JPH01150189A - Mini navigation simulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate investigation on maneuvering a ship by providing with a computer with a microprocessor with an arithmetic means calculating the movement of the ship and an image processing means successively displaying a track obtained as the result of the arithmetic. CONSTITUTION: In a controller 4, the program of numerical calculating expression which can be applied to all ships based on logics and experiences is inputted. On the other hand, the input means of a designated steering angle and an engine output level are collected in a ship maneuvering command board 5, the input means of auxiliary ship maneuvering data are collected in a ship maneuvering command board 6 and the other data is inputted from a key board. Then each input data of a chart, the position of the ship and a direction is displayed on CRT 8. Then an operation result can be outputted as a hard copy from a printer 9 and a plotter 10. This miniature ship maneuvering simulator uses a personal computer to input the ship maneuvering data of the ship and water area data by freely combining and giving commands by turning on/off a switch to facilitate the investigation of ship maneuvering.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a ship maneuvering simulator using a personal computer, which is advantageous in price.

[Prior art]

As maritime transport becomes larger, a high degree of skill is increasingly required for maneuvering ships such as berthing, departing, and navigating through narrow waterways. Therefore, computer-based ship maneuvering simulators have been developed for use in training students and captains to acquire skills, maneuvering newly built ships, and considering methods of maneuvering ships when entering a port for the first time.

Most of these conventional ship maneuvering simulators use large-capacity computers, arrange each piece of equipment in the same way as the real thing so that you can learn ship maneuvering on the bridge with a sense of reality, and also have a large-sized computer that shows the actual images seen from the bridge. This is done using an image display device. Therefore, depending on the size of each device, expensive equipment costs and installation locations are required, and handling is not easy.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made focusing on the above problems,
The object of the present invention is to provide a mini ship maneuvering simulator that is a portable type using a personal computer, can be easily handled, and can simulate target ships and water areas in arbitrary combinations.

[Structure of the invention]

The configuration of the mini ship maneuvering simulator of the present invention to achieve the above object includes a storage means for storing the ship maneuvering data, a storage means for storing the water area data, a steering data input means, and a main engine output level. an input means, an auxiliary ship maneuvering data input means, an environmental data input means, a display means for displaying necessary information such as the ship maneuvering data, the water map, the ship and its track over time, and the respective data and input means. a control device that drives the display device in response to a signal from the engine output level input; The means includes a switch group for alternatively specifying the number of levels, and an encoder that encodes and outputs the selection of the switch, and the auxiliary ship maneuvering means includes a switch for specifying whether to adopt the auxiliary means, It consists of a switch group that selectively selects the details or output level of the auxiliary means, and the switch group that alternatively specifies the details or level of the auxiliary means consists of an encoder that encodes and outputs the selection of the switch. , the control device is equipped with a MicroProcera equipped with a calculation means for calculating the movement of the vessel based on the data from each of the input means and an image processing means for sequentially displaying a track based on the calculation results on a water body. It is characterized by consisting of a computer.

It is most practical to store the storage means for storing the vessel maneuvering data and the storage means for storing the water area data on external storage means, for example, a floppy disk, and each on separate floppy disks. It is not limited to this. However, it is preferable to employ a storage means that allows arbitrary combinations of vessels to be operated and water areas.

The environmental data means, for example, data that affects ship maneuvering, such as the starting position of the ship, designation of initial ship speed, wind, and tidal current, and the input means thereof may be, for example, an input means such as a keyboard. .

Auxiliary ship maneuvering means include tugboats, bow thrusters, anchors, etc., and the output level, berthing position, anchoring position, etc. of these can be selected by switches.

The auxiliary means can be assigned to the pins of the connector that connects the auxiliary ship maneuvering data input means to the personal computer, but is not limited to this, and can also be designated by a code. The key is to be able to select multiple items.

The details of the auxiliary means include, for example, the designation of the location of the tugboat, the designation of the anchor to be anchored, etc., and the level of the auxiliary means is usually the designation of the output level. As a switch used for setting these alternative conditions, for example, a low-return switch, a push-button switch, etc. can be used, and which switch is selected can be determined by connecting the switch to an encoder and encoding it using a microcontroller. Enter into computer.

