U.S. patent application number 09/794655 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-31 for marine vessel monitoring system and method.
Invention is credited to Lash, Anthony B., Lash, David M.C..
Application Number | 20020158776 09/794655 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25163259 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020158776 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lash, David M.C. ; et
al. |
October 31, 2002 |
Marine vessel monitoring system and method
Abstract
The present invention comprises a remote marine monitoring and
control system that compiles security information and statistics
for on-board equipment on unattended boats, uses a wireless
transmitter to send this data to a user over a communications
network and allows a user to remotely operate the user's boat in
response. Boat operational data can be provided to a user on a
variety of personal communication devices and/or through a
monitoring web site. These devices can also be used by the user to
send a user command to remotely control the operation of the boat.
The remote marine monitoring system identifies normal operating
conditions for on-board equipment and compares these conditions to
current operating activity in order to detect unusual activity.
Security information can also be compiled and reported relating to
intrusion sensors, keyless entry and the boat's physical
location.
Inventors: |
Lash, David M.C.; (Toronto,
CA) ; Lash, Anthony B.; (Toronto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BERESKIN AND PARR
SCOTIA PLAZA
40 KING STREET WEST-SUITE 4000 BOX 401
TORONTO
ON
M5H 3Y2
CA
|
Family ID: |
25163259 |
Appl. No.: |
09/794655 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/984 ;
340/521; 340/531; 340/618; 340/638; 340/652 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2325/304 20130101;
B60R 2325/205 20130101; B60R 25/33 20130101; B60R 25/102 20130101;
B63B 2017/0009 20130101; B63J 99/00 20130101; B60R 25/1003
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/984 ;
340/531; 340/636; 340/652; 340/618; 340/521; 340/638 |
International
Class: |
G08B 021/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method for monitoring and controlling the operation of a boat
over a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) detecting a warning condition on the boat; (b) transmitting the
warning condition to the user over the communication network; (c)
receiving the warning condition over the communication network and
transmitting a user command in response; and (d) operating the boat
according to the user command.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the voltage level of a boat battery, determining whether
the voltage level of the boat battery is lower than a predetermined
value, and if the determination is true, transmitting a low battery
warning condition.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the open circuit condition of the bilge pump protector
circuit, determining whether the bilge pump protector circuit is
open and if the determination is true, transmitting a bilge pump
warning condition.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bilge pump protection circuit
is a fuse.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the bilge pump protection circuit
is a circuit breaker.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the water level in a bilge, determining whether the bilge
water level exceeds a high water level threshold, and if the
determination is true, transmitting a high water warning
condition.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the activity of a bilge pump, determining whether the
bilge pump activity is abnormal, and if the determination is true,
transmitting a bilge pump warning condition.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the activity of the bilge pump is
determined to be abnormal if the duration of time that the bilge
pump is on is less than a first predetermined duration of time, or
greater than a second predetermined duration of time.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second
predetermined durations of time are multiples of a running average
of past instances of durations of time for which the bilge pump has
been on.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user command includes
instructions to alter said first and second predetermined durations
of time.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the activity of the bilge pump
is determined to be abnormal if the number of times that the bilge
pump moves from an off state to an on state is a predetermined
period of time is less than first predetermined number of times, or
greater than a second predetermined number of times.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second durations
of time are multiples of a running average of the number of times
that the bilge pump has moved from an off state to an on state for
the predetermined period of time.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user command includes
instructions to alter said first and second predetermined number of
times.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the occurrence of an unauthorized keyless entry and
transmitting an entry warning condition.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting fire conditions on the boat and transmitting a fire
warning condition.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting the level of AC shore power, determining whether there is
insufficient AC shore power, and if the determination is true,
transmitting an insufficient power warning condition.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user command is to turn on a
bilge pump associated with the boat.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the user command is to select an
alternate battery to provide power to the boat.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the user command is to disable a
motor associated with the boat.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the user command is to enable a
motor associated with the boat.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is
selected from the group consisting of: the Internet, the wireless
telephone network, and the telephone network.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein said warning condition is
received over the communication network by a device selected from
the group consisting of: a personal digital assistant, a computer,
a pager, a telephone and a facsimile machine.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein said warning condition is
transmitted over the communication network and displayed on a web
site.
24. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) comprise
detecting an unauthorized starting of the engine and transmitting
an engine start warning condition that includes positioning
information for the boat and step (d) comprises disabling the
engine in response to the user command to disable the engine.
25. A system for monitoring and controlling the operation of a
boat, said system comprising: (a) a communication network; (b) a
detector coupled to the boat for detecting a warning condition; (c)
a first transceiver coupled to the detector and to the
communication network for transmitting the warning condition over
the communication network; (d) a second transceiver coupled to the
communication network for receiving the warning condition from the
first transceiver and for transmitting a user command to the first
transceiver; and (e) a controller coupled to the first transceiver
and to the boat for affecting the operation of the boat in
accordance with the user command.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the detector comprises a sensor
selected from the group consisting of: a fire detector, an
unauthorized entry detector, a low battery voltage level detector,
a high bilge water level detector, an abnormal bilge pump activity
detector, a bilge pump fuse integrity detector, a bilge pump
circuit breaker detector, an AC shore power disruption detector, an
unauthorized ignition startup detector, an unauthorized engine
operation detector, and an unauthorized change in position
detector.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein the user command is selected
from the group consisting of: a command to turn on a bilge pump
associated with the boat, a command to select an alternate battery
to provide power to the boat, a command to disable a motor
associated with the boat, a command to enable a motor associated
with the boat.
28. The system of claim 25, wherein the second transceiver is
associated with at least one of a computer, a personal computing
device, a pager, a facsimile machine, and a telephone.
29. The system of claim 25, wherein said first and second
transceiver provides a voice and data communication link over the
communication network.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention pertains to security systems and in
particular to a marine vessel monitoring and control system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Current consumer demand for mobility in lifestyle and
vacations has resulted in an increased popularity in boating.
