Control device and control method

Abstract

To improve a technique for controlling ship docking.SOLUTION: A control device 20 has a control part 25 that sets a first intermediate target point in a range of a water area when a ship 10 is positioned outside the range of the water area in which automatic steering to a target shore-arrival point can be started; formulates a sea route for navigation of the ship 10 from a position of the ship 10 to the target shore-arrival point via the set first intermediate target point when a distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point and an angle between a bow direction of the ship 10 and a direction of the vector satisfy the prescribed criteria; and automatically steers the ship 10 according to the formulated sea route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known techniques relating to docking control of a ship. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for supporting a docking operation of a ship. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-40470 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of safety, the docking control of a ship cannot be started if the ship is not within an appropriate distance and direction range from the target docking point, or if there is an obstacle between the ship and the target docking point. Therefore, from the viewpoints of convenience and safety, there is room for improvement in the technology related to the docking control of a ship.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure, made in consideration of the above circumstances, is to improve technology relating to ship docking control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control device for automatically piloting a ship, and includes a control unit that, when the ship is located outside the range of a water area where automatic piloting to a target docking point can be initiated, sets a first intermediate target point within the range of the water area, and when the distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship and the first intermediate target point and the angle between the bow direction of the ship and the direction of the vector satisfy predetermined criteria, plans a route for the ship to navigate from the position of the ship to the target docking point via the set first intermediate target point, and automatically pilots the ship according to the planned route.

[0007] A control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a control device that automatically pilots a ship, and when the ship is located outside the range of a water area where automatic piloting to a target docking point can be initiated, the control device sets a first intermediate target point within the range of the water area, and when the distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship and the first intermediate target point and the angle between the bow direction of the ship and the direction of the vector satisfy predetermined criteria, plans a route for the ship to navigate from the position of the ship to the target docking point via the set first intermediate target point, and automatically pilots the ship according to the planned route. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology relating to ship docking control is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route along which a ship travels. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a first intermediate goal point. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a second intermediate goal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Overview of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a ship 10 and a control device 20. The ship 10 and the control device 20 are communicatively connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The ship 10 includes a control device 20. The ship 10 is communicatively connected to the control device 20 by a wire. The ship 10 may be communicatively connected to the control device 20 via a network 2.

[0013] The control device 20 is a computer provided on the ship 10. The control device 20 executes automatic steering to make the ship 10 dock at a target docking point. The control device 20 can communicate with the ship 10 via a wire. The control device 20 can also communicate with the ship 10 via the network 2.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. When the ship 10 is located outside the range of a water area where automatic steering to a target docking point can be started, the control device 20 sets a first intermediate target point within the range of the water area, and when the distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point and the angle between the bow direction of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector satisfy a predetermined standard, the control device 20 plans a route for the ship 10 to travel from the position of the ship 10 to the target docking point via the set first intermediate target point, and automatically steers the ship 10 according to the planned route.

[0015] Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the ship 10 is navigating outside the range of a water area where automatic steering to the target docking point can be started, a first intermediate target point is set within the water area, and further, the distance and the angle between the bow direction of the vector connecting the position of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point satisfy predetermined criteria, thereby planning a route for the ship 10 to navigate by automatic steering from the position of the ship 10 to the target docking point. Therefore, the technology related to docking control of the ship 10 is improved in that the safety and convenience of the ship operator docking the ship 10 at the target docking point is improved.

[0016] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0017] (Vessel configuration) 1, the ship 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, a measurement unit 13, a display unit 14, an input unit 15, a storage unit 16, a control unit 17, and a control device 20. Details of the control device 20 will be described later.

[0018] The communication unit 11 has both a communication interface for connecting to the network 2 and a communication interface for connecting to the communication unit 21 of the control device 20 via a wired connection. The communication interface for connecting to the network 2 is compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), but is not limited to these and may be compatible with any communication standard. In this embodiment, the ship 10 is connected to the communication unit 21 of the control device 20 via the communication unit 11 so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired connection. Furthermore, the ship 10 may be connected to the communication unit 21 of the control device 20 via the communication unit 11 and the network 2 so as to be able to communicate with each other wirelessly.

[0019] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the ship 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this, and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0020] The measurement unit 13 includes one or more sensors. The measurement unit 13 may include a sonar, a radar, a gyrocompass, a magnetic compass, an acceleration sensor, an air pressure sensor, etc. However, the sensors included in the measurement unit 13 are not limited to these.

