Visual communication equipment for ship

Abstract

The visual communication equipment for the ship can adapt to ship swing to adjust the camera shooting visual angle, the ship swing reducing structure and the camera adjusting module cooperate, the equipment can be more stable, and the situation that the ship jolts in normal navigation in the actual use process, and if sea waves or sea wind is large, the ship can be prevented from being damaged is considered. If the installation position of the camera is set to be too high, the swinging degree of the ship is increased, the swinging degree is amplified, so that the camera module is installed on the upper surface of the ship body, and the shooting range and angle of the camera module installed on the deck can cause the edge of the ship to block the shooting of the camera module due to the too large swinging degree of the ship; therefore, the visual communication equipment can automatically ascend and descend along with swinging of the ship, it is guaranteed that the unmanned ship can work normally when sea waves or sea wind is large, and the visual communication equipment is made to automatically adapt to the ship.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine technology, and in particular to a visual communication device for ships. Background Technology

[0002] When unmanned vessels are performing missions, they need to be able to observe their environment in real time so that operators can remotely control them. Alternatively, unmanned vessels need to transmit environmental videos or images to a remote control center in real time. Under normal circumstances, the images or videos transmitted by unmanned vessels are clear. However, when the sea is rough, the unmanned vessels will be affected by the waves and their swaying and pitching will increase. At this time, the transmitted videos or photos will become blurry. In the prior art, such as Patent Document 1, an unmanned vessel inspection device is disclosed. This device has a camera installed on the hull of the unmanned vessel, and a transparent cover is installed on the outside of the camera. In order to ensure that the camera can capture clear pictures, a cleaning mechanism is set on the transparent cover to ensure clear images. When the camera swings, the cooperation between the support rod 203, the fixing ring 204 and the fixing base 205 increases the stability of the camera and avoids large swings. Although Patent Document 1 has a camera anti-sway module, it does not consider that when the ship swings significantly, the edge of the ship may block the camera's shooting angle due to the excessive swing amplitude. In this case, the camera's shooting is incomplete and cannot meet the actual needs. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a satellite antenna angle adjustment device for marine vessels, which can ensure that the satellite antenna remains horizontal when the ship swings. It uses a thin-shell sphere and a first pendulum to keep the satellite antenna horizontal. While it can maintain a horizontal position, the thin-shell sphere is slidably mounted within the spherical base 5. Although this ensures the satellite antenna remains horizontal, if the ship's swaying is excessive, the antenna will continue to sway and cannot quickly return to a horizontal position. Furthermore, it may sway continuously with the ship's swaying. Finally, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, an unmanned monitoring vessel anti-roll device with wave-breaking and anti-rolling functions is used. To ensure the ship's stability, anti-roll plates are installed on both sides of the ship, including fixed and movable plates. By changing the folding or unfolding state of the movable plates, the ship's speed or stability can be adjusted. However, the power to adjust the movable plates is controlled by a retraction mechanism. While this addresses the stability of the unmanned vessel's data acquisition, it does not consider the obstruction of the unmanned vessel's camera view caused by significant swaying due to waves or strong winds, thus limiting the normal operation of the unmanned vessel.

[0003] [Patent Document 1] CN113788114B;

[0004] [Patent Document 2] CN114094302B;

[0005] [Patent Document 3] CN109436233A.

[0006] In summary, existing technologies for visual communication equipment on unmanned vessels focus primarily on ensuring stable camera operation and minimizing ship sway. However, they fail to address the issue of camera modules installed within the vessel obstructing their viewing angle due to excessive ship sway. Consequently, the camera module cannot adjust its position in response to the ship's sway to change the viewing angle. Therefore, this invention provides a visual communication equipment for ships that adaptively adjusts the camera viewing angle based on ship sway, and where the ship's anti-sway structure and camera adjustment module work in synergy, resulting in more stable adjustment of the camera module. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of existing shipborne visual communication equipment, this invention provides a technical solution: a shipborne visual communication device comprising a main controller, a camera terminal, a wireless transmission module, and a remote platform. The camera terminal sends the captured images or videos to the main controller, which then transmits them to the remote platform via the wireless transmission module. The camera terminal is mounted on the hull, with swing plate structures on both sides of the hull. The camera terminal includes two camera modules: a left camera module and a right camera module. The left camera module captures images or video data from the left side of the hull, and the right camera module captures images or video data from the right side of the hull. The left and right camera modules are slidably mounted within the hull, and a drive wheel is rotatably mounted within the hull. The right side of the left camera module and the left side of the right camera module are respectively engaged with the drive wheel. The swing plate structure includes a left float, a right float, a left shock-absorbing spring, a right shock-absorbing spring, a transmission chain, a left guide wheel, and a right guide wheel. The right end of the left float is rotatably mounted on the left side of the hull, and the left shock-absorbing spring is... The left float is positioned between the left float and the left side of the hull. The left end of the right float is rotatably mounted on the right side of the hull. A right shock-absorbing spring is positioned between the right float and the right side of the hull. The left guide wheel is rotatably mounted on the left edge of the hull, and the right guide wheel is rotatably mounted on the right edge of the hull. One end of the transmission chain is fixedly connected to the left end of the left float, and the other end of the transmission chain passes sequentially around the left guide wheel, the drive wheel, and the right guide wheel before being fixedly connected to the right end of the right float. When the hull rolls significantly from side to side due to strong winds or large waves... During swaying, the left and right shock-absorbing springs reduce the sway amplitude of the hull, and the left and right floats can rotate to adapt to the seawater, driving the transmission chain to slide left and right. The sliding transmission chain causes the drive wheel to rotate, which in turn drives the left and right camera modules to slide up and down along the hull. This allows the camera module closer to the side of the hull that is raised to slide upwards, while the other camera module closer to the side of the hull that is lowered to slide downwards, ensuring that the camera module's shooting range is not blocked by the raised hull.