However, most of the time, valuable boats are left unattended on
moorings or at docks leaving absentee boatowners to worry about the
security of their unattended property. Absentee boatowners are also
concerned about the vulnerability of their boats to the elements
and the malfunctioning of on-board equipment. This has created a
substantial need for reliable, effective and affordable boat
monitoring systems which provide absentee boatowners with periodic
reports on the condition of their unattended boats. Accordingly, a
number of marine vessel monitoring systems have been developed.
[0003] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,777,551, 5,850,180 and 6,049,273 to Hess
each disclose a boat monitoring system that monitors for instances
of unauthorized entry and fire. When a fire is sensed by a smoke
detector or unauthorized entry is sensed by intruder sensors, a
signal is sent to an on-board microcontroller which sounds a high
decibel alarm and which initiates a wireless telephone. However,
this monitoring system requires an AC power supply for operation,
which is not readily available to unattended boats on moorings and
accordingly is not suitable for continuous monitoring of vessels.
Also, the monitoring system disclosed by Hess does not allow a
boatowner to directly prevent potentially catastrophic damage
caused by other types of hazardous boat conditions.
[0004] One particularly hazardous boat condition that can give rise
to substantial boat damage relates to a boat's bilge pump system.
Bilge pump systems are critical to the maintenance of the proper
level of the boat within a body of water and include a water pump,
a floating device to determine water level and a power source such
as a battery. If the fuse is blown or the battery level is low,
then a high water level can occur in the bilge causing substantial
damage to the operation of the boat. In addition, many bilge pump
systems include a bilge pump circuit breaker which can be
inadvertently turned off, which can also result in substantial
damage to the boat. If bilge pump conditions such as a blown fuse
or low battery level can be detected in advance, then hazardous
high water levels can be prevented.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,698 to Glidewell discloses a marine
monitoring system which detects an unauthorized intrusion or a
hazardous condition such as a high water level in the boat. When a
hazardous condition is sensed, the system places a call to a local
security station. However, the system requires the availability of
an AC power source which is not available to unattended boats on
moorings. Also, the system does not allow for preventative
monitoring of a hazardous condition before it becomes critical or
otherwise provide the user with the ability to directly intervene
and reinstitute bilge pump function.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for a remote marine vessel
monitoring system and method that allows a boatowner to monitor
various on-board conditions associated with their unattended boat,
which provides a boatowner with the ability to influence the
operation of on-board equipment in response to hazardous events,
which uses intelligent sensing to predict and avert potentially
hazardous conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a method for remotely
monitoring and controlling the operation of a boat over a
communication network, said method comprising the steps of:
[0008] (a) detecting a warning condition on the boat;
[0009] (b) transmitting the warning condition to the user over a
communication network;
[0010] (c) receiving the warning condition over the communication
network and transmitting a user command in response; and
[0011] (d) operating the boat according to the user command.
[0012] In another aspect, the present invention is a system for
monitoring and controlling the operation of a boat, said system
comprising:
[0013] (a) a communication network;
[0014] (b) a detector coupled to the boat for detecting a warning
condition;
[0015] (c) a first transceiver coupled to the detector and to the
communication network for transmitting the warning condition over
the communication network;
[0016] (d) a second transceiver coupled to the communication
network for receiving the warning condition from the first
transceiver and for transmitting a user command to the first
transceiver; and
[0017] (e) a controller coupled to said first transceiver and to
the boat for affecting the operation of the boat in accordance with
the user command.
[0018] Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear
from the following description, taken together with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0019] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to
show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will
now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of
the remote marine monitoring system;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a front view of the control unit of the remote
marine monitoring system of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a keytag of the remote
marine monitoring system of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram showing the components
of the control unit of FIG. 2;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a front view showing all information which can be
displayed on the LCD of control unit of FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the bilge system monitoring
sequence for the remote marine monitoring system of FIG. 1; and
[0026] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a general usage scenario of the
remote marine monitoring system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a remote
marine vessel monitoring system 10 made in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. Remote marine
monitoring system 10 comprises control unit 12, keytag 14, cellular
network 16, web server 18, web site 20, internet 22, personal
communication device 23 and web client 24. Remote marine monitoring
system 10 can be utilized by boatowner 25 to remotely monitor and
control boat 26.
[0028] Control unit 12 is mounted on the deck of boat 26 such that
the inner electrical parts of control unit 12 are sheltered from
the elements as well as from potential vandals. Control unit 12 is
powered by its own internal battery pack or by the boat battery. It
is preferred for the control unit 12 to only be powered by the boat
battery if boatowner 25 is on-board. Control unit 12 is coupled to
a number of sensors (not shown), which in turn are mounted on boat
26 in particular areas of interest (e.g. hatches, bilge pump,
etc.), as will be further described below. Since control unit 12
does not rely on the boat's primary battery, dangers associated
with the draining of the primary battery (i.e. inability to perform
critical operations such as bilge pump operation) can be
averted.
[0029] Keytag 14 is a conventional keytag transmitter which allows
boatowner 25 to control the operation of devices from an operating
range of approximately 20 to 30 meters (open field). Specifically,
keytag 14 allows boatowner 25 to provide activation and
deactivation signals to remote marine monitoring system 10 (i.e. to
arm or disarm the system as will be described).
[0030] Cellular network 16 is used by control unit 12 to contact
web server 18 with information about boat 26. In particular,
control unit 12 uses the spare capacity of cellular network 16. Web
server 18 then notifies boatowner 25 (e.g. by email) that new
information about boat 26 is on web site 20 (i.e. as provided by
web server 18). Boatowner 26 can then access the system web site
hosted by web server 18 and display the web site content within a
web browser on web client 24. This communication path is shown by
the solid arrows in FIG. 1. It should be understood that while only
one web client 24 and boatowner 25 have been shown in FIG. 1, it is
contemplated that remote marine monitoring system 10 can include a
plurality of web clients 24 and boatowners 25.