[0021] The display unit 14 includes at least one display interface capable of displaying characters or images. The display unit 14 is, for example, a chart plotter, but is not limited to this. The display interface is, for example, a display such as an LCD or an organic EL display. However, the display interface is not limited to these. The display unit 14 displays information such as the position of the ship 10, the route, intermediate destinations, the target docking point, and water areas together with map information.

[0022] The input unit 15 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of accepting input from the operator of the vessel 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the display unit 14 described above, or a microphone that picks up the operator's voice. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0023] The storage unit 16 includes one or more memories. The memories may be, but are not limited to, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 16 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 16 stores any information used in the operation of the ship 10. For example, the storage unit 16 may store system programs, application programs, and embedded software, map information, a list of target docking points, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 16 may be updatable with information acquired from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0024] The control unit 17 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 17 controls the operation of the entire ship 10.

[0025] (Control device configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, an input unit 23, a display unit 24, and a control unit 25.

[0026] The communication unit 21 has both a communication interface that connects to the network 2 and a communication interface that connects to the communication unit 11 of the ship 10 via a wired connection. The communication interface that connects to the network 2 is compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G, but is not limited to these and may be compatible with any communication standard. In this embodiment, the control device 20 is connected to the communication unit 11 of the ship 10 via the communication unit 21 so as to be able to communicate with them via a wired connection. Furthermore, the control device 20 may be connected to the communication unit 11 of the ship 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 2 so as to be able to communicate with them wirelessly.

[0027] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the control device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, map information, a list of registered docking points, a target docking point of the ship 10 whose selection has been accepted, and a route of the ship 10, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0028] The input unit 23 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of accepting input from the operator of the vessel 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the display unit 24 described below, or a microphone that picks up the operator's voice. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0029] The display unit 24 includes at least one display interface capable of displaying characters or images. The display interface is, for example, a display such as an LCD or an organic EL display. However, the display interface is not limited to these. The display unit 24 may have a function of displaying information such as the position of the ship 10, the route, the intermediate destination, the target docking point, and the water area together with map information.

[0030] The control unit 25 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 25 controls the operation of the entire control device 20.

[0031] (Control device operation flow) The operation of the control device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This operation relates to automatic steering for docking the vessel 10 at a target docking point.

[0032] S101: The control unit 25 acquires information on the position p1 and bow direction d of the ship 10.

[0033] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route traveled by the ship 10. In this disclosure, the ship 10 is described as traveling in the ocean 3, but the water area in which the ship 10 travels is not limited to the ocean, and may be a lake, a canal, a river, or the like.

[0034] 3, information on position p1 of the ship 10 is the latitude and longitude coordinates (x1, y1) of the point where the navigating ship 10 is located. The positioning unit 12 of the ship 10 acquires the coordinates (x1, y1) of the position p1 of the ship 10 using, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS. The control unit 25 acquires information on the position p1 (x1, y1) of the ship 10 from the positioning unit 12 via the communication unit 11 and the communication unit 21.

[0035] Meanwhile, the information on the bow direction d of the ship 10 is the azimuth angle at which the bow of the ship 10, indicated by an arrow, is pointing. The bow direction d of the ship 10 is measured by setting north as 0° and going around 360° clockwise from north. The bow direction d is measured by a GPS compass, but the measurement method is not limited to this. A GPS compass is a device that uses multiple GPS antennas to observe the phase difference of the carrier waves of radio waves from GPS satellites and determines the direction of each antenna relative to a reference antenna (called a baseline vector) with high accuracy. The bow direction d of the ship 10 may be measured by a gyrocompass or a magnetic compass.

[0036] S102: The control unit 25 sets a target docking point p2 for the ship 10.

[0037] The control unit 25 extracts one or more registered points stored in the memory unit 22 that are close to the position p1 of the ship 10 based on the coordinates (x1, y1) of the measured position p1 of the ship 10, and displays the extracted one or more registered points where the ship 10 can dock on the display screen of the display unit 14 of the ship 10. The control unit 25 may transmit information on the one or more registered points to the display unit 14 of the ship 10 via the communication unit 21 and the communication unit 11 of the ship 10. The control unit 25 may also display information on the one or more registered points on the display screen of the display unit 24 of the control device 20 provided on the ship 10.

[0038] When one of the one or more registered points is selected as the target docking point p2(x2, y2) of the ship 10 on the display screen of the display unit 14, the control unit 25 sets the selected registered point as the target docking point p2. The control unit 25 may store the set target docking point p2 in the memory unit 22.

