Ship Internet of Things gateway

Abstract

The invention discloses a ship Internet of Things gateway comprising a data acquisition module used for acquiring ship operation data; the data processing and fusion module is used for receiving the ship operation data and carrying out protocol analysis, format conversion, standardization processing and data fusion to obtain key fusion data; the communication module is used for communicating with a ship-shore integrated system platform; the control module is used for receiving the fusion data, collecting the real-time communication state of the communication module, determining the transmission priority of the key fusion data according to a preset rule, and determining an optimal communication mode according to the characteristics of the key fusion data with the highest transmission priority and the real-time communication state; and the communication module switches to the optimal communication mode to transmit the key fusion data with the highest transmission priority to a ship-shore integrated system platform. Priority transmission of key data is ensured by adopting a priority scheduling strategy, so that key data transmission delay is effectively reduced, and communication reliability, switching flexibility and transmission efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of data exchange network technology, specifically to a ship IoT gateway and its data management method. Background Technology

[0002] As core equipment for maritime transportation and operations, ships rely heavily on operational data from their power systems, navigation equipment, communication devices, and other critical components, as well as real-time information on navigation status and the marine environment. This data forms the foundation for ensuring navigational safety, optimizing operational efficiency, and reducing maintenance costs. Currently, ship data collection and management still heavily depends on manual inspections and traditional gateways. The limitations of manual inspections are particularly pronounced in the data collection phase. On the one hand, inspections are conducted manually at set times, resulting in long inspection cycles and time intervals. This can lead to unforeseen equipment malfunctions going undetected, potentially causing safety accidents or exacerbating economic losses. On the other hand, data recording relies entirely on handwritten entries or simplified data entry, which is not only inefficient but also prone to errors such as incorrect or missing entries, severely impacting data accuracy and the reliability of subsequent analysis. To address the shortcomings of manual inspections, some ships have introduced traditional gateways for data collection.

[0003] However, the communication protocols used by different equipment manufacturers are highly heterogeneous, and traditional gateways lack unified protocol parsing capabilities, making it impossible to achieve standardized integration of data from various devices. Furthermore, traditional gateways have limited interface types, requiring extensive modifications to accommodate new equipment or technological upgrades on board, increasing costs and extending project timelines. In addition, traditional gateways often only support single-type sensor data access, making it difficult to accommodate the data exchange needs of multi-protocol devices on board, such as CAN bus, Ethernet, and RS485. This results in isolated data systems, creating "information silos" and hindering the comprehensive utilization of all shipboard data.

[0004] Ships often face scenarios in the open ocean without base station coverage during navigation, relying primarily on satellite communication for data transmission. However, satellite communication suffers from inherent drawbacks such as high latency and limited bandwidth. Existing traditional gateways lack dynamic communication switching mechanisms and cannot adaptively adjust transmission strategies according to changes in the communication environment, making data transmission highly susceptible to interruptions and preventing shore-based systems from obtaining real-time ship status information. Furthermore, traditional gateways lack edge processing capabilities, requiring large amounts of raw data to be directly uploaded to shore servers for processing. This significantly increases network load and extends data processing latency, failing to meet the low-latency requirements of real-time ship fault diagnosis and dynamic energy consumption optimization.

[0005] In terms of remote management and security, existing technologies also have significant shortcomings. A stable real-time data link has not yet been established between ships and shore-based facilities. Shore-based dispatch centers can only rely on reports submitted by ships after the fact to obtain information, which makes it impossible to achieve real-time monitoring and remote dispatch of ship operating status, resulting in delayed decision-making. When ship equipment malfunctions, technicians need to board the ship for on-site troubleshooting, which not only increases maintenance costs but also prolongs the fault repair time. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes: A ship IoT gateway, comprising: The data acquisition module is used to collect ship operation data, which includes equipment operation data, navigation data, and environmental data. The data processing and fusion module includes a unified data model and a multi-protocol parsing unit. The data processing and fusion module is signal-connected to the data acquisition module and receives the ship operation data acquired by the data acquisition module. The multi-protocol parsing unit first performs protocol parsing on the multi-source heterogeneous ship operation data, and then performs format conversion, noise removal, and standardization processing in sequence. The processed data is then input into the unified data model. The unified data model uses a preset fusion algorithm to fuse the standardized ship operation data to obtain fused data. The communication module is used to communicate with the ship-shore integrated system platform; The control module includes a decision model and a data transmission and management unit. The control module receives fused data and collects the real-time communication status of the communication module. For critical fused data, the control module activates the decision model, which determines the transmission priority of the critical fused data according to preset rules, and determines the optimal communication method based on the characteristics of the critical fused data with the highest transmission priority and the real-time communication status. The control module schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit, controls the communication module to switch to the optimal communication method, and establishes communication with the ship-shore integrated system platform to transmit the critical fused data with the highest transmission priority to the ship-shore integrated system platform through the communication module.

