Integrated control system, control method and electronic device for ship navigation signal lights

Abstract

The application provides a kind of integrated control system, control method and electronic equipment of ship navigation signal light, integrated control system includes: man-machine interaction unit, gateway communication unit and centralized control unit, gateway communication unit is configured to access ship backbone network, and receives the light switching type external collaborative control instruction from ship automatic driving system through ship backbone network, programmable logic controller module is built in gateway communication unit;Centralized control unit is configured to: obtain local control instruction and / or external collaborative control instruction, generate light driving signal after analyzing and processing two kinds of instructions, and output light driving signal to navigation signal light group, to control the light emitting state of corresponding lamp in navigation signal light group;Wherein, when receiving upgrade instruction, centralized control unit executes online update to light control program in application software area through guide program area.The application integrates ship light, realizes interconnection, and intelligently reduces maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent electrical control technology for ships, and more specifically, to an integrated control system, control method, and electronic equipment for ship navigation signal lights. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, existing ship navigation lights and signal lights are set up in two separate electrical control boxes, with a large number of physical switches, indicator lights and wiring harnesses. There is no interconnection between the various electrical systems, which makes it impossible to cooperate with the ship's automatic driving operation. The hardware and software of the electrical control unit are deeply integrated, making it difficult to iterate and expand. The equipment production and maintenance costs are relatively high, the components in the wheelhouse are complicated, and there are many points of circuit failure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related art.

[0004] Therefore, the first aspect of the present invention proposes an integrated control system for ship navigation lights.

[0005] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling ship navigation lights.

[0006] A third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium.

[0007] The fourth aspect of this application proposes an electronic device.

[0008] In view of this, the first aspect of the present invention provides an integrated control system for ship navigation lights. The integrated control system includes: a human-machine interface unit, a gateway communication unit, and a centralized control unit. The human-machine interface unit is configured to receive local control commands. The gateway communication unit is configured to access the ship's backbone network and receive external cooperative control commands for signal switching from the ship's autopilot system via the ship's backbone network. The gateway communication unit has a built-in programmable logic controller module for data protocol conversion between the ship's backbone network and the centralized control unit. The centralized control unit is communicatively connected to both the human-machine interface unit and the gateway communication unit, and is configured to be electrically connected to the navigation light group. The centralized control unit has a built-in microprocessor, and the microprocessor's storage space is divided into an independent boot program area and an application software area. The centralized control unit is configured to: acquire local control commands and / or external cooperative control commands; parse and process the two types of commands based on preset control logic in the application software area to generate a signal drive signal; and output the signal drive signal to the navigation light group to control the illumination state of the corresponding lights in the navigation light group. When receiving an upgrade command, the centralized control unit performs an online update of the signal control program in the application software area via the boot program area.

[0009] This application utilizes the entire hardware and layered software architecture of the integrated control system for ship navigation lights. By setting up a human-machine interface unit, a gateway communication unit, and a centralized control unit to handle three functions—local command reception, cross-network protocol conversion, and centralized computing and driving—it integrates two independent navigation light control boxes and two independent signal light control boxes into a single centralized control unit for unified management of the navigation light group. The gateway communication unit has a built-in programmable logic controller module to complete the data protocol conversion between the ship's backbone network and the centralized control unit, enabling the system to receive external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching issued by the ship's autopilot system. The centralized control unit contains a microprocessor with independently divided boot program and application software areas. Based on the preset control logic in the application software area, it uniformly parses local control commands and external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching, generates signal light driving signals, and outputs them to the navigation light group to complete the control of the lights. Simultaneously, it integrates... When the central control unit receives an upgrade command, it can complete the online update of the signal light control program in the application software area by relying on the boot program area. The entire architecture eliminates the problems of component redundancy, complicated wiring harnesses, high overall ship weight, and frequent line failures caused by the coexistence of multiple independent electrical control devices in traditional distributed signal light systems from the hardware level. It opens up the data interaction channel between the signal light system and the ship's autopilot system by relying on the ship's backbone network, solving the technical shortcomings of the signal light system in supporting intelligent and automatic navigation of ships. The microprocessor dual-partition storage architecture realizes the complete decoupling of ship signal light control hardware and signal light control software, breaking the limitations of deep hardware and software binding of traditional ship electrical control units, inability to iterate and optimize online, and high maintenance and transformation costs. The entire integrated architecture simultaneously reduces the comprehensive cost of ship signal light system production, manufacturing, daily management, and fault repair throughout the entire life cycle, and simplifies the layout of electrical components on the ship's bridge, adapting to the intelligent navigation upgrade and transformation needs of various cargo and ocean-going vessels.

[0010] The integrated control system for ship navigation lights is an integrated electronic control device that integrates all functions of light control, status monitoring, network interconnection, and program upgrades. The human-machine interface (HMI) unit is a set of interactive hardware devices located on the ship's bridge, used to receive local control commands issued manually by crew members. Local control commands are manual operation commands issued by crew members through the HMI unit to control the lighting and extinguishing of lights within the navigation light group. The gateway communication unit is a hardware unit responsible for network protocol conversion and cross-system data forwarding. The ship's backbone network is a main communication network laid throughout the ship, carrying the data interaction between the ship's autopilot system and various equipment electronic control units. External collaborative control commands for light switching are automatically generated by the ship's autopilot system based on the ship's navigation position and navigation conditions, used to adjust the working status of the navigation light group's lights. The ship's autopilot system is a shipboard upper-level intelligent control system with functions of route planning, navigation condition judgment, and automatic navigation control. The programmable logic controller (PLC) module is industrial-grade digital control hardware with multi-communication protocol parsing and data relay functions. The centralized control unit is the core computing and signal driving hardware device of the entire integrated control system. The navigation signal light assembly is a complete set of lights and signal lamps required for ship navigation. The microprocessor is the core processing chip within the centralized control unit, responsible for instruction parsing, logical operations, signal output, and program verification. The boot program area is a separate partition within the microprocessor's storage space, storing only the underlying boot program for loading, upgrading, and verifying the program. The application software area is another separate partition within the microprocessor's storage space, specifically storing all the control logic programs for the navigation signal lights. The signal light control program, stored in the application software area, is the functional software used to parse various control commands and generate signal light drive signals. The upgrade command is the operational command used to trigger online updates to the signal light control program. The signal light drive signal is an electrical control signal generated by the centralized control unit based on the control logic, used to drive the lights within the navigation signal light assembly to switch on and off.

[0011] This application utilizes three core hardware components independently set within the integrated control system of ship navigation lights: a human-machine interface unit, a gateway communication unit, and a centralized control unit. The human-machine interface unit continuously receives local control commands from the crew. The gateway communication unit continuously connects to the ship's backbone network, relying on its internal programmable logic controller (PLC) module to perform bidirectional conversion between the ship's backbone network communication protocol and the internal communication protocol of the centralized control unit. It also continuously receives external coordinated control commands such as signal light switching from the ship's autopilot system. The centralized control unit simultaneously establishes communication connections with the human-machine interface unit and the gateway communication unit, and completes electrical connections with the navigation light group. The centralized control unit is equipped with a microprocessor, which stores... The space is rigidly divided into an independent guidance program area and an application software area. The centralized control unit continuously acquires one or both types of instruction data from local control commands and external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching. It calls the preset control logic in the application software area to uniformly parse and process the two types of commands, generates corresponding signal light drive signals based on the parsing results, and directly outputs the signal light drive signals to the navigation signal light group. This allows for precise control of the illumination status of each corresponding light in the navigation signal light group. When the centralized control unit receives an upgrade command from the outside, it automatically calls the underlying guidance program in the guidance program area and completes the online update operation of the signal light control program in the application software area based on the underlying guidance program. The entire implementation process first addresses the problems of numerous electrical control components, complex wiring, increased ship weight, and more potential fault points caused by the existing technology of having two independent control boxes for navigation lights and signal lights. A single centralized control unit replaces two independent boxes, directly reducing the number of ECUs, physical switches, and matching wiring harnesses required for the entire ship, simplifying the construction process for ship electrical installations. Secondly, relying on the programmable logic controller module of the gateway communication unit, it establishes a data transmission link between the signal light system and the ship's autopilot system, enabling cross-device information sharing between the autopilot system and the signal light system, thus overcoming the shortcomings of traditional distributed signal light systems in supporting automated navigation. Finally, relying on the partitioned storage architecture of the microprocessor boot program area and application software area, it completely separates the signal light control hardware and software, allowing online updates of the signal light control program without disassembling the centralized control unit hardware. This solves the technical pain points of traditional ship electrical control units, such as deep hardware and software binding, the need for complete hardware replacement for functional iteration, long maintenance and modification cycles, and high costs. It also reduces the overall cost of the entire process of ship signal light system production, operation, maintenance, and modification, and optimizes the neatness of the electrical component layout on the ship's bridge.

[0012] In some technical solutions of this application, the human-machine interaction unit includes: a touch display module configured to display the working status information of the navigation signal light group and receive soft switch touch commands; a controller local area network communication switch module configured to receive hard switch trigger commands; and a centralized control unit configured to parse the soft switch touch commands and hard switch trigger commands respectively to generate corresponding signal light driving signals.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the human-machine interface unit is a complete set of interactive hardware devices arranged on the ship's bridge to receive local control commands manually issued by the crew; the touch display module is a display screen hardware with touch operation and screen display functions installed inside the human-machine interface unit; the soft switch touch command is the lighting control command issued by the crew through the virtual buttons on the touch display module screen; the controller local area network communication switch module is a physical button switch assembly designed based on the controller local area network communication standard inside the human-machine interface unit; and the hard switch trigger command is the lighting control command issued by the crew by pressing the physical button of the controller local area network communication switch module.

[0014] Based on the integrated control system of ship navigation lights, this solution further defines the human-machine interaction unit as including two types of interactive hardware: a touch display module and a controller LAN communication switch module. The touch display module continuously displays all working status information of the navigation light group and receives soft switch touch commands generated by crew members. The controller LAN communication switch module receives physical button presses by crew members to generate hard switch trigger commands. The centralized control unit separately parses the soft switch touch commands and hard switch trigger commands, and generates matching light drive signals for the two types of commands from different sources. The entire implementation process adopts a dual-channel manual interaction mode combining hardware and software, distinguishing between two usage scenarios: high-frequency emergency operation and regular operation. The physical buttons of the controller's LAN communication switch module ensure the response speed and operational reliability of emergency lights under harsh navigation conditions. The virtual soft switch of the touch display module replaces a large number of discrete physical indicator lights and small physical switches, significantly reducing the number of electrical components inside the ship's bridge, simplifying the bridge panel structure, and reducing the probability of failure due to aging of physical switches and loose wiring over long-term use. At the same time, the processing logic of the dual-channel command parsing can independently identify the two types of manual input: screen operation and physical button operation, avoiding mutual interference between the two types of manual command signals and improving the accuracy of light control command recognition.

[0015] In some technical solutions of this application, the touch display module integrates a signal light soft switch control, a signal light working status indicator interface, and a fault alarm prompt interface, which are used to realize the touch start / stop of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group, the visual display of working status, and the early warning prompt of operating faults.

[0016] In the aforementioned technical solution, this application, based on the hardware architecture of the human-machine interaction unit, further defines the touch display module to integrate three types of visual interface components: a navigation light soft switch control, a navigation light working status indicator interface, and a fault alarm prompt interface. These three interfaces independently handle the functions of touch-based start / stop control of the corresponding navigation signal lights, visual display of working status, and early warning prompts for operational faults. Crew members issue soft switch touch commands through the navigation light soft switch control, and the navigation light working status indicator interface synchronously displays the current operating status of each light in real time. When the system detects a light fault, it automatically displays the corresponding fault prompt content on the fault alarm prompt interface. This application integrates all separate physical switches, separate status indicator lights, and separate fault alarm buzzers into a single touch screen, eliminating numerous small, separate electrical components on the bridge, optimizing the bridge's operating space layout, and allowing crew members to view the operating status of all navigation signals at once on a single display interface. When a fault occurs, the interface directly locates the faulty light name, eliminating the need for crew members to check each scattered physical indicator light individually, significantly reducing the time spent on fault diagnosis and handling, and simultaneously reducing the number of wiring harnesses for separate indicator lights, thus lowering the probability of line faults.

[0017] In some technical solutions of this application, the controller LAN communication switch module reserves a hardware function expansion interface, which is used to access the newly added traffic light control switch function and support the expansion and iteration of system functions.

[0018] In the above technical solution, the controller LAN communication switch module reserves a hardware function expansion interface. This interface is used to connect newly added signal light control switch functions, supporting system function expansion and iteration. Specifically, this solution reserves a hardware function expansion interface within the controller LAN communication switch module itself. This interface is compatible with the controller LAN communication standard. New signal light control switch hardware can be directly connected to this interface to complete the wiring connection. The connection operation does not require disassembling the internal circuitry of the controller LAN communication switch module, nor does it require re-laying the existing transmission harness on the ship's bridge. Only the signal light control program stored in the application software area of ​​the centralized control unit needs to be updated synchronously to complete the deployment of the new lighting control function. During long-term operation, ships may need to add various navigation auxiliary lights. If the corresponding control functions for these lights need to be implemented, the reserved hardware function expansion interface can facilitate the adaptation and modification. The modification process only involves the connection operation between the new switch hardware and the interface; it does not require replacing the entire set of switch hardware or extensively adjusting the ship's electrical wiring. This reduces material procurement costs during the modification phase, shortens the time required for port modifications, and extends the service life of the controller LAN communication switch module.

[0019] In some technical solutions of this application, the controller local area network communication switch module includes an independent main hard switch module and a backup hard switch module; the centralized control unit is configured to automatically switch to the backup hard switch module when a communication interruption fault is detected in the main hard switch module, and continuously receive hard switch trigger commands.

[0020] In the above technical solution, the controller area network (CAN) communication switch module includes an independent primary hard switch module and a backup hard switch module. The centralized control unit is configured to automatically switch to the backup hard switch module when a communication interruption fault is detected in the primary hard switch module, and continuously receive hard switch trigger commands. This application internally divides the CAN communication switch module into an independent primary hard switch module and a backup hard switch module. The centralized control unit continuously monitors the communication status of the primary hard switch module and verifies the data transmission link between the primary hard switch module and the centralized control unit in real time. The monitoring process is uninterrupted. Once a communication interruption is detected, the centralized control unit automatically switches the data transmission link to the backup hard switch module. The link switching process requires no manual operation, and data reception is not interrupted. Ship navigation environments include salt spray and hull vibration, which can cause corrosion and loosening of electrical terminals. A broken communication link can affect the control path of the lights corresponding to the physical buttons. The two independent hard switch modules form a hardware redundancy architecture. When a single communication link fails, the system can switch to the backup path to receive command transmission, ensuring that the safety lights corresponding to the physical buttons can be operated normally, reducing the operational risks caused by the failure of the light control path during navigation.

[0021] In some technical solutions of this application, the centralized control unit is configured to perform priority conflict fusion processing on local control commands and external collaborative control commands; when the two types of commands cause control conflicts for the same lamp, the local control command issued by the human-machine interaction unit is set as the highest priority and executed first.

[0022] In the above technical solution, this application deploys priority conflict fusion processing logic within the centralized control unit. When the centralized control unit receives two types of control commands simultaneously, it identifies the corresponding lighting objects. If both types of commands target the same lighting fixture and the command actions differ, the centralized control unit determines the local control command issued by the human-machine interface unit as the execution basis, generating only the signal light drive signal based on the local control command, while the other type of external collaborative control command is temporarily suspended. During ship navigation, the ship's autopilot system generates lighting adjustment commands based on the preset route. The real-time navigation environment on the sea surface cannot be fully covered by the route data. The simultaneous issuance of both types of commands will cause frequent switching of lighting status. Filtering commands according to preset priorities can unify the operating status of lighting fixtures, reduce the frequency of lighting fixture start-up and shutdown, and ensure that the operation commands issued by on-site personnel have execution authority, matching ship navigation control regulations.

[0023] In some technical solutions of this application, the centralized control unit is also equipped with a status monitoring module; the status monitoring module is configured to collect the operating current and operating voltage data of each lamp in the navigation signal light group in real time, compare the collected data with the preset normal operation threshold, and determine whether the corresponding lamp has an open circuit or short circuit operation fault; when it is determined that the lamp has a fault, the centralized control unit generates a fault alarm signal and sends the fault alarm signal to the human-machine interaction unit for visual early warning prompt.

[0024] In the above technical solution, this application incorporates a status monitoring module within the centralized control unit. This module continuously collects the operating current and voltage of each lamp circuit in the navigation signal light group. The collected values ​​are compared with the system's internally stored normal operating thresholds. Based on deviations from the thresholds, two types of equipment faults are distinguished: open circuit and faulty equipment. Upon fault determination, the centralized control unit generates a fault alarm signal, which is then transmitted to the human-machine interface unit for visual notification. Lamp malfunctions cannot be identified in advance solely by the lamp's illumination status. Circuit electrical parameters can reflect hidden problems such as filament aging and insulation damage. Continuous sampling and comparison enable all-weather fault screening. Fault information is directly pushed to the interactive interface, eliminating the need for personnel to board the ship one by one to inspect the lamp circuits, thus shortening the time required for fault location and repair, and preventing sudden lamp failures during navigation.

[0025] The second aspect of this invention provides a control method for ship navigation lights, applied to a centralized control unit in an integrated control system for ship navigation lights as described in any of the above technical solutions. The control method includes: acquiring instruction data, including local control instructions input via a human-machine interface unit and external collaborative control instructions for light switching from the ship's autopilot system received via a gateway communication unit; performing dual-channel parallel parsing on the touch channel corresponding to the touch display module and the hard switch channel corresponding to the controller local area network communication switch module based on preset control logic, and synchronously fusing and processing the external collaborative control instructions to generate corresponding light driving signals; outputting the light driving signals to the navigation light group electrically connected to the centralized control unit to control the lighting or extinguishing of target lights in the navigation light group; collecting the working status data of each light in the navigation light group and feeding back the working status data and fault judgment results to the human-machine interface unit for display and alarm prompts; and, upon receiving an upgrade instruction, completing the online update of the light control program in the application software area through the microprocessor's boot program area.

[0026] The control method provided in this application sets up a complete ship navigation signal light control execution process. The process relies on a centralized control unit to complete all operation steps. The first step is to acquire instruction data, which includes local control instructions output by the human-machine interface unit and external collaborative control instructions forwarded by the gateway communication unit. The second step is to perform dual-channel parallel parsing, processing the touch channel data corresponding to the touch display module and the hard switch channel data corresponding to the controller LAN communication switch module, and simultaneously fusing the external collaborative control instructions to generate the signal light drive signal. The third step is to transmit the signal light drive signal to the navigation signal light group electrically connected to the centralized control unit to adjust the target light's on / off state. The fourth step is to continuously collect the light's operating current and operating voltage data, and after fault determination, push the operating data and fault prompts to the human-machine interface unit. The fifth step is to call the underlying program in the microprocessor's internal boot program area to complete the online update of the signal light control program in the application software area when an upgrade command is received. Each step of the entire process corresponds to an internal hardware unit of the system. There is no pure computational logic that is detached from the physical electrical control equipment. It simultaneously covers four types of operational needs: manual operation, intelligent collaboration, fault detection, and program iteration. The multi-channel parallel processing method can simultaneously process multiple input commands, adapting to the operational scenario of simultaneous management and control of multiple lights on a ship.

[0027] A third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method described above. Therefore, the computer-readable storage medium possesses all the beneficial effects of the control method described above.

[0028] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the control method described in the above-described technical solution. Therefore, the above-described electronic device possesses all the beneficial effects of the control method described in the above-described technical solution.

[0029] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0030] 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:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an integrated control system for ship navigation signal lights according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the touch control process for a masthead light according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the local area network switch control flow of the left flash controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a controller local area network communication switch module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the operation interface of a touch display module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a distributed control method for ship signal lights according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of a local area network switch control method for a left flash controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the steps of a method for controlling ship navigation lights according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure label:

[0041] 100 Integrated control system, 110 Human-machine interaction unit, 112 Touch display module, 120 Controller area network communication switch module, 122 Hardware function expansion interface, 124 Main hard switch module, 126 Backup hard switch module, 130 Gateway communication unit, 132 Programmable logic controller module, 140 Centralized control unit, 142 Microprocessor, 144 Status monitoring module, 150 Navigation signal light group, 160 Light soft switch control, 162 Light working status indication interface, 164 Fault alarm prompt interface. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0043] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0044] The following reference Figures 1 to 9An integrated control system, control method, and electronic device for ship navigation signal lights according to some embodiments of the present invention are described.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of this application provides an integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights. The integrated control system 100 includes: a human-machine interface unit 110, a gateway communication unit 130, and a centralized control unit 140. The human-machine interface unit 110 is configured to receive local control commands; the gateway communication unit 130 is configured to access the ship's backbone network and receive external cooperative control commands such as signal light switching commands from the ship's autopilot system through the ship's backbone network. The gateway communication unit 130 has a built-in programmable logic controller module 132 for data protocol conversion between the ship's backbone network and the centralized control unit 140; the centralized control unit 140 communicates with both the human-machine interface unit 110 and the gateway communication unit 130. The system has a communication connection and is configured to be electrically connected to the navigation signal light group 150. The centralized control unit 140 has a built-in microprocessor 142, and the storage space of the microprocessor 142 is divided into an independent boot program area and an application software area. The centralized control unit 140 is configured to: acquire local control commands and / or external cooperative control commands; parse and process the two types of commands based on the preset control logic in the application software area to generate a signal light driving signal; and output the signal light driving signal to the navigation signal light group 150 to control the illumination state of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group 150. When the centralized control unit 140 receives an upgrade command, it performs an online update of the signal light control program in the application software area through the boot program area.

[0046] This application utilizes the entire hardware and layered software architecture of the integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights. By setting up a human-machine interface unit 110, a gateway communication unit 130, and a centralized control unit 140, each responsible for local command reception, cross-network protocol conversion, and centralized computation and driving functions respectively, the system integrates two independent navigation light control boxes and two independent signal light control boxes into a single centralized control unit 140 to uniformly manage the navigation signal light group 150. The gateway communication unit 130 has a built-in programmable logic controller module 132 to complete the data protocol conversion between the ship's backbone network and the centralized control unit 140, enabling the system to receive external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching issued by the ship's autopilot system. The centralized control unit 140 is equipped with a microprocessor 142 divided into an independent boot program area and an application software area. Based on the preset control logic in the application software area, it uniformly parses local control commands and external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching, and generates signal light driving signals to output to the navigation lights. The light assembly 150 completes the control of the lights, while the centralized control unit 140, upon receiving an upgrade command, can update the signal light control program in the application software area online using the boot program area. The entire architecture eliminates the problems of component redundancy, complex wiring harnesses, high overall ship weight, and frequent line faults caused by the coexistence of multiple independent electrical control devices in traditional distributed signal light systems from the hardware level. It establishes a data interaction channel between the signal light system and the ship's autopilot system by relying on the ship's backbone network, solving the technical shortcomings of the signal light system in supporting intelligent and automatic navigation of ships. The dual-partition storage architecture of the microprocessor 142 completely decouples the ship's signal light control hardware and software, breaking the limitations of deep hardware and software binding, inability to iterate and optimize online, and high maintenance and modification costs of traditional ship electrical control units. The entire integrated architecture simultaneously reduces the comprehensive cost of the ship's signal light system throughout its entire lifecycle of production, manufacturing, daily management, and fault repair, while simplifying the layout of electrical components on the ship's bridge, adapting to the intelligent navigation upgrade and transformation needs of various cargo and ocean-going vessels.

[0047] The integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights is an integrated electronic control device that integrates all functions of light control, status monitoring, network interconnection, and program upgrades. The human-machine interface unit 110 is a complete set of interactive hardware devices located on the ship's bridge, used to receive local control commands issued manually by the crew. Local control commands are manual operation commands issued by the crew through the human-machine interface unit 110 to control the lighting and extinguishing of lights within the navigation light group 150. The gateway communication unit 130 is a hardware unit responsible for network protocol conversion and cross-system data forwarding. The ship's backbone network is a main communication network laid throughout the ship, carrying the data interaction between the ship's autopilot system and various equipment electronic control units. External collaborative control commands for light switching are automatically generated by the ship's autopilot system based on the ship's navigation position and navigation conditions, used to adjust the working status of the navigation light group 150 lights. The ship's autopilot system is an upper-level intelligent control system on board with functions of route planning, navigation condition judgment, and automatic ship navigation control. The programmable logic controller module 132 is an industrial-grade digital control hardware with multi-communication protocol parsing and data relay functions. The centralized control unit 140 is the core computing and signal driving hardware device of the entire integrated control system 100. The navigation signal light group 150 is the assembly of all navigation lights and signal lights required for ship navigation. The microprocessor 142 is the core computing chip within the centralized control unit 140, responsible for instruction parsing, logical operations, signal output, and program verification. The boot program area is an independently partitioned storage space within the microprocessor 142, storing only the program loading and upgrade verification of the underlying boot program. The application software area is an independently partitioned storage space within the microprocessor 142, specifically storing all control logic programs for the navigation signal lights. The signal light control program, stored in the application software area, is functional software used to parse various control commands and generate signal light drive signals. The upgrade command is the operation command used to trigger online updates of the signal light control program. The signal light drive signal is an electrical control signal generated by the centralized control unit 140 based on the control logic, used to drive the lights inside the navigation signal light group 150 to switch on and off.

[0048] This application utilizes three core hardware components independently set within the integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights: a human-machine interface unit 110, a gateway communication unit 130, and a centralized control unit 140. The human-machine interface unit 110 continuously receives local control commands from the crew. The gateway communication unit 130 continuously connects to the ship's backbone network, relying on its internally mounted programmable logic controller module 132 to perform bidirectional conversion between the ship's backbone network communication protocol and the internal communication protocol of the centralized control unit 140, and continuously receives external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching from the ship's autopilot system. The centralized control unit 140 simultaneously establishes communication connections with the human-machine interface unit 110 and the gateway communication unit 130, and completes electrical connections with the navigation light group 150. The centralized control unit 140 is equipped with a microprocessor. The processor 142's storage space is rigidly divided into an independent boot program area and an application software area. The centralized control unit 140 continuously acquires one or both types of instruction data from local control instructions and external collaborative control instructions such as signal light switching. It calls the preset control logic in the application software area to uniformly parse and process the two types of instructions, generates corresponding signal light drive signals based on the parsing results, and directly outputs the signal light drive signals to the navigation signal light group 150. This precisely controls the lighting state of each corresponding light in the navigation signal light group 150. When the centralized control unit 140 receives an upgrade command from the outside, it automatically calls the underlying boot program in the boot program area and completes the online update operation of the signal light control program in the application software area based on the underlying boot program. The entire implementation process first addresses the problems of numerous electrical control components, complex wiring, increased ship weight, and more potential fault points caused by the existing technology of having two independent control boxes for navigation lights and signal lights. A single centralized control unit 140 replaces two independent boxes, directly reducing the number of ECUs, physical switches, and matching wiring harnesses required for the entire ship, simplifying the construction process of ship electrical wiring. Secondly, relying on the programmable logic controller module 132 of the gateway communication unit 130, the data transmission link between the signal light system and the ship's autopilot system is established, enabling cross-device information sharing between the ship's autopilot system and the signal light system, thus overcoming the shortcomings of traditional distributed signal light systems in supporting automated navigation. Finally, relying on the partitioned storage architecture of the microprocessor 142's boot program area and application software area, the signal light control hardware and software are completely separated. Online updates of the signal light control program can be completed without disassembling the centralized control unit 140 hardware, solving the technical pain points of deep hardware and software binding in traditional ship electrical control units, the need for overall hardware replacement for function iteration, long maintenance and modification cycles, and high costs. This simultaneously reduces the overall cost of the entire process of ship signal light system production, operation, maintenance, and modification, and optimizes the neatness of the layout of electrical components on the ship's bridge.

[0049] In one embodiment, the integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights is equipped with an independent power supply and voltage stabilization module. The voltage stabilization module provides tiered and stable power supply to the human-machine interface unit 110, the gateway communication unit 130, the centralized control unit 140, and the navigation light group 150. The ship's backbone network adopts an industrial bus communication medium. The programmable logic controller module 132 is compatible with both the controller local area network communication protocol and the ship's backbone network backbone communication protocol. The boot program area of ​​the microprocessor 142 is equipped with program verification and encryption logic. When updating the signal light control program online, the integrity of the upgrade data packet is automatically verified. If the verification fails, the data packet is refused to be written to the application software area, thus avoiding system downtime caused by upgrade failure and improving system stability.

[0050] In some embodiments of this application, the human-machine interaction unit 110 includes: a touch display module 112, configured to display the working status information of the navigation signal light group 150 and receive soft switch touch commands; a controller local area network communication switch module 120, configured to receive hard switch trigger commands; and a centralized control unit 140 configured to parse the soft switch touch commands and hard switch trigger commands respectively to generate corresponding signal light driving signals.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the human-machine interface unit 110 is a set of interactive hardware devices arranged on the ship's bridge for receiving local control commands manually issued by the crew; the touch display module 112 is a display screen hardware with touch operation and screen display functions installed inside the human-machine interface unit 110; the soft switch touch command is a lighting control command issued by the crew through the virtual buttons on the touch display module 112 screen; the controller local area network communication switch module 120 is a physical button switch assembly designed based on the controller local area network communication standard inside the human-machine interface unit 110; the hard switch trigger command is a lighting control command issued by the crew by pressing the physical button of the controller local area network communication switch module 120.

[0052] Based on the integrated control system 100 for ship navigation lights, this solution further defines the human-machine interaction unit 110 to include two types of interactive hardware: a touch display module 112 and a controller local area network communication switch module 120. The touch display module 112 continuously displays all working status information of the navigation light group 150 and receives soft switch touch commands generated by crew members. The controller local area network communication switch module 120 receives hard switch trigger commands generated by crew members pressing physical buttons. The centralized control unit 140 separately parses the soft switch touch commands and hard switch trigger commands, and generates matching light drive signals for the two types of commands from different sources. The entire implementation process adopts a dual-channel manual interaction mode combining hardware and software, distinguishing between two usage scenarios: high-frequency emergency operation and regular operation. The controller LAN communication switch module 120 physical buttons ensure the response speed and operational reliability of emergency lights under harsh navigation conditions. The touch display module 112 virtual soft switches replace a large number of discrete physical indicator lights and small physical switches, significantly reducing the number of electrical components inside the ship's bridge, simplifying the bridge panel structure, and reducing the probability of failure due to aging of physical switches and loose wiring over long-term use. At the same time, the processing logic of the dual-channel command parsing can independently identify the two types of manual input: screen operation and physical button operation, avoiding mutual interference between the two types of manual command signals and improving the accuracy of light control command recognition.

[0053] In one embodiment, all physical buttons of the controller LAN communication switch module 120 are equipped with waterproof and dustproof sealed housings to adapt to the high salt spray and high humidity working environment of ships. The touch display module 112 is equipped with an automatic brightness adjustment program to automatically adjust the screen display brightness according to the external light intensity of the ship. It improves the screen visibility in strong light navigation environment and reduces the screen brightness during night navigation to avoid strong light interfering with the crew's lookout.

[0054] In some embodiments of this application, the touch display module 112 integrates a signal light soft switch control 160, a signal light working status indicator interface 162, and a fault alarm prompt interface 164, which are respectively used to realize the touch start / stop of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group 150, the visual display of working status, and the early warning prompt of operating faults.

[0055] In the above embodiments, based on the hardware architecture of the human-computer interaction unit 110, this application further defines the touch display module 112 to integrate three types of visual interface components: a signal light soft switch control 160, a signal light working status indication interface 162, and a fault alarm prompt interface 164. The three types of interfaces independently undertake three functions: touch start / stop control of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group 150, visual display of working status, and early warning prompt of operation faults. The crew issues soft switch touch commands through the signal light soft switch control 160, and the signal light working status indication interface 162 displays the current operating status of each light in real time. After the system detects a light fault, it automatically pops up the corresponding fault prompt content on the fault alarm prompt interface 164. This application integrates all separate physical switches, separate status indicator lights, and separate fault alarm buzzers into a single touch screen, eliminating a large number of small separate electrical components on the bridge, optimizing the layout of the bridge's operating space, and allowing crew members to view the operating status of all navigation lights at once on the same display interface. When a fault occurs, the interface directly locates the name of the faulty light, eliminating the need for crew members to check each of the scattered physical indicator lights, significantly reducing the time spent on fault diagnosis and handling, and simultaneously reducing the number of wiring harnesses for separate indicator lights, thus lowering the probability of line faults.

[0056] In one embodiment, the fault alarm prompt interface 164 distinguishes between two levels of warning: flashing lights and text pop-ups. Minor faults are only prompted by text pop-ups, while major faults such as open circuits and short circuits are simultaneously accompanied by screen flashing. The indicator interface 162 distinguishes between three types of visual colors: green for normal illumination, gray for off, and red for fault, allowing crew members to intuitively distinguish the operating conditions of the lights.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, the controller local area network communication switch module 120 reserves a hardware function expansion interface 122, which is used to access newly added traffic light control switch functions and support the expansion and iteration of system functions.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the controller LAN communication switch module 120 reserves a hardware function expansion interface 122. The hardware function expansion interface 122 is used to connect the newly added signal light control switch function, supporting the expansion and iteration of system functions. That is, this solution reserves a hardware function expansion interface 122 in the controller LAN communication switch module 120 itself. The hardware function expansion interface 122 is compatible with the controller LAN communication standard. The newly added signal light control switch hardware can be directly connected to the hardware function expansion interface 122 to complete the line connection. The connection operation does not require disassembling the internal circuit of the controller LAN communication switch module 120, nor does it require re-laying the original transmission harness on the ship's bridge. Only the signal light control program stored in the application software area of ​​the centralized control unit 140 needs to be updated synchronously to complete the deployment of the new lighting control function. During long-term operation, ships may need to add various navigation auxiliary lights. If the control functions of the lights need to be put online, the adaptation and modification can be completed by relying on the reserved hardware function expansion interface 122. The modification process only involves the docking operation of the new switch hardware and interface. It does not require the replacement of the entire set of switch hardware, nor does it require a large-scale adjustment of the ship's electrical wiring. This can reduce the material procurement cost during the modification phase, shorten the time required for ship port modification, and extend the service life of the controller local area network communication switch module 120.

[0059] In one embodiment, the hardware function expansion interface 122 is equipped with dustproof and waterproof pluggable terminals, and the centralized control unit 140 has built-in hardware identification logic. After a new switch hardware is connected, the hardware model can be automatically identified without the need for manual input of configuration parameters.

[0060] In some embodiments of this application, the controller local area network communication switch module 120 includes a primary hard switch module 124 and a backup hard switch module 126 that are independent of each other; the centralized control unit 140 is configured to automatically switch to the backup hard switch module 126 when a communication interruption fault is detected in the primary hard switch module 124, and continuously receive hard switch trigger commands.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the controller LAN communication switch module 120 includes an independent primary hard switch module 124 and a backup hard switch module 126. The centralized control unit 140 is configured to automatically switch to the backup hard switch module 126 when a communication interruption fault is detected in the primary hard switch module 124, and continuously receive hard switch trigger commands. This application divides the controller LAN communication switch module 120 into an independent primary hard switch module 124 and a backup hard switch module 126. The centralized control unit 140 continuously monitors the communication status of the primary hard switch module 124, verifies the data transmission link between the primary hard switch module 124 and the centralized control unit 140 in real time, and the monitoring process runs uninterrupted. Once a communication interruption is detected, the centralized control unit 140 automatically switches the data transmission link to the backup hard switch module 126. The link switching process requires no manual operation, and data reception is not interrupted. Ships operate in environments with salt spray and hull vibration, which can cause corrosion and loosening of electrical terminals. Disconnection of the communication link can affect the control path of the lights corresponding to the physical buttons. Two independent hard switch modules form a hardware redundancy architecture. When a single communication link fails, the system can switch to the backup path to receive command transmission, ensuring that the safety lights corresponding to the physical buttons can be operated normally and reducing the operational risks caused by the failure of the light control path during navigation.

[0062] In one embodiment, after the link switch is completed, the central control unit 140 generates a corresponding prompt signal and transmits it to the touch display module 112. The staff can view the fault information of the main hard switch module 124 through the interface and carry out maintenance operations after the ship docks.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the centralized control unit 140 is configured to perform priority conflict fusion processing on local control commands and external collaborative control commands; when the two types of commands cause control conflicts for the same lamp, the local control command issued by the human-machine interaction unit 110 is set as the highest priority and executed first.

[0064] In the above embodiments, this application deploys priority conflict fusion processing logic within the centralized control unit 140. When the centralized control unit 140 simultaneously receives two types of control commands, it identifies the lamp objects corresponding to the two types of commands. If both types of commands target the same lamp and the command actions differ, the centralized control unit 140 determines the local control command issued by the human-machine interaction unit 110 as the execution basis, generating only the signal light drive signal based on the local control command, while the other type of external collaborative control command is temporarily shelved. During ship navigation, the ship's autopilot system generates lamp adjustment commands based on the preset route. The real-time navigation environment on the sea surface cannot be fully covered by the route data. The simultaneous issuance of both types of commands will cause frequent switching of lamp status. Filtering commands according to preset priorities can unify the lamp operating status, reduce the frequency of lamp start-up and shutdown, and ensure that the operation commands issued by on-site personnel have execution authority, matching the ship navigation management and control regulations.

[0065] In one embodiment, each time a command conflict occurs, the central control unit 140 stores the corresponding operation record. The record includes the time of the conflict and the lighting information corresponding to the two types of commands. The staff can retrieve the record to check the adaptation of the autonomous driving working condition.

[0066] In some embodiments of this application, the centralized control unit 140 is further configured with a status monitoring module 144; the status monitoring module 144 is configured to collect the operating current and operating voltage data of each lamp in the navigation signal light group 150 in real time, compare the collected data with the preset normal operation threshold, and determine whether the corresponding lamp has an open circuit or short circuit operation fault; when it is determined that the lamp has a fault, the centralized control unit 140 generates a fault alarm signal and sends the fault alarm signal to the human-machine interaction unit 110 for visual early warning prompt.

[0067] In the above embodiments, this application incorporates a status monitoring module 144 within the centralized control unit 140. The status monitoring module 144 continuously collects the operating current and voltage of each lamp circuit in the navigation signal light group 150. The collected values ​​are compared with the normal operating thresholds stored within the system. Based on deviations from the thresholds, two types of equipment faults are distinguished: open circuit and faults. After a fault is determined, the centralized control unit 140 generates a fault alarm signal and transmits it to the human-machine interface unit 110 for visual prompting. Lamp malfunctions cannot be identified in advance solely by the lamp's illumination status. Circuit electrical parameters can reflect hidden problems such as filament aging and insulation damage. Continuous sampling and comparison enables all-day fault screening. Fault information is directly pushed to the interactive interface, eliminating the need for personnel to board the ship one by one to check the lamp circuits, shortening the time required for fault location and repair, and preventing sudden lamp failures during navigation.

[0068] In one embodiment, the status monitoring module 144 distinguishes between two types of fault signal levels. The high-level fault signals corresponding to open circuit and short circuit are synchronously transmitted to the ship's backbone network, and the shore-based maintenance terminal can synchronously obtain the fault data.

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this embodiment uses the touch control of the masthead light as a specific implementation scenario to demonstrate the complete operation process of controlling a single navigation light through a touch display module. After the process starts, it first determines whether the masthead light switch on the touch screen is switched to ON. If no activation operation is detected, the loop detection state is maintained. After an activation operation is detected, the area controller receives the signal that the masthead light switch is ON. After software processing, it drives the masthead light driver pin to output a high level, and then the masthead light lights up. The masthead light working indicator light on the touch screen lights up, and at the same time, the current on the masthead light driver pin is monitored in real time. The process continues to determine if the current on the masthead light driver pin is normal. If the current parameter is abnormal, the corresponding fault alarm information for the masthead light is output according to the abnormality, the touch screen provides a visual alarm reminder, the alarm indicator flashes, and the alarm buzzer sounds, then the process ends. If the current parameter is normal, the process continues to determine if the masthead light switch on the touch screen is switched to OFF. If no shutdown operation is detected, the process returns to the current detection stage to maintain operation. After a shutdown operation is detected, the area controller receives the OFF signal of the masthead light switch, the software processes it, and shuts down the output of the masthead light driver pin. Subsequently, the masthead light turns off, the masthead light working indicator on the touch screen turns off, and the process ends.

[0070] like Figure 3As shown, this embodiment uses the controller LAN switch control of the left flash light as a specific implementation scenario to demonstrate the complete operation process of a single traffic light controlled by the controller LAN communication switch module. After the process begins, it first determines whether the left flash light switch on the controller LAN communication switch module is switched to the ON state. If no ON operation is detected, the loop detection state is maintained. After an ON operation is detected, the central control unit receives the left flash light hard switch trigger command, processes it, and drives the left flash light drive pin to output a high level. Subsequently, the left flash light illuminates, and the corresponding status indicator light on the controller LAN communication switch module illuminates. Simultaneously, the current magnitude on the left flash light drive pin is monitored in real time. The process continues to determine if the current on the left flash driver pin is normal. If the current parameter is abnormal, the corresponding fault alarm information for the left flash is output according to the abnormality, the touch screen provides a visual alarm reminder, the alarm indicator flashes, and the alarm buzzer sounds, then the process ends. If the current parameter is normal, the process continues to determine if the left flash switch on the controller's LAN communication switch module is switched to the off state. If no closing operation is detected, the process returns to the current detection stage to maintain operation. After a closing operation is detected, the central control unit receives the hard switch trigger command to close the left flash switch, processes it, and closes the output of the left flash driver pin. Subsequently, the left flash goes out, the corresponding status indicator light goes out, and the process ends.

[0071] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the figure, this embodiment illustrates the layout of two types of hardware entities for the human-computer interaction unit. Among them... Figure 4 The physical button layout for the controller LAN communication switch module includes physical buttons arranged sequentially on the module panel, such as the left hazard light, left spotlight, low-speed wiper switch, right spotlight, right hazard light, high-speed wiper switch, and electric horn switch. All buttons are connected to the controller LAN bus to transmit signals and undertake the physical control functions of high-frequency emergency lights and auxiliary equipment. Figure 5 The touch display module's user interface layout features two main categories at the top: signal lights and navigation lights. Below these categories are corresponding OFF positions and touch controls for each light, including touch buttons for the forward anchor light, port mast, starboard mast, green all-around light, red all-around light, forward mast light, port mainmast, starboard mainmast, port side light, starboard side light, aft anchor light, port lower mast, starboard lower mast, white flashing light, white all-around light, aft mast light, and stern light. At the bottom of the interface are function entry points for Test, Home, Mast, Bridge, Battery Compartment, Main Power System, Propulsion System, Maintenance List, Monitoring Overview, and Alarm Indicators, providing control over mode-type signal lights, status display, and fault warning functions.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, the flow of the distributed control method for ship signal lights includes:

[0073] After the process starts, it first proceeds to step 202: Is the foremast light switch on the touchscreen switched to ON? The touchscreen described in this application corresponds to a touch display module. The virtual buttons inside the screen are signal light soft switch controls. The system continuously polls for operation signals issued by the signal light soft switch controls. If no activation signal is detected, the process maintains a loop polling state, continuously waiting for the operator to input control commands. This operating logic matches the improved scheme in this application that replaces some physical switches with virtual soft switches on the screen, reducing the number of physical electrical switches on the ship's bridge.

[0074] When the activation signal is detected in step 202, the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, the area controller receives the signal that the mast light switch is ON. After software processing, the mast light drive pin is driven to output a high level. The area controller described in this application corresponds to the centralized control unit. The centralized control unit is equipped with a microprocessor. The microprocessor's storage space is divided into an application software area to store all signal light control logic. After the activation command transmitted by the touch display module is sent to the centralized control unit, the microprocessor retrieves the preset control logic in the application software area to complete the command parsing and processing, generates the signal light drive signal, and outputs a high level from the hardware drive pin to output the drive capability. This step reflects the core improvement of this application, which integrates the original two independent navigation light and signal light control boxes into a single centralized control unit, eliminating the two independent computing hardware.

[0075] After step 204 is completed, the process proceeds to step 206. In step 206, the masthead light is illuminated, and the masthead light indicator light on the touch screen is also illuminated. At the same time, the current on the masthead light driver pin is monitored in real time. The masthead light is a light included in the navigation signal light group. After receiving a high-level drive, the light enters a stable luminous state. The touch display module has a signal light working status indicator interface, and the interface is updated synchronously with the masthead light illumination indicator, which corresponds to the design of this application that integrates the discrete physical indicator lights into the touch screen. The centralized control unit is equipped with a status monitoring module, which continuously collects the real-time operating current of the light circuit. It completes the closed-loop acquisition of the light operating status based on electrical parameters, which fully meets the design requirements of this application for real-time acquisition of light operating data.

[0076] After step 206 is completed, the process proceeds to step 208. Step 208: Is the current on the mast light driver pin normal? The status monitoring module compares the real-time current value with the pre-stored normal operating threshold of the lamps in the system. It distinguishes between normal lamp operation, open circuit fault, and short circuit fault by the degree of deviation of the value. This parameter comparison and acquisition method is different from the traditional mode that relies solely on the lamp's on / off state for simple judgment. It is the core implementation method of automated fault detection in this application.

[0077] If step 208 determines that the current value deviates from the normal range, the process proceeds to step 216. Step 216: Output the corresponding fault alarm information of the masthead light according to the abnormal situation. The centralized control unit generates a dedicated fault alarm signal based on the current abnormality type. The signal carries the fault light number and fault type information to provide data support for visual fault prompts.

[0078] After step 216 is completed, the process proceeds to step 218. In step 218, the touchscreen provides a visual alarm, with the alarm indicator flashing and the alarm buzzer sounding. The fault alarm signal is transmitted to the touchscreen display module, where a visual fault warning is displayed on the fault alarm prompt interface, accompanied by simultaneous audible and visual warning signals. This corresponds to the integrated fault warning function of the touchscreen described in this application, eliminating the need for separate alarm indicator lights, buzzers, or other discrete components. After step 218 is completed, the entire control process reaches its end point.

[0079] If step 208 determines that the current value is within the normal range, the process proceeds to step 210. Step 210: Is the mast light switch on the touchscreen switched to OFF? During the stable lighting operation phase, the system continuously polls for the shutdown operation signal issued by the soft switch control of the indicator light. If no shutdown command is detected, the process returns to step 208 to continue current monitoring, maintain stable operation of the indicator light and uninterrupted fault screening.

[0080] When step 210 detects a shutdown operation signal, the process proceeds to step 212. In step 212, the area controller receives the OFF signal from the mast light switch. After software processing, the output of the mast light drive pin is turned off. The shutdown command issued by the sign light soft switch control is transmitted to the central control unit. The microprocessor retrieves the control logic stored in the application software area to complete the shutdown command parsing, cuts off the output level of the drive pin, and terminates the transmission of drive signals to the light fixture.

[0081] After step 212 is completed, the process proceeds to step 214. Step 214: The foremast light is turned off, the foremast light indicator light on the touch screen is turned off, the foremast light in the navigation signal light group stops emitting light after losing the driving level, the indicator light working status in the touch display module is switched to the off indicator, and feedback is given to the operator that the light-off operation has been completed. After step 214 is completed, the entire control process moves to the end node.

[0082] like Figure 7 As shown, the flow of the left flash controller LAN switch control method includes:

[0083] After the process starts, it first proceeds to step 302: Is the left strobe light switch on the switch communication module pressed? The switch communication module described in this application corresponds to the controller local area network communication switch module. The left strobe light switch on the module is a physical hard switch button. The system continuously polls for hard switch trigger commands issued by the physical button. If no pressed operation signal is detected, the process maintains a cyclic polling state, continuously waiting for the operator to input control commands. This operating logic matches the design scheme of the physical hard switch that retains the high-frequency emergency function in this application, relying on the physical button to ensure the response speed and reliability of the emergency signal light operation, and adapting to the operation requirements under harsh navigation conditions of ships.

[0084] When step 302 detects a pressed operation signal, the process proceeds to step 304. In step 304, the area controller receives the signal that the left flash light switch is ON. After software processing, the left flash light drive pin is driven to turn on and off at a certain frequency. The area controller described in this application corresponds to a centralized control unit. The centralized control unit is equipped with a microprocessor. The microprocessor's storage space is divided into an application software area to store all signal light control logic. After the on command transmitted by the controller's local area network communication switch module is sent to the centralized control unit, the microprocessor retrieves the preset control logic in the application software area to complete the command parsing and processing, generates the signal light drive signal, and outputs high and low levels alternately from the hardware drive pin at a preset frequency to realize the flashing drive of the lights. This step reflects the core improvement of this application, which integrates the original two independent navigation light and signal light control boxes into a single centralized control unit to uniformly manage the drive output of all signal lights.

[0085] After step 304 is completed, the process proceeds to step 306. In step 306, the left flash light blinks at the corresponding frequency, and the indicator light on the left flash light switch blinks at the same frequency. Simultaneously, the current on the left flash light drive pin is monitored in real time. The left flash light belongs to the signal light category within the navigation signal light group. After receiving alternating level drive, the light enters the corresponding frequency blinking state. The indicator light on the controller's LAN communication switch module blinks synchronously, providing feedback on the light's operating status to the operator via the physical indicator light. The centralized control unit is equipped with a status monitoring module that continuously collects the real-time operating current of the light circuit. This module relies on electrical parameters to complete the closed-loop acquisition of the light's operating status, fully meeting the design requirements of this application for real-time acquisition of light operating data.

[0086] After step 306 is completed, the process proceeds to step 308. Step 308: Is the current on the left flash drive pin normal? The status monitoring module compares the real-time current value with the pre-stored normal operating threshold of the lamp in the system. The degree of deviation of the value distinguishes between normal lamp operation, open circuit fault, and short circuit fault. This parameter comparison and acquisition method is different from the traditional mode that only relies on the lamp to make simple judgments. It is the core implementation method of automated fault detection in this application.

[0087] If step 308 determines that the current value deviates from the normal range, the process proceeds to step 316. Step 316: Output the corresponding fault alarm information for the left flash lamp according to the abnormal situation. The central control unit generates a dedicated fault alarm signal based on the current abnormality type. The signal carries the fault lamp number and fault type information, providing data support for visual fault prompts.

[0088] After step 316 is completed, the process proceeds to step 318. In step 318, the alarm indicator flashes and the alarm buzzer sounds. The fault alarm signal is transmitted to the fault alarm prompt interface of the touch display module for visual reminder, and simultaneously triggers the physical alarm indicator and buzzer to form a combined sound and light warning. This corresponds to the multi-channel fault warning design of this application, ensuring that operators can obtain fault prompts in a timely manner in different scenarios. After step 318 is completed, the entire control process reaches the end node.

[0089] If step 308 determines that the current value is within the normal range, the process proceeds to step 310. Step 310: Has the left flash switch been pressed again? During the stable flashing operation of the lamp, the system continuously polls the off operation signal on the controller's LAN communication switch module. If no off command is detected, the process returns to step 308 to continue current monitoring, maintaining stable lamp operation and uninterrupted fault screening.

[0090] When step 310 detects a re-press operation signal, the process proceeds to step 312. In step 312: the area controller receives the signal of the left strobe switch being OFF, and after software processing, shuts down the output of the left strobe drive pin. The shutdown command issued by the controller's LAN communication switch module is transmitted to the central control unit. The microprocessor retrieves the control logic stored in the application software area to complete the shutdown command parsing, cuts off the level output of the drive pin, and terminates the transmission of drive signals to the lamp.

[0091] After step 312 is completed, the process proceeds to step 314. In step 314, the left flash light turns off, and the left flash light indicator light on the switch module turns off. After the left flash light in the navigation signal light group loses its driving level, it stops emitting light. The corresponding indicator light on the controller's local area network communication switch module turns off synchronously, signaling to the operator that the light-off operation has been completed. After step 314 is completed, the entire control process moves to the end node.

[0092] like Figure 8 As shown, an embodiment of this application provides a control method for ship navigation lights, applied to a centralized control unit in an integrated control system for ship navigation lights as described in any of the above embodiments. The control method includes:

[0093] Step 402: Obtain instruction data. The instruction data includes local control instructions input via the human-machine interaction unit and external cooperative control instructions such as signal light switching received from the ship's autopilot system via the gateway communication unit.

[0094] Step 404: Based on the preset control logic, perform dual-channel parallel parsing on the touch channel corresponding to the touch display module and the hard switch channel corresponding to the controller LAN communication switch module, and synchronously fuse and process external collaborative control commands to generate the corresponding traffic light drive signal.

[0095] Step 406: Output the navigation light drive signal to the navigation signal light group that is electrically connected to the centralized control unit to control the lighting or extinguishing of the target lights in the navigation signal light group;

[0096] Step 408: Collect the working status data of each light in the navigation signal light group, and feed back the working status data and fault judgment results to the human-machine interaction unit for display and alarm prompts;

[0097] Step 410: Upon receiving the upgrade instruction, the online update of the traffic light control program in the application software area is completed through the microprocessor's boot program area.

[0098] The control method provided in this application sets up a complete ship navigation signal light control execution process. The process relies on a centralized control unit to complete all operation steps. The first step is to acquire instruction data, which includes local control instructions output by the human-machine interface unit and external collaborative control instructions forwarded by the gateway communication unit. The second step is to perform dual-channel parallel parsing, processing the touch channel data corresponding to the touch display module and the hard switch channel data corresponding to the controller LAN communication switch module, and simultaneously fusing the external collaborative control instructions to generate the signal light drive signal. The third step is to transmit the signal light drive signal to the navigation signal light group electrically connected to the centralized control unit to adjust the target light's on / off state. The fourth step is to continuously collect the light's operating current and operating voltage data, and after fault determination, push the operating data and fault prompts to the human-machine interface unit. The fifth step is to call the underlying program in the microprocessor's internal boot program area to complete the online update of the signal light control program in the application software area when an upgrade command is received. Each step of the entire process corresponds to an internal hardware unit of the system. The operation steps do not involve purely computational logic detached from the physical electrical control equipment. It simultaneously covers four types of operational needs: manual control, intelligent collaboration, fault detection, and program iteration. The multi-channel parallel processing method can handle multiple input commands simultaneously, adapting to the operational scenario of synchronously managing multiple lights on a ship. In one embodiment, an instruction storage step is added to the process. Each completed instruction saves the operation time and control information of the lights, and staff can retrieve historical operation records via a touch display module.

[0099] Embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method as described in the above embodiments. Therefore, the computer-readable storage medium possesses all the beneficial effects of the control method as described in the above embodiments.

[0100] like Figure 9 As shown, an embodiment of this application provides an electronic device 500, including a memory 504 and a processor 502. The memory 504 stores a computer program, and the processor 502 executes the computer program to implement the steps of the control method as described in the above embodiments. Therefore, the electronic device 500 possesses all the beneficial effects of the control method as described in the above embodiments.

[0101] In the claims, description, and accompanying drawings of this invention, the term "plural" refers to two or more. Unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the descriptive process, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have the described specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the invention. The terms "connected," "installed," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection between multiple objects, a detachable connection between multiple objects, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection between multiple objects or an indirect connection between multiple objects through an intermediate medium. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood based on the specific circumstances described above.

[0102] In the claims, description, and accompanying drawings of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In the claims, description, and accompanying drawings of this invention, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0103] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated control system for ship navigation lights, characterized in that, The integrated control system includes: The human-computer interaction unit is configured to receive local control commands; The gateway communication unit is configured to access the ship's backbone network and receive external collaborative control commands such as signal light switching from the ship's autopilot system through the ship's backbone network. The gateway communication unit has a built-in programmable logic controller module for data protocol conversion between the ship's backbone network and the centralized control unit. The centralized control unit is communicatively connected to the human-machine interaction unit and the gateway communication unit, and is configured to be electrically connected to the navigation signal light group. The centralized control unit has a built-in microprocessor, and the storage space of the microprocessor is divided into an independent boot program area and an application software area. The centralized control unit is configured to: acquire the local control command and / or the external collaborative control command, parse and process the two types of commands based on the preset control logic in the application software area to generate a signal light driving signal, and output the signal light driving signal to the navigation signal light group to control the illumination state of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group; When the centralized control unit receives an upgrade command, it performs an online update of the traffic light control program in the application software area through the boot program area.

2. The integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The human-computer interaction unit includes: The touch display module is configured to display the operating status information of the navigation signal light group and receive soft-switch touch commands; The controller LAN communication switch module is configured to receive hard switch trigger commands. The centralized control unit is configured to parse the soft switch touch command and the hard switch trigger command respectively to generate the corresponding traffic light drive signal.

3. The integrated control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The touch display module integrates a signal light soft switch control, a signal light working status indicator interface, and a fault alarm prompt interface, which are used to realize the touch start / stop of the corresponding lights in the navigation signal light group, the visual display of working status, and the early warning prompt of operating faults.

4. The integrated control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller LAN communication switch module has a reserved hardware function expansion interface, which is used to connect the newly added traffic light control switch function and support the expansion and iteration of system functions.

5. The integrated control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller local area network communication switch module includes a primary hard switch module and a backup hard switch module that are independent of each other. The centralized control unit is configured to automatically switch to the backup hard switch module when a communication interruption fault is detected in the primary hard switch module, and continuously receive hard switch trigger commands.

6. The integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The centralized control unit is configured to perform priority conflict fusion processing on local control commands and external collaborative control commands. When two types of instructions conflict in their control over the same lighting fixture, the local control instruction issued by the human-machine interface unit is set as the highest priority and executed first.

7. The integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The centralized control unit is also equipped with a status monitoring module; The status monitoring module is configured to collect the operating current and operating voltage data of each lamp in the navigation signal light group in real time, compare the collected data with the preset normal operation threshold, and determine whether the corresponding lamp has experienced open circuit or short circuit operation fault. When a fault is detected in the lighting fixture, the centralized control unit generates a fault alarm signal and sends the fault alarm signal to the human-machine interaction unit for visual early warning.

8. A method for controlling ship navigation lights, characterized in that, The centralized control unit applied in the integrated control system of ship navigation signal lights as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, the control method comprising: Acquire instruction data, which includes local control instructions input via the human-machine interaction unit and external cooperative control instructions such as signal light switching received from the ship's autopilot system via the gateway communication unit; Based on the preset control logic, the touch channel corresponding to the touch display module and the hard switch channel corresponding to the controller LAN communication switch module are parsed in parallel in both channels, and external collaborative control commands are processed synchronously to generate the corresponding traffic light drive signal. The signal drive signal is output to the navigation signal light group that is electrically connected to the central control unit, so as to control the lighting or extinguishing of the target lights in the navigation signal light group; Collect the working status data of each lamp in the navigation signal light group, and feed the working status data and fault judgment results back to the human-machine interaction unit for display and alarm prompts; When an upgrade command is received, the online update of the traffic light control program in the application software area is completed through the microprocessor's boot program area.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The system contains a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method as described in claim 8.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the control method as described in claim 8.

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