[0039] S103: When the target docking point p2 of the ship 10 is selected, the control unit 25 sets a water area w in which automatic steering to the selected target docking point p2 can be started.

[0040] The range of the water area w is determined by the accuracy of the equipment provided in the positioning unit 12 of the ship 10 for measuring the position p1 of the ship 10, the size of the ship 10, and the like.

[0041] S104: The control unit 25 judges whether or not the position p1 of the ship 10 is located within the range of the water area w where the ship 10 can dock by automatic steering at the target docking point p2 where the ship 10 will dock. If the ship 10 is located within the range of the water area w, the process proceeds to S112, and if the ship 10 is not located within the range of the water area w, the process proceeds to S105.

[0042] When the position p1 of the ship 10 is located within the range of the water area w, the control unit 25 can automatically steer the ship 10 to the target docking point p2 without setting an intermediate target point described later.

[0043] S105: When the vessel 10 is located outside the range of the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be started, the control unit 25 sets a first intermediate target point a within the range of the water area w.

[0044] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting the first intermediate target point a. The first intermediate target point a is an intermediate target point set within the range of the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be started. In the present disclosure, the first intermediate target point a is described as being one, but two or more first intermediate target points a may be set. When the ship 10 reaches the set first intermediate target point a, the control unit 25 can dock the ship 10 at the target docking point p2 by automatic steering.

[0045] S106: The control unit 25 determines whether the distance of the vector v1 connecting the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a satisfies a predetermined criterion c1. If the distance of the vector v1 satisfies the predetermined criterion c1, the process proceeds to S107. If the distance of the vector v1 does not satisfy the predetermined criterion c1, the process proceeds to S109.

[0046] The predetermined criterion c1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The predetermined criterion c1 is that a distance md (unit: nautical mile or the like) of a vector v1 connecting one point (e.g., the position p1 of the ship 10) and another point (e.g., the first intermediate target point a) is equal to or less than a reference distance pd (unit: nautical mile). In the example shown in Fig. 4, the distance md of the vector v1 is equal to or less than the reference distance pd, and therefore the predetermined criterion c1 is satisfied. Note that one nautical mile at sea is equal to 1,852 m.

[0047] S107: The control unit 25 determines whether or not the angle between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v satisfies a predetermined criterion c2. If the direction of the vector v satisfies the predetermined criterion c2, the process proceeds to S108, and if the direction does not satisfy the predetermined criterion c2, the process proceeds to S109.

[0048] The predetermined criterion c2 is that the angle ma (°) between the bow direction d of the ship 10 at one point and the direction of the vector v connecting the one point and another point is equal to or smaller than the reference angle pa (°). In the example shown in Fig. 4, the angle ma (°) is equal to or smaller than the reference angle pa (°), so the predetermined criterion c2 is satisfied.

[0049] The control unit 25 displays the position p1 of the ship 10, the first intermediate target point a, the target docking point p2, the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be initiated, and the judgment results in S105 to S107 on the display screen of the display unit 14 of the ship 10 together with map information.

[0050] The display unit 14 of the ship 10 is, for example, a chart plotter. The chart plotter is an electronic device mounted on the ship 10 for the purpose of navigation, and displays the ship's position p1, bow direction d, speed, and the like on an electronic chart. The chart plotter can also display weather information, wind speed, tides, water depth, and information acquired by a fish finder or various sensors. The display unit 14 of the ship 10 can display map information. The map information includes maps of water areas and coastal areas in the entire country or a specified region. In addition to the position p1 and the target docking point p2 of the ship 10, the display unit 14 can display a first intermediate target point a and a second intermediate target point b (described later) set by touch input or the like on a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the display unit 14, together with the map information.

[0051] In addition, the display unit 24 of the control device 20 may have a function of displaying the position p1 of the ship 10, the target docking point p2, the first intermediate target point a, the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be initiated, and the judgment results in S105 to S107 together with map information.

[0052] S108: The control unit 25 determines whether or not an obstacle is detected in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a. If an obstacle is detected, the process proceeds to S109, and if an obstacle is not detected, the process proceeds to S112.

[0053] An obstacle is an artificial structure including a pier (quay) 4 displayed on the display screen, an area where docking is topographically or legally impossible, or an object that impedes the navigation of the ship 10 and is detected by a sensor equipped on the ship 10.

[0054] The pier (quay) 4 and areas where docking is topographically or legally impossible are obtained from map information. In addition, objects that hinder the navigation of the ship 10 floating in the ocean 3 are detected by a sensor provided in the measurement unit 13 of the ship 10. The sensor is, for example, but not limited to, a sonar, a radar, etc. A sonar is a device used as a fish finder on various ships. A radar is a device that detects the exact distance to each object by converting the time it takes for the reflected wave to return, when an emitted radio wave (microwave) is reflected by an object such as another ship or driftwood in the path of travel of the radio wave, into a distance.