[0031] It should be understood that while alarm and operation
information can be provided to boatowner 25 through his respective
web client 24 coupled to the Internet, such information could also
be provided to boatowners 25 through a variety of other personal
communication devices 23, or combinations therein, as depicted in
FIG. 1. Personal communication device 23 can be either a pager 28a,
facsimile machine 28b, telephone 28c or cell phone 28d. Boatowner
25 can also contact control unit 12 via the Internet 22 (as shown
by the reverse dotted path in FIG. 1). Boatowner 25 can use the
internet 22 to request information about boat 26 or instruct
control unit 12 to take remedial action when information of a
possible hazardous situation on boat 26 is shown on web site 20, as
will be further described.
[0032] Now referring to FIG. 2, control unit 12 is shown housed
within weather resistant enclosure 30 to protect the components of
control unit 12. Control unit 12 includes keypad 32 and Liquid
Crystal Display (LCD) 34 which together comprise the on-board
operator interface to remote marine monitoring system 10. Enclosure
30 is a three-piece custom moulded plastic case containing cutout
openings in the front for keypad 32 and LCD 34 and cutout openings
in the rear for sensor inputs, outputs, and connectors for an
antenna, telephone handset and computer port (not shown).
[0033] Keypad 32 is a latex keypad which has six function keys and
four scroll keys. In the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the function keys are standby key 36, onboard key 38,
prog key 40, stats key 42, light key 44 and enter key 46. The
scroll keys are scroll up key 48, scroll down key 50, scroll left
key 52 and scroll right key 54. The function keys are used to
choose a mode of operation for control unit 12. The scroll keys are
used to navigate through available options for the current mode of
operation that control unit 12 is in. Enter key 46 is used to
select one of the available options and standby key 36 discards any
changes that have not been accepted (i.e. enter key 46 was not
pressed) and returns to the previous level in the menu. Light key
44 is pressed to illuminate LCD 34 and keypad 32.
[0034] LCD 34 is custom manufactured and is covered by a clear
water resistant lens. Backlighting for LCD 34 is provided by an
electroluminescent panel (not shown) whereas backlighting for
keypad 32 is provided by green LEDs (not shown). Both the
electroluminescent panel and the green LEDs are normally shut off
to conserve power. LCD 34 can display the status of control unit
12, programmable option commands and statistical data.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 3, keytag 14 is an off the shelf,
water resistant keytag transmitter used to activate and deactivate
remote marine monitoring system 10. Keytag transmitter 14 has an
arm button 56 and a disarm button 58. Arm button 56 is used to
activate remote marine monitoring system 10 and disarm button 58 is
used to deactivate remote marine monitoring system 10. There may be
more than one keytag transmitter 14 in use with remote marine
monitoring system 10 (e.g. various family or crew members could be
provided with a keytag 14, each having a unique identifier for
tracking purposes as will be described).
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the various electronic
components of control unit 12 are illustrated in a modular format.
It should be understood that while specific connections between the
modules are not shown in FIG. 4, interconnections exist between the
various components, as needed.
[0037] Control unit 12 includes various components on printed
circuit board (PCB) 60. The components on PCB 60 include
microcontroller 66, display driver 68, keypad interface 70, relays
72, beeper 74, strobe light 76, remote keyless entry receiver 80,
GPS interface 82, cellular modem 84, power supply 86, sensor inputs
88, I/O port 90 and LCD 34. These components are shut down or
placed in standby mode when not in use to conserve power. PCB 60
has connectors for a telephone handset 64, a computer port 65,
cellular modem 84, power supply 86 and I/O port 90. External LED 62
and external beeper 67 provide visual and audible confirmation that
control unit 12 is armed or disarmed.
[0038] PCB 60 and the aforementioned components are conformal
coated allowing them to withstand the effects of rigors of a harsh
marine environment such as salt water, condensation and humidity.
Control unit 12 is also generally designed to withstand vibration
and electrical noise.
[0039] Microcontroller 66 is preferably an Atmel ATmega103 with 128
KB of flash memory, 4 KB of SRAM and 4 KB of EEPROM.
Microcontroller 66 has a maximum clock rate of 6 MHz and can be
placed in low power sleep mode to conserve power. It should be
understood that any other microcontroller may be utilized as long
as it has sufficient memory and operational speed. To conserve
power, microcontroller 66 is programmed to power up at regular
intervals (e.g. every 125 milliseconds) to check the status of the
sensors of remote marine monitoring system 10.
[0040] Display driver 68 is preferably an OKI MSM9004-04 1/4 duty
LCD driver with four common drivers and 50 segment drivers,
although any commercially available display driver with the
requisite drive capabilities may be used. Display driver 68 is
automatically disabled after one minute if no keys on keypad 32
have been pressed. Integrated keypad interface 70 connects each key
on keypad 32 to a separate input/output pin of microcontroller
66.
[0041] Relays 72 are used in two ways. First, relays 72 can be used
to turn a specific boat object on. For instance, relays 72 can be
used to turn on strobe light 76. Secondly, relays 72 can be used by
remote marine monitoring system 10 to sense if an object is turned
on.
[0042] External beeper 67 and internal beeper 74 provide an audible
indication of an alarm condition or the arming or disarming of
remote marine monitoring system 10. Strobe light 76 and external
LED 62 provide a visual indication of an alarm condition or the
arming or disarming of marine monitoring system 10. Internal
watchdog timer 78 provides power-on reset and brown out protection
and a threshold detector for monitoring internal battery pack 92 in
control unit 12.
