Computer implemented method & tool for managing deck operations

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on a floating deck is disclosed. One example of the method comprises the following: obtaining a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window, generating, using the predicted environmental conditions with a vessel model, a forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, providing the predicted vessel motion to a vessel stabilization system model; determining, using the vessel stabilisation system model a predicted vessel stabilization configuration, and generating, using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, providing the refined forecast vessel motion to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the floating deck during the future time-window, and generating, using the physics model for a candidate deck operation, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation for over the duration of the future time-window.

Description

COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED METHOD & TOOL FOR MANAGING DECK OPERATIONS

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a computer-implemented method of managing deck operations on a floating deck, for example, for a structure comprising such a floating deck, and to related aspects and embodiments. Examples of structures with floating decks for which the disclosed technology can be used include, for example, a vessel such as a ship or surfaced submarine, an oil-rig or pontoon or any other type of structure with a deck on which operations are potentially impacted by marine environmental factors such as wave height, currents, winds, etc.

[0002] Deck operations performed on floating decks are affected in particular by wave heights, and wave periods, both of which may vary hugely over the course of an operational time-window. Floating decks may change their attitude in terms of length tilt and side to side tilt rapidly depending on environmental conditions, and deck operations can be affected by such environmental conditions when performed on a floating deck while located off-shore as well as on a deck located in an inland body of water.

[0003] Examples of deck operations which may be performed on a floating deck include but are not limited to: lifting objects, for example, using a crane or winch on or off the deck either to another location on the deck or to another structure such as a vessel floating nearby, cable laying where cable is deployed from a drum, the retrieval / deployment of submersibles and remote-controlled vessels and the like. Some deck operations may involve aircraft or drones, such as autonomous or remote-controlled drones and / or other aerially operating equipment which may want or need to land and / or take off from a floating deck. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the deck operation is a subset of the operations performed by an item of equipment. For example, the landing and take-off from a floating deck of aircraft comprise deck operations which may be affected by prevailing environmental conditions.

[0004] The duration of any time-window for successfully completing a deck operation may vary according to the type of deck operation to be performed. Operations such as sea floor cable laying may require several hours or even days for their complete execution, during which environmental conditions can change significantly and jeopardise the execution of the operation on the deck. A lifting operation lift may be successfully executed over a time-window of minutes, however, even for such relatively short operations, there is no guarantee of the operation being completed successfully. The successful completion of an operation depends both directly on how the environmental conditions change and also indirectly as the safety of the deck operations crew may be compromised by any changes in environmental conditions.

[0005] Load lifting operations, although individually of short duration, may be repetitively performed multiple times a day, sometimes every day, on some vessels. In addition, some vessels may provide a deck layout for multiple deck operations to be performed concurrently.Interruption of such operations when the weather deteriorates during the operation can lead to the safety of the deck crew being compromised and / or the operation being delayed and / or eventually aborted. This leads to a lack of operational efficiency onboard the vessel which may affect whether the vessel mission is successful or not and / or the cost of the vessel mission.BACKGROUND

[0006] Existing techniques for determining a time-window for safely performing a deck operation rely on individual experience of the deck crew to judge how rapidly environmental conditions may change during a planned deck operation. As such they are not totally reliable and may not be sufficiently accurate. Many floating structures include stabilisation systems which help stabilise the vessel against weather conditions and wave movement. However, such systems fail to optimally stabilise vessel movement for specific deck operations and as such fail to optimise available environmental conditions windows, also referred to herein as weather windows, for such deck operations to take place. The cost of inefficiently performing deck operations can make a voyage run substantially over budget to the extent that profit margins may be decimated.SUMMARY

[0007] The disclosed technology, including the invention as defined by the accompanying claims, seeks to obviate, ameliorate, mitigate or otherwise suitably address the above- mentioned problems by providing a method for managing deck operations on a floating structure with a deck and related aspects.

[0008] Some embodiments of the disclosed technology advantageously provide a deck operation management tool which allows visualization on a display of one or more predicted physics metrics of a candidate deck operation for a future time-window. The predicted physics metrics of a deck operation may be provided as maximum or minimum parameter values which are predicted to occur during the future time-window and indications of the physics metrics are provided on a plan view of the deck layout in some embodiments.

[0009] Examples of a physics metric which may be provided include indications of a line of fire, or LoF. A LoF for a deck operation may be broadly interpreted as a path along which someone or something may be harmed by the deck operation. For example, LoF injuries may occur when the path of a moving object or the release of hazardous energy intersects with an individual’s body. There are various categories of LoF incidents, including caught-in or between incidents, struck-by incidents, and released energy incidents. By way of example only, a caught-in or between LoF risk occurs when a deck crew member is standing between an object such as cable deployment deck operation equipment and a fixed structure such as a railing on a vessel, and the cable deployment equipment breaks from the deck and spins around its counter-weight to pin the crew member against the railing. A struck-by LoF risk occurs when a crew member is struck by a load being lifted moving in an expected direction,for example, as a result of waves tilting the deck of the vessel on which the load lifting operation is taking place, and another LoF risk occurs when energy is released in the form say of a pressurised container suddenly exploding or equipment catching fire or the like. The term LoF as used herein to refer to the path or area in which there is a risk of a LoF injury.

[0010] The displayed view may be a rolling view of a future time-window which is sufficiently long to allow a candidate deck operation to be successfully completed and / or safely aborted, for example, of the order of a few minutes. In this way, for example, a dynamic rolling forecast of one or more deck operation physical characteristics can be presented for a future timewindow. Based on the predicted deck operation physics metrics, it is also possible in some embodiments to further refine stabilisation systems to reduce movement of the deck in the future time-window, which may allow deck operations to proceed in conditions which otherwise would prevent them from being safely performed and / or completed.

[0011] In this specification, the terms forecasting and predicting may be used interchangeably in some contexts. In some contexts forecasting may be considered related to predicting in the sense that forecasting may be used to refer to making one or more predictions or estimates about future events or conditions based on past and present data, trends, and patterns whereas predicting may imply making one or more forecasts or estimates about future events or outcomes based on current data, analysis, and inference, which may not involve any historical data being analysed. However, both of these terms may be interpreted in any suitable manner apparent to someone of ordinary skill in the art as applicable in the context of the disclosed technology. For example, predicting may involve making one or more educated guesses or projections about what may happen in the future based on current conditions and trends.

[0012] A first aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on a floating deck, the method comprising: obtaining a prediction of local environment conditions, for example, a prediction of future local environment conditions based on current local environment condition, including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window; generating, for example using the predicted environmental conditions during the future time-window with a vessel model, for example, a vessel model based on a historical vessel motion response to historical environmental conditions, a forecast vessel motion, FVM, during the future time-window; providing the generated forecast vessel motion, FVM, to a vessel stabilization system model; determining, for example, using the vessel stabilisation system model, a predicted vessel stabilization configuration; and generating, for example using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, during the future time-window; providing the generated refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the floating deck during thefuture time-window; and generating, for example using the physics model for a candidate deck operation, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation for over the duration of the future time-window.

[0013] Advantageously, some embodiments of the method allow a prediction to be provided for a future time-window, preferable a time-window which is sufficiently long to complete the intended deck operation under normal circumstances, in other words under normal and not extreme environmental conditions, which allows vessel missions involving one or more deck operations to not only become more time and cost efficient in terms of starting more deck operations and completing them, rather than starting and having to abort them. In addition, the safety of the deck operations crew onboard the vessel can be improved by knowing better when a deck operation to be performed can start without experiencing too much deck movement in the future time-window.

[0014] In some embodiments, providing one or more predictions of physics metrics for a candidate deck operation to a deck stabilization system allows the deck stabilisation to be further refined. For example, the deck stabilisation system comprises in some embodiments a vessel stabilisation system. By optimally stabilizing the vessel to reduce the movement of the vessel under the same environmental conditions predicted to occur during the future timewindow, it is possible to increase the number of time-windows where a deck operation can be safely completed.

[0015] Examples of predicted physics metrics for a candidate deck operation comprise metrics for deck operation physical characteristics. For example, if a deck operation comprises lifting a load, the physics metrics may comprise a load motion metric for one or more or each of degree of freedom that the load moves in when lifted. By generating predictions for one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics, such as the load motion, or such as one or more forces which may be exerted on the deck equipment performing the lifting operation, it is also possible to generate data which can be used to update one or more vessel stabilisation systems model to take into account the physics of a particular deck operation. This allows further refinement of the vessel motion during the time-window, which in turn allows refinement of the predicted physics metrics. The process may continue to iterate until a suitable stop condition is reached.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method further comprises causing a display of one or more indications of the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future time-window.

[0017] In some embodiments, a structure comprises the floating deck, for example, the structure may comprise a vessel or other type of structure such as a structure which is tethered to the sea floor or land or to some other object, for example, a lighthouse, an oil rig or a pontoon, or a submarine floating on the surface, etc.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further comprises refining the deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future time-window by iteratively updating the vessel stabilization configuration model using information derived from previously predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics and processing the previously refined forecast vessel movement with the updated vessel stabilisation configuration model to further refine the forecast vessel movement during the time-window.

[0019] In some embodiments, the iterative steps are repeated until a stop condition is reached.

[0020] In some embodiments, the stop condition comprises one of: in the current iteration, the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics match metrics which indicate the deck operation can be safely completed in the future time-window; and in the current iteration, the predicted values of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics are changed by less than a threshold value from the predicted value of a previous iteration.

[0021] In some embodiments, responsive to the stop condition being reached, the causing a display of one or more indications of the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future time-window occurs.

[0022] In some embodiments, each iteration comprises at least: using information derived from the predicted metrics of the at least one physical behavioural characteristic of the deck operation to determine an updated vessel stabilization configuration for the future timewindow, generating, using the updated vessel stabilization configuration, an updated forecast vessel motion, FVM, during the future time-window, providing the updated FVM to a physics model of the deck operation being executed on the deck during the future time-window, and generating, using the physics model, an updated prediction of one or more or each deck operation physical characteristic metric for the duration of the future time-window.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method further comprises activating one or more vessel stabilization systems prior to or at the start of the future time-window to configure the vessel with the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration. In some embodiments, an optimal stabilization configuration may be provided by a stabilization configuration that has a power consumption below a predetermined level whilst effectively reducing load motions on a deck to below a given or predetermined level of variance. For example an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may result in a pitch variance of less than 3 degrees, a roll variance of less than 3 degrees, and a yawl rotation about the axis of the vessal of less than 3 degrees in a calm sea state. However an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may result in a pitch variance of less than 5 degrees, a roll variance of less than 5 degrees, and a yawl rotation about the axis of the vessel of less than 5 degrees in a less calm sea state. In some embodiments, an optimal stabilization configuration may, instead of removing the vessel motion or reducing it to be below a particular degree of variance, shifts the motion frequency(or frequencies in one or more or each degree of freedom) away from a resonance frequency

[0024] In some embodiments, the one or more stabilisation systems comprise one or more or all of: an active anti-roll tank system, a dynamic positioning, DP, system, and one or more thruster systems.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method comprises: stabilising the vessel with the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration. For example, the vessel may be automatically stabilised for one or more or each deck operation at the start of the future time-window in some embodiments, or, if there are two candidate deck operations for the future time-window, responsible to determining which of the candidate deck operations has been selected to be performed in the future time-window.

[0026] In some embodiments, the predicted environmental conditions one or more predicted wave characteristics derived from wave characteristics measurable using a radar system located on the floating deck or a structure to which the floating deck is attached.

[0027] In some embodiments, the candidate deck operation is a load lifting operation, a deck operation physical characteristic metric is a line of fire of the load being lifted, and an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration comprises a vessel stabilisation configuration which minimises a maximum line of fire, LoF, from the load during the future time-window.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: detecting or monitoring a location for each of one or more or all persons on the deck; and if the present time is within a predetermined time-interval before the future time-window starts or is during that time-window, generating, using a deck layout model, an alarm if the location of any one of the one or more persons on the deck is or is predicted to be within a determined proximity threshold distance associated with the deck operation during the future time-window.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further comprises generating, for comparison on the display, indications of metrics for each of two or more or all candidate deck operations for the future time-window

[0030] In some embodiments, the two or more candidate deck operations are capable of being concurrently executed during the future time-window and wherein the indications of deck operation physical characteristic metrics for each of the two or more or all candidate deck operations are shown concurrently on the display.

[0031] In some embodiments, the computer-implemented method further includes integrating a machine learning algorithm with the vessel model, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on historical data comprising past environmental conditions and corresponding vessel motions to enhance the accuracy of the forecast vessel motion during the future time-window.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method includes a step of dynamically adjusting the future time-window duration based on the volatility of the predicted environmental conditions,wherein the duration is shortened during periods of rapid environmental change to increase the precision of the deck operation physical characteristic metrics.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method further comprises utilizing a three-dimensional visualization tool to render the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics in a virtual environment that simulates the actual deck and environmental conditions, thereby providing a more intuitive understanding of the deck operation's potential impact.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method includes the step of providing haptic feedback to a user through a wearable device in response to the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics exceeding safety thresholds, thereby alerting the user to potential hazards in a tactile manner.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of automatically adjusting the operational parameters of the deck operation equipment based on the refined forecast vessel motion, thereby proactively mitigating the impact of environmental conditions on the deck operation.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method includes the step of generating a predictive maintenance schedule for the deck operation equipment by analysing the predicted vessel motion and the expected stress on the equipment, thereby enhancing the longevity and reliability of the equipment.

[0037] In some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of correlating the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics with real-time data from onboard sensors during the execution of the deck operation, thereby enabling real-time adjustments to the operation based on actual conditions.

[0038] In some embodiments, the method includes the step of providing a collaborative interface on the electronic device that allows multiple users to view and interact with the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics simultaneously, thereby facilitating team-based decision-making.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of incorporating environmental impact assessments into the prediction of deck operation physical characteristic metrics, thereby ensuring that the deck operations are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method includes the step of employing an augmented reality, AR, overlay on a display that presents the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics in context with the live view of the deck. In some embodiments, the display is located on a bridge deck instead or in addition to a display located on the operation deck. This may provide enhanced situational awareness of deck operations for the both the bridge deck crew / vessel captain as well as the operations deck crew.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method includes the step of employing an augmentedreality, AR, overlay on a display that presents the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics in context with the live view of the deck on a display located on the bridge. In some embodiments, the method may instead, or in addition also contemporaneously, present the predicted deck operation physical metrics in context with a live view of the deck on a display location or carried on the operation deck,

[0042] Another, second, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer-system for managing deck operations on a floating deck, for example on a structure with a floating deck such as a vessel, the computer-system comprising means to perform a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.

[0043] Another, third, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a communications device configured to cause presentation an indication of a predicted at least one deck operation physical characteristic metric during a future time-window at a present time on a display, wherein the predicted at least on deck operation physical characteristic metric is predicted using a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.

[0044] Another, fourth, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer- implemented deck operation management system, DOMS, comprising computer code which, when loaded from memory and executed on a computer system using one or more processor(s) and / or processing circuitry configures the DOMS to cause a presentation on a display (418) of a spatial area of a deck based on a deck model, and cause a real-time presentation on the display of data comprising at least one indication of a predicted physical characteristic of a deck operation for a future time-interval determined using the method of the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein, wherein the real-time presentation indicating the deck operation is rendered on the display at the same scale and resolution as the spatial area of the deck and located at the location of the deck operation in the spatial area of the deck.

[0045] In some embodiments of the deck operation management tool, two or more deck operations are concurrently displayed to scale at their respective locations on the displayed deck layout or at the same scale as each other, and wherein responsive to a user selecting one deck operation, the method of the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein is performed for that respective selected deck operation.

[0046] Another, fifth, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.

