JP2009230190A - Ship collision preventing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent collision by awaking the operator of a ship taking a nap by using a laser beam. <P>SOLUTION: When a small ship 2 under the control of an operator taking a nap approaches a distance in which the danger of collision may occur, location data are input from an operation means 9 by using a space in front of a cockpit as a target location. A laser beam whose wavelength is 10.6 μm is generated by a laser oscillator 5 such as a carbon dioxide gas laser oscillator under the control of a control means 8. The beam of a laser beam 3 is faced to the target location by the two-dimensional deflection means of a scanner 7. The laser beam is converged at the target position by changing the position of a converging point by adjusting the distance of the plurality of lens or reflecting mirrors of a converging optical system 6. The energy of the laser beam 3 is centralized on the target position in a short time, and a large impact sound is generated, so that an operator taking a nap can be awaken. Afterwards, characters such as "danger" are written in air with the laser beam 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a ship collision prevention apparatus, and more particularly, to a ship collision prevention apparatus that generates an impact sound with a laser beam and issues a warning to a dozing maneuvering ship.

  Ships' collision accidents at sea are extremely frequent, and it is said that there is more than one incident per day on average. It is thought that 80% of the causes of the collision are dozing. Operators such as fishing boats are often tired, and unlike the roads on the ground, the route is not clear on the sea, and there is no signal, and it is easy to be distracted, so it is easy to induce doze operation. Communication between the ship and the ship is mainly wireless communication, so if the pilot wears a receiver for wireless communication, the communication partner who notices dozing operation makes a loud sound from the receiver, and the dozing operator's It is also possible to wake up. However, it is not always possible to wake up the navigating ship operator because it is not certain whether the other party of the wireless communication is asleep.

  By the way, there is a method of drawing a picture in the air with a laser beam. FIG. 2A shows an outline of the principle. The laser light is condensed with a lens or concave reflection light to concentrate strong energy in a narrow space. Creates a strong electric field, causes dielectric breakdown, and causes air discharge. A picture is drawn in the space by arranging these air discharges in the space. Specifically, for example, the following is performed.

As the laser light source, an Nd: YAG laser device, an Nd: Glass laser device, or a CO ₂ laser device is used. All of these oscillate in a wavelength region of 1 μm or longer and emit an invisible infrared laser beam. Infrared laser beams are less affected by atmospheric absorption and scattering and propagate far away. A laser light source is oscillated in a pulse mode, a pulse beam of about 10 ns to 1 ps or less is emitted, and a laser beam from a laser oscillator is condensed. When the pulse beam of 10 mJ per pulse is narrowed down to a spot beam with a diameter of 0.1 mm, a peak output of about 10 ¹⁰ W / cm ² is obtained. When dielectric breakdown is caused in the atmosphere by narrowing down the infrared laser beam, the gas locally becomes a high-density plasma state. Thereby, a flash and an impact sound are locally generated.

Also, when an instantaneous energy density of 10 ¹⁵ W / cm ² or more is reached, a multiphoton absorption process occurs. Molecules such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are excited and decomposed. It temporarily changes to an ionized monoatomic state, radical state, or plasma state, which is an unstable state with high energy. Over time, it naturally returns to its original molecular state, which is a low energy state. When transitioning from a high energy state to a low energy state, luminescent radiation is generated as an energy release. By spatially scanning the condensing point by the optical scanning means, an image is displayed using light that the atmosphere emits by itself.

  With this method, there is a method of displaying an alarm or a rescue signal in the air. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), letters informing the occurrence of an earthquake are written in the air. As shown in FIG.2 (c), the character which notifies eruption generation is written in the air. As shown in FIG. 2 (d), a character informing the tsunami warning is written in the air. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 (e), there is a method in which a character informing the SOS from a ship is written in the air to request rescue from another ship. In the same way, as shown in FIG. 2 (f), a method of notifying the danger to a ship that is likely to collide can be considered. Below are some examples of prior art related to this.