[0043] Remote keyless entry receiver 80 is based on the Microchip
HCS500 Code Hopping Decoder and is connected to microcontroller 66
by a serial interface (not shown). Remote keyless entry receiver 80
interacts with a remote keyless entry transmitter, based on the
Microchip HCS200 Code Hopping Encoder, in keytag 14. Alternatively,
different decoders and encoders, that can interface with each
other, may be used in the remote keyless entry receivers and
transmitters.
[0044] GPS interface 82 can interface with any commercially
available GPS unit which complies with the NMEA standards. For
example, control unit 12 can interface with GPS units manufactured
by various GPS manufacturers including Garmin International of
Kansas, Furuno Electrical Co. Ltd. of Japan, Raytheon Company of
Massachusetts and Magellan Corporation of California. Control unit
12 is designed to request any information that is supported by a
GPS network. Example information includes the latitude and
longitude of boat 26, the time of the position fix and the status
of the positioning system while generating the position data. This
information is routinely broadcast by a central GPS network,
however, boatowner 25 can also interrogate the central GPS network
for information.
[0045] Cellular modem 84 can be any commercially available cellular
modem such as the CMM8600 model manufactured by Standard
Communications Corporation. Cellular modem 84 is connected to PCB
60 (by a connector) and to an antenna (not shown). Microcontroller
66 communicates with cellular modem 84 via an asynchronous serial
interface. To conserve power, cellular modem 84 is usually shut
down or placed in sleep mode.
[0046] To send a message, microcontroller 66 must wait for cellular
modem 84 to acknowledge that it is ready. If cellular modem 84
doesn't respond within three seconds, microcontroller 66
initializes cellular modem 84 and then attempts to send a message
on the control channel of cellular network 16 by using the last
known SID, from the HarborMaster's internal SID table that contains
the most recent ten entries. If this is not successful, the
microcontroller searches Channel A and if necessary Channel B for a
new Tower SID which is added to the SID table. If microcontroller
66 was successful in sending a message on Channel A or B of
cellular modem 84. Otherwise, microcontroller 66 attempts to
communicate on channel B of cellular modem 84. If microcontroller
66 was successful in sending a message on Channel A or B of
cellular modem 84, it waits for an acknowledgement, asks for the
signal strength of the transmitted message and then shuts down
cellular modem 84. If microcontroller 66 was not successful in
sending the message it tries again every two minutes up to a
maximum of five times after which microcontroller 66 signals a
communication failure alarm. If communication fails while there is
an alarm condition on boat 26, then strobe light 76 is turned on
and remains on until someone has investigated the condition which
caused the alarm to occur or until control unit 12 runs out of
power.
[0047] Cellular modem 84 extends the data link capabilities of
control unit 12 since control unit 12 can be adapted to interface
with a telephone or cell phone through cellular modem 84. In
particular, control unit 12 can be used as a voice and data
communications link for boat 26. In addition, higher capacity
cellular modems 84 for third generation (3G) cellular networks
could be used to increase the speed of data transmission and the
information bandwidth to and from boat 26. Thus, control unit 12
can be used by people on-board boat 26 for sending and receiving
data and for voice communications.
[0048] Power supply 86 provides power to control unit 12 via
internal battery pack 92 which consists of six replaceable C-cell
batteries. If there is insufficient power in internal battery pack
92 or boatowner 25 wants to conserve the power in internal battery
pack 92, then control unit 12 can be powered by the primary battery
of boat 26. Internal battery pack 92 is connected to PCB 60 by two
20 gauge stranded wires (not shown). Power supply 86 is designed to
provide a five volt supply for microcontroller 66, another five
volt supply for any peripheral components attached to control unit
12 and a 12 volt supply for cellular modem 84. Microcontroller 66
monitors the voltage of power supply 86 and signals an alarm when
the voltage of power supply 86 drops below a predetermined
voltage.
[0049] By using internal battery pack 92, the present invention can
provide monitoring and security to boat 26 while ensuring that the
primary battery of boat 26 is available for critical operations.
Efficient hardware, software, communication technology and internal
battery pack 92 enables the present invention to effectively and
continuously monitor boat 26 for up to 12 months at normal
operation (i.e. one status report per month) before the six C-cell
batteries need to be replaced.
[0050] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, sensor
inputs 88 comprise the following inputs: high water (HW), low
internal battery (IB), low boat battery 1 (LB1), low boat battery 2
(LB2), AC shore power (AC), auxiliary (AUX), bilge pump 1 (BP1),
bilge pump 2 (BP2), ignition (IGN), burglar alarm 1 (BURG1),
burglar alarm 2 (BURG2) and fire (FIRE). All sensor inputs 88,
except IB, LB1 and LB2 are assumed to be normally closed dry
contacts. Burglar alarm 1 preferably corresponds to a sensor placed
at the main hatch while burglar alarm 2 is preferably placed at a
another hatch. Alternatively, other locations may be used for
burglar alarm 1 and burglar alarm 2. The AUX sensor input can be a
dry, closed contact or can be used to monitor an additional battery
input or another object. All inputs are protected by transient
voltage suppressors, ferrite beads and low pass filters. All inputs
are connected to control unit 12 by screw terminals on PCB 60.
[0051] Alarm conditions are defined within remote marine monitoring
system 10 as indicated within the table below. Although the table
shows alarms (LB1 and LB2) for two boat batteries, remote marine
monitoring system 10 can be used with a boat 26 that has three boat
batteries by hooking up the AUX sensor to the third battery. Values
other than those shown in the table below may be used to signal an
alarm condition and it should be understood that the values shown
in the table below are for illustrative purposes only.