[0047] In some embodiments, the computer-program or product comprises a computer program or product for managing deck operations on a floating deck or a structure with afloating deck, for example, a vessel, in which the instructions comprise computer code configured or configurable when loaded on memory and executed on an apparatus comprising a memory and one or more processor(s) or processing circuitry, to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.

[0048] Another, sixth, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a data carrier signal, conveying the computer-program or computer-product of the fifth aspect to a computer or apparatus.

[0049] Another, seventh, aspect of the disclosed technology comprises an apparatus, for example a data processing apparatus such as a data processing device or a data processing system, comprising means for implemented a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.

[0050] In some embodiments, for example, the data processing apparatus comprises means for obtaining a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window, means for generating, for example using the predicted environmental conditions with a vessel model, a forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, means for providing the predicted vessel motion to a vessel stabilization system model, means for determining, for example, using the vessel stabilisation system model, a predicted vessel stabilization configuration; means for generating, for example using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, means for providing the refined forecast vessel motion to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the floating deck during the future time-window; and means for generating, for example using the physics model for a candidate deck operation, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation for over the duration of the future timewindow.

[0051] Another aspect of the disclosed technology relates to an apparatus forming, for example, a bridge display system. In some embodiments, the bridge display system is configured to present one or more indications of predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics at a range of times in a future time-window at a bridge of a vessel comprising at least one operations floating deck, wherein the indications are obtained using a computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on the floating deck, wherein the bridge display system comprises at least one display, a deck operations management computer system, DOMCS, operably connected to the at least one display, wherein the DOMCS is configured to execute a computer-implemented method comprising obtaining a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics based on current local environment conditions, for a range of times forming a future time-window, generating using the predicted environmental conditions with a vessel model of a historicalvessel motion response to historical environmental conditions, a forecast vessel motion, FVM, for at least some of the range of times in the future time-window, providing the generated FVM, to a vessel stabilization system model, determining using the vessel stabilisation system model a predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future timewindow and generating using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, for the range of times in the future time-window, providing the RFVM, to a physics model of a candidate deck operation scheduled for execution on the floating deck at a range of times in the future timewindow, generating using the physics model for a candidate deck operation based on the RFMV, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation at the range of times in the future time-window, and causing indications of at least one of the one or more deck operation physical characteristics to be presented on at least one display located on a bridge deck of the vessel.

[0052] The above aspects and their embodiments disclosed herein may provide one or more of the following technical benefits for managing deck operations on a floating deck, in particular for managing deck operations on a deck of a floating structure such as a marine vessel or surfaced submarine vessel, including both tethered and untethered structures:

[0053] In some embodiments, enhanced predictive accuracy of forecast vessel motion may be provided as a technical benefit. For example, by obtaining predictions of local environmental conditions and integrating these with a vessel model, the forecast vessel motion may be generated with increased accuracy. This allows for more precise planning and execution of deck operations, reducing the risk of delays and errors due to unforeseen environmental changes.

[0054] In some embodiments, improved safety may be provided as a technical benefit, for example, as prediction and refinement of vessel motion during future time-windows may enable better anticipation of potential safety hazards. For example, by using a physics model of a candidate deck operation, deck operation physical characteristic metrics, such as the line of fire for loads being lifted, may be more accurately predicted which may improve the safety of deck crew and / or prevent damage to deck equipment.

[0055] In some embodiments, an operational efficiency technical benefit may be provided by iteratively refining the vessel stabilization configuration based on predicted deck operation metrics which enables optimization of vessel stability. In turn this may minimize the impact of environmental conditions on deck operations, leading to improved operational efficiency and reduced downtime.

[0056] In some embodiments, a cost savings benefit may be provided as providing predictions of deck operation opportunities may enable better resource allocation and scheduling of deck operations. By minimizing the likelihood of operation interruptions andaborts due to environmental factors, the disclosed technology could lead to substantial cost savings over time.

[0057] In some embodiments, real-time adjustments using the disclosed technology may provide a technical benefit. For example, by supporting real-time adjustments to deck operations by correlating predicted metrics with live sensor data. This dynamic approach allows for immediate responses to changing conditions, ensuring that deck operations can continue safely and effectively.

[0058] In some embodiments, proactive equipment management may be supported by analysing the predicted vessel motion and expected stress on deck operation equipment, the method facilitates the generation of predictive maintenance schedules. This proactive approach to equipment management can extend the service life of equipment and prevent failures.

[0059] In some embodiments, enhanced decision-making may be provided as a technical benefit. For example, some embodiments of the disclosed technology may provide deck crew and management of the floating deck / structure / vessel with comprehensive data on predicted environmental conditions and deck operation metrics. This information supports informed decision-making, allowing for the selection of a safer and more efficient course of action for deck operations. The bridge display system may provide a view of the operations deck which allows the bridge crew to also have visibility of deck operations and metrics such as line of fire, for example, contemporaneously with the visibility provided to one or more crew members on the operations deck. This may improve safety as well as decision making.

[0060] In some embodiments, environmental responsibility may be provided as a technical benefit. For example, the capability to incorporate environmental impact assessments into the prediction process, ensuring that deck operations are conducted with consideration for environmental preservation.

[0061] The following terms are explained for guidance only, and may be supplemented with additional or alternative meanings where their context of use herein indicates a different meaning is more appropriate.

[0062] The term floating deck may refer to a platform that is supported by buoyancy and is capable of floating on a body of water. This term encompasses decks of various structures, including but not limited to ships, oil rigs, pontoons, and surfaced submarines.

[0063] The terms deck operation, deck operations or deck operation(s) may refer in the singular and plural to an activity or task or to a plurality activities or tasks that are carried out on the deck of a floating structure which may be performed in a particular order or sequence. These operations may include, among others, lifting objects, cable laying, deploying or retrieving submersibles, and managing take-off and landing of aircraft or drones.

[0064] The term local environment condition, conditions or condition(s) in the singular andplural may refer to one or more immediate and surrounding atmospheric, oceanic, and weather-related factors that can affect the stability and operations of a floating deck. This may include wave characteristics, wind speed and direction, currents, and other relevant environmental factors.

[0065] The term wave characteristic, characteristics, or characteristic(s) may refer in the singular and plural to one or more features of waves that can impact a floating deck, such as wave height, wave period, wave frequency, and wave direction.

[0066] The term future time-window may refer to a specified interval in the future during which predictions are made and operations are planned. The duration of this time-window may be determined based on the nature of the deck operations and the variability of environmental conditions, and / or thresholds for the predictions made to be associated with a certain level of reliability and / or accuracy.

[0067] The term vessel model may refer to a computational representation of a vessel or floating structure that simulates its physical and dynamic behaviour in response to environmental conditions. This model may be used to predict the vessel's motion.

[0068] The term forecast vessel motion, FVM, may refer to the predicted movement of a vessel or floating structure over a future time-window, as determined by the vessel model. This motion includes changes in the vessel's position, orientation, and attitude.

[0069] The term vessel stabilization model may refer to a model that simulates the behaviour of one or more systems designed to stabilize a vessel or floating structure. This may include systems such as active anti-roll tanks, dynamic positioning systems, and thruster systems.

[0070] The term predicted vessel stabilization configuration may refer to proposed settings and adjustments to the vessel stabilization systems that are anticipated to optimize the stability of the vessel during the future time-window.

[0071] The term refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, also referred to herein as refined vessel motion, RVM, may refer to an improved prediction of vessel motion that incorporates the predicted vessel stabilization configuration, providing a more accurate forecast for the future time-window.

[0072] The term physics model of a candidate deck operation may refer herein to a detailed computational model that simulates the physical behaviour of a deck operation, taking into account the refined forecast vessel motion and the specific characteristics of the operation.

[0073] The terms deck operation physical characteristic metric, metrics, or metric(s) in the singular and plural may refer to one or more quantitative measures that describe the physical aspects of a deck operation, such as the line of fire (LoF), load movement, forces exerted on deck equipment, and any other relevant metrics that can be predicted over the duration of the future time-window.

[0074] The above example explanations of the meaning of terms are not meant to limit the scope of the claims.

[0075] These technical benefits demonstrate the method's ability to improve the management of deck operations on floating decks, leading to safer, more efficient, and cost- effective operations in marine environments.

[0076] The above disclosed aspects and disclosed embodiments, which may form preferred embodiments, may be combined with each other in any suitable manner which would be apparent to someone of ordinary skill in the art.LIST OF ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

[0077] A detailed description providing implementation details of the disclosed technology will now be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings which are by way of example only and in which:Figure 1A, 1 B and 1C show schematically how approaching waves may affect performance of a deck operation on a floating deck of a vessel;Figure 2A shows schematically the six degrees of freedom of movement of a vessel;Figure 2B shows schematically the six degrees of freedom of movement of a load being lifted on a vessel;Figure 3 shows schematically examples of wave characteristics which may be used by some examples of the disclosed technology;Figure 4 shows schematically an example presentation of a deck layout on a display of an electronic device of an example deck layout according to some examples of the disclosed technology;Figure 5 shows schematically an example of a computer-implemented method for managing deck operations according to the disclosed technology;Figures 6A and 6B show schematically how deck operation metrics for a candidate deck operation may change in different time-windows;Figure 7 shows schematically a more detailed example of how iterations may be performed according to an example of a method for managing deck operations according to the disclosed technology;Figure 8A-8C show schematically how a line of fire of a candidate deck operation to be performed in a time-window may be iteratively refined using a method according to some examples of the disclosed technology;Figure 9 shows schematically an example of an apparatus comprising a deck operations management computer system on which an embodiment of a method of managing deck operations according to the disclosed technology may be implemented;Figure 10 shows schematically an example a deck operations management computer system according to the disclosed technology;Figure 11 shows schematically an example of an electronic device configured to present indications of deck operations metrics according to the disclosed technology; andFigure 12 shows schematically an example of the disclosed technology where indications of deck operations metrics according to the disclosed technology are provided using an AR display of a bridge deck.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] The disclosed technology is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments and different aspects of the disclosed technology can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the example embodiments and aspects set forth herein. Steps, whether explicitly referred to a such or if implicit, may be re-ordered or omitted if not essential to some of the disclosed embodiments, and some steps may be combined. Like numbers in the drawings refer to like elements throughout. Different numbers may be used to refer to the same similar elements of different embodiments depicted in the accompanying Figures, for example, some steps in method 700 are the same as those described for method 500 below. In some contexts, a n element may be denoted by a number, with specific instances of that element being distinguished by assigned a suffix letter. For example, a restricted area 402 is shown in Figure 4 in two instances, the first is restricted area 402a, the second is restricted area 402b. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular features of the disclosed technology. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0079] In the following description of embodiments of the disclosed technology, and in the accompanying figures, references to, or depictions of, a vessel or to a floating deck should be construed as a reference to or depiction of to any suitable structure having a floating deck for which a method of managing a deck operation or a related aspect according to the disclosed technology may be used unless it is clear why this construction would not be appropriate in the context of the disclosed technology. In other words, a floating deck is a deck capable of responding to incoming waves incident on or flowing around / under a deck or surface area of some floating apparatus. A deck is a surface area on a floating structure.

[0080] Some examples of a structure having a floating deck may be permanently or temporarily anchored to the sea floor or to land when a deck operation is performed in some embodiments of the disclosed technology.

[0081] Some examples of a structure having a floating deck are not anchored when a deck operation is performed in other embodiments of the disclosed technology.

[0082] Examples of structures with a floating deck for which a method of managing a deck operation or a related aspect disclosed herein may be used include, but are not limited to: oilrigs, lighthouse boats, vessels, such as ships and tankers, which may be marine or submarine, which may float permanently or temporarily on the surface, pontoons and floating islands, and the like. The structure with a floating deck may or may not have a deck crew for performing deck operations in some embodiments. The structure with a floating deck may itself be remotely controlled and / or fully or partially autonomously navigated to perform a vessel plan in some embodiments.

[0083] Figures 1A, 1 B and 1C of the accompanying drawings show schematically how approaching waves may affect a deck operation performed on a floating deck of a structure which is illustrated as vessel 100. These figures are not drawn to scale as would be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art.

[0084] In Figures 1A, 1 B and 1C, the deck operation comprises lifting a load 104 and is performed using deck operation equipment 102, for example, using lifting equipment, such as a crane or winch, located on the vessel deck. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the deck operation equipment may be located over or on a side of the floating structure, and references to the deck operation equipment being located on the deck should be interpreted to include references to deck operation equipment located on or over the side of the floating structure or otherwise connected to the floating deck.

[0085] In Figure 1A, at an initial time T = to, the vessel 100 detects waves at a distance dO from the vessel 100 which have a height WH1 and determines the waves are travelling in a direction directly towards the vessel 100. Any suitable technique may be used by the vessel 100 to determine the wave height, speed, and direction of travel, for example, a radar system may be used. In this example, at the same time, T=tO, as the time T=tO when the waves are being remotely detected, at the vessel the wave height is WHO which is smaller than WH1 .

[0086] In this example, on the deck of vessel 100 a deck operation is being performed which comprises lifting load 104 using lifting deck operation equipment 102 which is mounted on the surface of the deck. For this deck operation to be performed safely the deck stability should match or be below a certain level of stability meaning the movement of the deck will not cause problems with altering the intended direction and speed of movement of the load. For example, if a wave has wave characteristics such as a low wave height, e.g. WH1 , and short or long wavelength relative to the dimensions of the vessel, the water surface on which the vessel is floating may not be hugely displaced and the vessel deck may not move or more may gently undulates up and down over a long period of time when that wave reaches the vessel 100 with wave height WHO. In other words, a wave height WHO at the vessel 100 may not hugely affect the ability of the deck lifting equipment to vertically and / or horizontally move the load in a safe manner.

[0087] In contrast, if a wave has wave characteristics such as a high wave height WH3 when it reaches the vessel (see Figure 1C) and / or a longer wavelength relative to the dimensions of the vessel such that when it reaches the vessel the water surface on which the vessel is floating will move significantly in a short period of time, the deck lifting equipment will also move significantly as it attempts to lift the load vertically and / or horizontally. In this case, it is less likely that the lifting equipment will be able to move the load in a safe manner. Here a safe manner of performing a deck operation, such as lifting and / or moving a load on / off or over the deck, comprises performing the deck operation without an unacceptable or high risk of injury to the deck crew or anyone else on the deck, and / or without an unacceptably high risk of damage to the equipment performing the deck operation, any objects on which a deck operation is performed, and / or the vessel infrastructure.

[0088] In Figure 1A, the wave height WH1 at time T=tO has an acceptably low impact on the safety of performing a deck operation. This is shown schematically in Figure 1Aas resulting in a lateral movement of the load being vertically lifted which subtends a maximum angle e1 from a true vertical. The load may move in other directions as well relative to the vessel 100. For example, if the vessel 100 heaves forward suddenly, then the load 104 may also heave forward, or it may roll or sway, or yawl (see Figure 2B for an example of movement of a load 104 in each of six degrees of freedom relative to movement of the vessel 100 in each of its six degrees of freedom of movement). If, however, the vessel only heaves forward when a wave hits it and the load moves by the same amount as the vessel, then those on the vessel may not perceive any difference as there will be no relevant movement.

[0089] Figure 1 B shows a later point in time, T=t1 , waves with height WH2 at a shorter distance as they approach vessel 100. Figure 1C shows how at a later point in time T=t2, the same waves have reached the vessel, so D=0. In this example, the wave height on impact with the vessel is WH3 which lifts the vessel up considerably and so alters the relative movement of load 104. In the illustrated highly simplistic example, the load 104 is now subtending a larger angle, e2, to a true vertical as a result of the deck tilting more as the wave lifts the other end of the vessel. If the larger angle is not expected, in other words, unexpected, and in particular if it changes suddenly, then it may pose a hazard to the deck infrastructure and / or crew.

