Unified communication system for ships

By designing a hierarchical architecture and priority scheduling mode for a unified ship communication system, the problems of information silos, response delays, and data leaks caused by different communication tools on board were solved, enabling timely information transmission and improved collaboration efficiency.

CN121334196APending Publication Date: 2026-01-13GUANGXI GUIJIANG SHIPYARD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511411887.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-09-29
Publication Date
2026-01-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

On ships, the use of different communication tools by different departments and teams leads to problems such as untimely information sharing, delayed responses, difficulties in collaboration, communication gaps, and increased risks of data leakage.

Method used

A unified communication system for ships was designed, which adopts a layered architecture, including an access layer, a network layer, a core layer, a service layer, and a presentation layer. The system distinguishes audio and video data and manages priority labels through a priority scheduling mode to ensure that emergency information is transmitted first. The system also dynamically adjusts the coding rate to improve transmission efficiency when the transmission network is congested.

Benefits of technology

It enables unified transmission of information both inside and outside the ship, improving the timeliness of information transmission and collaboration efficiency, reducing the risk of data leakage, and meeting the communication needs of daily office work and emergency rescue.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a ship unified communication system, and relates to the communication technology, and the system comprises an access layer which is used for accessing a voice terminal and a video terminal; the network layer is used for realizing transmission of audio and video data between the terminal and the core layer; the core layer is used for exchanging and processing various terminal data and completing call signaling and media control functions; the business layer is used for commanding and scheduling audio and video data in a priority scheduling mode; and the display layer is used for uniformly controlling the receiving and sending of the data and the configuration management of the data. According to the invention, a unified communication function is realized, and the convenience of user operation is greatly improved.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and more particularly to a unified communication system for a ship. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of society, in the ship industry, the communication equipment configured on the ship is more and more, the internal communication has broadcast, automatic telephone and voice telephone, etc., the external communication equipment has very high frequency, medium high frequency and fishery radio station, etc. For example, if the same message needs to be published to the ship inside and outside at the same time, it generally needs to be published by using the internal communication equipment, and then published by using the external communication equipment. This independent communication mode has the following shortcomings:

[0003] 1. Information silos: Different departments and teams on the ship use different communication tools, resulting in information not being shared in a timely manner.

[0004] 2. Response delay: Due to the dispersion of communication channels, important information may not be conveyed in a timely manner, resulting in delayed decision-making.

[0005] 3. Tool incompatibility: Different teams on the ship use different tools, making collaboration difficult and affecting project progress.

[0006] 4. Communication gap: Lack of a unified communication platform results in information loss or misunderstanding during transmission.

[0007] 5. Data leakage: Dispersed communication tools increase the risk of data leakage, especially without a unified security policy. SUMMARY

[0008] The technical problem solved by the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a unified communication system for a ship, which realizes unified communication function and greatly improves the convenience of user operation.

[0009] The unified communication system for a ship provided by the present application comprises:

[0010] An access layer for accessing voice terminals and video terminals;

[0011] A network layer for realizing transmission of audio and video data between terminals and a core layer;

[0012] A core layer for being responsible for exchange and processing of various terminal data and completing call signaling and media control functions;

[0013] A service layer for commanding and scheduling audio and video data in a priority scheduling mode;

[0014] A display layer for uniformly controlling reception, transmission and data configuration management of data.

[0015] Preferably, the specific method of the priority scheduling mode is as follows:

[0016] Audio and video data are differentiated to generate separate data packets based on audio and video data, and dynamic priority tags are added to the data in each data packet.

[0017] A highest priority queue is set up for scheduling data dedicated to audio data, and when scheduling data, the service layer prioritizes sending data from the highest priority queue.

[0018] A key video queue is set up for scheduling real-time video data. When there is a conflict between the scheduling of real-time video data in the key video queue and the scheduling of audio data in the highest priority queue, the dynamic priority tags of the real-time video data and audio data are extracted at the same time. The scheduling data is weighted according to the dynamic priority tags to allocate scheduling priority. Then, the real-time video data and audio data are scheduled according to the scheduling priority.

[0019] A general data queue is set up for scheduling non-real-time video and other general data; when the transmission network has available space, the service layer sends data from the general data queue.

[0020] Preferably, the dynamic priority label includes an identifier for the data type and dynamic information containing the communication urgency level.

[0021] Preferably, the scheduling data is weighted according to the dynamic priority label, specifically as follows:

[0022] The dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the real-time video data is read as the first dynamic information, and the dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the audio data is read as the second dynamic information. If the level of the first dynamic information is greater than the level of the second dynamic information, the real-time video data is given the maximum weight and sent first; otherwise, the audio data is sent first.

[0023] Preferably, the transmission network is monitored in real time. When the transmission network becomes congested, the encoding bitrate or frame rate of the video data is dynamically adjusted to reduce the bandwidth occupied by the video data. The depth of the critical video queue is also monitored in real time. If the depth of the critical video queue is greater than a set depth threshold, the bandwidth of low-priority data is limited to a set bandwidth threshold.

[0024] Preferably, the access layer includes a voice terminal access interface supporting the standard SIP protocol and a video terminal access interface supporting RTSP, GB / 28181, and Onvif protocols.

[0025] Preferably, the presentation layer includes a dispatch console client deployed on an intranet computer host.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] The advantages of this invention are as follows: It highly integrates audio and video through the design of the access layer, network layer, core layer, service layer, and presentation layer, forming a unified command and communication network. Furthermore, the system's priority scheduling mode can meet the needs of daily office work, meetings, and on-duty communication, as well as the requirements of emergency rescue missions, providing effective support for users' daily management and emergency response, and maximizing emergency response efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the framework structure of the ship unified communication system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments, but this does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any limited modifications made by any person within the scope of the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0030] See Figure 1 The present invention discloses a unified communication system for ships, which adopts a layered architecture design. The entire system architecture is divided into five layers, from bottom to top: access layer, network layer, core layer, service layer, and presentation layer.

[0031] In this embodiment, the access layer is used to connect voice and video terminals. It includes a voice terminal access interface supporting the standard SIP protocol and a video terminal access interface supporting RTSP, GB / 28181, and Onvif protocols. SIP is an application-layer control protocol for real-time communication over IP networks, used to initiate, manage, and terminate sessions. By supporting the SIP protocol, the access layer can easily connect to various voice terminals, such as IP phones and softphones. RTSP is a protocol for controlling real-time audio and video streams; GB / 28181 is a Chinese national standard used for communication protocols in public security video surveillance systems; Onvif is an open network video interface forum that provides a unified interface standard, enabling compatibility between video devices from different manufacturers. Support for these protocols allows the access layer to connect to various video terminals, such as network cameras, video conferencing devices, individual soldier cameras, PSTN, and radios.

[0032] The network layer is used to transmit audio and video data between the terminal and the core layer. Its transmission protocols, such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), ensure reliable and real-time data transmission. Furthermore, the network layer also includes a QoS (Quality of Service) mechanism: through techniques such as priority scheduling and flow control, it ensures the quality of audio and video data transmission over the network.

[0033] The core layer is responsible for exchanging and processing data from various terminals, and for performing call signaling and media control functions. It includes switches and various servers adapted to the terminals. Switches are used for high-speed data packet exchange to enable data transmission between terminals; servers are used for handling call signaling, media control, and other functions, such as unified communications servers, video fusion servers, audio / video recording servers, cluster meshes, and voice gateways.

[0034] The business layer is used to direct and schedule audio and video data using a priority scheduling mode to complete the logical applications of the system's business functions. Its core lies in employing a uniquely designed priority scheduling mode to implement the system's logic, including voice scheduling, video scheduling, conference scheduling, address book management, audio and video recording, and system management. In this embodiment, the specific method of the priority scheduling mode is as follows:

[0035] Audio and video data are differentiated to generate separate data packets. A dynamic priority tag is added to the data within each data packet. This dynamic priority tag includes an identifier for the data type and dynamic information indicating the communication urgency level. The data type identifier primarily identifies the current data type, such as video data, audio data, or other data. The communication urgency level in the dynamic information is specifically divided into two levels: distress calls are the highest level, and regular calls are the next highest.

[0036] To automatically classify the urgency level of dynamic information, keyword comparison can be used after the business layer receives the relevant data. For example, audio words in the data are identified; if words related to rescue / distress are detected, the corresponding audio is analyzed. Since people are in a state of tension during distress calls, their voices are often hurried and high-pitched. If the frequency or amplitude of this audio exceeds a set threshold, the distress call can be considered genuine, and the urgency level in the dynamic information is set to the highest level. This design avoids the system misinterpreting rescue / distress-related words in ordinary conversations as genuine distress calls. Moreover, the analysis method combining words and audio is simpler and more practical than semantic analysis algorithms, and it also has higher operating efficiency and consumes fewer system resources.

[0037] In the specific priority design, considering that ship communication is mainly voice-based, three priority queues were set up: the highest priority queue, the critical video queue, and the general data queue.

[0038] The highest priority queue is used for scheduling dedicated audio data, and when scheduling data, the business layer prioritizes sending data from the highest priority queue to ensure extremely low latency and jitter in audio communication.

[0039] The critical video queue is used for scheduling real-time video data. When a conflict arises between the scheduling of real-time video data in the critical video queue and the scheduling of audio data in the highest priority queue, dynamic priority tags for both the real-time video and audio data are extracted simultaneously. Weight analysis is then performed on the scheduling data based on these dynamic priority tags to allocate scheduling priorities. Finally, the real-time video and audio data are scheduled according to these priorities. This queue employs weight analysis, ensuring a guaranteed bandwidth share for video information with higher priority when there is a conflict with the highest priority queue, thus preventing the timely transmission of video data that is more important than audio data.