1 ALARM TYPE ALARM CONDITION AC alarm AC shore power is lost for at
least 12 cumulative hours in any 24 hour period IB alarm the
voltage on internal battery pack 92 drops below 6 volts LB1 alarm
boat battery 1 is a 12 (24) volt battery and the voltage condition
exists on boat battery 1 becomes less than 11.7 (23.4) volts LB2
alarm boat battery 2 is a 12 (24) volt battery and the voltage
condition exists on boat battery 2 becomes less than 11.7 (23.4)
volts AUX alarm an "extra" alarm condition which is user selectable
HW alarm the bilge water exceeds a predetermined high water level
Burg1 unauthorized entry through object monitored by burglar alarm
1 Burg2 unauthorized entry through object monitored by burglar
alarm 2 fire possible fire on-board boat BP1 unusual activity for
bilge pump 1 BP2 unusual activity for bilge pump 2
[0052] I/O port 90 is comprised of I/O port A and I/O port B. I/O
port A has six 8-bit ports labelled HW, BP1, BP2, LB1, LB2, IGN, AC
and AUX. I/O port B has ports labelled SCK, MOSI, MISO, load, data,
clock2 and two unused ports.
[0053] FIG. 5 shows LCD 34 as it would appear if all segments on
LCD 34 were displayed. As is conventionally understood, in normal
operation, only information relevant to the current mode of
operation would be displayed on LCD 34. LCD 34, mounted directly on
PCB 60, is turned on only when light key 44 is pressed after which
LCD 34 automatically turns off after 30 seconds to conserve
power.
[0054] Referring now to FIG. 5, the five modes of operation for
control unit 12, shown in mode field 100, are STANDBY, ONBOARD,
AWAY, PROGRAM (i.e. PROG) and STATISTICS (i.e. STATS). STATISTICS
mode is comprised of statistics for the current time period (STATS
CURRENT) and statistics for the previous time period (STATS
PREVIOUS). The fourteen functions available on control unit 12,
shown in functions field 102, are COMM FAIL, BILGE PUMP 1, BILGE
PUMP 2, IGN/ON, AC/OUT, SEND NOW, PASSWORD, KEYTAG1, KEYTAG2,
INSTALL, VOLTAGE B1, VOLTAGE B2, VOLTAGE B3 and CALLS. CALLS
contains statistics about the number of incoming calls (i.e. data
transferred from web site 20 to control unit 12) and the number of
outgoing calls (i.e. data transferred to web site 20 from control
unit 12). This is useful for boatowner 25 in verifying the number
of transmissions that were sent or received by control unit 12.
SEND NOW is used by someone on-board boat 26 to send statistics to
web site 20.
[0055] Statistical data, time and date information is displayed in
number field 104. Alarm data is shown in alarm field 106 across the
top of LCD 34. The alarms are COMM, HW, LB1, LB2, AC, AUX, BURG1,
BURG2, FIRE, BP1 and BP2. When internal battery pack 92 is running
low, battery low symbol 108 appears in the upper right hand corner
of LCD 34. The status of message transmission is shown in message
field 110 at the left hand side of LCD 34. Message field 110 can
show that a message is being sent (TRANSMITTING is displayed) or
received (RECEIVING is displayed) and whether transmission or
reception was successful (PASS or FAIL is displayed). VOICE CALL is
displayed when someone on-board boat 26 is placing or receiving a
telephone or cell phone call. VOICE CALL is also displayed when
someone on-board boat 26 is sending or receiving broadband data
such as internet data. The strength of signal transmission, for all
of these data types, is shown in bar graph form in the bottom half
of message field 110. In normal operation, the signal strength may
be shown by simultaneously pressing and holding onboard key 38 and
enter key 46.
[0056] Control unit 12 can send seven different types of messages
to boatowner 25. The messages are "statistics_part.sub.--1",
"statistics_part.sub.--2", "statistics_part.sub.--3", "alarm",
"position_latitude/longitude", "password" and "test". All messages
are 15 digits long. The first digit of each message indicates the
type of message (e.g. a one indicates a statistics_part.sub.--1
message). Not all digits are used in each message type and unused
digits in each message are set to zero. Statistics messages are
sent monthly, biweekly, weekly or daily and include both the
current reporting date and the next reporting date. The data in the
statistics messages are collected for the current time period only.
The statistics are cleared from Current statistics and stored in
Previous statistics if the message has been sent correctly,
otherwise, the statistics are kept until the next successful
transmission.
[0057] Statistics will be sent regardless of what mode control unit
12 is in. When a statistics message is sent, if the GPS has been
activated and is responding, the position_latitude/longitude
message will also be sent. Alarm messages are only sent if an alarm
occurs while control unit 12 is in AWAY mode or if a low internal
battery alarm (IB) occurs in any mode. If the alarm condition is a
BURG1 or BURG2 alarm and the GPS receiver is responding, then the
alarm, position_latitude and position_longitude messages will be
sent every 15 minutes until the alarm condition is rectified.
[0058] The statistics_part_1 message includes the number of times
BP1 was activated, the number of hours BP1 was active, the number
of times BP2 was activated, the number of hours BP2 was active, the
number of times AC shore power was lost and the number of hours of
AC shore power loss. AC shore power loss is important for boats
with trickle chargers, freezers, etc.
[0059] The statistics_part_2 message includes the number of times
the ignition was activated, the number of hours the engine was
active, the number of communication failures, the number of times
keytag1 was used, the number of times keytag2 was used, the number
of times the password was used and the number of days since the
last statistics message transmission. The ignition and the number
of hours that the engine was active is important for monitoring the
completion of scheduled maintenance and/or for monitoring
unauthorized use. A log of password usage provides a record of
system changes. A log of the usage of each keytag provides a record
of who entered boat 26 and when this entry occurred.
[0060] The statistics_part_3 message includes the five day moving
average of BP1 "on time" duration, the five day moving average of
BP2 "on time" duration, the current voltage level of the primary
battery, the current voltage of the secondary battery and the
current voltage of a third battery. This assumes that there are
three batteries on-board boat 26, otherwise the voltage values
corresponding to batteries that are not on-board boat 26 will be
zero.