[0008] Preferably, both the left and right camera modules include a lifting rod, a camera vibration damping module, and a camera. A rack is provided on the side of the lifting rod that meshes with the drive wheel. The camera vibration damping module is fixedly mounted on the top of the lifting rod, and the camera is fixedly mounted on the camera vibration damping module. The camera vibration damping module includes a cylindrical base, an inner extrusion plate, an outer extrusion plate, and a thin-shell sphere. One end of the inner extrusion plate is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the cylindrical base, and the other end of the inner extrusion plate extends into the thin-shell sphere. The outer extrusion plate is an annular plate, and it is fixedly connected to the inner extrusion plate and the upper end of the cylindrical base. The inner extrusion plate is arranged around the outside of the thin-shell sphere, and a counterweight is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the thin-shell sphere.

[0009] Preferably, an opening groove is formed on the thin-shell sphere, and the extruded inner plate extends into the thin-shell sphere through the opening groove. The extruded inner plate located inside the thin-shell sphere is a circular plate, and the extruded inner plate located in the opening groove and outside the thin-shell sphere is a strip plate, and the width of the strip plate is the same as the width of the opening groove.

[0010] Preferably, an inner buffer layer and an outer buffer layer are respectively provided on the inner and outer sides of the thin-shell sphere. Both the inner and outer buffer layers have a structure with a thin film on the outside and fluid filling the inside. The gap between the inner extrusion plate and the outer pressure plate is slightly greater than or equal to the thickness of the thin-shell sphere. This arrangement allows the inner and outer extrusion plates to compress the fluid when the thin-shell sphere rotates, causing the fluid to flow within the thin film. As a result, the thin film deforms slowly, thus slowing down the rotation speed of the thin-shell sphere and ensuring that the camera will not sway at a high frequency with the hull when shaken.

[0011] Preferably, the drive wheel includes a rotating shaft, a drive gear, and a sprocket. The rotating shaft is rotatably disposed inside the hull. The drive gear and the sprocket are fixedly disposed side by side on the rotating shaft. The drive gear meshes with a rack on the lifting rod, and the sprocket meshes with the transmission chain.

[0012] Preferably, a left hinge seat is fixedly provided on the left side of the hull, and the left float is rotatably mounted on the left hinge seat via hinge shaft A. A right hinge seat is fixedly provided on the right side of the hull, and the right float is rotatably mounted on the right hinge seat via hinge shaft B.

[0013] Preferably, the right end of the left float is provided with a tooth A, and the left end of the right float is provided with a tooth B. A motor-driven retraction gear A is rotatably provided on the left side of the hull, and the retraction gear A meshes with the tooth A. A motor-driven retraction gear B is rotatably provided on the right side of the hull, and the retraction gear B meshes with the tooth B. When it is necessary to increase the ship's sailing speed, the motor drives the retraction gear A and the retraction gear B to rotate, so that the left float and the right float retract and fit against the side wall of the hull.

[0014] Preferably, a water pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the hull. This sensor converts seawater pressure into hull depth data, which is then sent to the controller. The controller determines the ship's draft based on the obtained depth data and adjusts the height of the left and right buoyant floats accordingly. Two power compartments are located on either side of the hull. A sliding seat A is installed in the power compartment on the left side, with a lifting drive rod A fixedly mounted on its upper part. A horizontal slider is fixedly connected to the lower end of the lifting drive rod A. The horizontal slider can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat A. A retractable gear A is rotatably mounted within the sliding seat A. The sliding seat A is fixedly connected to the left hinge seat, and a sliding plate A is fixedly mounted on the left hinge seat. The upper end of the left shock-absorbing spring is fixedly mounted on the sliding plate A. The hull is also provided with a left moving groove, and the sliding seat A can slide along the left moving groove. A sliding seat B is provided in the power compartment on the right side, and a lifting drive rod B is fixedly mounted on the upper part. The lower end of the lifting drive rod B is fixedly connected to a horizontal slider. The horizontal slider can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat B. The retracting gear B is rotatably mounted in the sliding seat B. The sliding seat B is fixedly connected to the right hinge seat. A sliding plate B is fixedly mounted on the right hinge seat. The upper end of the right shock-absorbing spring is fixedly mounted on the sliding plate B. The hull is also provided with a right moving groove, and the sliding seat B can slide along the right moving groove.

