KR102157585B1 - Smart buoy - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart buoy. According to the present invention, the smart buoy capable of communicating with a first communication module installed on a ship comprises: a GPS module which acquires position information and time information through communication with a satellite; a second communication module which operates in a sleep mode or a wakeup mode, and transmits identification information in the wakeup mode and the position information to the first communication module; a power supply unit which provides power to the GPS module and the second communication module; a control unit which controls the operation of the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit; and a housing which accommodates the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit inside to protect the same from the external environment. According to the present invention, the smart buoy enables a user to check the position of the smart buoy more easily.

Description

Smart buoy {SMART BUOY}

The present invention relates to a smart buoy, and more particularly, to a smart buoy that can quickly identify and identify the position of the buoy to which the position of the wave and tide can be moved.

Plastic waste generated in the domestic sea is 67,000 tons per year, which adversely affects not only marine life but also humans. Synthetic fiber nets are also plastic when viewed broadly, and fishing losses of about 380 billion won, which are 10% of the annual catch, are caused by'ghost fishing' where fish are trapped and killed in discarded nets. In addition, discarded waste fishing nets are wound around the propulsion of fishing boats, causing frequent inability to navigate, and fine plastics broken in the sea enter the food chain, affecting the health of people. Buoys have been used to solve the problems caused by neglect and neglect of management of waste fishing gear.However, since the target is moved by waves and currents at sea, it takes a relatively long time to find the buoy. Failure to do so may result in the occurrence of waste fishing gear as the fishing gear cannot be collected. In addition, since the buoy is linked to the fishing gear, the finding of the buoy and the recovery of the gear is a very important factor that absolutely determines the amount and time of operation. Therefore, there is a need for a way to quickly and accurately find the buoy.

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Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0000890

We propose a smart buoy that can quickly check the location.

A smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention is a smart buoy capable of communicating with a first communication module installed on a ship, comprising: a GPS module for acquiring location information and time information through communication with a satellite; A second communication module operating in a sleep mode or a wake-up mode, and transmitting identification information and the location information to the first communication module in the wake-up mode; A power supply for supplying power to the GPS module and the second communication module; A control unit for controlling the operation of the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit; And a housing for receiving the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit therein to protect from an external environment.

The second communication module operates in a wake-up mode in response to a wake-up signal received from the first communication module.

The second communication module operates in a wake-up mode when the distance to the ship is within a first reference value.

The first reference value is set within 50% of a standard communication distance supported by the second communication module.

The smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes an LED module that is attached inside or outside the housing and periodically flashes when the distance to the ship is within a second reference value.

According to the present invention, even if a buoy attached to a fishing gear is moved by waves or wind, the current position of the buoy can be accurately and quickly determined. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the fishing time and reduce the loss of fishermen by preventing the loss of fishing gear. In addition, it is possible to prevent pollution of the marine environment by minimizing the generation of plastic waste such as waste fishing gear. In addition, it is possible to reduce fishing losses due to'ghost fishing', where fish are trapped in lost fishing gear and die.

1 is a view for explaining the operation of a smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining the mechanical configuration of a smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used in the present specification are for describing exemplary embodiments and are not intended to suggest the present invention. In this specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used in the specification, “comprises” and/or “comprising” do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements other than the mentioned elements. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements, and “and/or” includes each and all combinations of one or more of the mentioned elements. Although "first", "second", and the like are used to describe various elements, it goes without saying that these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, it goes without saying that the first component mentioned below may be the second component within the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, terms such as "... unit" and "module" described in the specification mean units that process at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. .

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments introduced below are provided as examples in order to sufficiently convey the spirit of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

1 is a view for explaining the operation of a smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a smart buoy system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a smart buoy 110 floating on the sea and a first communication module 122 installed on a ship. The smart buoy 110 floats in water and can be identified with the naked eye, and a second communication module (not shown) capable of exchanging data with the first communication module 122 is provided therein. The smart buoy 110 provided with the second communication module (not shown) may transmit its location information to the ship 110 provided with the first communication module 122.

The first communication module 122 installed on the ship 120 is a module for communicating with a second communication module (not shown) of the smart buoy 110, but may also be connected to a cellular network on the other hand. In this case, the first communication module 122 may upload information received from the smart buoy 110 to the management server through a cellular network. As a result, the user can check the location information of the smart buoy 110 by accessing the management server using a smart phone. There may be a plurality of smart buoys 110 managed by the user, and each of the smart buoys 110 has unique identification information. The first communication module 122 may request location information to be provided to them based on information on the unique identification information of each of the managed smart buoys 110, and receive respective location information from the smart buoys 110. have.

The ship 120 may further include a display device 124 that displays the received location information. The user can access the smart buoy 110 by checking the location information displayed on the display device 124 and adjusting the ship. The ship 124 may include an automatic ship identification device (AIS, 126).

Looking at the process of finding the smart buoy 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the ship 120 is the latest location information of the smart buoy 110 checked to access the smart buoy 110, that is, the latest location information. Go to. The latest location information may be GPS coordinates. The latest location information may be location information recently received from the smart buoy 110 or location information recently checked near the smart buoy 110. The latest location information is likely to be different from the current location of the smart buoy 110 due to waves, storms, and tide, but is appropriate as an approximate location of the smart buoy 110.

1 (a) shows a state in which the ship 120 is farther than the reference value, that is, 10Km away from the current position of the smart buoy 110. In this case, since the smart buoy 110 does not transmit its own location information, the ship 120 starts accessing the smart buoy 110 based on the last location information of the smart buoy 110.

1 (b) shows a state in which the ship 120 is within a first reference value, that is, 5Km away from the current position of the smart buoy 110. Based on the last location information, when the smart buoy 110 is approached and falls within the first reference value, the smart buoy 110 transmits its location information to the ship 120. That is, the second communication module (not shown) transmits the current location information to the first communication module 122 only when the distance between the ship 120 and the smart buoy 110 falls within the first reference value. Upon receiving the current location information, the ship 120 updates the current GPS coordinates of the smart buoy 110 and moves to the corresponding location. As a result, the smart buoy 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention helps the user to accurately and easily find their current location while minimizing power consumption.

1 (c) shows a state in which the ship 120 is within a reference value, that is, 1Km away from the current position of the smart buoy 110. The smart buoy 110 may include an LED module (not shown). In this case, when the ship 120 checks the current position of the smart buoy 110 and comes within the second reference value while approaching it, the smart buoy 110 turns on the LED module (not shown). This can help the user visually check his or her location.

The smart buoy 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention minimizes unnecessary power consumption of the smart buoy 110 by determining whether to share the current location information and whether to turn on the LED module based on the distance from the ship 120 .

2 is a view for explaining the functional configuration of a smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a view for explaining the mechanical configuration of the smart buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, smart buoys 200 and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention include GPS modules 210 and 310, controllers 220 and 320, second communication modules 230 and 330, It includes power supply units 240 and 340 and housings 280 and 380. Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 together.

The GPS modules 210 and 310 acquire location information and time information through communication with satellites. The second communication modules 230 and 330 communicate with the first communication module 122 installed on the ship, and specifically, the second communication modules 230 and 330 transmit location information to the first communication module 122. . The controllers 220 and 320 control the operation of the GPS modules 210 and 310, the second communication modules 230 and 330, and the power supply units 240 and 340. The power supply units 240 and 340 provide power to the GPS modules 210 and 310, the second communication modules 230 and 330, and the controllers 220 and 320. The power supply units 240 and 340 may include batteries. The housings 280 and 380 accommodate the GPS modules 210 and 310, the second communication modules 230 and 330, and the power supply units 240 and 340 to protect them from external environments. The housings 280 and 380 may be formed of a material that allows the smart buoys 200 and 300 to float on water and withstand the influence of waves or external impacts. The housings 280 and 380 may be formed of a material having an ultraviolet ray blocking function. The housings 280 and 380 may be made of polyethylene. The housings 280 and 380 may include an air cap or an air stick therein to increase buoyancy. The housing 300 includes a fastening portion 392 that can be connected to a fishing gear and a string or a chain.

Hereinafter, the smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

All ships are obligated to have an automatic ship identification system (AIS, 126). In order to prevent collisions in ports and coasts and effectively manage maritime traffic, AIS(126) uses internationally regulated ultra-high frequency (VHF) lines for ship name, type, location information, speed, direction and voyage related information. It is a device that transmits and receives through and automatically exchanges information and related data with land and other ships. By applying this device, safety management such as collision prevention of ships, maritime traffic control, and search and rescue activities of distressed ships can be performed more effectively. On the other hand, the V-Pass is a wireless device that can automatically respond to maritime accidents and automatically process the report of departure and arrival of fishing vessels. It refers to a radio facility that uses a frequency of 897MHz band among fishing vessel location transmitters. The information sent by the V-Pass device includes the identification number and location of the fishing vessel, speed, course, time, and automatic entry/departure notification. In particular, when a marine accident occurs, it sends an emergency rescue signal (SOS) along with the location of the fishing vessel. If the buoy attached to the fishing gear affects the AIS and V-Pass, the fishing gear can be mistaken as a ship, making it difficult to evacuate and set patrol sea areas due to bad weather.

Smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention are implemented so as not to affect the AIS 126 and V-Pass provided on the ship. To this end, the second communication modules 230 and 330 are set so as not to affect the AIS 126 and the V-Pass in at least one of a frequency band, a modulation method, and a signal strength. The second communication modules 230 and 330 use an Industry-Science-Medical (ISM) frequency band (920.9MHz to 923.3MHz) different from the AIS 126 and V-Pass. In addition, a unique ID is assigned to each of the smart buoys 110, 200, and 300, so that the AIS 126 and V-Pass are not affected. The second communication modules 230 and 330 may support Lora, which is a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA). LoRa has a communication coverage of 10Km or more with less power compared to existing cellular communication technologies such as 3G or LTE. Since the actual communication coverage varies depending on the weather and environment in which it is operated, for convenience, the communication distance of Lora is set at 10 km.

The second communication modules 230 and 330 will be described in detail. The second communication modules 230 and 330 include a sleep mode and a wake-up mode as operation modes. The sleep mode is a mode for minimizing power consumption, and data exchange is not possible. While the wake-up mode can exchange data, it consumes more power than the sleep mode. The second communication modules 230 and 330 operate in a sleep mode except when data exchange is required to minimize power consumption. Smart buoys (110, 200, 300) according to an embodiment of the present invention are attached to a fishing gear, etc., and are exposed on the water to help easily find a fishing gear. Focusing on the fact that it is not necessary to transmit the position information of the fishing gear to the ship, except when the ship 120 wants to access the fishing gear due to fishing or fishing gear collection, the second communication module 230 and 330 is in a normal slim mode. During operation, if necessary, it operates in a wake-up mode to transmit location information. In the slim mode, power consumption can be reduced by turning off the transmitters and receivers of the second communication modules 230 and 330. In the wake-up mode, the transmitters and receivers of the second communication modules 230 and 330 operate normally for data exchange. I can make it.

When the second communication module 230 and 330 in the slim mode receives a wake-up signal from the first communication module 122, the second communication module 230 is changed to the wake-up mode. The second communication modules 230 and 330 in the wake-up mode may normally exchange data with the first communication module 122. The second communication modules 230 and 330 transmit the location information acquired through the GPS modules 210 and 310 to the first communication module 122. After transmitting the location information, the second communication modules 230 and 330 return to the sleep mode.

The smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may inform the ship of their location information when the distance to the ship is within the first reference value. For example, when the ship 120 seeking the smart buoys 110, 200, 300 approaches, and the separation distance between the two enters within 5 km, the second communication module 230 and 330 goes from sleep mode to wake-up mode. It is changed and transmits its location information to the ship.

The first communication module 122 mounted on the ship may periodically transmit a wake-up signal. In this case, the wake-up signal may include unique identification information of the managed second communication modules. When the second communication modules 230 and 330 receive a wake-up signal including their own identification information, they are changed to a wake-up mode and transmit their location information to the ship 120. The first communication module 122 may appropriately set the strength of the wake-up signal to adjust a distance at which the wake-up signal of the second communication modules 230 and 330 can be received. As the strength of the wake-up signal increases, location information can be obtained from the second communication modules 230 and 330 at a longer distance, but power consumption of the smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 increases.

In another embodiment, the second communication modules 230 and 330 may periodically transmit signals including their own identification information and location information. By appropriately setting the strength of the signal output from the second communication modules 230 and 330, the distance at which the ship 120 can successfully receive the signal can be adjusted.

In another embodiment, the second communication modules 230 and 330 may change from a sleep mode to a wake-up mode in response to a mode change instruction from the controllers 220 and 320. The controllers 220 and 320 may include a timer, and may instruct the second communication modules 230 and 330 to change the mode based on the timer. In this case, the second communication modules 230 and 330 change the operation mode at a predetermined timing. The timers of the controllers 220 and 320 may be synchronized with time information acquired by the GPS modules 210 and 310. In this case, the second communication modules 230 and 330 may operate in synchronization with the first communication module 122.