[0061] The alarm message consists of 0's and 1's for each alarm
condition being monitored whereby a 0 represents a normal state of
operation and a 1 represents an alarm state. The following alarm
conditions are represented in the alarm message: high water level
in the bilge (HW), low voltage on battery 1 (LB1), low voltage on
battery 2 (LB2), loss of AC shore power (AC), a first burglar alarm
(BURG1), a second burglar alarm (BURG2), an auxiliary condition
(AUX), fire, low voltage on internal battery pack 92 (IB), bilge
pump 1 unusual activity and bilge pump 2 unusual activity. The
alarm message also contains a signal strength value which is a
three digit number representing the signal strength used when
control unit 12 is trying to access cellular network 16. The signal
strength value is used as a diagnostic tool so that boatowner 25
can determine if a larger antenna is needed for control unit
12.
[0062] The position_latitude/longitude message includes a latitude
value (six digits long) and a North or South designation (a 0 for
North or a 1 for South) and a longitude value (seven digits long).
The test message, resembling the alarm message in structure, is
transmitted when PROG key 40 and STATS key 42 are pressed
simultaneously while control unit 12 is in PROGRAM mode.
[0063] The password message includes five digits (i.e. a five digit
password) whereby each digit is encrypted. The password message
also contains the number of incoming calls received (i.e. data
transferred from web site 20 to control unit 12) and the number of
outgoing calls sent (i.e. data transferred to web site 20 from
control unit 12) during the current reporting period. The password
message further contains signal strength information as described
previously for the alarm message.
[0064] The five modes of operation for control unit 12 are STANDBY,
ONBOARD, PROGRAM, STATISTICS and AWAY. In any mode, when an alarm
condition occurs, the corresponding sensor will blink in alarm
field 106 on LCD 34 and beeper 74 will sound. Pressing enter key 46
on keypad 32 will silence beeper 74 and stop the blinking in alarm
field 106, however, the alarm condition will remain displayed in
alarm field 106 until the alarm condition has been attended to. In
every mode, the sensors are monitored every 125 milliseconds.
[0065] STANDBY mode is the default mode of operation for control
unit 12. Control unit 12 will revert back to STANDBY mode from
STATISTICS or PROGRAM mode after one minute if no keys on keypad 32
are pressed. From STANDBY mode, control unit 12 can be put into
ONBOARD, STATISTICS or PROGRAM mode by pressing the appropriate key
on keypad 32. In STANDBY mode, control unit 12 can be put into AWAY
mode by activating keytag 14. In STANDBY mode, control unit 12
monitors all sensors but only activates beeper 74 for an alarm
related to boat safety (i.e. any alarm other than BURG1 or
BURG2).
[0066] ONBOARD mode can only be entered by pressing on-board key 38
while control unit 12 is in STANDBY mode. During ONBOARD mode,
control unit 12 monitors all sensors.
[0067] PROGRAM mode can only be entered by pressing prog key 40 on
keypad 32 while control unit 12 is in STANDBY mode. After pressing
prog key 40, the operator will be prompted to enter a password,
which if entered correctly, will cause control unit 12 to enter
PROGRAM mode. In PROGRAM mode, control unit 12 monitors all sensors
but only activates beeper 74 for an alarm related to boat safety
(i.e. an alarm condition other than BURG1 or BURG2).
[0068] PROGRAM mode is used to set the statistics reporting period
(monthly, bi-weekly, weekly or daily), to set the date and time, to
change the password (which is preferably five characters long), to
enter keytags and to configure sensor inputs during installation.
In the preferred embodiment, remote marine monitoring system 10 can
accept two keytags, keytag1 or keytag2, as shown in functions field
102 on LCD 34. Pressing and holding prog key 40 and enter key 46
simultaneously will reprogram control unit 12 to monitor only those
sensors that have been installed.
[0069] STATISTICS mode can be entered by pressing stats key 42
while in STANDBY mode. In STATISTICS mode, control unit 12 will
monitor all sensors but will only activate beeper 74 in response to
any alarm other than BURG1 or BURG2. STATISTICS mode displays
information related to communication failures, bilge pumps (BP1 and
BP2), AC shore power outages and ignition. Control unit 12 also
maintains a log of the date and time when the password and keytags
were used. The only mode accessible from STATISTICS mode is STANDBY
mode which is accessed by pressing standby key 36. Statistics may
be viewed for the current time period or the previous time
period.
[0070] To arm remote marine monitoring system 10, boatowner 25
activates AWAY mode by pressing arm button 56 on keytag 14. When
remote marine monitoring system 10 is armed, strobe light 76 and
LED 62 flash twice and beeper 74 will beep twice. While remote
marine monitoring system 10 is armed, LED 62 flashes every three
seconds. When remote marine monitoring system 10 is disarmed,
strobe light 76 flashes once, LED 62 flashes once and beeper 74
will beep once.
[0071] In AWAY mode, any prior alarm conditions will be indicated
on LCD 34 but ignored. The one exception is BURG1 in which case the
main hatch must be closed before entering AWAY mode (this assumes
that the sensor corresponding to BURG1 is placed at the main
hatch). In AWAY mode, control unit 12 monitors all sensors. If an
alarm condition occurs then beeper 74 will not be activated and an
alarm condition will not be displayed in alarm field 106, however,
an alarm message will be sent to boatowner 25 to indicate the alarm
condition. If the alarm condition is BURG1 or BURG2 and the GPS
receiver is responding then the alarm message will also include the
position of boat 26. The alarm message will be sent every 15
minutes until the alarm condition has been cleared.
[0072] Control unit 12 can only be returned to STANDBY mode by
pressing disarm button 58 on keytag 14 or by entering password (a
safety feature in the case of a lost or inoperative keytag).