[0015] Preferably, the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on a lifting seat, which can slide up and down along the hull. A lifting drive rod C is also fixedly mounted inside the hull. The top end of the lifting drive rod C is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the lifting seat. When the height of the left and right floats is increased, the lifting drive rod C retracts, causing the rotating shaft to descend, making the lifting rod a telescopic rod. The telescopic rod is controlled to extend a certain distance, which is the amount of retraction of the lifting drive rod C. When the height of the left and right floats is decreased, the lifting drive rod C extends and the lifting rod shortens another certain distance, which is the amount of extension of the lifting drive rod C.

[0016] Preferably, both the left and right guide wheels are equipped with brake structures, so that the left and right camera modules will not rise or fall arbitrarily when the left and right floats are retracted and attached to the side wall of the hull.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0018] 1) The visual communication device for ships of the present invention takes into account that in addition to the turbulence during normal navigation, the swaying of ships will be aggravated if the waves are large or the wind is strong. If the camera is installed too high, this swaying will be amplified. Therefore, if the camera module is installed on the upper surface of the hull, the shooting range and angle of the camera module installed on the deck will be affected by the degree of ship swaying, causing the ship's edge to block the camera module's shooting and affecting the ship's visual operation. Therefore, the visual communication device of the present invention is designed to automatically rise and fall with the ship's swaying, so as to ensure that the unmanned ship can operate normally even when the waves are large or the wind is strong, so that the visual communication device automatically adapts to the ship.

[0019] 2) Furthermore, the ship visual communication device of the present invention can improve the situation when the ship rolls due to strong winds or waves by using a swing plate structure set on both sides of the ship. In addition to reducing the ship's roll, the swing plate structure can also transmit the ship's roll motion to the camera module, turning the ship's roll into a power structure for raising and lowering the camera module. When the ship rolls, the camera on the higher side of the ship is raised to prevent the camera's shooting angle from being blocked by the higher edge of the ship, while the camera on the lower side of the ship is lowered to reduce the degree of impact of the ship's roll on the camera. The setting of two cameras can make the shooting angle of each camera 180°, forming a 360° no-blind-spot shooting.

[0020] 3) Furthermore, the camera module of the present invention is supported by a thin-shell sphere with a counterweight at the bottom. The counterweight can adjust the camera module to a horizontal position in real time. Moreover, buffer and deceleration fluids are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the thin-shell sphere. When the thin-shell sphere needs to rotate due to the swaying of the ship, the fluids on the inner and outer surfaces of the thin-shell sphere will be squeezed. Since the fluid has a certain viscosity, the squeezed fluid will take a certain amount of time to flow to other places. Thus, when the thin-shell sphere rotates, it can reduce the impact of the ship's swaying on the camera module, and can prevent the ship's swaying from being directly transmitted to the camera module, thereby extending the service life of the camera module.

[0021] 4) Furthermore, the present invention also provides a water pressure sensor at the bottom of the hull, which can detect changes in the water depth of the ship in real time. When the water depth exceeds a certain value, it can determine that the ship has sailed to a navigation area where the draft has changed, and adjust the height of the swing plate structure and the length of the chain used in the swing plate structure in real time, so that the swing plate structure can adapt to different sea areas in real time, improve the usage environment of the ship's visual communication equipment, and expand the usage range of the communication equipment.

[0022] 5) Furthermore, the swing plate structure of the present invention uses a simple spring structure to absorb the energy of the ship's swaying. Its structure is simple, and the swing plate structure is in a retracted state when the ship is sailing, so as not to affect the ship's sailing speed. When the camera is being used, it is in an extended state. This can ensure that the ship's swaying is reduced and that the camera module can capture clear images. Moreover, in the event of strong winds or large waves, the swing plate structure can drive the camera module to perform corresponding lifting and lowering actions, so as to prevent the camera module from being blocked when the ship's swaying amplitude is too large. Compared with existing visual communication, it can capture more complete, comprehensive and clear images in the event of strong winds and large waves. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a front view of the ship's navigation according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a side view of the ship during navigation according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive wheel structure;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified view;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 BB cross-sectional view;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of communication equipment when a ship tilts.

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of C;

[0030] Figure 8 This is the second embodiment. Figure 2 A magnified view;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a front view of the ship visual communication equipment according to the third embodiment;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the control structure of the shipborne visual communication equipment of the present invention.