  The “display device” disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays an image with high accuracy in the atmosphere without using a specific material. As shown in FIG. 3A, an optical pulse having a large spatial and temporal energy density is emitted from a laser oscillator with a pulse emission time of 1 ps or less. The laser beam is condensed in the atmosphere, and oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. in the atmosphere are excited and decomposed to cause natural recombination. As a result, a luminescence phenomenon occurs, and an emission image is displayed in the atmosphere.

  The “aerial visible image forming apparatus” disclosed in Patent Document 2 can draw a visible image in the air without showing the scanning trajectory of the laser beam. As shown in FIG. 3B, the laser light source oscillates intermittently and emits a laser beam in an invisible region. The scanning means scans the laser beam. The control means controls the oscillation timing of the laser light source and the scanning timing of the scanning means in order to draw a visible image in the air as an afterimage phenomenon of light emission generated in time series at each drawing scheduled place in the air. In order to cause plasma emission of the gas existing at each drawing planned location, a laser beam is condensed on each drawing planned location by a condensing optical system. A shocking sound is generated along with a flash at a portion to be drawn.

The “aerial visible image forming apparatus” disclosed in Patent Document 3 is an apparatus in which the brightness of plasma light, the stability of the light emitting point, and the positional accuracy of the light emitting point are enhanced. As shown in FIG. 3C, the invisible laser beam from the laser light source is condensed to generate plasma. Visible images such as letters and images are drawn in the air by visible light emitted from plasma.
JP 2003-009184 A JP 2003-233339 A JP 2007-206588

  However, the conventional warning method has the following problems. Even if a laser beam is used to write a character in the air in front of the pilot or to emit a powerful flash to alert the driver to doze the ship, it is difficult to wake up the pilot.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems, and to use a laser beam to reliably wake up a ship's dozing operator and prevent a collision.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, the ship collision prevention apparatus includes a laser oscillator that generates laser light, a condensing optical system that condenses the light of the laser oscillator, a scanner that shakes a laser beam, The laser oscillator, the condensing optical system, and the scanner are controlled to control the laser beam energy at a target position in a short time to generate impact sound. As the laser oscillator, a carbon dioxide laser oscillator having a low dielectric breakdown threshold and safe for the human body (completely absorbed in water) is optimal, and in this case, the laser light is laser light having a wavelength of 10.6 μm. The condensing optical system includes a plurality of lenses or reflecting mirrors and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the condensing point by adjusting the distance between the optical systems. The scanner includes two-dimensional deflection means for directing the laser beam to the target position.

  By configuring as described above, a warning sound is generated by using a laser beam, and a warning is issued, so that the driver can be surely awakened and can prevent a collision.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  An embodiment of the present invention is a ship collision prevention apparatus that concentrates the energy of laser light in a short time in the air in front of a ship that is in danger of collision, generates an impact sound, and issues a warning.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the function of a ship collision prevention apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.1 (a) is a figure which shows the condition which emits a sound with a laser beam. FIG.1 (b) is a figure which shows the condition which writes a character with a laser beam. FIG.1 (c) is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of a ship collision prevention apparatus. In FIG. 1, a large ship 1 is a ship of 1000 to 10,000 tons. The small ship 2 is a ship of several tons to 100 tons. The case of warning the danger of a collision from a large ship to a small ship will be described as an example, but any combination of ships is effective. The laser beam 3 is light for generating impact sound and writing characters. Character 4 is a character written in the air with a laser beam. If this apparatus is reduced in size, it can naturally be used between small ships.

  The laser oscillator 5 is a carbon dioxide laser device that generates light having a wavelength of 10.6 μm. Other similar laser devices may be used. The condensing optical system 6 is an optical system that includes a plurality of lenses or reflecting mirrors that condense the output laser light of the laser oscillator, and an adjusting unit that adjusts the distance between the optical systems to change the position of the condensing point. is there. The scanner 7 is an apparatus including a two-dimensional deflection unit for directing a laser beam to a target position. The control means 8 is a means for controlling the laser oscillator, the condensing optical system, and the scanner so as to generate an impact sound by concentrating the energy of the laser light at a target position in a short time and to write characters in the air. . The operating means 9 is means for inputting data such as a target position.