The microcomputer used is a general-purpose one, and the direction of movement of the vessel is determined based on the above data and setting conditions.
Output of an image signal that calculates the speed and displays the result as a graphic showing the position in the water area, the direction of the bow, etc. together with the nautical chart of the water area, and a signal that displays the necessary data among the setting conditions. It has a function to output.

The computer further has a function of calculating the state of interference with obstacles such as shallow water, land, and structures within the water area from the data of the water area, calculating and displaying the interference state, and enlarging/reducing the water area, It is also possible to have a program that displays information necessary for ship maneuvering on the screen, such as sequentially displaying the area surrounding the vessel's position in the water area, or changing the screen to areas other than the current position of the vessel. preferable.

Each of the above-mentioned programs may be stored in a read-only memory element in advance and built into the computer, or may be stored in an external storage device such as a floppy disk and inputted at the time of use.

The display device usually uses a CRT, preferably a color CRT that can display in different colors, but a liquid crystal type can also be used.

The configuration of the present invention, in which the condition settings are input by selecting a switch, the position of the ship in the water area is displayed on a bird's-eye map, and the ship maneuvering data is displayed on the same screen, allows the user to operate the system with a feeling similar to actual operations and instructions. - It can be input and acts to allow the operator to objectively understand the relationship between the water area and the ship.

〔Example〕

FIG. 4 is an overall view of a mini ship maneuvering simulator according to one embodiment. The simulator 1 of this embodiment is a control device 4 equipped with a floppy disk drive section 2 (not shown) for storing vessel maneuvering data and a floppy disk drive section 3 (also not shown) for storing water area data.

The above-mentioned ship maneuvering data includes data such as ship speed due to each output level, direction, rudder angle, response delay in operations, etc., influence of ship shape and wind force, relative wind direction, tidal current, etc. Then, the data required for navigation shown on the nautical chart is input for each water area as appropriate so that it can be arbitrarily selected for areas where it is generally difficult to maneuver a ship, such as ports, canals, and straits.

The details of the program of this embodiment input to the control device 4 will be omitted, but a numerical calculation formula program that can be applied to all ships is input based on theory or experience.

Further, input means for specified rudder angle and engine output level are provided on the ship maneuvering command board 5, input means for auxiliary ship maneuvering data are provided on the ship maneuvering command board 6, and other data are input from the keyboard 7. The nautical chart, the position and direction of the ship, and each input data are displayed on the CRT 8. In this embodiment, the printer 9 and plotter 10 are configured to output the operation results as a hard copy.

FIG. 5 shows the operation surface of the operation command board 5. As shown in FIG.

The specified steering angle is determined by rotating the knob 11. In other words, when the marking 12 on the knob 11 is aligned with the marking 13 on the board 5, the rudder angle is zero, when turned to the right, the ship turns to the right, and that rotation angle becomes the commanded rudder angle, and when turned to the left, the ship turns to the right. The steering wheel was configured so that it turned to the left and the rotation angle became the commanded steering angle. The main engine output level input means 14 is composed of 10 pushbutton switches 15, and each engine output level of 4 forward speeds, 4 reverse speeds, and stop is assigned to the 10 switches. Although there is no limit to the number of levels, if the number of levels is set to 10, it is possible to perform a simulation that is almost in accordance with reality.

FIG. 6 shows the operation surface of the ship maneuvering command board 7.

In this example, six tugboats are used as auxiliary ship maneuvering means.
The case where the information is allocated to the switch panels 20+ to 205 is shown. Each switch board 20 □ 1----,
206 includes a main switch 21 for specifying whether or not to accept a tug, a rotary switch 22 for selecting six tag positions (including specification of pushing and towing directions) as selection details, and a rotary switch 22 for commanding the tug thrust level in four stages. It is composed of a push button switch 23.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a screen displayed on the CRT 8. In the center of the screen, there is a nautical chart (the top is north), namely a water area 25, a quay 26, a buoy 27 indicating a dangerous area, a navigation limit 28, and a lighthouse 2.
Necessary information such as 9 is displayed, and a schematic diagram showing the position and bow direction of the ship 30 is displayed. Also, on the periphery of the screen,
Turning clockwise from the top left of the screen, the elapsed time from the start is 31,
Wind direction 32, wind force 33, ship attitude (azimuth) 34, engine output level command (separate symbols are displayed for forward and backward) 35,
The engine rotation speed 36 (ship speed is shown as a bar graph, the same applies hereinafter), commanded rudder angle 37, and ship speed 38 are displayed, respectively. Which of these pieces of information is displayed is optional, and displaying it around the chart in this way differs from the actual arrangement of meters, but f1 has confirmed that it does not actually cause any confusion to operators. are doing.