[0033] Label Explanation

[0034] 1. Hull; 2. Seawater; 3. Camera terminal; 4. Swing plate structure; 5. Left float; 6. Right float; 7. Left shock-absorbing spring; 8. Right shock-absorbing spring; 9. Drive chain; 10. Left guide wheel; 11. Right guide wheel; 12. Transparent cover; 13. Left camera module; 14. Right camera module; 15. Camera lifting drive module; 16. Rotating shaft; 17. Drive gear; 18. Sprocket; 19. Lifting rod; 20. Shock absorption module; 21. Camera; 22. Cylindrical base; 23. Extruded inner plate; 24. Extruded outer plate; 25. Thin-shell sphere; 26. Opening slot; 27. Counterweight; 28. Left hinge 29. Right hinge seat; 30. Hinge shaft A; 31. Hinge shaft B; 32. Convex tooth A; 33. Convex tooth B; 34. Retractable gear A; 35. Retractable gear B; 36. Outer buffer layer; 37. Inner buffer layer; 38. Water pressure sensor; 39. Sliding plate A; 40. Sliding seat A; 41. Lifting drive rod A; 42. Lifting drive rod C; 43. Sliding plate B; 44. Sliding seat B; 45. Lifting drive rod B; 46. Left sliding groove; 47. Right sliding groove; 48. Lens; 49. Left displacement groove; 50. Right displacement groove; 51. Power compartment; 52. Horizontal slider; 53. Drive wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any modifications or substitutions made based on the teachings of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0036] A type of visual communication equipment for ships, such as Figure 1-10 As shown, it includes a main controller, a camera terminal 3, a wireless transmission module, and a remote platform. The camera terminal 3 sends the captured images or videos to the main controller, which then transmits them to the remote platform via the wireless transmission module. Figure 1-7As shown, the camera terminal 3 is mounted on the hull 1, and swing plate structures 4 are provided on both sides of the hull 1. The camera terminal 3 includes two camera modules, namely a left camera module 13 and a right camera module 14. The left camera module 13 is used to capture images of the left side of the hull 1, and the right camera module 14 is used to capture images of the right side of the hull 1. The left camera module 13 and the right camera module 14 are slidably mounted inside the hull 1. A drive wheel 53 is rotatably mounted inside the hull 1. The right side and right side of the left camera module 13... The left side of the camera module 13 is engaged with the drive wheel 53. The swing plate structure 4 includes a left float 5, a right float 6, a left shock-absorbing spring 7, a right shock-absorbing spring 8, a transmission chain 9, a left guide wheel 10, and a right guide wheel 11. The right end of the left float 5 is rotatably mounted on the left side of the hull 1, and the left shock-absorbing spring 7 is located between the left float 5 and the left side of the hull 1. The left end of the right float 6 is rotatably mounted on the right side of the hull 1, and the right shock-absorbing spring 8 is located between the right float 6 and the right side of the hull 1. The left guide wheel 10 is rotatably mounted on the right side of the hull 1. The guide wheel 10 is rotatably mounted on the left side edge of the hull 1, and the right guide wheel 11 is rotatably mounted on the right side edge of the hull 1. One end of the transmission chain 9 is fixedly connected to the left end of the left float 5, and the other end of the transmission chain 9 passes sequentially around the left guide wheel 10, the drive wheel 53, and the right guide wheel 11 before being fixedly connected to the right end of the right float 6. When the hull sways significantly from side to side due to strong winds or large waves, the left shock-absorbing spring 7 and the right shock-absorbing spring 8 can reduce the swaying amplitude of the hull, and the left float 5 and the right float 6 can adapt to... The rotation of the seawater 2 causes the transmission chain 9 to slide left and right. The sliding transmission chain 9 causes the drive wheel 53 to rotate, thereby driving the left camera module 13 and the right camera module 14 to slide up and down along the hull 1. This allows the camera module closer to the raised side of the hull 1 to slide upwards, while the other camera module closer to the lowered side of the hull 1 slides downwards. This ensures that the shooting range of the camera modules is not blocked by the raised hull, and that the image or video information collected by the camera terminal is complete.

[0037] Preferably, such as Figure 2 , 4As shown in Figure 5, both the left camera module 13 and the right camera module 14 include a lifting rod 19, a camera vibration damping module 20, and a camera 21. A rack is provided on the side of the lifting rod 19 that meshes with the drive wheel 53. The camera vibration damping module 20 is fixedly mounted on the top of the lifting rod 19, and the camera 21 is fixedly mounted on the camera vibration damping module 20. The camera vibration damping module 20 includes a cylindrical base 22, an inner extrusion plate 23, an outer extrusion plate 24, and a thin-shell sphere. The body 25 has one end of the inner extrusion plate 23 fixedly disposed at the upper end of the cylindrical seat 22, and the other end of the inner extrusion plate 23 extending into the thin-shell sphere 25. The outer extrusion plate 24 is an annular plate, and it is fixedly connected to the upper end of the inner extrusion plate 23 and the cylindrical seat 22. The inner extrusion plate 24 is arranged around the outside of the thin-shell sphere 25. A counterweight 27 is fixedly disposed at the lower end of the thin-shell sphere 25, and the counterweight 27 enables the camera 21 to be in a horizontal state.

[0038] Preferably, an opening groove 26 is provided on the thin-shell sphere 25, and the extruded inner plate 23 extends into the thin-shell sphere 25 through the opening groove 26. The extruded inner plate 23 located inside the thin-shell sphere 25 is a circular plate, and the extruded inner plate 23 located in the opening groove 26 and outside the thin-shell sphere 25 is a strip plate, and the width of the strip plate is the same as the width of the opening groove 26.

[0039] Preferably, the lifting rods of the left camera module 13 and the right camera module 14 are slidably disposed within the hull 1 via the left sliding groove 46 and the right sliding groove 47, respectively.