[0090] Figures 2A and 2B shows schematically the six degrees of freedom of movement of a vessel 100 and a load 104 being lifted by lifting equipment located on a deck of the vessel. Transient environment conditions such as the wave height, speed, direction relative to the vessel’s direction of movement may affect how the vessel moves during a deck operation, as well as how any independent elements such as a load being lifted also react to the vessel movement in one or more of the illustrated degrees of freedom. In Figure 2A, vessel or floating structure movement is shown relative to a vessel-centred x,y, z coordinate system 200 centredon the vessel / floating structure. Here the x-axis represents the axis along which the vessel / floating structure moves forwards, the y-axis represents lateral motion orthogonal to the x-axis, and the z-axis represents vertical motion orthogonal to the x-axis. Using this coordinate system, the vessel 100 shown in Figure 2A, which may be also referred to here as a floating deck, a structure with a floating deck, or a floating structure, may experience surging movement along the x axis, swaying movement along the y axis, and heaving motion along the z axis, and in addition may roll about the x-axis, pitch about the y-axis and yawl about the z-axis. If a load was only by gravity and lifted vertically, then a load bearing rope would like vertically paralegal with the z-axis shown in Figs. 2A and 2B. However, both Figs. 2A and 2B show how motion of the load 104 during a real lift operation may different from this theoretical idea. These motions may seem to be unpredictable, but are in fact movements which can be modelled using a suitable physics model of the deck operation, such as the start location of the load, the end location of the load, its weight, dimensions, wind canopy area, wind conditions, and also the movement of the hoist or lifting equipment as a result of movement of a deck operation. The physics model may express load movement using a load-centred coordinate system 202 centred on load 104 are illustrated as Aheave Az, Asurge Ax, and Asway Ay in Figure 2B. Also shown schematically in Figure 2B is how an object used in a deck operation such as load 104 may also experience a Apitch about its x-axis, Ayawl about its z- axis, and a Aroll about its y-axis.

[0091] In reality, the movement of the vessel resulting from a wave being incident may be in one or more or all of the six different degrees a vessel is free to move depending on the wave characteristics and certain characteristics of the vessel. Some may be relative characteristics and some may not be. For example, relative characteristics may include the relative sizes of the wave and the vessel, the vessel orientation relative to the wave’s direction of travel, the volume of water displaced by a vessel relative to the wave volume. Non-relative, or absolute, wave characteristics may include the frequency of the waves and the way the vessel’s weight and the weight of its cargo is distributed. In some embodiments, all of these factors may be taken into account using appropriately configured vessel models and vessel stabilisation models which are well known in the art by the physics model for the deck operation.

[0092] Various wave and weather conditions can affect whether a deck operation is successfully completed. For example, movement of a load 104 during a lifting deck operation may be affected by the wind as well as wave conditions. Known vessel models and vessel stabilisation models do not provide guidance to deck crew. This means there may be no information available apart from the sea conditions actually observable in a particular instance of time from the deck to guide to deck crew on whether a deck operation could be safely and successfully completed in a time-window. In other words, the deck crew may only haveknowledge of the currently prevailing environmental conditions. This means they may be aware only of, for example, the present state of the weather and present wave conditions. This may not helpful for predictions a few minutes into the future, which may form a future time-window, prior to the deck operation commencing. Of course, longer time and more generalised weather forecasts by the hour or longer may be known and born in mind by deck crew.

[0093] The disclosed technology makes available technical information which allows deck crew to make a decision to proceed or not with a deck operation so they are no longer solely reliant on the immediately observable sea conditions and personal judgement of the person in charge of the deck operation. Instead, more information about the wave conditions and / or how the vessel may be able to adjust to compensate to enable a candidate deck operation to proceed a future time-window can be provided in some embodiments which may allow a person to make a more accurate, more reliable, and more informed decision about whether a deck operation should be performed in the future time-window.

[0094] The disclosed technology allows additional technical information about predicted floating deck stability and how this might compensate for vessel / floating structure motion in a future time-window to be taken into account when deciding if a candidate deck operation should be performed. In this way, based on their experience and the additional technical information generated using a physics model of the deck operation which can be provided by the disclosed technology about the variability of the environmental conditions during the subsequent time-window and / or how the vessel may be able to compensate for those variable environmental conditions, individuals performing or in charge of deck operations can potentially more easily, rapidly, and reliably make decisions about whether a deck operation may be completed or may be aborted safely.

[0095] In future, as more sensor information is available for deck equipment and objects affected by deck operations, so that some types of deck operations may become fully autonomous or handled by robots or robotic arms, the tool may be used to more fully automate or fully automate the decision whether to proceed or not.

[0096] Some embodiments of the disclosed technology provide a method for managing a deck operation which seeks to address the above deficiencies. Other embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to a deck management software tool. The deck management software tool may take the form of an application, or “app” on a tablet or other computer-like device or alternatively it may execute on a dedicated console. In some embodiments, the deck management software tool is configured to display on a portable electronic device such as a tablet or portable computer, or a near eye display, which may provide information in a virtual reality or augmented reality context, or any other type of wireless mobile communications- enabled device with a suitable screen, a deck layout and one or more characteristics of acandidate deck operation for example, see Figure 4 described in more detail later below.

[0097] An embodiment of DOM tool 400,1010 may be configured to implement, together with an embodiment of a DOMCS 1000 disclosed herein, an embodiment of a computer- implemented method of managing a deck operation according to the disclosed technology, for example, according to the method 500, 700 disclosed hereinbelow. The computer- implemented methods 500, 700 use measured and / or predicted environmental characteristics to determine local environmental conditions during a future time-window. Examples of environmental characteristics include water currents at one or depths in the vicinity of the vessel, one or more wave characteristics of waves in the vicinity of the vessel, and weather characteristics such as wind speed in the vicinity of the vessel.

[0098] Figure 3 shows schematically examples of wave characteristics which are used in some embodiments of the disclosed methods, software tools, and systems technology to manage deck operations on a floating deck.

[0099] Figure 3 shows a plurality of waves with wave crests A, B, C, D at the apex of each wave. As shown the wavelength L is not constant as the distance L1 between wave crests B and C is longer than L2, the distance between wave crests C and D. The wave crests are separated by wave troughs, which are the water surface areas closest to the ocean bottom or sea floor 300. The wave height of each wave is the difference between the trough of a wave and the preceding wave crest for waves travelling towards vessel 100. The wave length of a wave is the distance from crest to crest. Wave frequency can be determined based on the time it takes for each wave crest to pass a point. The mean sea level is provided by the average depth d to the sea floor 300. In Figure 3, by way of example, the direction of wave travel relative to the orientation of vessel 100 is shown and the wave height of crest D at the vessel is much shorter than those of waves further away. This means at a later point in time, providing the wave speed towards the vessel is move than the vessel’s speed away from the wave’s direction of travel, crests C, B, and A will in turn be incident on the vessel 100.[000100] These are examples of wave characteristics which can be measured from a vessel 100 using suitable equipment known in the art. For example, a wave radar system may be used to determine the speed, direction of travel, wavelength L1 , L2, wave height H1 , H2, H3, and the frequency of the waves relative to the vessel’s orientation at the time of measurement. [000101] Figure 4 shows schematically, and not to scale, an example presentation of a deck layout 401 provided by a deck operation management tool 400, which may comprise a DOM tool 1010 which is part of a deck operation management system, DOMS, 1000 according to an example embodiment of the disclosed technology, either as a client electronic device 1100 or as an integrated or monolithic client / server electronic device. The DOM tool 400, 1010 is configured or configurable to provide one more screens of information to help visualize technical information such as, for example, physics model generated metrics of a candidatedeck operation in a future time-window and / or of on-going deck operations. References to either DOM tool 400 or DOM tool 1010 are also references to the other DOM tool disclosed herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.[000102] In Figure 4, the deck layout 401 is rendered on a display 418 of an electronic device 416. As will be appreciated, the deck layout may not always show all of the objects forming the deck layout to the same scale. However, objects comprising deck operations equipment or used with or by deck operations equipment, areas affected by one or more candidate deck operations, and the deck layout may be shown to scale in some embodiments of the deck layout 401 rendered on display 418.[000103] As illustrated in Figure 4, the deck layout 401 comprises a number of areas 402a, 402b, 404a, 404b, and objects 406, 408, 410, 412, 414. Deck operation equipment objects 410 may comprise lifting equipment, plant equipment, or heavy machinery, or cable deployment equipment. The deck operation equipment may form obstacles in some situations including when deck operations are being performed on deck which may be shown graphically on the displayed deck layout by the dashed edged rectangles which subtend an angle around a pivot point of deck operations lifting equipment 410.[000104] The objects 406, 408, 410, 412, 414 may comprise static deck infrastructure objects 406 for example, stairs, walls, railings and buildings or containers located on the deck and the like. Static objects 408 may be fixed to the deck in a permanent or semi-permanent manner. Other objects such as deck operation equipment 410 may include moving parts and so comprise a mixture of static and non-static object elements. For example, as shown in Figure 4, deck operation equipment 410 such as lifting equipment like cranes and winches may also comprise objects which form an obstacle which may pivot around an axis from one location to another. A suitable indication of this range of pivotable movement may also be shown in some example embodiments of a deck layout such as is shown in Figure 4. Objects 408, 412, 414 however include objects which may be temporarily located at a particular location on a deck. For example, objects 412, 414 form loads which are lifted by lifting deck operation equipment 410 in a lifting operation so as to be moved from one place to another place on the deck. Examples of lifting deck operation equipment 410 may comprise cranes, winches, pulleys, as well as ropes and chains etc. Object 408 may comprise ropes or chains, for example, laid out on the deck, some or all of which may be deck operation equipment 410.[000105] In the example embodiment of a deck layout shown in Figure 4, the deck layout areas include two restricted areas 402a, 402b which may be monitored using the deck operations management tool for their occupancy by crew members (shown as circles with black diamond patterns), and also two task areas 404a, 404b which may be associated with specific candidate or live deck operations.[000106] In the example embodiment shown in Figure 4, task area #1 , 404a, includes twocrew members and shows an indication of a candidate lifting operation with maximum line of fire LoF#1 for a candidate load object 412 if lifted using a time-time At using deck operation equipment 410 such as lifting equipment shown on the left-hand side of the figure. Task area #2 comprises two crew members and a much larger LoF#2 for candidate load 414 during the same time-window. In this case there is a visual indication of an alert within the LoF#2 shown for one of the crew members being too close to load 414, which indicates that the candidate lifting operation in Task area #1 should instead be selected for execution next (i.e. in the next time-window At).[000107] In the example deck layout shown in Figure 4, two concurrent visual indications of candidate deck operations are shown but it will be appreciated only one or more choices of candidate deck operations may be indicated on the deck layout at any time in other example embodiments. Also, in this example, only one type of candidate lifting operations is indicated in the display, but it will be appreciated that indications of different types of candidates lifting operations could also be indicated in other examples.[000108] In some embodiments of a display of a deck layout, for example, in the example embodiment of the candidate deck layout shown in Figure 4, for each candidate operation an indication of a range of movement of the lifting equipment and / or a line of fire for each individual object when it is lifted is indicated.[000109] In some example embodiments of the displayed deck layout screen, worse-case indications for a candidate operation which may occur at any point during a future time-window if that candidate deck operation was started at the beginning of the time-window or shortly thereafter are shown.[000110] Some embodiments provide for a candidate deck operation an indication of the operational line of fire, LoF, which is rendered to indicate an area of risk when the deck operation is performed. As shown in Figure 4, LoF#1 , LoF#2 are each LoFs which indicate a predicted range of movement that an object being lifted in a candidate lift operation may experience when it is lifted.[000111] The range of a line of fire, LoF#1 , LoF#2, may be affected by a number of factors, some related to environmental conditions and some by the vessel and the extent to which can be stabilized under those environmental conditions. For example, stabilisation of the vessel may be affected by the weight and dimensions of the object being lifted, movement of the lifting equipment, and movement of the deck on which the lifting equipment is mounted amongst other things, including the wind speed and direction incident on the load as it is lifted, which may be further affected by the dimensions of the load being lifted and its orientation in the sense of how much of a wind canopy effect the load has due to its size and configuration, and whether it is more or less shielded from the wind by the deck layout. Wave characteristics also have an effect on load motion which may go beyond the direct effect on the operationalequipment of waves altering the motion of a vessel. For example, resonance and other physical effects may occur based on the physics of the deck operation and those of the waves and / or wind. The impact of the average wind speed and / or peak gusts on a deck operation may also be affected by whether the deck infrastructure layout and path of the deck operation provide shielding or not against the wind for some part or all of the deck operation.[000112] Although the main embodiments disclosed herein refer to deck operations which comprise lifting operations, unless specifically excluded, where the description of an embodiment refers to a lifting operation this should be interpreted as also referring to any other type of deck operation. Examples of other types of deck operation include cable laying operations. These other types of deck operation may also be affected by such environmental conditions and may take place in locations on the deck which experience different levels of exposure to wind and / or spray depending on the wind direction, spray height, and the vessel orientation relative to the wind direction and spay height.[000113] For example, screens may be provided on the electronic device 416 which show features such as the predicted vessel or floating structure acceleration, and the operational status of deck equipment 410 and / or other objects 412, 414 which will be used in a candidate deck operation. If a user then selects an item of deck equipment 410 and / or an object 412, 414 used in a candidate deck operation such as a lifting operation, they may be presented with a screen showing the maximum line of fire predicted for the future time-window in one or more views, for example, a side plan view and / or an overhead plan view.[000114] In some embodiments, different views may be provided to different deck crew members depending on their assigned role in a candidate deck operation. For example, in some embodiments, whoever is in charge of rigging equipment for a crane to be used in a candidate load lifting operation may be presented with a screen showing the load to be lifted together with locations of the rigging equipment. The screen may be interactively updated to show if each item of rigging has been checked or not, for example, selectable affordances may be provided on a display of a candidate load to be lifted by the lifting equipment which will change colour and / or otherwise being updated when individually checked. In this way, there is not just a record of when each item of rigging equipment, e.g. each shackle, has been checked, but once the check has been entered as completed, a list of actions or tasks to perform can be updated and any problems indicated. It is also possible to present any actions not signed or ticked as completed by a crew member to a deck foreperson before a deck operation proceeds.[000115] In some embodiments, by way of another example, a person in charge of cable reel payout in a candidate or ongoing cable laying operation, such as an operation foreperson, may be provided with a different screen. For example, a screen showing different technical information in different areas on the screen such as the vessel vertical movement over a futuretime-window in one area. In some embodiments, other areas of the screen may show a deck layout where a deck operation is to take place or is taking place. In some embodiments, one or more other areas of the screen may show operational equipment status information and performance metrics for an ongoing or candidate deck operation. For example, for a cable laying operation, an active / inactive status of a cable reel may be shown, and / or operational performance metrics such as pay-out speed, load, etc. in some embodiments. In some embodiments, in addition, another area of the screen may show a cable tensioner active / inactive status and similar operational performance metrics for the cable tensioner along with a task plan, and deck layout location information for the reel location on the deck in some embodiments.[000116] In some embodiments, when display 418 of the deck layout 401 shown in Figure 4 provides as an indication of a candidate deck operation such as a candidate lifting operation, an indication of the maximum LoF for lifting a candidate load during a future time-window starting with the present time. In some embodiments, should the maximum LoF result in one or more health and safety conditions being breached, an indication of an alert may be provided. The alert may be provided in an audible and / or visual form by the deck management software tool. For example, in the example shown in Figure 4, a visual alert symbol is shown within the LoF of the candidate lift operation shown on the right-hand side task area, 404b.[000117] It will be appreciated that other indications of characteristics of a candidate deck operation may be provided in other examples of the disclosed software tool, either on the deck layout screen or on an ancillary screen.[000118] In Figure 4, the displayed candidate deck operations are associated with a visual display of the maximum LoF for their safe performance during a future time-window starting with the present time in which the time-window rolls as time passes. Examples of future timewindows may e based on the likely duration of a successful the deck operation in some embodiments. In some embodiments, it may only be useful for some deck operations to show shorter intervals of time on a rolling basis. For example, for a lifting operation, a typical timewindow may be three minutes, however for a cable laying operation, which may take several days to complete, the time-window may range up to the time-period for which the environmental impact on the operations can be predicted or measured with an acceptable degree of tolerance, for example, 10 or 20 minutes at a time in some embodiments may be possible.[000119] For LoF indications which are shown in the deck layout, it may be useful to use the same relative scale as the LoF. In some embodiments, and as shown in Figure 4, the LoF for the deck operation to be safely performed may be differ from that of the actual load itself. One or both of these may be shown concurrently on the image of the deck layout in some embodiments. In these embodiments, the LoF for lifting a candidate load safely may comprisethe actual LoF for that load plus an additional safety margin. In other embodiments, the safety margin may not be visually indicated but may be taken into account when determining whether an alert should be given or not.[000120] Crew members and / or other types of personnel may be shown at their real-time locations on the deck layout in some embodiments. These individuals may be labelled to distinguish them base on name and / or on their role.[000121] As mentioned above, where a person is displayed in a task area within a predetermined proximity of the deck operations equipment 102 in a task area 404a, 404b one or more additional indications of an alert may be provided visually on the display, for example as indicated by a sparky symbol in Figure 4, at the location of the person or by a change in background colour of the display, and / or audibly, for example, as an alert tone or announced suitable warning message. Audible alerts may be preferable in some conditions where there is little background noise however, in some weather and operational conditions, a visual alert may be preferable.[000122] A deck operations management software, DOMS, tool which is used to generate the example display illustrated in Figure 4 may use a method of managing deck operations to generate metrics for candidate load operations to obtain technical and physics information about a deck operation in a future time-window.[000123] One example method for managing deck operations may comprise a computer- implemented method for managing deck operations on a floating deck, which may be also referred to herein as a method for managing deck operations on a floating deck of a structure, or a method for managing floating deck operations. In some embodiments, the method comprises the method 500 shown in Figure 5.[000124] Figure 5 shows schematically an example embodiment of a computer-implemented method 500 for managing deck operations on a floating deck according to the disclosed technology.[000125] In some embodiments, the computer-implemented method 500 comprises obtaining 502 a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window, generating 504, using the predicted environmental conditions with a vessel model, a forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, providing 506 the predicted vessel motion to a vessel stabilization system model, determining 508, using the vessel stabilisation system model, a predicted vessel stabilization configuration; generating 510, using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion during the future time-window, providing 512 the refined forecast vessel motion to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the deck during the future time-window, and generating 514, using the physics model for a candidate deck operation, one or more deck operation predictions comprising metrics of one or more physicalcharacteristics of the deck operation for over the duration of the future time-window. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise causing 516 a display of one or more indications of the deck operation(s) metrics and / or any safety metrics for the candidate deck operation on a deck operation management tool, for example, on a deck operation visualization tool which is configured to present one or more screens showing a deck layout and one or more metrics of one or more candidate deck operations during a future timewindow.[000126] In some embodiments, providing 512 the refined forecast vessel motion to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the deck during the future time-window in computer-implemented method 500 comprises providing in 512 the one or more deck operation predictions to an electronic device, for example, the electronic device 416 of Figure 4. The electronic device 416 may be configured, responsive to receiving the predictions of the one or more deck operation metrics to cause a display in 518 or to cause an update of an existing display of one or more indications of predicted deck operation characteristic metrics for a future time-window, which may be a rolling-time-window in some embodiments. For example, the time-window shown may be a three-minute window from the present time and the metrics shown at any point in time may be updated with the maximum value for each future time-window starting at that point in time. A fixed time interval, for example, one of three minutes, may be suitable for a deck operation such as lifting an object, but for different types of deck operations, say for a cable laying operation, fixing a longer time-window may be more useful. For example, for cable-laying a time-window of 20 minutes may be more useful. The time interval however, may also be considered ultimately to determined by the ability to measure waves during that time-interval. The interval of the time-window may be predetermined to be relevant for the operation in some embodiments, however the timewindow could also be set based on forecast weather conditions when planning deck operations. In some embodiments, the deck tool may be used to select which deck operation or task is to be done first, and this could be used to determine a suitable time-window.[000127] Figures 6A and 6B show schematically two examples of how an operational task area such as the task area 604 may be presented on successive rolling displays 418 on an electronic device 416 along with visual indications of one or more predicted physics metrics of the candidate deck operation. In Figure 6A, based on a prediction that the wave characteristics of the waves incident at the vessel 100 will not exceed a maximum wave height H1 , the maximum line of fire of a candidate load 600, which may be a candidate load 104, 412, 414 in some embodiments, for a lifting operation during a future time-window of duration At will be LoFmaxi . Other wave and environmental conditions may also be taken in account in other embodiments, in particular wave period, which may at times be far more important than the wave height, for example, due to resonance effects. In some embodiments, there may bedifferent indications of deck operation metric provided and / or different types of deck operations may be provided with indications using the disclosed technology. As shown in Figure 1 , LoFmaxi may occur at any time within a time-window from a present time to up to a time horizon thorizoni for the time-window of duration At.[000128] Figure 6B shows an automatically updated display of the task area 604 at a later present time t1 which now shows a new maximum LoF 602, LoFmax2, for lifting the same candidate load 600 during a new future time-window of duration At starting from t1 up to the time horizon thOrizon2.[000129] Figures 6A and 6B illustrate how, for any given starting point of a future time-window, an expectation of whether a lifting operation for candidate load 600 can be successfully completed or not within that time-window can be visually provided using the deck operation management, DOM, tool 400, 1010 by implementing an embodiment of computer- implemented method 500 And providing a suitable rendering of the resulting technical information on a display 418, for example, either as an overlay on a deck layout background or in any other suitably rendered way to allow someone to visualise the technical information. [000130] In Figure 1 , providing the lifting operation is started at time to, then as there are no alerts that the maximum line of fire between times to and thorizoni will be too large, the lifting operation should be safely completed. In Figure 6B, however, the conditions have changed and the vessel cannot be sufficiently stabilised to reduce the maximum line of fire, LoFmax2, which might occur in the next time-window to below that required for a safe lifting operation to be completed. Accordingly, no lifting should be started in the second time-window as if it is, the conditions are expected to deteriorate to a degree that may require the lifting operation to be aborted.[000131] Although Figure 4 shows a deck layout for a vessel, it will be appreciated that a deck layout for another type of structure with a floating deck may be provided in other embodiments and the computer-implemented method 500 may be performed to manage a deck operation on any suitable floating deck, or a floating structure with a deck, such as, for example, one of: a vessel or an oil-rig, a floating light-house, a barge, a container ship, a merchant or military vessel or structure, a floating pontoon or the like attached to a vessel, a cruise-ship, a submarine on the surface, an air-craft carrier. In some embodiments, the method may be used to manage deck operations on a floating deck of a structure anchored to the seafloor to which the floating deck is attached, such as, for example, a wind turbine which may be anchored to the sea floor but with a floating deck attached to the wind turbine structure.[000132] The electronic device 416 such as that shown in Figure 4, should be provided with suitable wireless communications to receive information from the apparatus or system on which the computer-implemented method 500 is being performed. In some example embodiments, electronic device 416 may comprise a portable wireless communication device,for example, the portable more mobile communications enabled electronic device 1100 shown in Figure 11. References herein to electronic device 416 may also refer to the electronic device 1100 shown in Figure 11 in some embodiments. The electronic device 416 may instead or in addition, be configured to receive information from the shore in some embodiments, or from the sea-floor in some embodiments.[000133] In some embodiments, a system such as that shown in Figures 9, 10 or 12, described in more detail below, may be used to implement computer-implemented method 500. The computer-implemented method 500 may accordingly be performed by the apparatus of the system remote from the mobile electronic device in some embodiment which may be carried by a crew member so as to have access to technical information about deck operations.[000134] In some embodiments, when the computer-implemented method 500 is performed by an apparatus or system remote from a data communications enabled electronic device 416, the computer-implemented method 500 further comprises the system or apparatus communicating, for example over one or more wireless communications systems or direct links with the electronic device, sufficient information to allow a presentation on a display of the device of one or more indications of the predicted metrics in advance of the start of the future time-window. The indicated metrics may provide predictions of a maximum or minimum representative parameter value for a range of physical deck operation characteristics over a duration of the future time-window. In some embodiments, the display also provides an indication of when the future time-window will start, but in some embodiments the time-window shown is a rolling window of duration At from a present time to or from a present time plus a very short interval, say 5 or 10 or so seconds from the present time to.[000135] Returning to Figure 5 this also indicates on the left-hand-side that some elements of computer-implemented method 500, for example those shown in Figure 5 as elements 508 to 514 and / or 516 may be iterated in some embodiments of computer-implemented method 500. In other words, the computer-implemented method 500 may optimize the deck operation physics metrics, for example, the behavioural metrics of a load being lifted in a lifting operation, and / or the range of movement the lifting equipment performs to lift the load between its start and end locations, by iteratively refining the vessel stabilization configuration which is determined using the vessel stabilisation model and the deck operation metrics from a previous iteration of performing those methods.[000136] Figure 7 shows in more detail an example of computer-implemented method 500 in which the iterative elements or steps are set out in more detail, which also show a correspondence between the elements shown in Figure 7 with elements shown in Figure 5 for the first iteration. In Figure 7, however, examples of additional steps performed in iterations of the iterative method 700 of managing deck operations are shown and described in more detailbelow.[000137] As shown in Figure 7, iterative method 700 for managing deck operations comprises first obtaining environmental and other conditions, for example, conditions of the vessel such as its position from one or more deck sensors or motion response units in 702, see also 502 and the description of Figure 5 above. These may be fed into a vessel model and used to generate a forecast of vessel motion, FVM, during a future time-window At in 704, see also 504 and the description of Figure 5 above. The FVM for the future time-window output by the vessel model is then provided in 506, 706 to a vessel stabilisation system model which generates a candidate vessel stabilisation configuration in 708, 508 for the future time-window. The refined vessel stabilisation configuration found in 708 is then used to refine the vessel motion, and generate refined FVM in 710, 510. Next the refined FVM is provided as input to a physics model of a candidate deck operation in 712, 512. The physics model for the candidate deck operation then processes the refined FVM input to generate one or more predictions of candidate deck operation metrics during the future time-window in 714, 514.[000138] An example physics model for a candidate deck operation which may be used by an embodiment of method 500, 700 comprises a plurality of physical characteristics for the deck operation, for example, characteristics for the range of motion or movement of the deck equipment and / or any objects on which the deck operation is performed. For example, for a candidate lifting operation of a load, a physics model may include a model of the range of motion of a lifting equipment such as a crane or winch, the maximum strain or torque on any cable attached to the load and the winch / crane, the size of the crane’s lifting arm, the height the load needs to be lifted, e.g. to clear any obstacles on the deck, the size and weight of the load. Other parameters such as the prevailing wind speed and direction which may act on the load may also be taken into account by the physics model in some embodiments. One or more physical characteristics of the deck operation such as lifting a load may comprise characteristics associated with a predicted line of fire for the movement of the load during a lifting operation. These may change over the duration of a time-window as mentioned before due to a variety of environmental factors such as the movement of the deck as a result of waves, and / or the prevailing wind speed and direction.[000139] The iterative method 700 further comprises checking, in 716, if the stabilisation configuration of the vessel results in a vessel stabilisation which will be sufficiently acceptable or optimal for the deck operation performance of a candidate deck model to be acceptable or optimal. If it is, then the method stops performing iterations in 718. In some embodiments, responsive to the stop condition being reached in 718, a display of one or more deck operation metrics may be updated to show the acceptable maximum (or minimum) deck operation characteristic metric that is predicted to occur during the future time-window.[000140] In some embodiments, the checking 716 is triggered responsive to havingdetermined a maximum and / or minimum value for one or more predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics during the future time-window fail to meet one or more conditions for that candidate deck operation to be performed safely during the future timewindow. In some embodiments, it is after this check has been made at the end of a first iteration sequence in iterative method 700, that iterative method 700 further comprises checking in 716 to see if the stabilisation configuration can be improved so that the deck operation may be safely completed during the future time-window by iteratively repeating certain elements of computer-implemented method 500, 700, shown as 720 to 730 in a 2nditeration.[000141] In some embodiments, such as that shown in Figure 7, the stabilisation configuration of the vessel is regenerated by updating in 720 the vessel stabilisation model using parameters derived from the predictions of the deck operations characteristics. These parameters are derived by processing the time-series in each of the six degrees of freedom of the deck operation equipment and / or any objects, for example, the motion of a load or cable on the deck, to extract parameters which the stabilisation model can use to modify how one or more vessel stabilisation systems should be updated to further refine the forecast vessel motion, the FVM, for example, the FVM 1020 shown in Figure 10. By way of example, at least oscillatory motion (e.g. amplitude (the line of fire), period) may be predicted from the physics model for the six degrees of freedom of a load or a cable as it is predicted to during the deck operation. In some embodiments, the forces exerted on the deck operation equipment which may also be predicted may also be used to derived parameters which can be fed back into the stabilization model if these may impact the vessel stabilisation.[000142] Next in 720, the refined FVM previously determined in 710 is input in 722 to the updated stabilisation model to generate an updated vessel stabilisation configuration for the future time-window At to generate in 724 updated refined FVM. The update refined FVM generated in 724 is then provided in 726 to the same physics model as was used in the first iteration (see 712). Based on the update refined FVM, the physics model generates in 728 new predictions for the same time-window At for the candidate deck operation physics.[000143] In 730, another check is performed to determine if the updated vessel stabilisation configuration used in 722 is acceptable or optimal, in other words, does using that updated vessel stabilization configuration result in acceptable or optimal metrics for the candidate deck operation to proceed in time-window At. If the vessel stabilisation configuration results in acceptable (or optimal) deck operation characteristic metrics, such as a maximum or minimum deck operation characteristic metric over the future time-window meeting a condition, such as not exceeding a maximum (or minimum) cut-off value, then the method will stop at 732. If not, another, 2nd, iteration of the method elements shown as steps 720 to 732 is performed, and the iteratively process may repeat a number of times until a stop condition is reached.[000144] In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the stop condition for ceasing iterations is for a deck operation characteristic metric to meet a condition such as exceeding an upper or a lower threshold value. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the stop condition in 730 is for the iterations to no longer produce any significant change in the deck operation characteristic metric values. In some embodiments, a maximum number of iterations is set in case no optimization is possible and the systems fails to meet any stop criteria.[000145] In some embodiments, after a stop condition has been reached, the display 418 will update to show an indication of the one or more acceptable (or in some embodiments, optimal) deck operation characteristic metrics determining using method 500, 700. In some embodiments, the display 418 may update the display at the end or start of each iteration to show indications of each metric of a deck operation as it is refined. Alternatively, or in addition, in some embodiments, the display 418 may show indications when one or more deck operation characteristics are acceptable and / or optimal.[000146] Figure 8A-8C show schematically how a line of fire of a candidate deck operation to be performed in a time-window may be iteratively refined using an iterative method 700 according to some embodiments of the disclosed technology. In Figure 8A, the first iteration of iterative method 700 for a candidate deck operation, for example, a candidate deck lifting operation #1 as shown in Figure 4, for example may result in a predicted maximum line of fire LoF#1 during time-window AT 1 of d1 for lifting a load such as loads 104, 412, 414 for waves which are predicted to have a maximum wave height H1 when they reach the vessel’s location during that time-window. As shown in Figure 1 , the LoF#1 is above a threshold for a safe maximum line of fire, d3, which is shown later in Figure 8C. Consequently, the iterative method 700 performs a second iteration, which results in a predicted reduction in the line of fire LoF#2 of distance d2 from the lifting equipment during time-window AT1. However, as shown schematically in the example of Figure 8B, this could still result in a hazard alert for a crew member Who is predicted to be located within the LoF#2 during at least part of that timewindow.[000147] Figure 8C shows schematically how a third iteration of iterative method 700 results in a prediction of a vessel stabilisation configuration which could refine the vessels FVM for the future time-window to result in a predicted max LoF#3 during time-window AT 1 to now within the threshold safe LoF distance d3 from the lifting equipment. With this refinement of the predicted required vessel stabilisation configuration, the result is that the deck operation could proceed, whereas if the iterative method 700 had stopped at the first or 2ndindications, the information presented on the deck management tool would have indicated that the operation would not have been able to be safely completed within the time-window AT 1 . Thus, the DOM tool 400, 1010 may improve the operational efficiency of performing deck operations and may also improve fuel and energy efficiency, by reducing the likelihood a deck operationwill be started but not finished.[000148] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that successive iterative displays shown in Figure 8A to 8C may not be individually presented on a display by a deck management visualisation tool as the iterations progress. Instead, the iterations may be performed in background and any indications provided on a display such as display 418 of Figure 4 may present the maximum or minimum values for various physics metrics of the candidate deck operation found after the iterations have stopped. A stop condition for the iterations occurs accordingly either when the result of the iterations is sufficient to indicate a deck operation can proceed in a future time-window or when successive iterations do not further sufficiently improve the deck operation metrics. The latter may indicate either an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration has been found to allow the operation to proceed or that no vessel stabilisation configuration can be found to allow the operation to proceed. It will also be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art that if there are no further candidate deck operations, the calculations of a suitable time-window can be stopped.[000149] Advantageously, by performing an iterative method 700 for managing deck operations according to the disclosed technology, it is possible to refine the FVM by performing a sufficient number of iterations for the stabilisation model of the vessel to update and optimise the vessel’s stability at higher wave heights H1 than those might otherwise, for example in a non-iterative method version of computer-implemented method 500, result in unacceptable levels of FVM. In some embodiments of computer-implemented methods 500, 700, performing each iteration comprises determining 718 an updated vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window using information derived from the predicted metrics of the at least one physical behavioural characteristic of the deck operation, determining 720, using the updated vessel stabilization configuration, an updated prediction of the stabilized vessel motion, FVM, during the future time-window, determining, in 722, the updated predicted stabilized vessel motion to a physics model of the deck operation being executed on the deck during the future time-window; and generating, in 724, using the physics model, an updated prediction of each metric for a physical deck operation characteristic for over the duration of the future timewindow.[000150] An example of using information derived from the predicted metrics of the at least one physical behavioural characteristic of the deck operation comprises using a vessel stabilization model to change the frequency of motion of the vessel away from a resonance frequency for the deck operation motion.[000151] In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing an updated prediction for each deck operation characteristic metric, comprising, for example, for each measured or predicted value of a physical characteristic of a candidate deck operation to an electronic device for display, for example to an electronic device 416. The electronic device416 is configured in some embodiments, responsive to receiving an updated metric, to automatically update in real-time the display of the deck layout, and / or to provide a displayed indication of a predicted metric for one or more physical characteristics of the candidate deck operation during the future time-window.[000152] In some embodiments, a candidate deck operation comprises lifting a load from and / or to the deck or over the deck from one location to another. In some embodiments, the candidate deck operation characteristic metrics for a lifting operation may quantify the movement of the load and display 418 may provide an indication of a predicted lifting operation physical characteristic metric. For example, the deck layout display may provide an indication of a maximum line of fire, max LoF, for the load during a future time-window At which is to scale with the surrounding objects on the deck and deck infrastructure. In some embodiments, the location of deck crew members may also be tracked and their location at the present time (the start of each time-window) shown on the display. In addition, the display may generate additional visual or audible or tactile alerts if a deck operation may result in a health and safety condition being breached, for example, if the maximum LoF of a load in a candidate lifting operation is too close to a person or object or deck infrastructure.[000153] In some embodiments, in addition to the deck layout and candidate deck operation metrics indications, technical information which may not otherwise be available can be presented on the display 418. For example, load dynamics such as force on the lifting equipment or other equipment used to perform a deck operation may be made visible via the deck management tool to a user of the tool.[000154] By using the deck management tool to visualise how performing a deck operation in an upcoming time-window may result in unexpected or sudden changes in operational behaviours, the deck operations may be performed in a more time-efficient manner by delaying a candidate deck operation from being performed and waiting for a suitable timewindow during which it can be completed rather than starting earlier and then aborting the operation, and having to potentially reset equipment and restart later. In other words, some deck operations may be paused if environmental conditions deteriorate so it can no longer safely be completed, but other deck operations may be restarted from the beginning. A load being lifted cannot be left to swing unconstrained as sea-conditions deteriorate. The safest way to handle deteriorating sea-conditions is for the load to be safely lowered to the deck again, possibly secured to the deck, and the lift operation restarted later. Accordingly, it is advantageous if lifting operations are performed when they are more likely, and ideally most likely, to be completed.[000155] The disclosed deck operation management computer system, DOMCS,1000 shown in Figure 10 together with the DOM tool 400, 1010, may also increases the efficiency of performing deck operations when it uses a method 500, 700 of managing deck operationsaccording to the disclosed technology to optimize the vessel stabilisation configuration for a particular candidate deck operation.[000156] For example, if the candidate deck operation involves a load, for example if it is a candidate load lifting operation, the disclosed iterative method 700 may be used to determine one or more deck operation load dynamics metrics. An optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may be one which minimises one or more or all of the load dynamic metrics, for example, so they remain as low as possible below respective threshold value(s) during a future time-window for performing a candidate lifting operation involving the load. In some embodiments, the load dynamics may be maximised, in which case the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may be one which maximises one or more of the load dynamic metrics so these remain as high as possible above respective threshold value(s) during the future time-window. In some embodiments, the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may be one which minimises the rate of change of one or more load dynamic metrics over the future time-window so these remain as stable as possible for a candidate deck operation performed during that future time-window.[000157] By way of example, a load dynamic metric which may be minimised may comprise one based on the LoF of a load being lifted during a future time-window. In this case, the iterative method 700 may be used to minimise the maximum LoF of the load during the future time-window. The maximum LoF should be below a certain fixed distance in some embodiments which may be determined by the deck layout of objects and infrastructure the start of the time-window. In addition, in some embodiments, the location of crew members for performing the deck operation may also be taken into account.[000158] By way of another example, if the load is of a particular type, a load dynamic metric may comprise keeping the load stable so that its rate of movement in one or more degree of freedom is minimised during the lift operation.[000159] By way of another example, if the load is being lifted using lifting equipment of a particular type, the lifting operation characteristic metric may be a metric for force exerted on that lifting equipment, e.g. on a crane being used to lift a load, and an optimal vessel stabilisation may be one which seeks to minimise this metric or a parameter derived from it such as the oscillatory motion of a load, during a future time-window.[000160] By way of another example, for a lifting operation characteristic such as the amplitude of motion of a load being lifted, in other words, the LoF for that load when it is being lifted, an optimal vessel stabilization configuration is one that minimizes this amplitude, the LoF.[000161] It will be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art, that in some embodiments, the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration may involve applying different weights to different load dynamic metrics so that they are appropriately taken into account when determining thebest or optimal under the circumstances vessel stabilisation configuration.[000162] In some embodiments, the deck management tool may also provide an indication on a display of at least one wave characteristic with an indication of one or more optimized deck operation physical characteristic metrics for a future time-window. For example, at the start of a time-window, based on wave characteristics for waves measured at a distance using a suitable technique, such as radar, maximum values of one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window may be presented on a display 418.[000163] The optimum vessel stabilization system configuration for a candidate deck operation will be applied by the vessel stabilisation system at the start of a future time-window to reduce the motion of the vessel. This may require a selection, for example, one acknowledged or configured using the deck management operation tool, of which one of a plurality of candidate deck operations to proceed with during that future time-window. So, for example, a user may tap on the display 418 to select the left-hand side candidate deck operation for the future time-window. Responsive to this, the DOM tool may convey the selection to the vessel stabilization system, which then applies the predicted optimal vessel stabilisation configuration during that future time-window.[000164] Implementing an optimal vessel stabilisation for a deck operation will not incur any significant delay as prior to the deck operation starting one or more different types of vessel stabilisation systems, for example, an active anti-roll tank system, and / or a dynamic positioning, DP, system, and / or one or more thruster systems will have already been configured by the stabilisation system. This means that all that is needed at the start of the time-window to optimize the vessel stabilisation for the selected candidate deck operation are minor adjustment(s) to the actual stabilisation mechanisms. In some embodiments, instead of optimizing the vessel stabilisation, the vessel stabilization is configured to have a degree or score of confidence that the vessel will not move above a threshold in one or more or all degrees of freedom of movement in the future time-window.[000165] In some embodiments, this may mean that it may be desirable to present to a user the predicted deck operation metrics for a time-window which starts sufficiently slightly ahead of the present time to allow the vessel stabilization system to adopt the optimal configuration for a (possibly user-selected) deck operation to be performed in that time-window.[000166] In some embodiments, the computer-implemented method 500, 700 further comprises predicting a hazard occurring in a future time-window, for example, if the deck operation management tool is configured to be capable of detecting or monitoring a location for one or more persons on the deck, then it may generate, using a deck layout model, an alarm if the location of any one of the one or more persons on the deck is within a determined threshold distance of the equipment performing the deck operation (or of any objects used in the deck operation, such as a load in a lifting operation), during the future time-window. Forexample, if the deck operation involves lifting or moving a load across the deck, then an audible alert may sound over one or more or all of an earpiece or speaker attached to that crew member, a deck loudspeaker system and / or a speaker on the electronic device on which the deck tool is running.[000167] In some embodiments, as mentioned above, and as shown in Figure 4, computer- implemented method 500, 700 may be configurable to generate data which a software tool such as the DOM tool 1010 described later below may use to generate candidate deck operations for comparison on a display. For example, display 418 as shown in Figure 4 provides indications of metrics for each of two or more candidate deck operations for the future time-window. If the two or more candidate deck operations are each capable of being concurrently executed during the future time-window, then an optimal vessel stabilisation system may be configured to minimise the forecast vessel motion, FVM, for a plurality of deck operations selected to proceed during a future time-window. In this case, the display 418 may provide concurrent indications of deck operation metrics for the plurality of candidate deck operations during the future time-window. In some embodiments, the display may be updated to show indications for selected deck operation (s) being performed during the future timewindow on the display.[000168] Figure 9 schematically illustrates as a block diagram an example embodiment of an apparatus 900 which may also be referred to herein as an electronic device, server, distributed server, or device in some embodiments. Apparatus 900 is configured to provide deck operations management system functionality. In other words, apparatus 900 may act as a DOMCS 1000 in some embodiments of the disclosed technology. In some embodiments, apparatus 900 is provided in the form of a computer server or server system which is configured to work with an electronic device 416, 1100 providing a DOM tool 400, 1010 which cooperates with the apparatus 900 in order to implement a DOMCS 1000, for example, the DOMCS 1000 shown in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.[000169] In some embodiments, apparatus 900 may comprise a server in a server-client system for managing operations on a floating deck using an embodiment of a computer- implemented method 500, 700. In some embodiments, apparatus 900 may be provided onboard the floating structure or vessel in a bridge or similar location other than the deck itself with one or more client devices such as electronic devices 416, 1100 such as those shown in Figures 4 and 11 , being handled by deck crew. In some embodiments, apparatus 900 may be implemented with server functionality monolithically with client device functionality on the same device, which may be a mobile or portable device such as electronic device 416, 1100 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, however, the apparatus 900 may provide server functionality which is distributed across various platforms and / or devices, in other words, apparatus 900 may be provided in the form of a distributed or cloud-based computersystem. Unless implemented monolithically with client device functionality, apparatus 900 comprises suitable means configured to receive data from and / or to transmit data to remote devices / servers which may include devices / servers not on board the structure comprising the floating deck. For example, a weather forecast feed may be used by the apparatus which is provided from a satellite weather forecast service.[000170] The apparatus 900 comprises memory 904 and one or more processor(s) and / or processing circuitry 902. The apparatus also comprises computer code 906 which, when loaded from memory 904 and executed by the one or more processor(s) and / or processing circuitry 902 of the apparatus 900, cause the apparatus to provide a computer system for managing deck operations which implements an embodiment of one or both of computer- implemented methods 500, 700 described herein above. In some embodiments, the computer code 906 is software and runs on conventional computer processing units such as CPUs and the like. In some embodiments, instead or in addition, the computer code 906 may include code configured in circuitry.[000171] In some embodiments, the computer code 906 is provided as a computer-program product for managing deck operations on a floating deck, which may be attached to a fixed or floating structure, such as but not limited to a marine vessel.[000172] As shown in Figure 9, the computer code 906 may include a code module 912 for a vessel model such as vessel model 1018 show in Figure 10, one or more code modules 914 for model(s) of one or more vessel stabilisation systems , such as the vessel stabilisation system model(s) 1022 shown in Figure 10 as Vessel Stab Sys Model(s) 1022, and one or more code modules 916 for the physics model(s) of each candidate deck operation, such as those shown as physics model 1028 in Figure 10.[000173] In some embodiments, the computer code 906 comprises machine-readable computer instructions which, when loaded from memory 904 and executed by the one or more processor(s) or processing circuitry 902 on a computer, cause the computer to perform an embodiment of computer-implemented method 500, 700.[000174] In some embodiments, in order to perform an embodiment of computer-implemented method 500, 700 the apparatus 900 comprises computer subsystems and / or equipment (for example, sensors) configured to contribute information and data required by the apparatus to perform computer-implemented method 500, 700. One or more (or all) of the computer subsystems or equipment may be provide remotely from the apparatus 900, in which case the apparatus 900 may be configured to communicate with the remote subsystems / equipment via one or more data communication networks, which may use standard or proprietary wired and / or wireless communications protocols. The apparatus 900 includes suitable data interface(s), shown as I / O 908 in Figure 9, in order to be capable of communicating over wired and / or wireless communications links with remote subsystems / vessel equipment and alsocomprises a suitable transmitter / receiver module RX / TX 910 and antenna arrangement 918 if wireless communications are used.[000175] Additional components may also be required in some embodiments, for example, a user interface may be provided for user input in some embodiments on apparatus 900 or in a subsystem, such as the administration system shown in the example embodiment of the apparatus shown in Figure 10 described in more detail below. Examples of user input which may be used to implement computer-implemented method 500, 700 include selection of a candidate deck operation and / or to acknowledge tasks have been performed for a candidate deck operation and / or other information to indicate a candidate deck operation has actually started. Deck operation configuration information, such as, for example, the weight of a load and other configuration information will normally have been in the vessel model such as the type of vessel, its tonnage, dimensions, number of crew etc. It is anticipated however, that the majority if not all configuration information will have been captured / imported already and so may not require direct user input via a deck operation management tool.[000176] In some embodiments of the apparatus 900, the computer code 1106 comprises computer-readable instructions which may be stored on any suitable computer-readable medium.[000177] Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates an example embodiment a deck operations management computer system, DOMCS, 1000, according to the disclosed technology. The illustrated DOMCS embodiment may be used to implement embodiments of one or more of computer-implemented methods 500, 700 for managing floating deck operations performed on a floating deck of a structure, for example, on the deck of a vessel.[000178] The embodiment of the DOMCS 1000 shown in Figure 10 comprises a real-time systems analysis model, RTSAM, 1002, a personnel monitoring system, PMS, model for monitoring personnel located on a deck of the floating structure / vessel, also referred to herein as deck crew, PMSM 1004, a deck system(s) and equipment management model, DSEMM, 1006, an administration tool for deck operations, a deck administration system modeshown as admin system model 1008, a deck operations management, DOM, tool 1010, and a data log store / system 1012. The DOM tool 1010 may comprise in some embodiments a software tool such as DOM tool 400 which may present information such as a deck layout and one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics, for example in some embodiments it may comprise a software tool which runs on an electronic device such as the electronic device 416, 1100 shown in Figures 4 and 11 and / or as the apparatus 900.[000179] DOM tool 400, 1010 uses information provided to it by the admin system model 1008, DSEMM 1006, a personnel monitoring system, PMSM, 1004 and the RTSAM 1002 to present information on a display. The display may be, for example, the display 418 in Figure4 which shows the deck layout, where objects are located on the deck, where personnel including deck crew are located on the deck in real time. On the display indications are provided of where candidate and / or live deck operations are being performed and / or one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics for a candidate or live deck operation being performed on the deck layout in real time. The DOM tool 400, 1010 may also be configured to store data relating to candidate, ongoing and completed deck operations amongst other data in data log store / system 1012 in some embodiments. This stored information may be made available to other system elements of the DOMCS 1000.[000180] In some embodiments, DOM tool 400, 1010 comprises a software tool 400 which is configured to execute at least on part on electronic device 416 so as to provide technical information via the DOM tool 400, 1010. In some embodiments, the technical information may be provided in the form a presentation of a deck layout with one or more candidate and live deck operations metrics on a display 418 of the electronic device 416.[000181] In some embodiments, the admin system model 1008 comprises a module which aggregates some or all procedures, specifications and scheduling information for a deck operation to be performed. This information may be sent to a digital device carried by a crew member so that at a pertinent time that crew member has the information they may require to perform a deck operation. By way of example, when attaching a load to lifting equipment, such as a winch or crane, a crew member may be provided with details of the tool they should use and a torque required for a bolt of a clamp to ensure a load is safely attached to the winch or crane. In some embodiments, the admin system model 1008 may be provided as a code module which includes or comprises documentation which is passed on demand or as necessary for the DOM tool 400, 1010 to provide deck layout and deck operations information. For example, an initial deck layout may include barriers which are objects placed on the deck to, for example, permanently or temporarily create areas where crew are restricted. It is possible in some embodiments for the admin tool to also include things like task plans, associated specifications, task per crew member information and to also keep track of project execution. In addition, the admin system model 1008 may be configured in some embodiments to provide information in relation to the above to offshore management and / or deck crew or the deck foreperson(s) via DOM tool 400,1010 to provide more visibility of completed tasks, operations, projects etc. In this way, it is possible for a deck operations crew member, such as a deck operations foreman, to make sure all necessary tasks have been completed before a lift operation is started for instance. The ADMIN model may be populated with data before any offshore phase commences, for example, a deck layout plan will be provided usually by onshore project engineers.[000182] In some embodiments, the DSEMM 1006 tracks the state of one or more or each item of deck equipment, e.g., winches, pressure accumulators, which may be used in a deckoperation. The DSEMM 1006 may also be configured to check if all required equipment is available for a given candidate deck operation or task forming part of a candidate deck operation. In addition, in some embodiments, the DSEMM 1006 may manage maintenance requirements, for example, by keeping a log of the standards to which equipment should ideally be maintained. In some embodiments, the DSEMM 1006 may also track stand-by states, maintenance information, and the availability of any equipment required to perform a deck operation.[000183] Some embodiments of the PMSM 1004 may form part of or comprise a model for a more general health and safety in the environment management system. PMSM 1004 is configured to track the position of at least crew members who perform deck operations. It may, in some embodiments, also track other personnel when they are on the deck. The PMSM 1004 is configured to receive output from the RTSAM 1002 which allows it to cross references personnel positions on the deck and the on the deck layout of deck operations. For example, it may cross reference between personnel positions and potential line-of-fire when loads are being lifted in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the PMSM 1004 may also tracking and / or manage work permits using information provided by the admin system model 1008 and when tasks are completed using information from the RTSAM 1002.[000184] RTSAM 1002 may be used to generate real-time information which is provided to the DOM tool 400, 1010, also referred to herein from time to time as the digital deck tool. RTSAM 1002 contributes live information to DOM tool 400, 1010 about candidate deck operations and comprises a vessel model 1018 which provides predictions of vessel motion, including vessel location and attitude, vessel stabilization system model(s) 1022 and one or more physics model(s) 1028 of one or more candidate deck operation(s).[000185] In some embodiments, RTSAM 1002 comprises a computer implemented subsystem of a computer system, such as that disclosed above as forming part of apparatus 900 in some embodiments, which is configured or configurable to implement an embodiment of a method of managing deck operations such as an embodiment of computer-implemented method 500, 700 described herein above.[000186] As illustrated in Figure 10, RTSAM 1002 is configured to receive environmental and other sensor data from various sources shown in Figure 10 as environmental data 1014 and motion sensor data 1016. Examples of environmental data 1014 include weather data, which may come from a remote source or from wind speed and direction sensors, current characteristics, and wave characteristics.[000187] Sensor systems for obtaining such environmental characteristics may include, for example, radar systems for wave characteristics such as wave height, wave length, and / or wave frequency, anemometers for example for sensing wind speed and direction. There are various ways to sense current speed and direction which are well known in the art. Theseinclude, for example, electro-mechanical current meters, acoustic doppler current profile systems, and high frequency radar systems. For example, in some embodiments, wind and current measurements may be shared by the vessel’s dynamic positioning (DP) system.[000188] A DP system is a computer-controlled system configured to automatically maintain a vessel’s (or other floating structure’s) position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters. Information may be gathered using vessel (or floating structure) position reference sensors, which is combined with environmental sensor information, for example, wind sensor information, wave characteristics determined from radar-sensed information, vessel / floating structure motion sensors and / or gyrocompasses, to provide information to the DP system running on a computer so that the a vessel’s position and attitude as well the magnitude and direction of environmental forces affecting the vessel’s position and attitude / orientation can be determined.[000189] Examples of floating structures and vessel types that employ DP in some embodiments of the disclosed technology include by are not limited to ships and semisubmersible mobile offshore drilling units (MODll), oceanographic research vessels, cable layer ships and cruise ships.[000190] The DP computer program may be implemented using one or more processor(s) or processing circuitry (e.g. in hardware) and / or software and comprises a mathematical model of the vessel. Such mathematical models may include environmental information such as the current speed and direct, wind speed and direction, as well as wave characteristics, along with the wind and current drag of a vessel / floating structure. The model also includes a physics model of the vessel / floating structure which includes location information for one or more vessel / floating structure thrusters. This information may be used by the model along with the environmental information and sensor information on the position and attitude / orientation of the vessel / floating structure is used to calculate a required steering angle and thruster output for each thruster. In this way, a vessel which is at sea or in deep water, or facing any other issues which may affect its ability to be anchored to the sea floor can be stabilised for deck operations.[000191] The DP systems used by some embodiments of the disclosed technology are not relative but are absolute in that the position is locked to a fixed point over the ocean bottom or sea floor. It is also, however, possible to use positions which are determined relative to another vessel or moving object like an underwater vehicle.[000192] The motion sensor data provided by MRU 1016 may comprise a feed from one or more different types of sensors, for example, gyroscopes, satellite positioning devices. The sensor data may be provided as separate data feeds or streams, and is provided in real-time. In some embodiments, fused data may be provided from different devices such as GPS units for the vessel’s current position and, using a plurality of motion response units, MRU, thevessel’s current attitude or orientation at its current position. An MRU is a type of device which can provide extremely accurate information on a vessel’s orientation in one or more or each of the six degrees of freedom shown in Figure 2. For example, Kongsberg™ manufacture MRUs which comprise Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS)-based gyroscopes. These act as sensors for attitude determination and are capable of providing roll and pitch accuracy of less than 0.3°, and may provide attitude information which is accurate to 0.01°.[000193] By inputting motion sensor data 1016 providing a location of the vessel at a present time, a vessel orientation at a present time, and a vessel attitude at its present location and time, and environmental data 1014 providing information on current and predicted environmental conditions for the weather, waves, and water currents, to a vessel model 1018, the vessel model 1018 can generate a forecast for future vessel motion. The vessel model may use other suitable time-series data which may be derived from sensed time-series data, for example, data such as wave periods as well as wave heights (also referred to herein as wave elevations) to generate the FVM which may also be provided by sensors. This forecast vessel motion (shown as FVM 1020 in Figure 10) comprises predictions for changes in the vessel’s location and its attitude at its location for a future time-window, which will normally be limited to a short-range time forecast. The time-window for the forecast is preferable one for which reliable forecast information can be given, but which is sufficiently long to be useful in determining whether a deck operation could or should be started and if started if it could be completed or paused at an appropriate point.[000194] For example, a typical time interval may be two or three minutes, as this is typically the time it may take for a lifting operation to be started and finished on a deck. For a deck operation of longer duration, such as, for example, a cable laying operation, the time interval is preferably sufficiently long to allow the operation to be safely paused or aborted within the time interval if it is already underway or starts at the beginning of that time-window. Such a time-window may be longer than say three minutes, but for the sake of the predicted deck operation metrics during the time-window remaining sufficiently accurate, ideally is not much longer than this, so perhaps 10 minutes or 20 minutes at most. The time-window duration may also be adapted depending on the variability of the surrounding environmental conditions, for example if there is no wind, and the water is flat and there are no strong currents, it may be much longer than if there is a storm approaching. In some embodiments, the time-window is the same for all types of candidate operations on a vessel / floating structure.[000195] The MRU data, as well as environmental data for any sensed environmental conditions such as wind speed and direction, current speed and direction, and one or more wave characteristics, such as wave speed and direction and wave frequency, may also be combined with remote sensed data such as longer-range weather forecasts by the vessel model to provide a FVM over the duration of a future time-window AT.[000196] Typical durations of future time-window AT depend on the nature of the deck operation to be performed, but for lifting operations are typically of the order of a few minutes, for example, two or three minutes. A future time-window AT may start from a current time, or from near to the current time, for example, start five, ten or fifteen seconds ahead of the current time.[000197] Many suitable examples of a vessel model which can be used as vessel model 1018 are known in the art. For example, an industry standard vessel model is a Response Amplitude Operator, RAO, vessel model. In the field of ship design, and the design of other floating structures, a response amplitude operator, RAO, is a statistic (or a set of engineering statistics) that are used to determine the likely behaviour of a ship when operating at sea. The RAO may be obtained from a model of a proposed ship design tested in a model basin and / or from running specialised computer programs. RAOs are calculated for all ship motions and for all wave headings. RAOs may be considered as transfer functions which can be used to determine the effect that a sea state will have upon the motion of a ship through the water. The disclosed technology uses RAOs and / or any other suitable type of vessel models, for example, a machine learning based vessel model, to predict how performing a candidate deck operation may require actions to be taken to improve stability of the vessel whilst the deck operation is being performed. A vessel provides as complete as possible a description of the hydrodynamic properties of the vessel. Using the vessel model allows a predicted vessel movement in terms of the vessel position and attitude to be provided as waves arrive at the vessel.[000198] Various forces are known in the art to on a vessel (or any other type of floating structure on which a deck operation may be performed) both when subjected to regular waves and not moving and when the vessel oscillates in still water conditions. For example, the Froude-Krylov force is the pressure from undisturbed waves integrated over the wetted surface of a vessel or floating structure which is restrained from motion and subjected to regular waves. Diffraction forces also affect vessels restrained from motion yet subjected to regular waves. A vessel model may also take into account forces on a ship when it is forced to oscillate in still water conditions, for example: added mass forces which arise as the water is accelerated along with the vessel / floating structure, damping (hydrodynamic) forces arising from oscillations creating outgoing waves carrying energy away from the vessel / floating structure, and restoring forces arise from bringing the buoyancy / weight and moment equilibrium of the vessel / floating structure out of balance. In addition, viscous forces contribute heavily in modes of vessel motion like surge and roll (see Figure 2). The RAO function provides an equation which allows these forces to be taken into account for various wave characteristics so that a forecast of the vessel / floating structure motion can be provided.[000199] Wave characteristics data may include wave elevation data (wave height) as well aswave periods, or wavelengths and frequency data, examples of which are shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The wave elevation and other wave characteristics can be derived from radar scans of the environment surrounding the vessel using known techniques, for example, techniques are known in the art which use X-band marine radar images with machine learning techniques, where the models are trained using various public data sets using buoy wave heights and radar images. The range of waves from the vessel / floating structure, depends at least in part on the height of the radar scanner located on the vessel / floating structure above sea level. However, it is possible in some embodiments for distances up to around 3 km distance to be scanned using radar and for reliable wave elevation data to be provided.[000200] In this way, using a vessel model comprising a RAO or similar transfer function, and wave characteristics measured using a technique such as radar of the surrounding area, a vessel, or other floating structure, can generate a forecast vessel movement, FVM, 1020. Various forms of ROA algorithms are known in the art, some being basic and based on strip theory and boundary element methods where fast calculations are required without much accuracy, however, for improved accuracy it is better to use boundary element methods which include the effects of viscosity. See also, for example, Faltinsen, O. M. (1990). Sea Loads on Ships and Offshore Structures. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-45870-6 For some more information on suitable techniques which would be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art to use in the context of the disclosed technology.[000201] The forecast vessel motion, FVM, 1020 which is obtained in real-time or near realtime and may be based on real-time GPS and / or inertial measurement sensor readings is provided to one or more vessel stabilisation systems model(s) 1022 in Figure 10. The vessel stabilisation system models may be configured with the vessel weight and dimensions, the dimensions and locations of cargo holds in the vessel, the weight distribution of any cargo in the vessel and the like.[000202] Examples of a vessel system stabilisation model 1022 suitable for use by the disclosed technology include, in some embodiments, a dynamic position, DP, system (e.g. a thruster-based stabilisation system) and / or safety systems such as, active anti-roll, AAR systems. An example of a suitable vessel stabilisation model which may be used by the disclosed technology. These examples of suitable stabilisation system models such as dynamic positioning models and AAR models take the FVM data as input and use this information to generate a prediction of a suitable stabilisation configuration for the FVM of the vessel provided as input to try to stabilize the vessel for the future time-window. FVM, comprises a time-series of vessel location, orientation data, for example, a six-degrees of freedom series.[000203] The vessel system stabilisation model(s) 1022 are configured to also receive measurements from one or more sensors, e.g. MRUs, 1016 and also receives as input dataactual readings of the measured deck response, MDR, 1024. This received information is processed in real-time by the vessel stabilisation system model(s) 1022 to generate a refined forecast of vessel motion, in other words, a refined FVM, shown in Figure 10 as RVM 1026, for a future time-window AT. This RVM 1026 is then input to one or more candidate deck operations physics models, shown as physics model 1028, in Figure 10.[000204] Each candidate deck operations physics model 1028 is configured to generate a forecast deck response, FDR, 1030 to the candidate deck operation if it were to be performed within time-window AT. In some embodiments, the FDR 1030 comprises a forecast of the physical measurements or metrics associated with performing a plurality of candidate deck operations in the same time-window AT.[000205] As illustrated in the example embodiment of the DOMCS 1000 shown in Figure 10, FDR 1030 is provided to the deck operation management, DOM, tool, 400, 1010 (which may also be referred to herein as a digital deck tool). The DOM tool 400, 1010 may comprise software running on the same apparatus as the RTSAM 1002 or on remote apparatus. In some embodiments, DOM tool 1010 is configured to log FDR data and / or optionally other real-time deck data such as personnel locations when these are logged in a suitable data format in a data log store / system 1012.[000206] DOM tool 1010 may comprise an apparatus such as that shown in Figure 11 described later below and / or comprise DOM software 400 which is executing on an electronic device such as electronic device 416 described hereinabove in some embodiments.[000207] In addition to providing the FDR 1030 information to the DOM tool 1010, the physics model 1028 is also configured to generate information to provide to the vessel stabilisation model(2) 1022 to update the stabilisation configuration model based on the intended deck operation in the future time-window. This vessel stabilisation system update information is shown in Figure 10 as U S 1032. By way of example, the vessel stabilisation system model(s) 1022 may be provided with UVS information comprising things like one or more of the maximum line of fire of a load during a candidate lifting operation, the weight of the load and / or forces on the deck equipment infrastructure, and a predicted frequency or period of oscillation of the load whilst it is being lifted.[000208] Examples of deck operations characteristics for which metrics may be obtained and visualized on display 418 using a DOMCS 1000 such as that shown in Figure 10 include metrics for deck operation physical characteristics. Examples of deck operation physical characteristics include: a speed at which an operation is being performed, a distance or area over which the operation is performed, and an area or distance which should be cleared for the operation to be safely performed.[000209] For example, for a deck operation on a floating structure such as cable laying, the maximum payout rate of cable may be determined by the seabed conditions and / or whatancillary equipment, for example, such as buoyancy modules, should be installed onto the cable as it is paid out. A useful deck operation physical characteristic for a cable laying operation however which may be provided by the DOM tool comprises information about how such ancillaries are handled during the cable laying operation, which may comprise a series of load lifting operations.[000210] Another useful deck operation physical characteristic for a cable laying operation comprises an estimation of the range of motion of any suspended cable section across the deck. For example, for a lifting deck operation where a load is lifted over part of a floating deck, either from one location on the deck to another or from a location off the deck to a location on the deck, a deck operation physical characteristic may comprise an indication of the line of fire of the load as it is being lifted. This may be provided in the form of a maximum forecast LoF or forecast area within which the maximum LoF resides.[000211] The forecast indication of the LoF may be provided to scale on a display, for example, a display 418 similar to that shown in Figure 4, of the floating structure’s deck during the lifting operation. This indication of the LoF may be generated for display by a visualisation tool, for example, the DOM tool 400 (and / or for example, a DOM tool 1010 - see Figure 10 described later below), or a visualization component of the DOM tool 400 using software executing on an electronic device 416, 1100 using information provided by DOM tool 400, for example, information received via RX / TX 910 in Figure 9. If wireless communications are used by the DOM tool 400, it will be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art that other components may be required by an electronic device 416, 1100 to receive and send wireless communications, for example, antenna 918.[000212] In some embodiments, admin system model 1008 may provide deck configuration and operations specification information, for example, information on the deck layout and the type of operations to be performed to the DSEMM 1006. Examples of deck operations specification information may include for cable laying operations the amount of cable to be laid and its orientation on the sea floor, and for lifting operations, the weight and dimensions of each load to be lifted, where it is to be lifted from and where it is to be placed. The DSEMM 1006 may use this information to provide input to the RTSAM 1002, for example, to a candidate deck operation physics model 1028. Figure 12 shows schematically an example of an electronic device on which a display may be provided of a deck layout together with indications of one or more candidate deck operations. An example of such an electronic device is the electronic device 416 shown in Figure 4 one which a deck layout is provide together with one or more indications of maximum lines of fire for two candidate lifting operations. The one or more indications of the maximum lines of fire for the two candidate lifting operations are generated based on the load dynamics for lifting a load during a future time-window using an embodiment of a computer-implemented method 500, 700 disclosed herein.[000213] Some embodiments of the DOMCS 1000 implement a method computer- implemented method for managing deck operations on a floating deck, such as the computer- implemented methods 500, 700 disclosed herein. In some embodiments of the DOMCS 1000, the DOMCS comprises an environmental data 1014 system configured to obtain a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window, a vessel model 1018 configured to generate using the predicted environmental conditions, a forecast vessel motion during the future time-window and to provide the predicted vessel motion to a vessel stabilisation system model 1022 which uses the predicted vessel motion to determine a predicted vessel stabilization configuration and which generates, using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, FVM, covering the duration of future time-window and provides the FVM to a physics model 1028 of a candidate deck operation for execution on the floating deck during the future time-window. The FVM is used by the physics model 1028 for a particular candidate deck operation to generate one or more predictions for one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics, for example, the maximum LoF of a particular deck operation which might occur within the future time-window. This future deck response information can then be shared with the DOM tool 400,1010 and presented on a suitable display 418 of an electronic device. In this manner, a deck crew member can use the electronic device to access FDR and FVM information as well as visuals the LoF of a candidate deck operation within a future or present time-window.[000214] Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings shows schematically an embodiment of an electronic device 1100, which may comprise the electronic device 416 as shown in Figure 4 and described hereinabove in some embodiments. A DOM tool such as the DOM tool 1010 in Figure 10 may run on an electronic device 416, 1100 either as a dedicated DOM application 400 configured for that electronic device 416,110 or as an installable DOM application 400 (e.g. a downloadable ‘app’) that may be downloaded and configured on the electronic device 416, 1100.[000215] In Figure 11 , the electronic device 1100 comprises one or more processors or processing circuitry 1102 and memory 1104 which comprise computer code 1106, for example, computer code which may enable the electronic device 1100 to provide a display 1114 which may comprise a touch screen or similar user interface, UK, for example, the display 11114 shown as display & Ul 1114 in Figure 11 . In some embodiments, a separate keyboard or other type of Ul may be provided from that of display 418. The display 1114 is configurable using the DOM tool 1010 to provide a display such as display 418 shown in Figure 4 of deck operation related information, and may also be configured or configurable to provide one or more other displays of deck operation related information. The electronic device 1100 is configured to receive information from a remote system such as apparatus 900 in someembodiments which is then rendered on its display 1114. This information may be provided in any suitable format via one or more data interfaces shown as I / O 1110 in Figure 11 and may be communicated wirelessly to the device using any suitable wireless communications protocol or protocols in some embodiments where electronic device 1100 comprises suitable receiver(s) / transmitter(s) 1108 and antenna(s) 1112.[000216] In some embodiments of the electronic device 1110, the computer code 1106 comprises computer-readable instructions which may be stored on any suitable computer- readable medium. In some embodiments, computer code 1106 configures the electronic device 1100 with means for obtaining a real-time prediction of deck operation metrics over a future time-window from a real-time vessel motion prediction system which comprises a vessel model, a vessel stabilisations systems model, and a physics model for one or more candidate deck operations. The real-time prediction of the deck operation metrics is generated using an embodiment of computer-implemented method 500, 700 and is processed by the electronic device 1100 for rendering on display 1114.[000217] Another aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer-program product for managing deck operations on a floating structure, the computer-program product comprising machine-readable instructions which, if loaded from memory and executed by one or more processor(s) or processing circuitry on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.[000218] Another aspect comprises a communications device configured to cause presentation an indication of a predicted at least one physical characteristic of a deck operation during a time-window on a display, wherein the predicted at least on physical characteristic is predicted using a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.[000219] Another aspect comprises a computer-implemented deck operation management tool comprising computer code which, when loaded from memory and executed on a computer system using one or more processor(s) and / or processing circuitry configures the computer system to: cause presentation on a display of a spatial area of a deck based on a deck model; and cause a real-time presentation on the display of data comprising at least one indication of a predicted physical characteristic of a deck operation for a future time-interval determined using a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein, and wherein the real-time presentation indicating the deck operation is rendered on the display at the same scale and resolution as the spatial area of the deck and located at the location of the deck operation in the spatial area of the deck.[000220] In some embodiments of the deck operation management tool, two or more deck operations are concurrently displayed to scale at their respective locations on the deck, and wherein responsive to a user selecting one deck operation, and a method according to thefirst aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein is performed for that respective selected deck operation.[000221] Some embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to an apparatus comprising a memory, one or more processors, and computer program code stored in the memory, wherein the computer program code, when loaded from memory and executed by the one or more processors causes the apparatus to perform a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.[000222] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means or one or more modules of computer code to perform a method according to the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.[000223] Another aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a computer program product comprising a set of machine executable instructions, which, when loaded and executed on any of the disclosed embodiments of the apparatus aspect causes the apparatus to perform a method according to an embodiment of the first aspect or any of its embodiments disclosed herein.[000224] The machine executable instructions may comprise computer code executed in hardware and / or software.[000225] The computer program may be stored in non-transitory memory.[000226] When updating the stabilisation model in 720 of the iterative method 700, in some embodiments, the physics parameters which are fed back to the vessel stabilisation model may be derived from or different from the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics. For example, for a deck operation comprising lifting a load, the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics, which may also be referred to herein as predicted physic metrics, comprise a time-series of physic metrics over the future time-window for executing the candidate deck operation. Examples, as mentioned above, may include physics metrics for load behaviour, for example, its movement in each of the six possible degrees of freedom as its lifted and / or physics metrics for the forces exerted on the lifting equipment as the load is lifted. The input to update the stabilisation model however will potentially include other physical characteristics such as, for example, for the load being lifted its predicted maximum period of oscillation in the time-window, its predicted maximum amplitude of oscillation in the time-window which is the same as the maximum line of fire of the load as it is being lifted, the weight of the load etc.[000227] Whilst the goal is to update the vessel stabilisation model to find an improved vessel stabilisation system configuration from that previously determined, there is no guarantee of this, however, generally it should be possible to further reduce the forecast vessel motion in the same future time-window by performing at least a couple of iterations of the model. In other words, by iteratively optimizing the load motion resulting from updating the vessel stabilizationconfiguration, it is possible to optimize the vessel stabilization configuration so that the vessel motion is optimally reduced to minimise adverse physics metrics and maximise positive physics metrics of the candidate deck operation if it is performed during the future timewindow.[000228] In some embodiments, the method further comprises generating updated physics metrics derived by passing the predicted optimally stabilized vessel motion during the future time-window to a physics model of the deck operation.[000229] In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing to an electronic device the updated predicted physics metrics, wherein the device is configured cause a display of an indication of one or more physics metrics, in other words, one or more indications of physical characteristics of the deck operation during the future time-window on a display.[000230] In some embodiments of the electronic device 416, 1100, for example, that shown by way of example in Figure 4 or in Figure 11 , the device is configured, for example, responsive to information provided by the PMSM 1004 of Figure 10 to the DOM tool 400, 1010, to provide an audio or visual indication of the duration of the future time-window. By way of example, a timer or a clock or a countdown or sequence of colour changes associated with a timer or a clock or a countdown may be provided or an audible announcement of current or remaining time or a countdown may be provided.[000231] In some embodiments, a display 418 of a future time-window starts at a current time. The display of the future time-window may update on a rolling basis based on a static or dynamic duration of time interval as mentioned above. In this way, a user of electronic device 416, 1100 is provided with a rolling display of future time-window which shows maximum physics metrics for the duration of the time-window which an e useful for determining if a deck operation can be completed safely in the future time-window. The display 418 updates in some embodiments on a rolling basis to indicate whether, based on predicted environmental conditions during the time-window these will affect the vessel motion and attitude, in other words, at least the tilt movement etc of the deck to prevent a deck operation from being safely completed or not. For example, if the predicted physics metrics comprise predicted movements of a load being lifted, the display 418 can show to scale whether the predicted movement will, for the duration of the future time-window, remain within predetermined safety limits and / or otherwise comply with safety or hazard avoidance conditions or not and they can make decisions accordingly. For autonomous deck operation systems, the decision to perform the deck operation or not may be determined computationally based on the predicted maximum or minimum physics metrics during each rolling time-window or snapshot and a display may not be needed for such embodiments.[000232] In some embodiments, the future time-window starts at a time later than a current time, and the electronic device provides a visual or audio indication of when the future time-window will start and its duration. By way of example, a timer or a clock or a countdown or sequence of colour changes associated with a timer or a clock or a countdown may be provided or an audible announcement of current or remaining time or a countdown may be provided.[000233] In some embodiments, the floating structure for which DOM tool 400,1010 provides technical information for deck operations on may comprise a vessel, for example, a water craft including non-displacement water craft and sea-planes, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. For example, a marine vessel, or any other type of a seagoing vessel or vessel travelling on or located on in-land body of water or in-land sea. Examples of a vessel include but are not limited to, a ship, a tanker, a container carrier, including a military vessel, such as an aircraft carrier, and a merchant vessel, for example, a passenger vessel, a ferry, a cargo ship, a fishing trawler, a cable laying vessel, a vessel configured to deploy remote operated vessels, surface or under water ROVs, or autonomous or semi-autonomous surface or underwater craft.[000234] In some embodiments, the floating structure may comprise an oil-rig or gas-rig or similar structure which floats to some extent on the sea -surface, or a floating pontoon or any other floating structure having a deck which is affected by waves. The floating structure may not may not be anchored to the sea floor, and if anchored the anchorage may be temporary or of longer or permanent duration.[000235] In some embodiments, the electronic device 416 is a portable wireless communication device suitable for using on the deck of the floating structure and the display is provided on the portable wireless communications device. For example, it may be a neareye display with AR or VR display functionality to impose LoF information on a field-of-view, FoV, which includes deck operation equipment and / or any objects involved in a deck operation. Any suitable wireless communications protocol may be used, for example, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth™. In some embodiments the portable wireless communications device may comprise a mobile communications device capable of using cellular communications technology.[000236] In some embodiments, the method 500, 700 is performed remotely from the electronic device 416 alternatively, the method may be performed by using a computational model which is executed on the electronic devices which receives data feeds of environmental conditions, and uses this with store vessel model data and / or load characteristics. Data used by the method which is not changed may be entered manually or transmitted electronically to the electronic device.[000237] In some embodiments where the method is performed remotely from the electronic device, the method further comprises communicating with the device sufficient information to allow a presentation on the display of the device of the indication of the predicted metrics inadvance of the start of the future time-window, indicating the predicted metrics of the at least one physical behaviour characteristics of the deck operation being executed on the deck over the duration the future time-window together with an indication of when the future time-window will start.[000238] In some embodiments, the method generates for comparison on the display indications of two or more deck operations by, for each of the two or more deck operations.[000239] In some embodiments, the two or more deck operations are capable of being concurrently executed during the future time-window and the indications of the two or more deck operations are both shown concurrently on the display.[000240] In some embodiments, iteratively optimizing the physics metrics for the deck operation by iteratively refining the vessel stabilization configuration based on a previous iteration of predicted physics metrics comprises iteratively: processing information derived from the predicted physics metrics of at least one deck operation to determine an updated vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window; determining, using the updated vessel stabilization configuration, an updated prediction of the stabilized vessel motion during the future time-window; providing the updated predicted stabilized vessel motion to a physics model of the deck operation being executed on the deck during the future time-window; generating, using the physics model, an updated deck operation physical characteristic prediction comprising updated metrics of the one or more physical behavioural characteristics of the deck operation for over the duration of the future time-window.[000241] In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing the updated physics metric prediction to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to cause an updated display of an updated indication of the updated predicted metrics of the one or more physical behavioural characteristic metric of the deck operation during the future timewindow. In some embodiments, the iterations cease when an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration is determined which optimizes the metrics of the one or more physical behavioural characteristics of the deck operation over the future time-window. In some embodiments, the iterations cease when a future time-window for performing the deck operation and complying with one or more safety or hazard management conditions during the future time-window meets an operation execution time interval for a deck operation selected using the electronic device.[000242] In some embodiments, the iterations cease when a future time-window for performing the deck operation and complying with one or more safety or hazard management conditions during the future time-window meets an operation execution time interval for a deck operation which is predetermined.[000243] In some embodiments, the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration is determined to be the optimal vessel stabilization configuration for optimizing at least one or more or all ofthe metrics of the one or more physical behavioural characteristics of the deck operation over the future time-window.[000244] In some embodiments, the deck operation comprises lifting a load from and / or to the deck, wherein the physical behavioural characteristics of the deck operation characterise movement of the load and the display of the indication of the predicted metrics comprises a display of an indication of a line of fire, LoF, for the load. Examples of such physical behavioural characteristics include metrics for the movement in one or more or all of the six degrees of freedom dependent on the movement of the load, which may be provided in the form of a timeseries over the future time-window and / or physical behavioural characteristic metrics which are derived or derivable from such time-series, for example, maximum / minimum values in each direction of the load in the future time-window and / or oscillation periods in the future time-window of the load.[000245] In some embodiments, one or more physics metrics are predicted which represent one or more load dynamics during a lifting operation are displayed on the electronic device, in this way a display of technical information which might not otherwise be available can be provided. Examples of such technical information include, for example, the force on the crane, the speed and direction of the load motion during the lift.[000246] In some embodiments, where the deck operation comprises lifting a load, the predicted physics metrics comprise load dynamics and the optimal stabilisation configuration for the vessel is configured to minimize the load dynamics, which in turn will minimize force on the lifting equipment. In some embodiments, the optimal vessel stabilisation configuration comprises a vessel stabilisation configuration which minimises the distance of a maximum LoF of the load being lifted in the future time-window.[000247] In some embodiments of the method, at least one wave characteristic is displayed with the display of the optimized metrics of the one or more physical behavioural characteristics of the deck operation over the future time-window.[000248] In some embodiments of the method, the predicted environmental conditions during the future time-window comprise measured wave characteristics using radar.[000249] In some embodiments of the method, the vessel stabilization system is activated at the start of the future time-window to reduce the motion of the vessel, and the stabilization system comprises one or more or all of: an active anti-roll tank system; a dynamic positioning, DP, system; and one or more thruster systems.[000250] In some embodiments, the method further comprises; detecting or monitoring a location for each of one or more persons on the deck; and, if the current time is within a predetermined time-interval before the future time-window starts or is during that time-window, generating, using a deck layout model, an alarm if the location of any one of the one or more persons on the deck is within a determined proximity threshold distance associated with thedeck operation during the future time-window.[000251] In some embodiments, the deck operation comprises lifting a load, and the determined proximity threshold distance is a dynamically determined line of fire of the load when it is being lifted during the time-window, and the method comprises generating an audible alert sound or alarm message if a person is located within the line of fire of the load. [000252] Figure 12 shows apparatus located on a bridge 1200 comprising a display system which includes a number of electronic devices 416 such as computers or monitors which provide displays 418 showing various screens of information, including at least one display presenting a screen of deck operations. In addition or instead, in some embodiments, an augmented reality display is 418 used to provide a screen which provides deck operations information according to the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, as shown in Figure 12, four windows w1 ,w2, w3, w4 provide a view of the operations deck and on one or more of the windows, as shown windows w2,w3,w4, a deck operation is illustrated such that the deck operation is overlayed to the same scale as the deck below. In this way, for example the ship's captain and / or one or more deck crew located on the bridge can see instead or at the same time as the crew located on the operations deck, the line of fire for moving a load or other hazard information. For example, as shown in Figure 12, an object forms a load 104 which is being moved using deck equipment 102, for example a crane. In some embodiments, an operations area 404a is also shown on the AR display screen 418A on windows w2-w4 within which, for example, movement of deck crew may be restricted. Also shown in Figure 12 is the LoF area encompassed by the LoF perimeter 602, and a hazard 606, for example, if a member of the deck crew could be impacted by the load 104 being lifted in the near future.[000253] By providing a bridge display management apparatus 900 includes one or more electronic devices 416, which may be mobile or fixed a console, comprising one or more display 418 either as an AR display on one or more windows w1 ...w4 located on the deck or on any other type of suitable display 418, the captain and bridge crew can second eyes or oversee the deck operations remotely. This may help with improving the safe performance of deck operations onboard a vessel in some embodiments.[000254] For example, in some embodiments, the bridge display apparatus 900 may be configured to present one or more indications of predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics at a range of times in a future time-window at a bridge of a vessel comprising at least one operations floating deck, wherein the indications are obtained using a computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on the floating deck and where the apparatus 900 comprises at least one display 418, a deck operations management computer system, DOMCS, 1000 as disclosed herein which is operably connected to the at least one display. The DOMCS 1000 may be configured to execute a computer-implemented method as disclosed herein to obtain the indications of the line of fire to be presented on thebridge deck display at the same time different or the same indications are presented on displays located on the operations deck. The method may comprise in some embodiments accordingly obtaining in 502, 702 a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics based on current local environment conditions, for a range of times forming a future time-window, generating in 504, 704, using the predicted environmental conditions with a vessel model of a historical vessel motion response to historical environmental conditions, a forecast vessel motion, FVM, for at least some of the range of times in the future time-window, providing in 506, 706 the generated FVM, to a vessel stabilization system model, determining in 508, 708, using the vessel stabilisation system model a predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future timewindow, and generating 510, 710, using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, for the range of times in the future time-window, providing 512, 712 the RFVM, to a physics model of a candidate deck operation scheduled for execution on the floating deck at a range of times in the future time-window, generating 514, 714, using the physics model for a candidate deck operation based on the RFMV, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation at the range of times in the future timewindow, and causing indications of at least one of the one or more deck operation physical characteristics to be presented on at least one display located on a bridge deck of the vessel. [000255] The indications of at least one of the one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristics may be caused to be presented as an augmented reality display on a display comprising a transparent screen located on the bridge of the vessel.[000256] At least one display 418 may be located on the bridge and comprises a transparent screen provided on a window pane of the bridge deck 1200. The one or more predictions of one or more deck operations may be visibly presented as an overlay and scaled so that it provides a view scaled for consistency with any view of an operations deck visible through the window(s) of the bridge deck.[000257] In this way, an augmented reality display located on the bridge deck 1200 of a vessel may show indications of lines of fire etc for deck operations occurring on an operations deck of the vessel 100 instead or at the same time the same or different indications are provided on displays located on the operations deck in some embodiments. Where the disclosed technology is described with reference to drawings in the form of block diagrams and / or flowcharts, it is understood that several entities in the drawings, e.g., blocks of the block diagrams, and also combinations of entities in the drawings, can be implemented by computer program instructions, which instructions can be stored in a computer-readable memory, and also loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus. Such computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer,a special purpose computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks.[000258] In some implementations and according to some aspects of the disclosure, the functions or steps noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality / acts involved. Also, the functions or steps noted in the blocks can according to some aspects of the disclosure be executed continuously in a loop.[000259] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary aspects of the disclosure. However, many variations and modifications can be made to these aspects without substantially departing from the principles of the present disclosure. Thus, the disclosure should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and not as being limited to the particular aspects discussed above. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.[000260] The description of the example embodiments provided herein have been presented for purposes of illustration. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit example embodiments to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various alternatives to the provided embodiments. The examples discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various example embodiments and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the example embodiments in various manners and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The features of the embodiments described herein may be combined in a variety of possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and computer program products. It should be appreciated that the example embodiments presented herein may be practiced in any combination with each other.[000261] It should be noted that the word “comprising” does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements, features, functions, or steps than those listed and the words “a” or “an” preceding an element do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements, features, functions, or steps. It should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims, that the example embodiments may be implemented at least in part by means of both hardware and software, and that several “means”, “units” or “devices” may be represented by the same item of hardware.[000262] The various example embodiments described herein are described in the general context of methods, and may refer to elements, functions, steps or processes, one or more orall of which may be implemented in one aspect by a computer program product, embodied in a computer-readable medium, including computer-executable instructions, such as program code, executed by computers in networked environments.[000263] A computer-readable medium may include removable and non-removable storage devices including, but not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory, RAM), which may be static RAM, SRAM, or dynamic RAM, DRAM. ROM may be programmable ROM, PROM, or EPROM, erasable programmable ROM, or electrically erasable programmable ROM, EEPROM. Suitable storage components for memory may be integrated as chips into a printed circuit board or other substrate connected with one or more processors or processing modules, or provided as removable components, for example, by flash memory (also known as USB sticks), compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVD), and any other suitable forms of memory. Unless not suitable for the application at hand, memory may also be distributed over various forms of memory and storage components, and may be provided remotely on a server or servers, such as may be provided by a cloud-based storage solution. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.[000264] The memory used by any apparatus whatever its form of electronic device described herein accordingly comprise any suitable device readable and / or writeable medium, examples of which include, but are not limited to: any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry. Memory may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and / or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry and, utilized by the apparatus in whatever form of electronic device. Memory may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuitry and / or any data received via a user or communications or other type of data interface. In some embodiments, processing circuitry and memory are integrated. Memory may be also dispersed amongst one or more system orapparatus components. For example, memory may comprise a plurality of different memory. [000265] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments. However, many variations and modifications can be made to these embodiments. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the embodiments being defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on a floating deck, the method comprising: obtaining (502, 702) a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics during a future time-window; generating (504, 704), using the predicted local environmental conditions during the future time-window, with a vessel model, a forecast vessel motion, FVM, during the future time-window; providing (506, 706) the forecast vessel motion, FVM, to a vessel stabilization system configuration model; determining (508, 708), using the vessel stabilisation system configuration model a predicted vessel stabilization configuration; and generating (510, 710), using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, during the future time-window; providing (512, 712), the generated refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, to a physics model of a candidate deck operation for execution on the floating deck during the future time-window; and generating (514, 714), using the physics model for a candidate deck operation, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation for a duration of the future time-window.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing a display (916) of one or more indications of the one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future time-window.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 or 2, wherein a structure comprises the floating deck.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the structure is a vessel.

5. The computer-implemented method of any one of previous claims 1 to 4, further comprising refining the deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future timewindow by iteratively: updating (720) the vessel stabilization system configuration model usinginformation derived from previously predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics; and processing previously refined forecast vessel movement with the updated vessel stabilisation system configuration model to further refine the forecast vessel movement during the time-window (726).

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the iterations are repeated until a stop condition is reached.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the stop condition comprises one of: in acurrent iteration, the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics match metrics which indicate the deck operation can be safely completed in the future timewindow; and in the current iteration, a set of predicted values of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics are changed by less than a threshold value from a predicted value of a previous iteration.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 or 7, wherein responsive to the stop condition being reached, one or more indications of the predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics for the future time-window are caused to be presented on a display (916).

9. The computer-implemented method of any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein each iteration comprises at least: using information derived from the predicted values of the metrics of the at least one physical behavioural characteristic of the deck operation to determine an updated vessel stabilization configuration for the future time-window (722); generating, using the updated vessel stabilization configuration, an updated forecast vessel motion, FVM, during the future time-window (724); providing the updated forecast vessel motion, FVM, to a physics model of the deck operation being executed on the deck during the future time-window (726); and generating, using the physics model, an updated prediction of each deck operation physical characteristic metric for a duration of the future time-window (728).

10. The computer-implemented method of any one of the previous claims 5 to 9, furthercomprising activating one or more vessel stabilization systems prior to or at a start of the future time-window to configure the vessel with an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the one or more vessel stabilisation systems comprise one or more or all of: an active anti-roll tank system; a dynamic positioning, DP, system; and one or more thruster systems.

12. The computer-implemented method any one of the previous claims, wherein the predicted local environmental conditions of one or more predicted wave characteristics are derived from wave characteristics measurable using a radar system located on the floating deck or a structure to which the floating deck is attached.

13. The computer-implemented method of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the candidate deck operation is a load lifting operation, a deck operation physical characteristic metric is a line of fire of the load being lifted, and an optimal vessel stabilisation configuration comprises a vessel stabilisation configuration which minimises a maximum LoF from the load during the future time-window.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting or monitoring a location for each of one or more persons on the deck; and if a present time is within a predetermined time-interval before the future timewindow starts or is during that time-window, generating, using a deck layout model, an alarm if the location of any one of the one or more persons on the deck is or is predicted to be within a determined proximity threshold distance associated with the deck operation during the future time-window.

15. The computer-implemented method of any one of the previous claims, wherein the method generates, for comparison on the display, a plurality of indications of metrics for each of two or more candidate deck operations for the future time-window.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the two or more candidate deck operations are capable of being concurrently executed during the future time-window and wherein the indications of deck operation physical characteristic metrics for each of the two or more candidate deck operations are shown concurrently on the display.

17. A computer-system (900, 1000, 1100) for managing deck operations on a floating deck, wherein the computer-system comprises means to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A communications device (400, 1100) configured to cause presentation an indication of a predicted at least one deck operation physical characteristic metric during a future timewindow at a present time on a display (418), wherein the predicted at least on deck operation physical characteristic metric is predicted using a method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A deck operation management computer system, DOMCS, (1000) including a deck operation visualisation tool 400, 1010, the DOMCS (1000) comprising computer code which, when loaded from memory and executed on a computer system using one or more processor(s) and / or processing circuitry configures the DOMCS (1000) to: cause a presentation on a display (418) of a spatial area of a deck based on a deck model; and cause a real-time presentation on the display of data comprising at least one indication of a predicted physical characteristic of a deck operation for a future time-interval determined using the method of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the real-time presentation indicating the deck operation is rendered on the display at the same scale and resolution as the spatial area of the deck and located at the location of the deck operation in the spatial area of the deck.

20. The deck operation management computer system of claim 19, wherein two or more deck operations are concurrently displayed to scale at their respective locations on a displayed deck layout or at the same scale as each other, and wherein responsive to a user selecting one deck operation, the method of any one of claims 1 to 16 is performed for that respective selected deck operation.21.

22.

21. A bridge display system (900) configured to present one or more indications of predicted deck operation physical characteristic metrics at a range of times in a future timewindow at a bridge of a vessel comprising at least one operations floating deck, wherein the indications are obtained using a computer-implemented method for managing deck operations on the floating deck, wherein the display system (900) comprises: at least one display (418);a deck operations management computer system, DOMCS, (1000) operably connected to the at least one display, wherein the computer system is configured to execute a computer-implemented method comprising: obtaining (502, 702) a prediction of local environment conditions including one or more wave characteristics based on current local environment conditions, for a range of times forming a future time-window; generating (504, 704), using the predicted local environmental conditions with a vessel model of a historical vessel motion response to historical environmental conditions, a forecast vessel motion, FVM, for at least some of the range of times in the future timewindow; providing (506, 706) the generated forecast vessel motion, FVM, to a vessel stabilization system model; determining (508, 708), using the vessel stabilisation system model a predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future time-window; and generating (510, 710), using the predicted vessel stabilization configuration for the range of times in the future time-window, a refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, for the range of times in the future time-window; providing (512, 712) the refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, to a physics model of a candidate deck operation scheduled for execution on the floating deck at a range of times in the future time-window; generating (514, 714), using the physics model for a candidate deck operation based on the refined forecast vessel motion, RFVM, one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristic metrics of the candidate deck operation at the range of times in the future time-window; and causing indications of at least one of the one or more deck operation physical characteristics to be presented on at least one display located on a bridge deck of the vessel.

22. The bridge display system of claim 21, wherein the indications of at least one of the one or more predictions of one or more deck operation physical characteristics are caused to be presented as an augmented reality display on a display comprising a transparent screen located on the bridge of the vessel.

23. The bridge display system of claim 21 or 22, wherein at least one display is located on the bridge and comprises a transparent screen provided on a window-pane of the bridge deck.

24. The bridge display system of claim 23, wherein the one or more predictions of one or more deck operations are visibly presented in at least one window of the bridge deck as an overlay scaled for consistency with the scale of an actual operations deck visible in the one or more windows of the bridge deck so as to provide as an augmented reality display.

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