Communication system

Abstract

A ship network communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention that enables data transmission and reception wirelessly in a ship regardless of the thickness of a bulkhead comprises: a first communication device, attached to a first bulkhead from among a plurality of bulkheads dividing a hull into a plurality of spaces, to receive transmission data transmitted from a transmitting terminal; and a second communication device, attached to a second bulkhead from among the bulkheads, to receive the transmission data from a first Ethernet communication module through near field communication and to transfer the received transmission data to a receiving terminal, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device perform near field communication using the first bulkhead and the second bulkhead as a communication medium.

Claims

1. A signal transmission and reception apparatus that performs communication by inducing an electromagnetic field in a conductive object and by using the object as a medium, the apparatus comprising; an external communication module configured to exchange data with an external communication terminal using at least one first communication scheme of a wired communication and a wireless communication; and a magnetic field communication module configured to induce the electromagnetic field within the object and to carry the data in the induced electromagnetic field, as a signal and thereby transmit the data; wherein the conductive object comprises a plurality of metal bulkheads that is physically separate from each other and in contact with each other; and wherein the magnetic field communication module is supplied with power and induces the electromagnetic field in the plurality of metal bulkheads and a counterpart device, and carries the data in the electromagnetic field and thereby transmits the data.

2. A signal transmission and reception apparatus that performs communication by inducing an electromagnetic field in a conductive object and by using the object as a medium, the apparatus comprising: an external communication module configured to exchange data with an external communication terminal using at least one first communication scheme of a wired communication and a wireless communication; and a magnetic field communication module configured to induce the electromagnetic field within the object and to carry the data in the induced electromagnetic field as a signal and thereby transmit the data wherein, in response to receiving a signal transmitted from a counterpart terminal from the conductive object, the magnetic field communication module modulates the data through a pulse code modulation (PCM) scheme and transmits the data to the external communication module.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the magnetic field communication module comprises a nine coils associated with a magnetic resonance scheme that are provided in a 3-by-3 matrix form.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the magnetic field communication module has a resonant frequency capable of being adjusted to be different based on a material and a thickness of the object.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the conductive object comprises a metal bulkhead, and the magnetic field communication module is supplied with power and induces the electromagnetic field in, an inside of the metal bulkhead and a counterpart device, and carries, in the electromagnetic field, the data that is provided in an electrical signal form from the external communication module and thereby transmits the data.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the external communication module comprises an Ethernet communication module, and the Ethernet communication module converts the data to an electrical signal form using one of a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation scheme and a phase shift keying (PSK) modulation scheme, and provides the data to the magnetic field communication module.

7. A signal transmission and reception apparatus that performs communication by inducing an electromagnetic field in a conductive object and by using the object as a medium, the apparatus comprising: an external communication module configured to exchange data with an external communication terminal using at least one first communication scheme of a wired communication and a wireless communication; and a magnetic field communication module configured to induce the electromagnetic field within the object and to carry the data in the induced electromagnetic field as a signal and thereby transmit the data wherein: the conductive object comprises a metal bulkhead; the magnetic field communication module is supplied with power and induces the electromagnetic field in an inside of the metal bulkhead and a counterpart device, and carries, in the electromagnetic field, the data that is provided in an electrical signal form from the external communication module and thereby transmits the data; the conductive object comprises a plurality of metal bulkheads that is physically separate from each other and in contact with each other; and the magnetic field communication module is supplied with the power and induces the electromagnetic field in the plurality of metal bulkheads and the counterpart device, and carries the data in the electromagnetic field and thereby transmits the data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field communication module comprises a nine coils associated with a magnetic resonance scheme that are provided in a 3-by-3 matrix form.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field communication module has a resonant frequency capable of being adjusted to be different based on a material and a thickness of the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field communication module modulates the data provided from the external communication module through a phase modulation (PM) scheme and carries the data, in the induced electromagnetic field and thereby transmits the data.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field communication module has a resonant frequency capable of being adjusted to be different based on a material and a thickness of the object.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a ship to which a ship network communication system according to an example embodiment is applied.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a ship network communication system according to an example embodiment.

(3) FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate examples of a magnetic field communication module of FIG. 2.

(4) FIGS. 4A through 4E illustrate a configuration of a ship network communication system according to various example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERED EMBODIMENTS

(5) When assigning reference numerals to components illustrated in the respective drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components throughout although they are illustrated in different drawings.

(6) Meanwhile, the terminology disclosed herein needs to be understood as follows.

(7) The singular forms a, an, and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms, such as first, second, etc., are used to distinguish one component from another component and thus, the scope of the disclosure is not to be limited by the terms.

