select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system;

or transmit to the external system, through the selected sub-module of communications, at least the positioning obtained from the device.

The device can also comprise a waterproof housing, which can easily be added to any product, by-product, active or physical element, with a completely wireless operation.

The device positioning module can be selected from at least one of the following: a global satellite navigation system (in English, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)); Real-time kinetic satellite navigation (in English, Real Time Kinematic (RTK)).

According to a second aspect, a system is provided to obtain the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry. This system may include:

• at least one device as described above;

• at least one external system.

In some examples, at least one external system can be found in an uncontrolled, long-range and third-party infrastructure. The external system may comprise:

• at least one communications interface with external infrastructure, configured to establish communication with at least one device;

• a data network;

• a base station;

• a backend with outside infrastructure.

According to some examples, at least one external system can be found in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure. The external system may comprise:

• at least one communications interface with its own infrastructure, configured to establish communication with at least one device;

• a central server of the external system;

• a backend with its own infrastructure.

Other objects, advantages and features of embodiments of the invention will be apparent to the person skilled in the art from the description, or can be learned with the practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, particular embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

The unique figure shows a block diagram of a system to obtain the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry.

DETAILED EXHIBITION OF REALIZATION MODES

Currently, shipyards are using the latest technological innovations in the improvement of existing industrial processes on a day-to-day basis in order to create a 4.0 Shipyard (that is, a shipyard that applies the principles of Industry 4.0).

The construction of a ship in a shipyard is a complex task involving many processes. The high number of geographic locations, actors, assets and entities involved in the processes incur certain problems: lack of information and control, multiple administrative procedures that increase the likelihood of human errors, inefficient logistics, lost assets in transit, reduced security level , loss of visibility of the supply chain or lack of traceability. A complete traceability of the main assets involved allows greater control of logistics and production.

An example of an important process in a shipyard is the manufacture of metal pipes, which constitute a fundamental part of the ship. The use of the pipes ranges from the transport of fuel or coolant to the engines, to the conduction of drinking water or waste management. For this reason, it is important to maintain its traceability, which makes it possible to expedite the maintenance procedures of the tubes, quickly locate them and facilitate the obtaining of the characteristics of each tube. The process of managing the pipes in a shipyard varies depending on it, but, in general, it can be said that currently the procedure for managing the tubes of a ship follows a scheme where two different scenarios are distinguished:

• outside the shipyard (from suppliers until arrival at the shipyard);

• inside the shipyard (scenarios that involve the movement between the warehouse, the different workshops and the ship where it is assembled and the elements reach the end of their useful life).

In the particular case of a shipyard, traceability ranges from the products, by-products, assets or elements that make up other products and / or the ship being processed by the supplier, while traveling to the shipyard from a remote location, when they find inside the shipyard itself and until the end of its useful life in a ship.

In the specific case of the product, by-product, active or tube element, inside the shipyard they are initially deposited in a storage area of the workshop, which they will abandon depending on the production needs. When the tubes are in production, for traceability purposes, they can be added a label that contains identifying information of the piece. Usually the tubes are stacked on pallets, which make up the element to be transferred between the different phases of the production chain.

When the pallet is moved, the information of the tubes included in it is read by the operators in order to identify the process to which each tube must be subjected. Among the data that has the documentation that accompanies each tube, the phases through which each tube has passed, which operator has performed each operation, the signature of the respective supervisors, the remaining processes and the corresponding dates are included. When a tube needs accessories to complete its manufacture, these are grouped according to the pallet

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in which they are stacked, so that the identification is visual and the manual location. Once the pallets leave the production area, they are moved to a pre-shipment storage area.

When the production of a tube ends and is required for mounting on the ship, stowage is produced. This phase, which is carried out on demand of the operators, attempts to optimize so that the largest possible number of tubes is shipped. At the moment when the tubes are in the vessel, it should be possible to know whether or not a tube is installed in its final position.

In a ship, it is common to find multiple metal elements and a large density of tubes. These elements increase the difficulty of the location. The most critical case at the level of density of pipes and metallic insulation will be that which occurs in different instances of the ship in which the pipes go below ground, this being metallic.

Accordingly, the invention is optimized for heavy industry environments that suffer from a hostile communications environment. Specifically it is suitable for shipyards, both on the dock, workshops (for example, tubers, pre-armament), ship blocks and inside these ships during their construction.