[0073] A major advantage of remote marine monitoring system 10 is
the ability to view statistics about boat 26 on web site 20 or
alternatively through personal communication device 23 at any time
from any location in the world. Another major advantage is that
boatowner 25 can use the Internet 22 to remotely activate specified
on-board equipment or perform operations on boat 26 such as
switching power from a primary battery to a secondary battery,
activating a bilge pump or switching on the GPS receiver.
[0074] In addition, boatowner 25 can remotely change operational
modes on control unit 12, set variable parameters and alter
reporting periods. This allows boatowner 25 to monitor boat 26 from
anywhere in the world without having to subscribe to a third-party
monitoring service or hire someone to check boat 26
periodically.
[0075] To facilitate remote monitoring and command execution, web
site 20 consists of reverse channel software and forward channel
software. The terms "forward channel" and "reverse channel"
correspond to the forward path (dotted line) and reverse path
(solid line) shown in FIG. 1. The reverse channel software can
receive status reports from control unit 12. It then loads this
data into a database and logs all data to a backup file. The
forward channel software can send control and configuration data to
control unit 12. Both the reverse channel software and forward
channel software will ping control unit 12 on a periodic basis to
verify connection and automatically attempt to reconnect if
necessary. Web site 20 also supports delayed or time scheduled
pages. Referring to FIG. 1, web site 20 notifies boatowner 25 when
new data about boat 26 is available via email, pager, facsimile,
telephone or cell phone. In the case of the telephone or cell
phone, a text-to-speech conversion program is used.
[0076] Another advantage of remote marine monitoring system 10 is
that it utilizes artificial intelligence to determine normal levels
of activity and thus determine the degree of variation of current
activity from normal levels for various equipment on-board boat 26.
If the current activity is found to be abnormal then remote marine
monitoring system 10 will take appropriate action such as sending
an alarm and/or a statistics message to boatowner 25 or simply
continuing to monitor the situation. This artificial intelligence
methodology provides boatowner 25 with an early warning of
potential problems on boat 26 before an emergency arises which
could lead to the sinking of boat 26.
[0077] One example of intelligent monitoring is shown in FIG. 6
which illustrates the process undertaken by remote marine
monitoring system 10 for monitoring the bilge system of boat 26. In
the preferred embodiment, every 125 ms, control unit 12 will
monitor the voltage level of the primary battery (VB1), the voltage
level of the secondary battery (VB2), the integrity of the bilge
pump fuse (alternatively there may be a bilge pump circuit
breaker), the activity of bilge pump 1 (BP1), the activity of bilge
pump 2 (BP2) and the water level (HWL) in the bilge. No other
current monitoring system measures the voltage levels of the boat
batteries or the integrity of the bilge pump fuse (or bilge pump
circuit breaker).
[0078] In the preferred embodiment, the bilge pump activity
monitored is the duration of time that each bilge pump is active
and the number of times the bilge pump turns on. Alternatively the
water flow rate through the bilge pump could also be monitored.
Bilge pump activity is obtained by calculating a moving average
over a preset number of days to determine what is normal bilge pump
activity for boat 26. Preferably, the learning cycle is a period of
five days. This time period allows for accurate assessments of
normal bilge pump operation during both the dry and rainy
seasons.
[0079] Remote marine monitoring system 10 uses robust measurements
to monitor the bilge pump system of boat 26. For instance, to get
an accurate measurement of bilge water level, compensation for
sloshing water in rough seas is made. This compensation involves
determining whether the measured water level is at a sustained
level or whether it is transient (i.e. the water is sloshing
because of rough seas). Furthermore, when voltage levels on
batteries are measured, a distinction is made between engine
start-up drain (which is transient) and sustained drain which is a
more serious problem.
[0080] As shown in FIG. 6, remote marine monitoring system 10
begins to monitor the bilge pump system of boat 26 at step 120
where VB1 and VB2 are compared to a threshold T. Threshold T is
preferably equal to 11.7 volts if the primary and secondary
batteries are 12 volt batteries or 23.7 volts if the primary and
secondary batteries are 24 volt batteries. If either VB1 or VB2 is
below threshold T then the process moves to step 122 where an
LB1/LB2 alarm message along with a statistics message is sent to
boatowner 25. Next, at step 124, the fuse of BP1 is checked to make
sure it is not blown (alternatively, for some bilge pump systems, a
bilge pump circuit breaker may be checked to verify that it is not
tripped). If the fuse of BP1 is blown then at step 126 a fuse alarm
message is sent to boatowner 25. Next at step 128, the water level
in the bilge is checked to see if it is above a threshold L (i.e. a
high water level has been detected). If the high water level
threshold (L) is exceeded then at step 130 an HW alarm message is
sent to boatowner 25.
[0081] Next, BP1 activity is tested in step 132. If BP1 activity is
less than 0.2 times normal BP1 activity then this situation
indicates that BP1 may be malfunctioning in which case at step 134
a statistics message is sent to boatowner 25 after which the
process flows back to step 120. Otherwise the next step is to check
if BP1 activity is lower than four times normal BP1 activity. If
this is true, then BP2 activity is checked in step 140. However, if
BP1 activity is higher than four times normal BP1 activity, then
the process moves to step 142 to determine whether BP1 activity is
lower than five times normal BP1 activity. If this is true then the
process flows to step 144 where control unit 12 sends a statistics
message to boatowner 25. The process then returns to step 120.
Alternatively, if BP1 activity is greater than five times normal
BP1 activity then the process flows to step 146 where BP1 is
checked to see if it is pumping continuously. If this is true then
in step 148, control unit 12 sends an alarm message to boatowner 25
every 15 minutes and continues to monitor BP1 to see if it is
pumping constantly. Otherwise if BP1 is not pumping constantly the
process moves to step 120.