[0040] In this embodiment, weight analysis is performed on the scheduling data based on the dynamic priority label, specifically as follows:

[0041] The system reads the dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the real-time video data as the first dynamic information, and reads the dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the audio data as the second dynamic information. If the level of the first dynamic information is higher than the level of the second dynamic information, the real-time video data is assigned the highest weight and sent first; otherwise, the audio data is sent first. This ensures that video data, which is more important than audio data, can be transmitted in a timely manner.

[0042] The ordinary data queue is used for scheduling non-real-time video (such as video playback) and other ordinary data; when the transmission network has spare capacity, the service layer sends data from the ordinary data queue.

[0043] During video data transmission, the system also needs to monitor the transmission network in real time. When network congestion occurs, it dynamically adjusts the video data's encoding bitrate or frame rate to reduce bandwidth usage and thus improve transmission speed. Furthermore, it monitors the depth of critical video queues in real time. If the depth exceeds a set threshold, the bandwidth of low-priority data is limited to a set threshold. This involves further compressing the video data, sacrificing some clarity to increase transmission speed and ensure rapid data delivery.

[0044] The presentation layer provides unified control over data reception, transmission, and data configuration management. Specifically, the presentation layer includes a dispatch console client deployed on intranet computer hosts.

[0045] Based on the above, this system enables unified access and management of various media services on board, including programmable telephones, broadcasts, VHF radios, fisheries radios, monitoring screens, and video conferencing. Users can achieve internal and external voice communication with a single click. The ship's unified communication system can also be linked with the video surveillance system to achieve centralized access and management of various communication transmission links. In addition, the ship's unified communication system provides an external development interface that can be connected to a unified portal system with a B / S architecture. This allows for unified communication functions to be implemented on the unified portal system, greatly improving the ease of use for users and enabling shore-based or ship command centers to remotely command, dispatch, and inspect operations on board personnel via audio and video.

[0046] The ship's unified communication system can operate independently of shore-based systems, utilizing the ship's own communication methods for on-site command and control. Alternatively, when communication links are unobstructed, it can extend shore-based monitoring and command operations at sea via VHF, 4G / 5G wireless transmission, ultra-wideband wireless communication networks, and satellite links.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of the present invention, and these will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent.

Claims

1. A unified communication system for ships, characterized in that, include: The access layer is used to connect to voice terminals and video terminals; The network layer is used to transmit audio and video data between the terminal and the core layer; The core layer is responsible for exchanging and processing data from various terminals, and for performing call signaling and media control functions. The business layer is used to direct and schedule audio and video data in a priority scheduling mode; The presentation layer is used for unified control of data reception, transmission, and data configuration management.

2. The unified communication system for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific method of the priority scheduling mode is as follows: Audio and video data are differentiated to generate separate data packets based on audio and video data, and dynamic priority tags are added to the data in each data packet. A highest priority queue is set up for scheduling data dedicated to audio data, and when scheduling data, the service layer prioritizes sending data from the highest priority queue. A key video queue is set up for scheduling real-time video data. When there is a conflict between the scheduling of real-time video data in the key video queue and the scheduling of audio data in the highest priority queue, the dynamic priority tags of the real-time video data and audio data are extracted at the same time. The scheduling data is weighted according to the dynamic priority tags to allocate scheduling priority. Then, the real-time video data and audio data are scheduled according to the scheduling priority. A general data queue is set up for scheduling non-real-time video and other general data; when the transmission network has available space, the service layer sends data from the general data queue.

3. A unified ship communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dynamic priority label includes an identifier for the data type and dynamic information containing the communication urgency level.

4. A unified ship communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The scheduling data is weighted based on the dynamic priority label, specifically as follows: Read the dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the real-time video data as the first dynamic information, and read the dynamic information of the dynamic priority tag corresponding to the audio data as the second dynamic information; If the level of the first dynamic information is greater than the level of the second dynamic information, then the real-time video data is assigned the highest weight and sent first; otherwise, the audio data is sent first.

5. A unified ship communication system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The system monitors the transmission network in real time. When congestion occurs in the transmission network, it dynamically adjusts the encoding bitrate or frame rate of the video data to reduce the bandwidth occupied by the video data. It also monitors the depth of the critical video queue in real time. If the depth of the critical video queue is greater than a set depth threshold, it limits the bandwidth of low-priority data to a set bandwidth threshold.

6. A unified ship communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The access layer includes a voice terminal access interface that supports the standard SIP protocol and a video terminal access interface that supports RTSP, GB / 28181, and Onvif protocols.

7. A unified ship communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The presentation layer includes a dispatch console client deployed on a computer host within the intranet.