[0040] Preferably, such as Figure 6 As shown, a left hinge 28 is fixedly installed on the left side of the hull 1, and the left float 5 is rotatably mounted on the left hinge seat 28 via hinge shaft A30. A right hinge seat 29 is fixedly installed on the right side of the hull 1, and the right float 6 is rotatably mounted on the right hinge seat 29 via hinge shaft B31.

[0041] Preferably, in order to adjust the ship's speed in seawater 2, the right end of the left float 5 is provided with a tooth A32, the left end of the right float 6 is provided with a tooth B33, a motor-driven retraction gear A34 is rotatably provided on the left side of the hull 1, the retraction gear A34 meshes with the tooth A32, and a motor-driven retraction gear B35 is rotatably provided on the right side of the hull 1, the retraction gear B35 meshes with the tooth B33. When it is necessary to increase the ship's speed, the motor drives the retraction gears A34 and B35 to rotate, so that the left float 5 and the right float 6 retract and fit against the side wall of the hull 1.

[0042] Preferably, such as Figure 3As shown, the drive wheel 53 includes a rotating shaft 16, a drive gear 17, and a sprocket 18. The rotating shaft 16 is rotatably disposed inside the hull 1. The drive gear 17 and the sprocket 18 are fixedly disposed side by side on the rotating shaft 16. The drive gear 17 meshes with the rack on the lifting rod 19, and the sprocket 18 meshes with the transmission chain 9.

[0043] Preferably, in order to ensure that the left and right camera modules 13 and 14 do not rise or fall arbitrarily when the left float 5 and right float 6 are retracted and attached to the side wall of the hull 1, a braking structure is provided at both the left guide wheel 10 and the right guide wheel 11. For example, a locking hole can be provided on the guide wheel and a telescopic pin can be provided on the hull. The guide wheel can be braked by the telescopic pin extending into the locking hole; or a clamping clamp can be provided to clamp the axle of the guide wheel to achieve braking. The specific braking structure is common knowledge in the art. As long as the rotation of the guide wheel can be locked, it is acceptable. This is not the focus of the present invention, so it will not be described in detail.

[0044] Preferably, such as Figure 8 As shown, to ensure that the camera 21 does not sway excessively when the ship rolls significantly, an inner buffer layer 37 and an outer buffer layer 36 are respectively provided on the inner and outer sides of the thin-shell sphere 25. Both the inner buffer layer 37 and the outer buffer layer 36 have a structure with a thin film on the outside and fluid filling the inside. The gap between the inner extrusion plate 23 and the outer pressure plate 24 is equal to the thickness of the thin-shell sphere 25. This arrangement ensures that when the thin-shell sphere 25 rotates, the inner and outer extrusion plates will compress the fluid, causing the fluid to flow within the thin film. As a result, the thin film deforms slowly, thus slowing down the rotation speed of the thin-shell sphere 25. This ensures that the camera 21 will not sway at a high frequency with the ship when subjected to swaying, extending the service life of the camera.

[0045] Preferably, the fluid is a high-viscosity fluid, such as oil. A high-viscosity fluid can make the film deform more slowly, ensuring that the image captured by the camera is clearer.

[0046] Preferably, the camera further includes a lens 48, with the lens 48 of the camera on the left camera module 13 facing the left side of the hull 1, and the lens 48 of the camera on the right camera module 14 facing the right side of the hull 1.

[0047] Preferably, such as Figure 9As shown, considering that the ship may pass through navigation areas with varying drafts during navigation, and the ship's draft will change significantly when passing through such areas, the positions of the port float 5 and the starboard float 6 in the seawater 2 will change. If the height of the port float 5 and the starboard float 6 is not adjusted accordingly, the lifting and lowering adjustment of the camera module will not accurately adapt to the ship's rolling. Therefore, a water pressure sensor 38 is installed at the bottom of the hull 1. The water pressure sensor 38 can convert the seawater pressure into depth data of the hull 1 and then send it to the controller. The controller determines the ship's draft based on the obtained depth data and adjusts the height of the port float 5 and the starboard float 6 accordingly.

[0048] Preferably, two power compartments 51 are respectively provided on both sides of the hull 1. A sliding seat A40 is provided in the power compartment 51 on the left side, and a lifting drive rod A41 is fixedly provided on the upper part. The lower end of the lifting drive rod A41 is fixedly connected to a horizontal slider 52. The horizontal slider 52 can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat A40. The retracting gear A34 is rotatably provided in the sliding seat A40. The sliding seat A40 is fixedly connected to the left hinge seat 28. A sliding plate A39 is fixedly provided on the left hinge seat 28. The upper end of the left shock-absorbing spring 7 is fixedly provided on the sliding plate A39. The hull 1 is also provided with a left moving groove 49. The sliding seat A40 can move along the left moving groove 49. The left moving groove 49 slides; a sliding seat B44 is provided in the power compartment 51 on the right side, and a lifting drive rod B45 is fixedly provided on the upper part. The lower end of the lifting drive rod B415 is fixedly connected to a horizontal slider 52. The horizontal slider 52 can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat B44. The retracting gear B35 is rotatably provided in the sliding seat B44. The sliding seat B44 is fixedly connected to the right hinge seat 29. A sliding plate B43 is fixedly provided on the right hinge seat 29. The upper end of the right shock-absorbing spring 8 is fixedly provided on the sliding plate B43. A right moving groove 50 is also provided on the hull 1, and the sliding seat B44 can slide along the right moving groove 50. Preferably, the horizontal slider 52 can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat A40. By setting a T-shaped slide rail at the lower end of the horizontal slider 52 and a T-shaped slide groove on the sliding seat A40, the horizontal slider 52 can only slide horizontally along the sliding seat A40 and cannot slide vertically relative to the sliding seat A40. The sliding seat B is also set to have the same structure as the sliding seat A40.