As can be seen in the Single Figure, a device 100 for obtaining the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry can comprise the following elements:

• a device positioning module 101;

• a communications module 103 comprising at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface;

• a control module 102 configured to:

^or obtaining the positioning of the device 100 from data provided by the device positioning module 101;

^or select a sub-module of the communications module, comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with an external system 105; 106;

^or transmit to the external system 105; 106, through the selected sub-module of communications, at least the positioning obtained from the device 100;

• a power module 104 to provide power to at least the device positioning module 101, the communication module 103 and the control module 102.

The device positioning module 101 may comprise, for example, a global satellite navigation system (in English, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) and / or a real-time satellite kinetic navigation system (in English, Real Time Kinematic (RTK)), such as GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, WASS, EGNOSS, QZSS, SBAS or BEIDU.

With respect to the communication module 103, it may allow communication between the device 100 and the external system 105; 106, wired or wireless, through a corresponding communications sub-module.

In the case of a wired communication, this communications module 103 may comprise at least one serial port connecting to the external system 105; 106, such as USB, micro USB, mini USB, Firewire or Ethernet.

In the case of wireless communications, the communications module 103 may be based on wireless communication technologies suited to the requirements of heavy industry, such as Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN). To achieve large distances, these technologies use bands below GHz, since these frequencies are more resilient to attenuation and multi-path when transmission powers are reduced. They also implement modulations that sacrifice transfer rates in favor of transmitting more energy in each symbol, achieving reception sensitivities of up to -134 dBm (for example, LoRa). As a comparison, LTE works with reception sensitivities ranging from -105 to -124 dBm depending on the channel, while Wi-Fi needs a power of at least -84 dBm to achieve a transfer rate of 12 Mbps. these sensitivities so low, LPWAN technologies mainly use narrow band and spread spectrum.

As for the network topology used by these solutions, developers tend to opt for a star type topology. By having very long distance links, and being the

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very limited nodes in terms of consumption, using mesh type topologies is counterproductive, because intermediate nodes significantly increase their consumption.

As for the higher layers in the communications protocol, LPWAN technologies have, on the one hand, much lighter access control to the medium, usually ALOHA instead of CSMA / CA. On the other hand, they tend to download complex tasks at the base stations rather than at the end nodes.

The rise of these technologies is reflected in the number of standards that have emerged in recent years aimed at supporting LPWAN networks. Table 1 shows the most relevant standards, grouped by the organization that supports them.

Table 1: LPWAN standards and organizations that support them.

This great diversity of standards entails little or no implementation of most of them, so developing a prototype that makes use of them is in many cases unfeasible. There are also several commercial technologies oriented to LPWAN networks, the most relevant being those presented in Table 2.

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Table 2: Most relevant commercial LPWAN technologies today

Of the mentioned technologies, it should be noted that RPMA does not have coverage in, for example, Spain. Likewise, Telensa offers a series of services ( Smart Lighting, Smart Parking and Smart Cities), but does not offer a development kit to adapt its technology to specific solutions.

Thus, the communication module 103 of the device 100 may comprise at least one sub-module with a communication interface of the LPWAN type with external infrastructure, this sub-module being suitable for establishing communication with an external system 106 that is located in an uncontrolled, long-range environment (distance of tens of kilometers) and outside infrastructure. In this case, the communications interface can be based on the GSM / GPRS and SigFox technologies, which provide a series of base stations with which the communication interfaces of the device 100 can communicate directly. SigFox provides a series of web services through which it is able to capture and forward the sent messages. These technologies are ideal to cover long distances or scenarios where it is not possible to deploy own infrastructure.

SigFox uses the traditional mobile phone network to deploy its base stations.

3G / GSM reach similar coverage to SigFox but without the license restrictions of the latter. Although a SIM card and an associated line are necessary, in general the negotiation with a telephone company is more advantageous when there is competition. Also, a priori, SigFox has a lower consumption, so it is necessary to check if in real conditions 3G / GSM has a low enough consumption to be used with batteries.

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In addition, SigFox technology has attractive features for heavy industry. SigFox has base station coverage in much of, for example, Spain. It also allows point-to-point connectivity between two nodes without limiting the number of daily messages you have when using the base station infrastructure. As a restriction, it presents the need to acquire licenses, for which you have to pay annually to use the base station infrastructure.