(8) It will be understood that the terms comprises/includes and has do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

(9) The term at least one needs to be understood to include any combination possible from one or more related items. For example, at least one of a first item, a second item, and a third item indicates each of the first item, the second item, or the third item, and also indicates any combinations of items possible from two or more of the first item, the second item, and the third item.

(10) Hereinafter, a level measurement device according to an example embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a ship to which a ship network communication system according to an example embodiment is applied.

(12) Referring to FIG. 1, a ship network communication system 100 according to an example embodiment is used for a ship 110. In general, the ship 110 is divided into a plurality of compartments through a plurality of bulkheads 112, and communication devices 210a and 210b that constitute the ship network communication system 100 are provided based on the bulkhead 112. For example, each of the communication devices 210a and 210b may be provided in a compartment. According to an example embodiment, the communication devices 210a and 210b may be provided to the bulkhead 112.

(13) Although FIG. 1 illustrates only two communication devices 210a and 210b, communication devices 210 may be provided to each of the plurality of bulkheads 112 to perform smooth communication within the ship 110.

(14) Referring to FIG. 1, the communication devices 210a and 210b include the first communication device 210a provided on a first surface of the bulkhead 112 and the second communication device 210b provided on a second surface of the bulkhead 112. Here, the second surface refers to a surface that faces the first surface on the bulkhead 112.

(15) Hereinafter, the overall configuration and functions of the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 through 4 based on the assumption that the ship network communication system 100 includes the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b for clarity of description.

(16) FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration of a ship network communication system according to an example embodiment.

(17) Referring to FIG. 2, the ship network communication system 100 according to an example embodiment includes the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b that are provided to the bulkhead 112. Also, the ship network communication system 100 may further include a first access point (AP) 220 and a second AP 230. In the following description, it is assumed that the ship network communication system 100 includes the first AP 220 and the second AP 230.

(18) The first communication device 210a is provided on the first surface of the bulkhead 112 to receive transmission data from a transmitting terminal 240 and to transfer the received transmission data to the second communication device 210b through near field communication using the bulkhead 112 as a communication medium.

(19) The second communication device 210b is provided on the first surface of the bulkhead 112 to receive the transmission data transferred from the first communication device 210a using the bulkhead 112 as a communication medium and to transmit the received transmission data to a receiving terminal 250.

(20) Referring to FIG. 2, the first communication device 210a includes a first Ethernet communication module 212a, a first magnetic field communication module 214a, and a first battery 216a, the second communication device 210b includes a second Ethernet communication module 212b, a second magnetic field communication module 214b, and a second battery 216b.

(21) The first Ethernet communication module 212a receives, from the transmitting terminal 240, transmission data to be transmitted to the receiving terminal 260. In detail, the first Ethernet communication module 212a receives Ethernet-based transmission data from the transmitting terminal 240 according to a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) through a TCP/IP socket module (not shown) included in the first Ethernet communication module 212a.

(22) According to an example embodiment, the transmitting terminal 240 may be a device capable of transmitting data in a wired manner, such as a database, a web server, a messenger server, a file server, and the like, interacting with an internal network 260, for example, an in-company network, or may be a device capable of transmitting data in a wireless manner, such as a smartphone, a laptop computer, a radio, and the like.

(23) Data transmitted from the transmitting terminal 240 may include character string data, voice data, and image data.

(24) According to the example embodiment, the first Ethernet communication module 212a may connect to the internal network 260 through the first AP 220 and may receive transmission data from the transmitting terminal 240 capable of transmitting data in a wired manner. Also, the first Ethernet communication module 212a may connect to a wireless network through the first AP 230 and may receive transmission data from the transmitting terminal 240 capable of transmitting data in a wireless manner.

(25) Although the example embodiment describes that the first Ethernet communication module 212a connects to the internal network 260 through the first AP 220, it is provided as an example only. According to a modified example embodiment, the first Ethernet communication module 212a may directly connect to the internal network 260.

(26) Once Ethernet-based transmission data is received from the transmitting terminal 240 through a TCP/IP, the first Ethernet communication module 212a may modulate the received transmission data through a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation scheme or a phase shift keying (PSK) modulation scheme.

(27) The FSK scheme refers to a frequency modulation system for transmitting digital data through a change in discrete frequencies of a carrier wave. The simplest FSK modulation scheme is a binary FSK (BFSL) modulation scheme. In the binary FSK modulation scheme, 1 is referred to as a mark frequency and 0 is referred to as a space frequency.

(28) The PSK modulation scheme refers to a digital modulation scheme for modifying or modulating a phase of a reference signal, for example, a carrier wave, and transmitting data. All of the digital modulation schemes use a predetermined number of distinguishable signals to represent digital data. The PSK modulation scheme uses a predetermined number of phases to which a unique binary number pattern is allocated, and each phase refers to a value acquired by encoding the same number of bits. Each bit pattern forms a symbol that is represented as a specific phase. Accordingly, a side that demodulates modulated data restores original data by discovering a phase of a received signal, and by mapping the discovered phase to a symbol represented using the phase.

(29) Once an FSK modulation or a PSK modulation is completed, the first Ethernet communication module 212a converts FSK modulated or PSK modulated transmission data to analog-typed transmission data using a digital-to-analog convertor, and transfers the analog-typed transmission data to the first magnetic field communication module 214a.

(30) The first magnetic field communication module 214a receives the analog-typed transmission data from the first Ethernet communication module 212a and modulates the received analog-typed transmission data through a PM scheme. The PM scheme refers to a modulation scheme for changing a phase of a carrier wave with respect to an amplitude of an input signal. The PM scheme exhibits a stable output and is suitable for high-density recording since an angle of a sine carrier wave changes based on a polarity and thus, the sine carrier wave has only two types at all times.

(31) Once a phase modulation is completed, the first magnetic field communication module 214a transfers the phase-modulated transmission data to the second magnetic field communication module 214b through near field communication using the bulkhead 112 as a communication medium.

(32) According to an example embodiment, referring to FIG. 3A, the first magnetic field communication module 214a may be configured using 9 coils that resonate as a magnetic resonant type to pass through the bulkhead 112 and to transfer data. Here, the coils may be provided in a 3-by-3 matrix form of FIG. 3A.

(33) The first battery 216a is provided to supply power to at least one of the first communication device 210a and the first AP 220, and referring to FIG. 2, connects to an external power source 270 and is supplied with the power from the external power source 270 and charged with the supplied power.

(34) The second magnetic field communication module 214b receives transmission data modulated by the first magnetic field communication module 214a through near field communication using the bulkhead 112 as a communication medium. The second magnetic field communication module 214b converts analog-typed transmission data to a digital type through an analog-to-digital convertor included in the second magnetic field communication module 214b. Once conversion of the transmission data to the digital type is completed, the second magnetic field communication module 214b modulates the digital-typed transmission data through a pulse code modulation (PCM) scheme and transfers the modulated digital-typed transmission data to the first Ethernet communication module 212b.

(35) According to an example embodiment, referring to FIG. 3B, the second magnetic field communication module 214b may be configured using 9 coils that resonate as a magnetic resonant type to perform near field communication with the first magnetic field communication module 214a. Here, the coils may be provided in a 3-by-3 matrix form of FIG. 3B, resonant frequencies of the first magnetic field communication module 214a and the second magnetic field communication module 214b may be adjusted based on a material and a thickness of the bulkhead 112.

(36) As described above, according to example embodiments, the first magnetic field communication module 214a and the second magnetic field communication module 214b may transmit and receive transmission data through near field communication using the bulkhead 112 as a communication medium and thus, may be set at any locations of the bulkhead 112. That is, there is no need to provide the first magnetic field communication module 214a and the second magnetic field communication module 214b at mutually corresponding locations for the magnetic field communication.

(37) The second Ethernet communication module 212b receives the transmission data pulse-code-modulated by the second magnetic field communication module 214b, converts the received transmission data to Ethernet-based transmission data according to a TCP/IP, and transmits the converted Ethernet-based transmission data to the receiving terminal 250 through the second AP 230.

(38) Meanwhile, the receiving terminal 250 that receives the transmission data from the second Ethernet communication module 212b may be a device having a function capable of receiving data in a wireless manner, such as a smartphone, a laptop computer, a radio, and the like, or may be a device having a function capable of receiving data in a wired manner, such as an IP camera, an Internet of things (IoT) sensor, a local area network (LAN)-based device, and the like.

(39) According to the example embodiment, when the receiving terminal 250 is a device having a function capable of receiving data in a wireless manner, the receiving terminal 250 may connect to the second AP 230 over a wireless network and may receive transmission data. When the receiving terminal 250 is a device having a function capable of receiving data in a wired manner, the receiving terminal 250 may directly connect to the second AP 230 and may receive transmission data.

(40) The second battery 216b is provided to supply power to at least one of the second communication device 210b and the second AP 230, and may be supplied with power from a separate external power source 280 and may be charged with the supplied power.

(41) Although FIG. 2 is described that the first AP 220 is supplied with the power from the first battery 216a and the second AP 230 is supplied with the power from the second battery 216b, it is provided as an example only. According to a modified example embodiment, the first AP 220 may be directly supplied with the power from the external power source 270 and the second AP 230 may be directly supplied with the power from the external power source 280.

(42) Although the example embodiment describes that the first communication device 210a receives transmission data from the transmitting terminal 240 and the second communication device 210b transmits the transmission data transferred from the first communication device 210a to the receiving terminal 250, it is provided as an example only.

(43) According to a modified example embodiment, the second communication device 210b may receive transmission data from the receiving terminal 250 and the first communication device 210a may transmit the transmission data transferred from the second communication device 210b to the transmitting terminal 240. According to the example embodiment, the aforementioned function of the first Ethernet communication module 212a and function of the second Ethernet communication module 212b may be switched and the function of the first magnetic field communication module 214a and the function of the second magnetic field communication module 214b may be switched.

(44) According to example embodiments, there may be provided a ship network communication system that enables data to be transmitted and received in a wired or wireless manner within a ship regardless of a thickness of a bulkhead. Also, there may be provided a ship network communication system that may transmit data through near field communication using a bulkhead as a communication medium. Also, there may be provided a ship network communication system that may readily determine an installation location on a bulkhead.

(45) Modified Example Embodiment

(46) In FIG. 2, the first Ethernet communication module 212a and the first magnetic field communication module 214a are integrally configured within the first communication device 210a, and the second Ethernet communication module 212b and the second magnetic field communication module 214b are integrally configured within the second communication device 210b.

(47) According to the modified example embodiment, referring to FIG. 4A, the first Ethernet communication module 212a and the first magnetic field communication module 214a may be physically separate from each other and connected to each other through a first cable 410, and the second Ethernet communication module 212b and the second magnetic field communication module 214b may be physically separate from each other and connected to each other through a second cable 420.

(48) According to the example embodiment, the first magnetic field communication module 214a may be provided on the first surface of the bulkhead 112 and the second magnetic field communication module 214b may be provided on the second surface of the bulkhead 112.

(49) In addition, although FIG. 2 is described that the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b are provided based on a single bulkhead 112 to transmit and receive data, the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b may perform near field communication using the bulkhead as a communication medium and thus, may transmit and receive data using a plurality of bulkheads as the communication medium.

(50) For example, referring to FIG. 4B, when a first bulkhead 112a and a second bulkhead 112b are connected to each other, the first communication device 210a is provided on a first surface of the first bulkhead 112a, and the second communication device 210b is provided on a second surface of the second bulkhead 112b, the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b may transmit and receive data using the first bulkhead 112a and the second bulkhead 112b as a communication medium.

(51) As another example, referring to FIG. 4C, when the first bulkhead 112a, the second bulkhead 112b, and a third bulkhead 112c are present, the first bulkhead 112a and the second bulkhead 112b are connected through the third bulkhead 112c, the first communication device 210a is provided on the first surface of the first bulkhead 112a, and the second communication device 210b is provided on a second surface of the third bulkhead 112c, the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b may transmit and receive data using the first bulkhead 112a through the third bulkhead 112c as a communication medium.

(52) As another example, referring to FIG. 4D, when the first bulkhead 112a, the second bulkhead 112b, the third bulkhead 112c, a fourth bulkhead 112d, and a fifth bulkhead 112e are present, the first bulkhead 112a and the fifth bulkhead 112e are connected to each other through the second bulkhead 112b through the fourth bulkhead 112d, the first communication device 210a is provided on the first surface of the first bulkhead 112a, and the second communication device 210b is provided on a second surface of the fifth bulkhead 112e, the first communication device 210a and the second communication device 210b may transmit and receive data using the first bulkhead 112a through the fifth bulkhead 112e as a communication medium.

(53) As another example, referring to FIG. 4E, although the first communication device 210a, the second communication device 210b, and a third communication device 210c are provided within separate compartments through the first bulkhead 112a, the second bulkhead 112b, and the third bulkhead 112c, the first communication device 210a through the third communication device 210c may transmit and receive data using the first bulkhead 112a as a communication medium.

(54) According to the example embodiments, a ship network communication system may transmit and receive data in a wired and wireless manner even within a ship built with bulkheads with a thickness of 80 mm or more. Also, since the ship network communication system transmits and receives data through near field communication using a bulkhead as a communication medium, the ship network communication system may transmit and receive data at a fast speed within the ship. Also, since the ship network communication system is capable of using the bulkhead as a communication medium, installation locations of a first communication device and a second communication device may be readily set on the bulkhead. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance a degree of freedom for a system configuration.

(55) The present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned example embodiments and accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various replacements, modifications, and changes may be made without departing from the technical spirit of the disclosure.