  The function and operation of the ship collision prevention apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 (a), when it is determined that the pilot of the other small ship 2 is dozing and has approached the large ship 1 without being noticed to a distance that is likely to cause a collision, The laser beam 3 is emitted from the large ship 1 to the front of the cockpit of the partner small ship 2. The focal length of the condensing optical system is changed according to the distance to the cockpit. Adjustment is made so that electric discharge destruction occurs in the vicinity of the front of the cockpit of the partner small ship 2. When an air column discharge is generated in the space by the laser light 3, a flashing light is emitted and a large impact sound is also emitted. This loud impact sound is used to wake the driver asleep. After awakening the dozing operator with a loud impact sound, the position of the discharge is moved, and characters such as “Kiken” and “Danger” can be written as shown in FIG.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1C, laser light is generated by a laser oscillator 5. For the safety, the laser oscillator 5 is optimally a carbon dioxide laser device that generates light having a wavelength of 10.6 μm that is absorbed in the lens of the eyeball. The laser light is condensed by the condensing optical system 6 of a plurality of lenses or reflecting mirrors, and the distance between the optical systems is adjusted to change the position of the condensing point. Adjust to the target position. The two-dimensional deflection means of the scanner 7 directs the laser beam to the target position. The laser oscillator 5, the condensing optical system 6 and the scanner 7 are controlled by the control means 8, and the energy of the laser light 3 is concentrated in a short time at the target position to generate a large impact sound.

  After that, write letters to inform you of danger in the same way as before. Data such as the target position is input from the operation means 9. A warning may be issued automatically or semi-automatically in combination with a radar. Since the basic configuration of the laser oscillator 5, the condensing optical system 6, and the scanner 7 is the same as that of the conventional one, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  If the laser oscillator 5 is finely controlled by the control means 8 or the laser light 3 is modulated by providing an optical modulator, the intensity and generation interval of the impact sound can be changed, so that a signal sound is generated at the target position. You can also. In this way, a warning signal defined in the Marine Traffic Law may be generated to send a more specific message to the operator of the small boat 2 to call attention.

  As described above, in the embodiments of the present invention, the ship collision prevention device is configured to focus the laser beam energy in a short time in the air in front of the ship where there is a risk of collision, and generate an impact sound to give a warning. Since it is configured to emit, it is possible to prevent the collision by reliably waking up the navigator of the ship.

  The ship collision prevention apparatus of the present invention is optimal as an apparatus for preventing a collision by issuing a warning to a dozing maneuvering ship. It can also be used as a device for issuing warnings to ships from land facilities such as lighthouses.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the function of the ship collision prevention apparatus in the Example of this invention. It is the principle figure and application example of the conventional aerial visible image forming apparatus. It is a conceptual diagram of the conventional aerial visible image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Large ship 2 Small ship 3 Laser beam 4 Character 5 Laser oscillator 6 Condensing optical system 7 Scanner 8 Control means 9 Operation means

Claims (4)

A laser oscillator that generates laser light, a condensing optical system that condenses the laser light, a scanner that vibrates a laser light beam, and the laser oscillator, the condensing optical system, and the scanner are controlled to a target position. A ship collision prevention apparatus comprising: control means for generating an impact sound by concentrating energy of laser light in a short time. 2. The ship collision preventing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser oscillator is a carbon dioxide laser oscillator, and the laser beam is a laser beam having a wavelength of 10.6 μm. 2. The ship collision prevention according to claim 1, wherein the condensing optical system includes a plurality of lenses or reflecting mirrors, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the condensing point by adjusting the distance between the optical systems. apparatus. 2. The ship collision prevention apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a two-dimensional deflection unit for directing a laser beam to a target position.

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