The power supply units 240 and 340 supply power to the second communication modules 230 and 330 under the control of the controllers 220 and 320. When the second communication modules 230 and 330 are in the sleep mode, the power supply units 240 and 340 cut off power to the transmitter and receiver for data exchange. When the second communication modules 230 and 330 are in the wake-up mode, the power supply units 240 and 340 supply power to the transmitter and the receiver to enable data exchange. Specifically, when the distance to the ship 110 is within the first reference value (eg, 5 km), the controllers 240 and 340 enter the second communication modules 230 and 330 into the wake-up mode. When the second communication modules 230 and 330 are changed from the sleep mode to the wake-up mode, the power supply units 240 and 340 supply power to a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving data to enable normal operation. The second communication modules 230 and 330 may transmit location information to the first communication module 112 of the ship under the control of the controllers 240 and 340. The power supply units 240 and 340 include disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries.

The controllers 220 and 320 may control an operation of supplying power to the GPS modules 210 and 310 by the power supply units 240 and 340. Specifically, the controllers 220 and 320 may not supply power to the GPS modules 210 and 310 in the normal slim mode. When the distance from the ship 120 holding the first communication module 122 is within the first reference value (eg, 5Km), the controllers 220 and 320 put the second communication modules 230 and 330 in the wake-up mode. And supply power to the GPS modules 220 and 330. As power is supplied to the GPS modules 220 and 320, the GPS modules 220 and 320 communicate with satellites to obtain location information and time information. The control unit transmits the location information to the first communication module 122 of the ship through the second communication modules 230 and 330.

The smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention minimize power consumption while waiting in a normal slim mode, and transmit location information when the vessel 120 enters a communicable coverage area.

Smart buoys 110, 200 and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include LED modules 270 and 370. The LED modules 279 and 370 are located outside the housings 280 and 380. The smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 light up the LED modules 270 and 370 when the ship 120 approaches within the second reference value. For example, when the ship 120 enters within 1Km from the smart buoy 110, the LED modules 270 and 370 are turned on. The LED modules 270 and 370 may blink at a predetermined period.

Smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be easily found by a user even at night or in a situation where the visibility is short.

Smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include solar modules 260 and 360. The solar modules 260 and 360 include a solar panel and a converter. The solar panel is attached to the outside of the housings 280 and 380 to receive solar energy and convert it into electrical energy. The solar panel may be mounted on the LED modules 270 and 370. The converter converts the voltage output from the solar panel into the voltage required for each configuration and supplies it.

Smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include sensor modules 250 and 350. The controllers 220 and 320 detect whether the smart buoys 110, 200 and 300 are damaged through the sensor modules 250 and 350. When the smart buoy (110, 200, 300) is damaged, the controllers 220 and 320 may notify the manager. Specifically, when damage is detected through the sensor modules 250 and 350, the controller 220 changes the second communication modules 230 and 330 to the wake-up mode, and transmits the damage information to the first communication module 122. send. The sensor modules 250 and 350 may be at least one of a moisture sensor and an atmospheric pressure sensor. The moisture sensor can detect whether the smart buoy is submerged, and the air pressure sensor can measure the air pressure inside the smart buoy.

The smart buoys 110, 200, and 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention allow a user to easily check the status and whether there is a failure.

In the above, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. You can understand. Therefore, the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects, and should be understood as non-limiting.

110: smart buoy 120: ship
122: first communication module 124: display device
126: AIS 200,300: Smart Buoy
210,310: GPS module 220,320: control unit
230,330: second communication module 240, 340: power supply
250, 350: sensor module 260, 360: solar module
270, 370: LED module 280, 380: housing
392: fastening part

Claims (5)

In the smart buoy that can communicate with the first communication module installed on the ship,
A GPS module that acquires location information and time information through communication with satellites;
A second communication module operating in a sleep mode or a wake-up mode, and transmitting identification information and the location information to the first communication module in the wake-up mode;
A power supply for providing power to the GPS module and the second communication module;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit; And
Includes; a housing for receiving the GPS module, the second communication module, and the power supply unit inside to protect from an external environment,
The second communication module
A smart buoy that operates in a wake-up mode in response to a wake-up signal received from the first communication module, and operates in a wake-up mode when the distance to the ship is within a first reference value. delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the first reference value
Smart buoy within 50% of the standard distance that can be communicated. The method of claim 4,
Smart buoy further comprising an LED module attached to the inside or outside of the housing and periodically flashing when the distance to the ship is within a second reference value.

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