[0082] In step 140, if BP2 has not been active for more than five
minutes then the process returns to step 120. However, if BP2 has
been active for more than five minutes then the process flows to
step 150 where BP1 is checked to see if it is on. If BP1 is on then
an alarm and statistics message is sent to boatowner 25 at step
152, however, if BP1 is not on then the process flows to step 154
where the fuse of BP1 is checked to see if it is blown. If the fuse
of BP1 is not blown then the process flows to step 156 where an
alarm and statistics message is sent to boatowner 25. Next, at step
158, BP2 is checked to see if it pumps constantly. If BP2 pumps
constantly then an alarm message is sent to boatowner 25 every 15
minutes and control unit 12 continues to monitor BP2. If BP2 is not
pumping constantly then the process moves to step 120.
[0083] In the above process, when boatowner 25 receives
notification of unusual activity, boatowner 25 can diagnose the
situation remotely. For instance, if BP1 is on too long or all the
time and BP2 activity is unusual then there can be a serious
problem such as a broken impeller, faulty motor, plugged intake, a
weakening battery or most commonly a leak. Alternatively, if BP1 is
not on at all for an extended period of time and if BP2 activity is
unusual then it is a more serious problem such as a broken wire, a
faulty float switch or a burned motor. In this case, boatowner 25
could try to remotely start BP1 thus bypassing the automatic float
switch and circuitry. If BP1 could not be started then boatowner 25
would send in a repair person. If the problem is a low battery,
then boatowner 25 could turn on a generator to recharge the battery
or switch to another battery to power the bilge systems of boat 26.
Thus, boatowner 25 can perform appropriate remedial actions
remotely via web site 20 or dispatch maintenance personnel to boat
26.
[0084] Remote marine monitoring system 10 is also unique in terms
of the security information which it provides. This security
information includes intrusion sensor data, GPS information and
keyless entry data. This is important since monitoring a boat is
different than monitoring a home in that a boat's location is not
fixed. The present invention addresses this issue by using wireless
mobile communication and GPS technology to transmit alarm
information to web server 18 as long as boat 26 is near a marina or
harbour which has cellular service. The present invention can do
this since most boats today have a GPS unit. Remote marine
monitoring system 10 also allows boatowner 25 to turn on the GPS
unit remotely at any time and ask for GPS information or program a
set time at which control unit 12 can determine where it is,
perform a self-check and send statistics.
[0085] In effect, the present invention uses GPS and intrusion
sensor data to set up an "electronic fence" that boatowner 25 can
monitor for indications of boat adrift and intrusion events. For
instance, if the BURG1 or BURG2 alarm condition occurs and GPS
interface 82 has been activated and is responding then an alarm
message can be sent to boatowner 25 which includes position
information for boat 26. This alarm message will be sent every 15
minutes until the alarm condition has been taken care of.
Furthermore, if boat 26 has been stolen and is being driven by an
unauthorized person then boatowner 25 can use web site 20 and
cellular network 16 to disable the engine of boat 26. Likewise, the
engine of boat 26 may also be remotely enabled if so desired. This
is very straightforward to implement by someone who is skilled in
the art. The present invention can also use the GPS and 9-1-1
locating systems for a panic button for onboard personnel.
[0086] As previously mentioned, remote marine monitoring system 10
also utilizes an electronic keyless entry system to arm and disarm
the system. The identity, date and time of each keyless entry is
recorded to provide a record of who enters the boat and when this
entry occurs. Furthermore, the number of times the programming
password was used is also recorded. This information is useful in
determining if anyone has tampered with remote marine monitoring
system 10, or is using boat 26 without permission.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 7, boatowner 25 can use web site 20 and
all of the features of remote marine monitoring system 10 in a
periodic routine to remotely monitor and control the operation of
boat 26. This routine assumes that there are two bilge pumps on
boat 26 and at least two batteries. This routine begins at step 170
where boatowner 25 requests statistics about boat 26 and views
these statistics. Next at step 172, boatowner 25 monitors the bilge
pump system. Boatowner 25 can then activate BP1 at step 174 and BP2
at step 176 as part of a maintenance procedure to make sure they
are both capable of operating. Next at step 178, boatowner 25 can
switch to a different battery if the current battery in use has a
low voltage level.
[0088] At step 180, boatowner 25 can make sure that boat 26 is not
stolen. If boat 26 is stolen then at step 182, boatowner 25 can
view the alarm message and the GPS coordinates of boat 26.
Boatowner 25 can then disable the engine of boat 26 at step 184 at
which point the Coast Guard can be notified and boatowner 25 can
stop monitoring the boat. If the boat was not stolen then at step
186, boatowner 25 may monitor the keyless entry system to determine
which keytag(s) 14 were used to access boat 26, when these
keytag(s) were used to access boat 26 and for how long keytags 14
were used to access boat 26.
[0089] Accordingly, the present invention makes a significant
contribution to the art by allowing a boatowner to remotely monitor
boat statistics, remotely monitor the bilge system, remotely
activate the bilge pumps or switch to a different battery source,
remotely turn on the GPS unit and ask for GPS data and remotely
disable the boat engine. Information from intrusion sensors, the
GPS unit and keyless entry receivers provide unique security
information and act as a deterrent against would-be thieves.
Furthermore, remote marine monitoring system 10 can determine
normal operating conditions and detect and analyze current activity
in a way that provides preventative monitoring of potentially
hazardous conditions on the unattended boat. In addition, this
monitoring procedure is adaptable to different environmental
conditions. The present invention also uses wireless mobile
communications technology and the Internet for economical
transmission of statistical data and execution of remote commands.
In addition, remote marine monitoring system 10 operates for a
significant period of time without the need for an AC power outlet
or the boat's primary battery.
[0090] Although the present invention has been discussed in
association with boat 26, it should be understood that any kind of
marine vessel could be fashioned with control unit 12 and
accordingly, could be monitored with remote marine monitoring
system 10. In addition, other types of vehicles may be monitored
such as RVs, recreational homes and airplanes.
[0091] As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various
modifications and adaptations of the structure described above are
possible without departure from the present invention, the scope of
which is defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *