Signaling apparatus and system to identify and locate marine objects and hazards

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a system wherein coin-sized beacons can be attached to marine and other hazards such as buoys, shipwrecks, jetties and the like. The beacons can also be configured to a user's life jacket or other intimate item worn by divers or passengers. The beacon is equipped with an ability to emit sound/radio or light (Bluetooth or otherwise) waves that are detected by a user's receiving device hardware located aboard a vessel to alert the user of an approaching hazard. The signal can be configured to provide the location or distance and proximity to the vessel of the beacon and contact information of the beacon's registered owner. The beacon can continuously transmit these signals to alert oncoming vessels of the location of the beacon, or aid in the recovery of an overboard passenger or keep track of underwater divers. Further, the receiving device hardware can be adapted to a vessel's navigation system to automatically avoid marine hazards using the vessel's autopilot system.

Claims

1. A marine hazard avoidance device, comprising: a vessel, a plurality of beacons each attached to various marine and other hazards, each of said plurality of beacons continuously and independently emitting an unmodulated electromagnetic frequency signal, wherein said plurality of beacons emit said electromagnetic frequency signal without requiring a trigger signal from a surrounding device, a plurality of receiving devices mounted along the circumference of the vessel, said plurality of receiving devices receive said electromagnetic frequency signal, a display unit displays the location, proximity, or direction of the marine hazards using said electromagnetic frequency signal.

2. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said display unit displays the proximity of each marine hazard to said vessel.

3. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said vessel includes a navigation system, said display unit is implemented into the navigation system.

4. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said hazards are color-coded on said display unit.

5. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of receiving devices provide an alert upon said marine hazards being closer than a predetermined distance, said alert is triggered using electromagnetic frequency signal without having to wait for the plurality of beacons to pair with the receiving devices.

6. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said beacon's electromagnetic frequency signal includes information relating to the owner of the marine hazard or information relating to the hazard itself.

7. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic frequency signal is intermittent.

8. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic frequency signal is selectively turned on and off.

9. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic frequency signal is remotely turned on and off.

10. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of beacons include a solar powered battery.

11. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of receiving devices are mounted at the vessel's hull at its bow, stern, port, starboard, or any combination thereof.

12. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic frequency is Bluetooth or Near Field Communication.

13. The marine hazard avoidance device of claim 1 wherein said display unit displays the location, proximity, or direction of the marine hazards in real-time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1A illustrates beacons attached to various navigational hazards, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 1B illustrates beacons attached to various navigational hazards, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure including lobster traps and jetties.

(4) FIG. 1C shows a passenger having fallen overboard with a beacon attached to her life jacket emitting a signal being received by a vessel's captain or other personnel through the receiving device.

(5) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic showing the components within the beacon.

(6) FIG. 3 shows a method for managing the beacons, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(7) The following detailed description is intended to provide example implementations to one of ordinary skill in the art, and is not intended to limit the invention to the explicit disclosure, as one or ordinary skill in the art will understand that variations can be substituted that are within the scope of the invention as described.

(8) The present disclosure discloses beacons attached to hazards and/or other objects or individuals. The beacons are used to alert oncoming vessels of their location. Specifically, the beacons are equipped with Bluetooth and/or similar radio or light waves to provide location and time information from the beacon. The beacons signal the oncoming vessels when the vessels come into proximity with the hazards and/or other objects or individuals at a predetermined distance. Further, the beacons can be communicatively coupled to a server. The server receives data from the beacons. The data comprises location of the beacons and the beacon's registered owner. The data may be used to track and record the locations of the beacon when the beacons are changed from one buoy or hazard to another.

(9) Various features and embodiments of the beacons attached to the buoys or lifejackets of users are explained in conjunction with the description of FIGS. 1-3.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 1, a plurality of buoys (102a, 102b, 102c) present in the sea is shown, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The plurality of buoys (102a, 102b, 102c) may be placed at shallow areas, hazard areas, where divers are present in the sea and so on. In another example, the buoys (102a, 102b) may be connected to crab and/or lobster traps (102c) that are positioned in the sea by fishermen or exposed shipwrecks or natural formations that pose a danger to navigating vessels (102d). The buoys (102a, 102b) placed in the sea may float above the water surface and serve as a reference point to indicate placement of the crab and/or lobster traps (102c) on the seabed. Those buoys create a navigational hazard. Although the present disclosure is explained considering that buoys are present in the sea, it should be understood that other structures such light house, poles, floating objects may be used in waters such as a river or lakes to indicate hazards, shallow areas, presence of divers, overboard passengers and so on and beacons (104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d) can be applied thereon.

(11) Each of the plurality of buoys e.g., the buoy 102a comprises a beacon 104a. The beacon is a small device for example, 3 cm5 cm2 cm, or the size of a small coin, that constantly emits signals to a nearby interfacing device 107, containing a small amount of data including but not limited to the identity beacon's 104a owner. Strength of the signal and time between each signal transmitted by each beacon may be configured to give a desired coverage. In one example, the beacon may be configured to send the signal up to 100 meters. In another example, the beacon may be configured to send the signal up to 50 meters. It should be understood that the beacon might be configured to broadcast the signal up to a predetermined distance. As there is no obstruction in the sea such as wall, or any other structure, the signal may be sent up to the distance as may be configured. The data sent by the beacon may comprise location of the beacon and its registration information. The data sent by the beacon may be hard coded and is not changed frequently. The beacon 104a, 104b, 104c and 104d may be powered by a battery or by a solar powered cell. Beacon 104a can be configured to constantly or intermittently send out a Bluetooth, radio or other similar signal to nearby receiving hardware 107 and 109.

(12) As shown in FIG. 1, the beacon 104a is attached to the buoy 102a. The beacon 104a may be attached to the buoy 102a by a suitable means as known in the art. Similarly, the beacon 104b is attached to the buoy 102b. Similarly, the beacon 104c is attached to crab or lobster trap 102c. Similarly, the beacon 104d is attached to the jetty 102d. The beacons 104a, 104b, 104c and 104d can be configured to continuously or intermittently send out Bluetooth signals. The signals sent by the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) may be captured by a vessel 106, equipped with an interfacing receiving device 107, which is sailing towards the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d). Specifically, the interfacing receiving hardware 107 and will capture or receive the signals and upon receiving the signal will alert the user of the vessel of the upcoming potential hazard. Mariners may opt to equip their vessel with a plurality of sensors located around the perimeter off the vessel, which can improve signal reception from beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d). Sensors receive and then communicate data to the interfacing device 107. The interfacing device 107 calculates the beacons' (104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d) proximity to the vessel 106 and displays on a screen the location of the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) in relation to the vessel.

(13) Receiving device hardware 107 does not need to pair with the beacon using the Bluetooth signal as this will unnecessarily require additional time that the user could have already been alerted of the hazard. Instead, the receiving device hardware 107 can alert the user the moment it simply comes within range of the beacon 104a, 104b, 104c and 104d, and detects the presence of the signal. This can be achieved with light or radio signals and/or near field communication as well. Additionally, receiving device 107 can be configured to be a downloaded application on a mobile device so that a user can use his or her smartphone to detect the signals emitted from the beacons 104a, 104b, 104c and 104d.

(14) In one embodiment, each of the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) may be equipped with Bluetooth and/or similar radio frequency or light wave capable of providing the location of the respective beacon. The content transmitted by the signal can be customized to include registration and/or license information for a given buoy or other relevant information. The content can also be at least partially encrypted, and in those instances, receiving device 107 can include decryption means to decode the encrypted content transmitted by the beacon.

(15) In accordance with one implementation of the present disclosure, each of the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) alert the vessel 106 via interfacing hardware 107 when the vessel 106 is at a predetermined distance from the beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d). The system subject of the present invention can be coupled to the Auto-Pilot navigational features of a vessel to alter a vessel's route and/or speed upon the interfacing device hardware 107 receiving a beacon's signal.

(16) In one embodiment, the plurality of beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) may be communicatively connected to a system 110 as shown in FIG. 2. In the current embodiment, the system 110 is considered to be implemented on a server, however, it may be understood that the system 110 may also be implemented in a variety of computing systems, such as a mainframe computer, a network server, cloud, and the like. The beacons (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) are communicatively coupled to the system 110 through a network (not shown). In one implementation, the network may be a wireless network.

(17) In one embodiment, the system 110 may include a memory 112 and at least one processor 114. The memory 112 may include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes. The at least one processor 114 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the at least one processor 114 is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions or program instructions stored in the memory 112.

(18) As an additional feature, the beacon 104a may share the data such as name of a person or fisherman who installed the beacon 104a at the buoy 102a. This information can be encoded in the beacon 104a so that a passerby or the authorities can identify the owner of that buoy and beacon. This data corresponding to the person who installed the beacon at the buoy may be used to associate any violations that take place at the buoy for law enforcement purposes.

(19) In one embodiment, interfacing device 107 can determine whether the vessel 106 avoided the hazard (102a, 102b) or continued on to collide with the hazard (102a, 102b) and communicate that data to the system 110. The system 110 may analyze the data to derive analytics. For example, in addition to contact information, the beacon can also provide a summation for the number of vessels that crossed the beacons in a given time or distance at which each vessel that has passed the beacon, and which, if any, of those vessels may have come into contact with the buoy, causing it to become detached from the crab or lobster trap 102c.

(20) Referring to FIG. 3, a method 300 for managing beacons by the system 110 is disclosed, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(21) At step 302, the system 110 receives the data from the beacons (104a, 104b) using Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication, radio signals, and the like.

(22) At step 304, the system 110 can record the location of the beacons from the data received from the beacons by using GPS in one instance.

(23) At step 306, the system 110 may broadcast the location of the beacons to vessels that are in vicinity of the beacons.

(24) At step 308, the system 110 may track the location of beacon to determine position of the beacon from time to time.

(25) It is preferable to use beacons instead of cameras or sound signals as proposed in prior art, as the beacons of the present invention are inexpensive, discrete and accurate. Further, the beacons transmit a strong signal that the oncoming vessels can capture without any difficulty. As a result, the signal strength of the beacons is not as affected even during extreme weather conditions. Furthermore, the beacons may be affixed to the buoys that are present in the sea far away from shore and aid the vessels to navigate past the buoys and other hazards.

(26) In addition, the data that the beacons can share may be used to update the oncoming vessels of presence of additional buoys and/or other hazards s in the vicinity.

(27) The concept of the present invention can be understood as a reverse radar. The beacons will emit a sound/radio or light wave (Bluetooth or otherwise) which will be received by the receiving apparatus attached to the vessel. In a traditional radar setup, there is a mechanism affixed to a vessel which emits a radio wave. That radio wave travels until it reaches an object and then bounces back. The receiver on the vessel then interprets the return wave which has bounced off the object using an equation and displays on a screen what it is that is out there and even determines or calculates the distance from the object. The advantage of radar is that it can detect objects which are unknown and versatile (clouds, birds, land, airplanes, other boats, etc.).

(28) The present invention differs from traditional radar in the sense that its objective is to identify only known and stationary objects and hazards (buoys, jettys, reefs, divers in the water) (102a, 102b and 102d) which are affixed with a beacon (104a, 104b and 104d). There is no mechanism on the vessel which emits a sound/radio or light wave (Bluetooth or otherwise). There is only a receiver 107 because the object, through its beacon, is effectively sending out a sound/radio or light wave (Bluetooth or otherwise). That wave is received by the receiver 107 on the vessel and interpreted on a display (like a RADAR screen) which outlines it determined distance or proximity to the receiver on the vessel and/or the vessel itself. With a traditional radar, proximity is measured by calculating the amount of time the radio wave takes to travel to the object from the vessel, bounce off of it, and return to the receiver on the vessel. The present invention cannot measure how long it takes for the light or sound/radio wave to travel before it gets to the receiver on the vessel because the wave is emitting independently from the beacon. Therefore, we are faced with a more complex product but one necessary to solve the unaddressed problem.

(29) By emitting a sound/radio or light wave (Bluetooth or otherwise) intermittently from the beacon (104a, 104b and 104d), the signal being broken up by a break of equal predetermined amount of time (i.e. a second, half a second, or milliseconds), the receiver 107 can measure the changes in the time between breaks (to the millisecond) and determine the proximity at the various intervals and then display it on a screen, like the radar does. Since the amount of time the wave takes to travel from the beacon to the vessel will be less as the beacon gets closer, the receiver 107 can determine the distance, as a radar does, by measuring the difference in the amount of time between each break in the wave (measured running time). A plurality of sensors around the circumference of the vessel 106 can triangulate the signal from beacons (104a, 104b and 104d) and determine the precise location of the each beacon from the various points within or about the vessel 106. The present invention is also different from the prior art because it uses a sound/radio or light wave (Bluetooth or otherwise), so the waves that are being used to measure proximity may be accompanied by a signal or also carry information related to the beacon itself including the owner name, the type of hazard or object, etc.

(30) The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.