Input from the keyboard 7 is performed using numerical values and characters in the same manner as with general input means.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a pulse generation circuit for inputting a command steering angle. A signal obtained by converting one rotation angle into a corresponding pulse train is applied to a counter circuit 41 provided in the control device 4, and the signal from the circuit 41 is applied to a computer as calculation data.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a switch circuit of the main engine output level input device. In the figure, the terminals of each switch of the button switch 15 are connected to TT.
Encoder element (74LS147) 42 consisting of L elements
By connecting to and transmitting the contact state to the encoder element 42, 10 output levels can be assigned to four output bins, and by connecting to predetermined bins of a connector (not shown), the digital It is given to the computer as calculation data from the input/output circuit 43.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of each switch circuit of the six switch panels 20 to 206, which are auxiliary ship maneuvering data input means. As explained in FIG. 6, each terminal of the tag acceptance/rejection button switch 21, the command tag thrust button switch 23, and the rotary switch 22 for command tag position designation is connected to the encoder element (74LS1
47) is connected to the input pin of the encoder 44, and the tag usage status by opening and closing of each of the switches 21 to 23 is determined by a predetermined tag status code. The digital input/output circuit 45 provides the calculated data to the computer.

Since the condition setting circuit of this embodiment is configured as described above, it is possible to easily input complicated vessel maneuvering conditions using extremely simple means, and it is also possible to have a personal computer perform calculations.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the mini ship maneuvering simulator of the present invention uses a personal computer to input the ship's maneuvering data and water area data in any combination, and calculates the ship's movement based on a bird's-eye map and the data at that time. Each command and data are displayed on the same screen, and the rudder angle command is performed by pulses, and other condition settings and commands are performed by turning on and off switches, so it is portable, relatively inexpensive, and can be controlled while the ship is in operation. Since the information can be objectively grasped, it can be easily used for education, ship operation considerations such as port entry and departure.

did.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a command rudder angle input circuit diagram of one embodiment, FIG. 2 is a main engine output level input circuit diagram of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is an auxiliary ship maneuvering data input circuit diagram of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an external view of the main ship maneuvering operation panel of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is an external view of the auxiliary ship maneuvering operation panel of the embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an external view of the auxiliary ship maneuvering operation panel of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. 1... Mini ship maneuvering simulator, 2... Floppy disk drive device for ship maneuvering data of the vessel, 3... Floppy disk drive device for data on the water area, 4... Control device, 15.21.23...・Button switch,
22... Rotary switch, 40... Encoder consisting of a pulse generator, 42° 44... Encoder. Agent Patent Attorney Nobuo Ogawa −

Claims (1)

[Claims] A storage means for storing the ship maneuvering data of the vessel, a storage means for storing the water area data, a steering data input means,
A main engine output level input means, an auxiliary ship maneuvering data input means, an environmental data input means, a display means for displaying necessary information such as ship maneuvering data, the water map, the ship and its track over time, and each of the above. a control device that drives the display device based on data and a signal from an input device; the steering data input device includes a device that generates a pulse corresponding to a rotation angle of an operating knob that commands a command steering angle; The engine output level input means includes a switch group for alternatively specifying the number of levels, and an encoder that encodes and outputs the selection of the switches, and the auxiliary ship maneuvering means includes a switch for specifying whether or not to use the auxiliary means. and a group of switches that alternatively select the details or output level of the adopted auxiliary means, and the switch group that alternatively specifies the details or level encodes and outputs the selection of the switch. and an encoder, and the control device is a microprocessor equipped with a calculation means for calculating the movement of the vessel based on data from each of the input means, and an image processing means for sequentially displaying a track based on the calculation results on a water body. A mini ship handling simulator characterized by comprising a computer equipped with.