On the other hand, the communication module 103 of the device may comprise at least one sub-module comprising a communication interface of the LPWAN type with its own infrastructure, this sub-module being suitable for establishing communication with an external system 105 that is located in a controlled environment, medium range (distance between 500 meters and two kilometers) and own infrastructure. In this case, the communications interface can be based on LoRa technology, which also has attractive features for heavy industry.

LoRa technology needs base stations to be deployed, although its cost is very low, being ideal for more controlled environments. LoRa allows greater flexibility when configuring interfaces, the most used commercial solutions being able to vary between three power modes and numerous modulation configurations. It allows point-to-point communication, being very simple to configure a module as a base station and allowing up to 255 nodes to communicate with it without relying on external infrastructure. LoRaWAN can be deployed on LoRa, which offers advanced media access mechanisms or the ability to encrypt messages to increase system security.

Other examples of communications technologies that can potentially be included by the invention are RFID, BLE ( Bluetooth Low Energy), WiFi (IEEE 802.11 b / g / n / ac), UWB ( Ultra Wide Band), ZigBee, Dash7, Z- Wave, Wireless HART or RuBee. While the scope and consumption of some of the technologies mentioned may not be suitable for a general location solution, they may be useful for specific monitoring situations in the supply chain. For example, there are some low-power Wi-Fi nodes that at the same time have Bluetooth connectivity (ESP-32) that could be used to facilitate the association of different tubes or accessories to a specific pallet.

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In the present examples, as shown in the Single Figure, the communication module 103 may comprise:

• at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system 106, which is in an uncontrolled, long-range and external infrastructure. As previously mentioned, this communications interface can be based on LPWAN with third-party infrastructure, such as SigFox;

• at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system 105, which is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure. As also mentioned above, this communications interface can be based on LPWAN with its own infrastructure, such as LoRa.

Clearly, according to other examples, the communication module 103 may comprise only at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system 106 if it is in an uncontrolled, long environment. external scope and infrastructure, or at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system 105 if it is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure.

The control module 102 can be implemented with a fully computerized, fully electronic configuration or by a combination of both.

In the event that the control module 102 is purely computer, the module may comprise a memory and a processor (for example, a microprocessor), in which the memory stores computer program instructions executable by the processor, these instructions comprising functionalities to execute a procedure to control the device 100, which will be described later.

The described memory may be comprised in the processor or it may be external. In the case that it is external, it can be, for example, data storage means such as magnetic disks (for example, hard disks), optical disks (for example, DVD or CD), memory cards, flash memories ( for example, pendrives) or solid state drives (RAM-based, flash-based SSDs, etc.). These storage media

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they can be part of the device itself and / or can be arranged remotely to it, connected wired or wirelessly. In the case of being arranged remotely, the communication established between the device 100 and the storage means can be ensured by, for example, username / password, cryptographic keys and / or by an SSL tunnel established in the communication between the device and Storage media

Accordingly, the set of computer program instructions executable by the processor (such as a computer program) may be stored in physical storage media, such as recording media, a computer memory, or a read-only memory, but it can also be carried by a carrier wave, such as electrical or optical.

The computer program may be in the form of source code, object code or an intermediate code between source code and object code, such as partially compiled form, or in any other form suitable for use in the implementation of the described procedures.

The carrier medium can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program.

For example, as described above, the carrier means may comprise storage means, such as a ROM, for example, a CD ROM or a semiconductor ROM , or a magnetic recording medium, for example a hard disk. It could also be an SSD solid state drive. In addition, the carrier means may be a transmissible carrier medium such as an electrical or optical signal that can be transmitted via electrical or optical cable or by radio or other means.

When the computer program is contained in a signal that can be transmitted directly by means of a cable or other device or medium, the carrier medium may be constituted by said cable or other device or medium.

Alternatively, the carrier means may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is encapsulated ( embedded) , said integrated circuit being adapted to perform or for use in performing the relevant procedures.