[0007] Specifically, the characteristics of fused data include, but are not limited to, the size of the fused data and its sensitivity to latency.

[0008] The fused data also includes non-critical fused data. When the control module detects that the communication module's bandwidth is idle, it schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit and transmits the non-critical fused data to the ship-shore integrated system platform.

[0009] Specifically, the characteristics of fused data include, but are not limited to, the size of the fused data and its sensitivity to latency.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention achieves compatibility with multiple types of devices through a standardized interface for the data acquisition module, and integrates and processes multi-source heterogeneous data through a data processing and fusion module to establish a unified data model, enabling centralized data management and sharing. Managers can comprehensively grasp the ship's operational status through a single platform, significantly reducing data query and analysis time and providing strong support for rapid decision-making.

[0011] By adopting a priority scheduling strategy to ensure the priority transmission of critical data, the latency of critical data transmission is effectively reduced, communication reliability, switching flexibility and transmission efficiency are improved, and the pain points of traditional ship communication and data management are effectively solved, thus promoting ship intelligent management to a higher level. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of data transmission of the ship IoT gateway described in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0013] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] Reference Figure 1 Embodiment 1 of this application is provided. The ship IoT gateway in Embodiment 1 includes: The data acquisition module is used to collect ship operation data, which includes equipment operation data, navigation data, and environmental data. The data processing and fusion module includes a unified data model and a multi-protocol parsing unit. The data processing and fusion module is signal-connected to the data acquisition module and receives the ship operation data acquired by the data acquisition module. The multi-protocol parsing unit first performs protocol parsing on the multi-source heterogeneous ship operation data, and then performs format conversion, noise removal, and standardization processing in sequence. The processed data is then input into the unified data model. The unified data model uses a preset fusion algorithm to fuse the standardized ship operation data to obtain fused data. The communication module is used to communicate with the ship-shore integrated system platform; The control module includes a decision model and a data transmission and management unit. The control module receives fused data and collects the real-time communication status of the communication module. The fused data includes key fused data. For key fused data, the control module activates the decision model, which determines the transmission priority of the key fused data according to preset rules, and determines the optimal communication method based on the characteristics of the key fused data with the highest transmission priority and the real-time communication status. The control module schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit, controls the communication module to switch to the optimal communication method, and establishes communication with the ship-shore integrated system platform to transmit the key fused data with the highest transmission priority to the ship-shore integrated system platform through the communication module.

[0015] Data Acquisition Module: This module connects to various sensors, controllers, and navigation equipment on the ship. Utilizing supported communication protocols, including Modbus, CAN, and RS485, it collects real-time equipment operating data (such as main engine speed and oil temperature), navigation data (such as position, speed, and heading), and environmental data (such as wind speed and waves). During or after data acquisition, this module can use digital filtering algorithms to remove noise from the raw signals, thereby improving data quality.

[0016] The data processing and fusion module receives raw data from the data acquisition module and performs format conversion and standardization on multi-source heterogeneous data of different formats and standards to eliminate data silos. The standardized data is then input into a unified data model, which uses fusion algorithms to extract features, correlate, correct, or complementaryly integrate the multi-source data to generate fused data. The data processing and fusion module classifies the resulting fused data into critical fused data and non-critical fused data. Critical fused data includes fault warning data that directly affects ship operational safety, while non-critical fused data includes operational log data that does not affect ship operation.

[0017] To improve transmission efficiency and security, the data processing and fusion module can also perform data compression and encryption on the fused data. The compressed and encrypted fused data can be sent by the control module to the storage module for temporary or persistent caching.

[0018] The control module continuously receives key fusion data and monitors the communication status of the communication module in real time (such as bandwidth, latency, packet loss rate, connection stability, and cost of satellite, 4G / 5G, and VHF links). The decision model first dynamically assigns transmission priorities to all pending key fusion data packets based on preset rules (including the priority of key fusion data and real-time service requirements). The decision model determines the "highest priority key fusion data" among the currently pending key fusion data, and then, considering its real-time communication status and the characteristics of the key fusion data itself (such as data size and latency sensitivity), performs comprehensive calculations and trade-offs to determine the optimal communication method.