[0049] Preferably, the height of the left float 5 and the right float 6 is adjusted in the following manner: to lower the height of the left float 5 and the right float 6, the lifting drive rods A41 and B45 are extended, and the sliding seats A40 and B44 slide downward along the left moving groove 49 and the right moving groove 50, respectively; to raise the height of the left float 5 and the right float 6, the lifting drive rods A41 and B45 are shortened, and the sliding seats A40 and B44 slide upward along the left moving groove 49 and the right moving groove 50, respectively.

[0050] Preferably, to accommodate the height-adjustable left and right floats 5 and 6, the rotating shaft 16 is rotatably mounted on a lifting seat (not shown). This lifting seat can slide up and down along the hull 1. A lifting drive rod C42 is also fixedly installed inside the hull 1. The top end of the lifting drive rod C42 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the lifting seat. When the height of the left and right floats 5 and 6 is increased, to compensate for a loose transmission chain 9, the lifting drive rod C42 retracts, causing the rotating shaft 16 to descend, thus tightening the transmission chain 9 again. Simultaneously, to compensate for the camera's descent, the lifting rod 19 is a telescopic rod, extending a certain distance, which is the retraction amount of the lifting drive rod C42. Similarly, when the height of the left and right floats 5 and 6 is decreased, the lifting drive rod C42 extends and the lifting rod 19 shortens by a certain distance, which is the extension amount of the lifting drive rod C42. Preferably, the telescopic rod, lifting drive rod A, lifting drive rod B, and lifting drive rod C can be hydraulic telescopic rods or electric telescopic rods.

[0051] Preferably, the main controller is selected as a PLC or a microprocessor, and the wireless transmission module can be selected as an ST5801GB-G base station self-organizing network device or a COFDM mobile wireless video transmission device, or it can be selected as a 4G or 5G network.

[0052] Preferably, the controller is used to receive the detection data transmitted by the water pressure sensor. When the water pressure sensor transmits a change in the ship's draft from shallow to deep or from deep to shallow exceeding a certain value, the controller determines that the ship's draft has changed significantly and drives the telescopic rod, lifting drive rod A, lifting drive rod B, and lifting drive rod C to perform corresponding actions.

[0053] Preferably, the actions of the take-up and release gears A and B are also controlled by a controller.

[0054] Preferably, in order to ensure a good working environment for the camera, the camera terminal 3 also includes a transparent cover 12, which is placed on the deck of the hull 1, and the left camera module 13 and the right camera module 14 are located inside the transparent cover 12.

[0055] Preferably, the power supply unit (not shown in the figure) inside the ship can provide power and propulsion to various components. The ship's propulsion can be provided by the propulsion propeller. The specific power supply unit can be a storage battery, a solar cell, or be powered by the ship's power grid. These are common knowledge in the art and are not the focus of this application, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0056] To facilitate a clearer understanding of the shipborne visual communication device of the present invention by those skilled in the art, the working process of the shipborne visual communication device of the present invention is described as follows: When the hull 1 is sailing in seawater 2, if it is necessary to increase the hull's speed, the controller sends a signal to the motor controlling the retraction gears A34 and B35, causing the retraction gears A34 and B35 to rotate, retracting the left float 5 and right float 6. Simultaneously, the controller controls the braking mechanism of the left guide wheel 10 and right guide wheel 11 to engage, locking the left guide wheel 10 and right guide wheel 11. When reaching the destination and needing to perform filming operations, the controller lowers the left float 5 and right float 6, unlocks the left guide wheel 10 and right guide wheel 11, and the cameras on the left camera module 13 and right camera module 14 inside the transparent casing 12 begin filming. If strong winds or large waves are encountered during filming, causing the hull 1 to rock significantly, such as... Figure 6 As shown, when the hull is higher on the left and lower on the right, both the left float 5 and the right float 6 rotate counterclockwise, causing the transmission chain 9 to slide to the left. The transmission chain 9 drives the sprocket 18 to rotate counterclockwise, and the drive gear 17 also rotates counterclockwise with the sprocket 18. This causes the lifting rod 19 of the left camera module 13 to rise and the lifting rod 19 of the right camera module 14 to fall, ultimately raising the left camera module 13 and lowering the right camera module 14 to adapt to the left-high-right-low hull and prevent the raised left side of the hull from obstructing the camera of the left camera module 13. The shooting angle is adjusted so that the lowering of the right camera module 14 ensures that the shooting angle remains unaffected while also reducing the camera's height, thus preventing excessive camera sway. The cameras of the left and right camera modules 13 together provide 360° coverage, resulting in more complete and clearer images or videos transmitted from the ship. Preferably, the shooting angles of the left and right camera modules 13 and 14 can be 75°-180°, with 84, 94, 104, and 111 degrees being more preferred. Figure 9As shown, when the water pressure sensor 38 detects a change in the draft of the hull 1 exceeding a certain value (this specific value varies depending on the tonnage of the vessel, generally around 0.3-1 meter), the controller controls the lifting drive rods A, B, and C, and the telescopic rod to extend and retract accordingly, so that the left float 5 and right float 6 are once again positioned at the level of the seawater 2. Simultaneously, the transmission chain 9 is also engaged with the drive wheel 53. Figure 8 As shown, when the hull 1 is rocking, the camera placed on the camera damping module will eventually remain horizontal due to the sufficient weight of the counterweight 27. As the hull 1 continues to rock left and right, the inner and outer extrusion plates continuously compress the inner buffer layer 37 and outer buffer layer 36 located on both sides of the thin-shell sphere 25. The fluid in the buffer layer is continuously compressed and flows. Due to the viscosity of the fluid, the thin-shell sphere 25 will generate a certain amount of damping when rotating, preventing the camera from rocking rapidly left and right when the hull rocks at a high frequency, thus ensuring the safe operation of the camera.