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With respect to the processor, it can be, for example, a microprocessor, such as an STM32F107VC from the ST Microelectronics company . This microprocessor contains an ARM Cortex M3 72 MHz core and is accompanied by a small EEPROM memory (that is, the memory described above is internal and corresponds to the M24512 model, also from the ST Microelectronics company ), which allows data storage and storage. which also allows the microcontroller firmware to be updated from, for example, a personal computer, preferably through a USB or mini USB port. The capacity of this memory is 512 Kbytes and can communicate via I2C communication lines with the microcontroller.

Additionally, an integrated circuit can be mounted to protect the microcontroller against possible electrostatic discharge.

The microcontroller firmware can be defined as the software that governs the behavior of the control module, that is, it corresponds to the set of computer program instructions described above.

The hardware directly associated with this microcontroller consists of a quartz crystal, for example 25 MHz, necessary to generate the microcontroller's clock signal, a JTAG connector ( Joint Test Action Group, IEEE 1149.1-1990 standard) to implement programming tasks and debugging, and a whole set of decoupling capacitors needed to reduce switching noise levels.

The hardware associated with EEPROM memory consists only of two polarization resistors to raise the voltage of the I2C communication lines, which are directly connected to the microcontroller.

On the other hand, the control module 102 may have a purely electronic configuration, so it could be formed by a programmable electronic device such as a CPLD ( Complex Programmable Logic Device), an FPGA ( Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC ( Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

In addition, the control module 102 could also present a hybrid configuration between computer and electronics. In this case, the module should comprise a memory and a microcontroller to implement a part of its functionalities, as well as certain electronic circuits to implement the rest of the functionalities.

In any case, whatever the implementation of the control module 102 (computer, electronic or hybrid), it must be configured to execute a procedure to control the device 100, the procedure of which may comprise the following steps:

• obtain the positioning of the device 100 from data provided by the device positioning module 101;

• select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system 105; 106;

• transmit to the external system 105, 106, through the selected communications sub-module, at least the positioning obtained from the device 100.

The execution of this procedure can be initiated according to different conditions. For example, the execution can be carried out periodically or it can be done when a specific action occurs. For this last case, the device 100 may comprise a module (not shown) for detecting movement of the device, which may comprise, for example, at least one of the following elements: accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers and / or magnetometers. Thus, only updates of the position of the device 100 are sent when it is moved. This allows to vary the periodicity of the sending of data in function of the movement, obtaining greater precision and lower consumption.

For periodic execution, with the aim of minimizing consumption, the communication interfaces present in the device 100 (more specifically, in the communication module 103) can remain off most of the time or in a low consumption mode. Because data is sent with a very low periodicity, most hardware must remain in an ultra-low power state until it is necessary to acquire and / or send data. The refresh rate is not considered critical, it may be hours or depending on the scenario, even days. As a consequence, the data transfer rate can become extremely low. For example, coordinates of one position every hour can be about 480 bytes / day.

In addition, the transmission of the positioning data of the device 100 can be performed on demand, that is, it is the external system 105; 106 that requests the data from the device.

The selection of the communications sub-module by the control module 102 may depend on the environment in which the external system is located.

First, the external system 106 can be found in an uncontrolled, long-range environment (distance of tens of kilometers) and external infrastructure. In this scenario, any element of relevant size can be located in a naval field along its supply chain. For example, in the case of a shipyard, a pallet or a container could be located during the transfer of material from the supplier to the arrival at the port or the shipyard.

On the other hand, the external system 105 can be found in a limited environment controlled, medium range (distance between 500 meters and 2 kilometers) and own infrastructure. In this scenario it is possible to locate any relevant element within an industrial infrastructure (for example, a vehicle, a block or machinery) within the facilities and storage areas (for example, stands, workshops, etc.).

To determine in which environment the external system 105 is located; 106 or to determine which communications interface may be the most suitable or capable to connect to the corresponding external system, module 102 can perform a scan or scan of the available communication interfaces in the environment. Based on the localized interfaces, the control module 102 may select a communications sub-module capable of establishing communication with the external system. This selection can be made based on different criteria, such as lower consumption, the necessary refresh rate, as well as the technology with greater coverage.

Alternatively or in addition, the selection of the communications sub-module can also be done through the positioning of the device 100 obtained by the device positioning module 101. Knowing their position, it is possible to know what communication interfaces are available and select a communications sub-module based on these available interfaces. This selection can also be made based on different criteria, such as lower consumption, the necessary refresh rate, as well as the technology with greater coverage.

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In the event that the external system 105 is in a controlled environment (therefore, it uses its own infrastructure, which allows to control the deployment and maintenance of the network), it is possible to establish a communication between the device 100, from of the selection of a sub-module with communications technology, for example, LoRa (provided that this interface or a compatible one is available in the external system) and the external system, through its communications module 107. Through this established communication, the device 100 (see the Single Figure) can send to the external system 105 at least data related to the positioning of the device (it can also comprise data related to the identification of the device or data related to the product, by-product, active or physical element to position), periodically or when a certain event has occurred, such as the movement of the device, which can be detected by or the device's motion detection module.

Once the positioning data is received by the external system 105, this data can be passed to a central server 108, always depending on the configuration of the external system. This central server can be a personal computer, either a tower with a small format plate, such as a "micro ATX", or a laptop. Either of these two options provides a power and storage capacity much higher than the that this system requires, even with a cost, consumption and space requirements that are too large.

Therefore, another alternative may be the use of a single board computer (in English "Single Board Computer ' - SBC) as a central server 108, a platform that in its most basic format integrates a system on a chip (in English, " System on a Chip ” - SoC), RAM and a series of ports on a small board. Its cost is reduced, as well as its size and consumption, which facilitates the integration of the central server 108 in an electrical installation without complications, due to its low power and dissipation requirements.

A possible embodiment of the central server 108 may comprise the use of an SBC such as a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, which has an ARM-Cortex A1 quadcore 900 MHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. However, this model may be replaced by any other SBC.

The central server 108, once the data regarding the positioning of the device 100 has been received, processes it, stores it and makes it available to third parties, either, for example, through a web application, a REST API or simple access to a database. of data.

Consequently, the central server 108 can present an intuitive user interface that allows the visualization of the position of the mobile elements at all times, allowing to obtain the temporal and route traceability of any element and offering the possibility of consulting and exploiting the data historical positioning of it.

The location and sensing data obtained can be stored in a database for later viewing and analysis. This allows to include processing techniques and data analysis. In addition, automated alerts, dynamic graphs in real time can be presented, or statistics can be obtained from historical records.

This data can be stored on the central server 108 securely, for example, by using a username / password or encrypted. Thus, for example, in the case that they are encrypted, an electronic fingerprint that can comprise a cryptographic hash value can be obtained by applying a cryptographic hash function on the stored data. Basically, a cryptographic hash function is a deterministic procedure that takes stored data and returns a fixed-sized bit string, the value of the hash, so that an accidental or intentional change of the data causes a change in the value of it.

One hash function that can be used is the SHA-256 (a universal cryptography algorithm of the National Security Agency (NSA / CSS) of the United States) that belongs to the set of standard SHA-2 cryptographic hash functions, although it could be used another hash function if, for example, in the future it is shown that SHA-256 is not safe enough. For example, SHA-1 and MD5 were initially considered in the context of these examples but were eventually discarded due to some reported security flaws. Thus, although SHA-256 can currently be used in the context of these examples (the probability of collision for said hash function is approximately 1 to 1015, while the probability that a given file generates two different hash codes it is zero), it can be replaced in the future by another hash function with better collision resistance (i.e., more secure), such as, for example, SHA-3, which is a new hash standard currently in development.

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The external system 105 with its own infrastructure can also comprise a backend 109. With respect to its design and implementation (ie, of the data model), the basic system for registering, configuring, accessing and storing the information of the different sensor nodes and Actuators is based on Self-Configuríng Intelligent Transducer System (SCITS). SCITS is protected with a patent pending grant (Spanish patent application, ES201630580, requested on 04.05.2016).

This platform is geared towards the easy creation and addition of new nodes to a network of sensors and actuators. For this it establishes two basic concepts:

• Intelligent Transducer Enablers (ITEs), which are self-describing data structures that define the transducers present in a node and how to communicate and interpret the information exchanged with it;

• Intelligent Transducer Nodes (ITNs), which are each of the individual devices (transducer nodes) that make up the network. The transducer nodes can be added to the network in a simple way, being registered and automatically indicating values such as their type, the number of inputs / outputs or the refresh rate.

The SCITS system has been reoriented and adapted for use by the present invention. It has been necessary to perform intermediate software implementations and configurations so that the nodes can send information to the SCITS backend.

Once a new type of node has been added, the nodes can register automatically, access their sensors or save information on each of the different requests made on it.

The external system 105 may also comprise a communications module 110 with an interface suitable for connecting to the Internet 115 (or any other global communications network) for receiving, for example, 2G / 3G / 4G parcel or for connecting to the external system 106 with outside infrastructure, if any, as will be described later.

In the event that the external system 106 is in an uncontrolled environment, it is possible to establish a communication between the device 100, from the selection of a

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sub-module with appropriate communications technology, for example, SigFox (provided that this interface or a compatible one is available in the external system) and the external system, through its communications module 111. Through this established communication, the device 100 (see the Single Figure) can send to the external system 106 at least data related to the positioning of the device (it can also comprise data related to the identification of the device or data related to the product, by-product, active or physical element to be positioned), of periodically or when a certain event has occurred, such as the movement of the device, which can be detected by the device's motion detection module.

Once the positioning data is received by the external system 106, this data can pass to a base station 112, in case, for example, the communication technology is SigFox (remember that SigFox technology provides a series of stations base with which the devices 100 can communicate directly), always depending on the configuration of the external system.

Finally, the external system 106 with external infrastructure can also comprise a backend 113. The software development environment that can support the backend and, partially, the fmntend can consist of an operating system (for example, a Linux Debian machine), a framework for web applications (for example, Python environment for the use of Django) and a database (eg, PostgreSQL).

The hardware development environment , in general, can include the installation of an IDE like the one used by Arduino, as well as the dependencies to be able to program microcontrollers and wireless connectivity.

In addition, it can act as an entry point for applications that allow user interaction with the system through a Web Application Programming Interface (API) user interface . Another function that it fulfills is that of providing said API type interface (for example, REST).

On the other hand, the external system 106 with external infrastructure may also comprise a communications module 114 with an appropriate interface for connecting to the Internet 115 (or another global communications network) to receive 2G / 3G / 4G packets or to connect to the external system 105, to share positioning or other data

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nature and make them accessible to third parties, for example, through a web application, a REST API or simple access to a database, as discussed above.

With respect to the power module 104 to provide power to at least the device positioning module 101, the communications module 103 and the control module 102, it may comprise a battery, the necessary regulators for each module to be powered, as well as a charger and a solar panel, with the intention of increasing its autonomy. The battery may be, for example, lithium ion or nickel cadmium.

In the event that the device 100 also comprises a module to detect the movement of the device, the power module 104 will also be configured to provide power.

On the other hand, the device 100 may also comprise a signaling module (not shown) with a plurality of status indicators, for example, light emitting diodes or also known as LEDs. In this way, the signaling module can comprise a set of LEDs (for example, three; one red, one green and one yellow), all connected to the control module 102. The device can use these LEDs to transmit certain information that it encodes through a color code. Thus, for example, the sending of data to an external system 105; 106, the lack of battery, etc. can be encoded.

In addition, the device 100 may comprise an encapsulation or casing that allows it to be easily added or coupled to any product, byproduct, active or element of the shipbuilding industry, with fully wireless operation. This encapsulation or shell must take into account the following factors inherent to the shipbuilding industry (for example, a shipyard), for its correct configuration:

• Adaptation to the development environment. It implies that traceability systems (that is, the device) must be as small as possible so as not to cause problems during the handling of the products, by-products, assets or elements to be located;

• Presence of metals. Ideally, the device should withstand the presence of metals in the environment;

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• Presence of water in the environment. The device must support transmission in marine-coastal environments where the relative humidity can be very high; • Presence of acids and corrosive substances. The encapsulation of the device must be able to resist acids, salinity, fuel and other substances that can create corrosion;

• Interferences. The device must be able to transmit in the presence of the most common sources of electromagnetic interference;

• Reading distance. The device must allow sufficient distance readings to automate its location and to allow its recognition;

• Temperature tolerance. The device must withstand the temperatures that products, by-products, assets or elements can reach at certain moments in their useful life (for example, during welding and washing in water / acids);

• Pressure supported. The device must be able to withstand the pressure exerted during the usual processing of products, by-products, assets or elements (for example, stacked pipes);

• Battery duration. In the event that the device requires batteries, they have to offer the greatest possible durability (i.e., from the moment a tube arrives at the workshop until the end of the warranty period offered by a shipyard between 3 and 15 years);

• Mobility. The device must contemplate dynamic and on-site operation.

Although only some particular embodiments and examples of the invention have been described herein, the person skilled in the art will understand that other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the invention are possible, as well as obvious modifications and equivalent elements. In addition, the present invention encompasses all possible combinations of the specific embodiments that have been described. The numerical signs relating to the drawings and placed in parentheses in a claim are only intended to increase the understanding of the claim, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claim's protection. The scope of the present invention should not be limited to specific embodiments, but should be determined only by an appropriate reading of the appended claims.

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Claims (16)

1. Device (100) to obtain the position of a product, by-product, active or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry, the device being attachable to said product, by-product, active or physical element, characterized by the fact that the device comprises: • a device positioning module (101); • a communications module (103) comprising at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface; • a control module (102) configured to: ^or obtaining the positioning of the device (100) from data provided by the positioning module (101) of the device; ^or select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with an external system (105; 106); ^or transmit to the external system (105; 106), through the selected sub-module of communications, at least the positioning obtained from the device (100); • a power module (104) to provide power to at least the device positioning module (101), the communication module (103) and the control module (102). Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communications sub-module comprises at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system (106) if the latter It is located in an uncontrolled, long-range and foreign infrastructure. 3. Device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the sub-module communication interface is based on LPWAN ( Low-Power Wide Area Networks) technology with external infrastructure, such as SigFox or 2G / 3G. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one communications sub-module comprises at least one sub-module comprising a communication interface suitable for establishing a communication. with the external system (105) if it is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure. 5. Device (100) according to claim 4, wherein the sub-module communications interface is based on LPWAN ( Low-Power Wide Area Networks) technology with its own infrastructure, such as LoRa. 6. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication module (103) comprises: ^or at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system (106) if it is in an uncontrolled, long-range and external infrastructure; ^or at least one sub-module comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system (105) if it is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and its own infrastructure. 7. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control module (102), for selecting a sub-module of the communications module (103), comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing a communication with the external system (105; 106), is configured for, once the device positioning is obtained: ■ select, based on the positioning of the device obtained, a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises an appropriate communication interface to establish communication with the external system. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control module (102), to select a sub-module of the communications module (103), comprising a communications interface suitable for establishing a communication with the external system (105; 106), is configured to: ■ perform a scan to obtain at least one communications interface available on the external system; one ■ select a sub-module of the communications module, which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system, based on the at least one communication interface of the external system obtained in the scan performed. 9. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a motion detection module of the device, and wherein the control module (102) is configured to: ^or receive a control signal indicative of the movement of the device, from the motion detection module. 10. Device (100) according to claim 9, wherein the control module (102) is configured to receive the control signal indicative of the movement of the device: ^or obtain the positioning of the device from data provided by the positioning module (101) of the device; ^or select a sub-module of the communications module (103), which comprises a communications interface suitable for establishing communication with the external system (105; 106); ^or transmit to the external system, through the selected sub-module of communications, at least the positioning obtained from the device. 11. Device (100) according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the motion detection module of the device comprises at least one of the following: • a gyroscope; • an accelerometer; • a barometer; • a magnetometer. 12. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a sealed housing. 2 13. Device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the device positioning module (101) is selected from at least one of the following: • global satellite navigation system (in English, Global NavigationtelliteSystem (GNSS)); • real-time satellite kinetic navigation (in English, Real Time Kinematic (RTK)). 14. System to obtain the position of a product, by-product, asset or physical element along a supply chain of the naval industry, characterized by the fact that it comprises: • at least one device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13; • at least one external system (105; 106). 15. System according to claim 14, wherein at least one external system (106) is in an uncontrolled, long-range and external infrastructure environment, and wherein said external system comprises: • at least one communications interface (111) with external infrastructure, configured to establish communication with at least one device (100); • a data network (114); • a base station (112); • a backend (113) with outside infrastructure. 16. System according to any one of claims 14 or 15, wherein at least one external system (105) is in a controlled environment, of medium scope and own infrastructure, and wherein the external system comprises: • at least one communications interface (107) with its own infrastructure, configured to establish communication with at least one device; • a central server (108) of the external system; • a backend (109) with its own infrastructure.