[0019] Based on the optimal communication method output by the decision model, the control module dynamically switches the communication module to that communication link. Subsequently, the control module schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit, controlling the communication module to switch to the optimal communication method and establish communication with the ship-shore integrated system platform. The highest priority key fusion data is then transmitted to the ship-shore integrated system platform through the established optimal link. After the high-priority data has been sent, the system re-evaluates the priority and current communication status of the remaining data to proceed with the next round of decision-making and transmission.

[0020] Example: If the current queue contains both an "engine overheat alarm" (high priority, small data volume, extremely low latency requirement) and "yesterday's flight log" (low priority, large data volume, no real-time requirement), the decision model will prioritize the high-priority alarm data. Even if the current low-cost mobile network is in good condition, if its latency is unstable, the model will still decide to switch to a high-cost but low-latency, highly reliable satellite link to ensure the alarm is sent immediately. For log data, transmission may be carried out after the alarm is sent, utilizing idle bandwidth or switching to a low-cost link.

[0021] This invention achieves compatibility with various devices through a standardized interface for the data acquisition module, and integrates multi-source heterogeneous data through a data processing and fusion module to establish a unified data model, enabling centralized data management and sharing. Managers can comprehensively monitor ship operational status through a single platform, significantly reducing data query and analysis time and providing strong support for rapid decision-making.

[0022] This invention reduces transmission volume through data compression technology and employs a priority scheduling strategy to ensure the transmission of critical data first, effectively reducing latency in critical data transmission. Simultaneously, it encrypts transmitted data to prevent theft or tampering, and combined with the backup and recovery functions of the storage module, further ensures data security, meeting the high requirements of ships for data transmission efficiency and security.

[0023] The storage module receives and stores the fused data. The data processing and fusion module sequentially compresses and encrypts the fused data, then transmits the processed compressed and encrypted data to the storage module for backup. When historical data needs to be retrieved, a query request is initiated through the ship's local terminal or the ship-shore integrated system platform. The storage module retrieves the corresponding compressed and encrypted fused data based on the query conditions (such as time range, data type, and priority). After decryption and decompression by the data processing and fusion module, standardized fused data is output for querying.

[0024] Preferably, the fused data includes non-critical fused data. When the control module detects that the communication module's bandwidth is idle, it schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit and transmits the non-critical fused data to the ship-shore integrated system platform.

[0025] The data acquisition module is compatible with various sensors and actuators on ships through a standardized interface, supports multiple communication protocols, and can flexibly connect to new devices; the communication module can expand to new communication methods according to technological development, and the system upgrade and maintenance are convenient. The present invention adopts a modular design, with each module having independent functions yet working collaboratively, which can better adapt to the long-term needs of intelligent ship development.

[0026] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications and substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A shipboard Internet of Things (IoT) gateway, characterized in that, include: The data acquisition module is used to collect ship operation data, which includes equipment operation data, navigation data, and environmental data. The data processing and fusion module includes a unified data model and a multi-protocol parsing unit. The data processing and fusion module is signal-connected to the data acquisition module and receives the ship operation data acquired by the data acquisition module. The multi-protocol parsing unit first performs protocol parsing on the multi-source heterogeneous ship operation data, and then performs format conversion, noise removal, and standardization processing in sequence. The processed data is then input into the unified data model. The unified data model uses a preset fusion algorithm to fuse the standardized ship operation data to obtain fused data. The communication module is used to communicate with the ship-shore integrated system platform; The control module includes a decision model and a data transmission and management unit. The control module receives fused data and collects the real-time communication status of the communication module. For critical fused data, the control module activates the decision model, which determines the transmission priority of the critical fused data according to preset rules, and determines the optimal communication method based on the characteristics of the critical fused data with the highest transmission priority and the real-time communication status. The control module schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit, controls the communication module to switch to the optimal communication method, and establishes communication with the ship-shore integrated system platform to transmit the critical fused data with the highest transmission priority to the ship-shore integrated system platform through the communication module.

2. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a storage module for receiving and storing fused data.

3. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset rules include the priority of the merged data and the real-time requirements.

4. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition module can also remove noise from the ship operation data it collects.

5. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition module supports multiple communication protocols.

6. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data processing and fusion module is also used to compress and encrypt the fused data.

7. The ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fused data also includes non-critical fused data. When the control module detects that the communication module's bandwidth is idle, it schedules the communication module through the data transmission and management unit and transmits the non-critical fused data to the ship-shore integrated system platform.

8. The data management method for a ship IoT gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that, The characteristics of fused data include, but are not limited to, the size of the fused data and its sensitivity to latency.

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