Claims

1. A visual communication device for ships, comprising a main controller, a camera terminal (3), a wireless transmission module, and a remote platform, wherein the camera terminal (3) sends the captured images or videos to the main controller, and the main controller transmits them to the remote platform via the wireless transmission module; the camera terminal (3) is mounted on the hull (1), and a swing plate structure (4) is provided on both sides of the hull (1); characterized in that: The camera terminal (3) includes two camera modules, namely a left camera module (13) and a right camera module (14). The left camera module (13) is used to collect image or video data on the left side of the hull (1), and the right camera module (14) is used to collect image or video data on the right side of the hull (1). The left camera module (13) and the right camera module (14) are slidably disposed inside the hull (1). A drive wheel (53) is rotatably disposed inside the hull (1). The right side of the left camera module (13) and the left side of the right camera module (14) are respectively connected to the left camera module (14). The drive wheel (53) is engaged. The swing plate structure (4) includes a left float (5), a right float (6), a left shock-absorbing spring (7), a right shock-absorbing spring (8), a transmission chain (9), a left guide wheel (10), and a right guide wheel (11). The right end of the left float (5) is rotatably disposed on the left side of the hull (1). The left shock-absorbing spring (7) is disposed between the left float (5) and the left side of the hull (1). The left end of the right float (6) is rotatably disposed on the right side of the hull (1). The right shock-absorbing spring (8) is disposed between the right float (6) and the right side of the hull (1). The left guide wheel (10) is rotatably mounted on the left side edge of the hull (1), and the right guide wheel (11) is rotatably mounted on the right side edge of the hull (1). One end of the transmission chain (9) is fixedly connected to the left end of the left float (5), and the other end of the transmission chain (9) passes through the left guide wheel (10), the drive wheel (53), and the right guide wheel (11) in sequence before being fixedly connected to the right end of the right float (6). When the hull sways significantly from side to side due to strong winds or large waves, the left shock-absorbing spring (7) and the right shock-absorbing spring (8) can reduce the swaying amplitude of the hull. The left and right floating plates (5) and the right floating plate (6) can rotate to adapt to the seawater (2), driving the transmission chain (9) to slide left and right. The sliding transmission chain (9) causes the drive wheel (53) to rotate, thereby driving the left camera module (13) and the right camera module (14) to slide up and down along the hull (1). This allows the camera module closer to the side of the hull (1) that is raised to slide upwards, and the other camera module closer to the side of the hull (1) that is lowered to slide downwards, so as to ensure that the shooting range of the camera module is not blocked by the raised hull.

2. The visual communication device for ships as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the left camera module (13) and the right camera module (14) include a lifting rod (19), a camera damping module (20), and a camera (21). The lifting rod (19) has a rack on the side that meshes with the drive wheel (53). The camera damping module (20) is fixedly mounted on the top of the lifting rod (19), and the camera (21) is fixedly mounted on the camera damping module (20). The camera damping module (20) includes a cylindrical base (22) and an extruded inner plate (23). The extrusion outer plate (24) and the thin-shell sphere (25) are arranged. One end of the extrusion inner plate (23) is fixedly set at the upper end of the cylindrical seat (22), and the other end of the extrusion inner plate (23) extends into the thin-shell sphere (25). The extrusion outer plate (24) is an annular plate, and it is fixedly connected to the upper end of the extrusion inner plate (23) and the cylindrical seat (22). The extrusion outer plate (24) is arranged around the outside of the thin-shell sphere (25), and a counterweight (27) is fixedly set at the lower end of the thin-shell sphere (25).

3. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 2, characterized in that: An opening groove (26) is provided on the thin-shell sphere (25). The extruded inner plate (23) extends into the thin-shell sphere (25) through the opening groove (26). The extruded inner plate (23) located inside the thin-shell sphere (25) is a circular plate. The extruded inner plate (23) located in the opening groove (26) and outside the thin-shell sphere (25) is a strip plate, and the width of the strip plate is the same as the width of the opening groove (26).

4. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The inner and outer sides of the thin-shell sphere (25) are respectively provided with an inner buffer layer (37) and an outer buffer layer (36). The inner buffer layer (37) and the outer buffer layer (36) are both structures with a thin film on the outside and fluid filling inside. The gap between the inner extrusion plate (23) and the outer extrusion plate (24) is slightly greater than or equal to the thickness of the thin-shell sphere (25). This arrangement allows the inner and outer extrusion plates to extrude fluid when the thin-shell sphere (25) rotates, causing the fluid to flow in the thin film. As a result, the thin film deforms slowly, thus slowing down the rotation speed of the thin-shell sphere (25) and ensuring that the camera (21) will not sway at a high frequency with the hull when shaken.

5. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The drive wheel (53) includes a rotating shaft (16), a drive gear (17), and a sprocket (18). The rotating shaft (16) is rotatably disposed inside the hull (1). The drive gear (17) and the sprocket (18) are fixedly disposed side by side on the rotating shaft (16). The drive gear (17) meshes with the rack on the lifting rod (19), and the sprocket (18) meshes with the transmission chain (9).

6. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A left hinge seat (28) is fixedly installed on the left side of the hull (1), and the left float (5) is rotatably installed on the left hinge seat (28) via hinge shaft A (30). A right hinge seat (29) is fixedly installed on the right side of the hull (1), and the right float (6) is rotatably installed on the right hinge seat (29) via hinge shaft B (31).

7. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The right end of the left float (5) is provided with a tooth A (32), and the left end of the right float (6) is provided with a tooth B (33). A motor-driven retraction gear A (34) is rotatably provided on the left side of the hull (1), and the retraction gear A (34) meshes with the tooth A (32). A motor-driven retraction gear B (35) is rotatably provided on the right side of the hull (1), and the retraction gear B (35) meshes with the tooth B (33). When it is necessary to increase the speed of the ship, the motor drives the retraction gear A (34) and the retraction gear B (35) to rotate, so that the left float (5) and the right float (6) retract and fit against the side wall of the hull (1).

8. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 7, characterized in that: A water pressure sensor (38) is installed at the bottom of the hull (1). The water pressure sensor (38) can convert seawater pressure into depth data of the hull (1) and then send it to the controller. The controller determines the draft of the ship based on the obtained depth data and adjusts the height of the left float (5) and the right float (6). Two power compartments (51) are set on both sides of the hull (1). A sliding seat A (40) is set in the power compartment (51) on the left side. A lifting drive rod A (41) is fixedly set on the upper part. The lower end of the lifting drive rod A (41) is fixedly connected to a horizontal slider (52). The horizontal slider (52) can only slide horizontally along the upper end of the sliding seat A (40). The retracting gear A (34) is rotatably set in the sliding seat A (40). The sliding seat A (40) is fixedly connected to the left hinge seat (28). A sliding plate A (39) is fixedly set on the left hinge seat (28). The upper part of the left shock-absorbing spring (7) The end is fixedly mounted on the sliding plate A (39), and the hull (1) is also provided with a left moving groove (49), and the sliding seat A (40) can slide along the left moving groove (49); a sliding seat B (44) is provided in the power compartment (51) on the right side, and a lifting drive rod B (45) is fixedly mounted on the upper part. The lower end of the lifting drive rod B (45) is fixedly connected to a horizontal slider (52), and the horizontal slider (52) can only move along the upper end of the sliding seat B (44). The horizontal sliding mechanism is such that the retracting gear B (35) is rotatably disposed within the sliding seat B (44), the sliding seat B (44) is fixedly connected to the right hinge seat (29), a sliding plate B (43) is fixedly disposed on the right hinge seat (29), the upper end of the right shock-absorbing spring (8) is fixedly disposed on the sliding plate B (43), and a right moving groove (50) is also provided on the hull (1), and the sliding seat B (44) can slide along the right moving groove (50).

9. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The rotating shaft (16) is rotatably mounted on a lifting seat, which can slide up and down along the hull (1). A lifting drive rod C (42) is also fixedly mounted inside the hull (1). The top end of the lifting drive rod C (42) is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the lifting seat. When the height of the left float (5) and the right float (6) is increased, the lifting drive rod C (42) retracts, causing the rotating shaft (16) to descend, making the lifting rod (19) a telescopic rod. The telescopic rod is controlled to extend a certain distance, which is the amount of retraction of the lifting drive rod C (42). When the height of the left float (5) and the right float (6) is decreased, the lifting drive rod C (42) extends and the lifting rod (19) shortens by another certain distance, which is the amount of extension of the lifting drive rod C (42).

10. A visual communication device for ships as described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: Braking structures are provided at both the left guide wheel (10) and the right guide wheel (11) so that the left camera module (13) and the right camera module (14) will not rise or fall arbitrarily when the left float plate (5) and the right float plate (6) are closed and attached to the side wall of the hull (1).

Images