[0055] S109: The control unit 25 sets a second intermediate target point b in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a.

[0056] The second intermediate target point b is an intermediate target point set outside the range of the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be started. When an obstacle is detected in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a, the control unit 25 sets the second intermediate target point b in the water area for the ship 10 to navigate around the obstacle. The second intermediate target point b is set so as to satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2) between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the second intermediate target point b, and between the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a, respectively.

[0057] Furthermore, when the distance md of the vector v1 connecting the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a, or the angle ma between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v1, does not satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2), the control unit 25 sets a second intermediate target point b in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a. The second intermediate target point b is set so as to satisfy the predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2) between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the second intermediate target point b, and between the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a.

[0058] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting the second intermediate target point b. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the angle ma between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v1 is equal to or smaller than the reference angle pa. In addition, the distance md of the vector v1 connecting the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a is equal to or smaller than the reference distance pd.

[0059] The control unit 25 prompts the input of the second intermediate target point b on the touch screen of the input unit 15 provided integrally with the display screen of the display unit 14, and when the second intermediate target point b is input on the touch screen, the control unit 25 accepts the input of the second intermediate target point b. As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 25 sets the second intermediate target point b in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a, so as to satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2) between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the second intermediate target point b, and between the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a.

[0060] In Figure 3, when the ship 10 is to dock at the target docking point p22, (1) the first intermediate target point a is set within the range of the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be initiated, and (2) the second intermediate target point b is set so that (i) the distance md of the vector v1 connecting the position p1 of the ship 10 and the intermediate target point a1 is less than or equal to the reference distance pd, and the angle ma between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v1 is less than or equal to the reference angle pa, and (ii) the distance md of the vector v2 connecting the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a is less than or equal to the reference distance pd, and the angle ma between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v2 is less than or equal to the reference angle pa. By setting the first intermediate target point a and the second intermediate target point b in this manner, the control unit 25 becomes able to automatically steer the ship 10 on the route r21 from the ship 10's position p1 to the second intermediate target point b, the route r22 from the second intermediate target point b to the first intermediate target point a, and the route r23 from the first intermediate target point a to the target docking point p22.

[0061] 3, when a pier 4 (obstacle) is detected in the water area between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the target docking point p2 of the ship 10, the control unit 25 accepts an input of a second intermediate target point b in the water area for the ship 10 to navigate around the obstacle on the touch screen of the input unit 15 provided integrally with the display screen of the display unit 14, and sets the second intermediate target point b. The second intermediate target point b may be set at multiple points for navigating around the obstacle.

[0062] S110: When the distance of the vector v1 connecting the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a, and the angle between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v1 satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2), the control unit 25 formulates a route r for the ship 10 to travel from the position p1 of the ship 10, when the second intermediate target point b is set, via the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a to the target docking point p2.

[0063] Two or more second intermediate targets b (b1, b2, . . . , bn) may be set to navigate around an obstacle or to satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2). When two or more second intermediate targets b are set in the waters between the position p1 of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target a, the control unit 25 may accept a selection of an arrival order of the ship 10 to each of the two or more second intermediate targets b, and may formulate a route r by associating the position p1 of the ship 10 with each of the two or more second intermediate targets b for which the arrival order is set, the first intermediate target a, and the target docking point p2. When the order of arriving at each of two or more second intermediate target points b (b1, b2, ..., bn) is selected on the touch screen of the input unit 15 which is integral with the display screen of the display unit 14, the control unit 25 accepts the selection of the arrival order and formulates a route r by associating the position p1 of the ship 10, each of the two or more second intermediate target points b (b1, b2, ..., bn) for which the arrival order is set, the first intermediate target point a, and the target docking point p2. In addition, when two or more first intermediate targets a are set, the control unit 25 may further accept a selection of the order in which the ship 10 will arrive at each of the two or more first intermediate targets a (a1, a2, ..., an), and formulate a route r by associating the position p1 of the ship 10 with each of the two or more second intermediate targets b for which the order of arrival has been set, each of the two or more first intermediate targets a for which the order of arrival has been set, and the target docking point p2.

[0064] 3, for example, the control unit 25 formulates a route r1 from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p21 via the first intermediate target point a, and a route r2 from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p22 via the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a. The control unit 25 may store the formulated route r1 and route r2 in the memory unit 22.

[0065] S111: The control unit 25 automatically steers the ship 10 to the first intermediate target point a or the second intermediate target point b according to the planned route r.

[0066] When one of the one or more routes r stored in the memory unit 22 is selected, the control unit 25 reads information on the selected route r and automatically steers the ship 10. The information on the route r includes the arrival order of the ship 10 from the position p1 to the target docking point p2 via each of the intermediate targets, the latitude and longitude coordinates (x1, y1) of each point, and the water area where an obstacle exists, but the information on the route r is not limited to these. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a route r1 from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p21 via the first intermediate target a, and a route r2 from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p22 via the second intermediate target b and the first intermediate target a are formulated, and the information on the routes r1 and r2 is stored in the memory unit 22. When, for example, route r2 is selected on the touch screen integral with the display screen of the display unit 24 of the control device 20 or the display unit 14 of the ship 10, the control unit 25 reads the information of route r2 and automatically steers the ship 10 from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p22, via the second intermediate target point b and the first intermediate target point a.

[0067] S112: When the ship 10 arrives at the first intermediate target point a or the second intermediate target point b, the control unit 25 determines whether or not to continue the navigation of the ship 10 to the first intermediate target point a or the target docking point p2. If the ship 10 is to continue the navigation, the process proceeds to S113, and if not, the control of the ship 10 is terminated.

[0068] When the ship 10 arrives at the first intermediate target point a or the second intermediate target point b, the ship operator visually checks for obstacles on the route, the navigation conditions of other ships, etc. to confirm safety. For this reason, the control unit 25 prompts the operator to input, on a touch screen provided integrally with the display screen of the display unit 24 or the display unit 14, whether or not to continue control to the target docking point p2 or the first intermediate target point a, and if the operator inputs "no continuation" or if there is no input, the control unit 25 keeps the ship 10 at the arrival point and ends control of the ship 10.

[0069] S113: The control unit 25 automatically steers the ship 10 on the route r formulated in S110, based on the information of the route r, from the first intermediate target point a or the second intermediate target point b to the first intermediate target point a or the target docking point p2.

[0070] S114: The control unit 25 judges whether or not the vessel 10 has docked at the target docking point p2. If the vessel 10 has not docked at the target docking point p2, the process returns to S112. If the vessel 10 has docked, the control unit 25 ends the automatic steering of the vessel 10.

[0071] As described above, the control device 20 of this embodiment sets a first intermediate target point a within the water area w when the ship 10 is located outside the range of the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be initiated, and if the distance of the vector v1 connecting the position of the ship 10 and the first intermediate target point a, and the angle between the bow direction d of the ship 10 and the direction of the vector v1 satisfy predetermined criteria c (c1 and c2), formulates a route r for the ship 10 to navigate from the position p1 of the ship 10 to the target docking point p2 via the set first intermediate target point a, and automatically steers the ship 10 according to the formulated route r.

[0072] Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the ship 10 is navigating outside the water area w where automatic steering to the target docking point p2 can be started, the first intermediate target point a is set within the water area w, and a route r for the ship 10 to dock at the target docking point p2 by automatic steering is formulated. Therefore, the technology for docking control of the ship 10 is improved in that the safety and convenience of the ship operator docking the ship 10 at the target docking point p2 is improved.

[0073] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0074] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the control device 20 may be distributed among a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the control device 20 are provided in the ship 10 or the mobile terminal 30 may be possible. For example, the information display function may be appropriately shared among display devices provided in the ship 10, the control device 20, or the mobile terminal 30.

[0075] In this embodiment, we have described a case in which the control device 20 automatically steers the ship 10 according to the formulated route r. However, if there is a section of the route r, for example between the position p1 of the ship 10 and an intermediate target point, or between intermediate target points, where it is difficult to satisfy a specified criterion c, the ship 10 may be manually steered on that section of the route.

[0076] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the control device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for realizing each function of the control device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 System 2 Network 3 Oceans (lakes, canals, rivers) 4 Pier (quay) 10 ships 11 Communications Department 12 Positioning unit 13. Measurement section 14 Display section 15 Input section 16 Memory section 17 Control section 20 Control device 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Input section 24 Display section 25 Control Unit

Claims

1. A control device for automatically steering a ship, comprising: A control device comprising: when the ship is located outside the range of a water area in which automatic steering to a target docking point can be initiated, a control unit sets a first intermediate target point within the range of the water area, and if the distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship and the first intermediate target point and the angle between the bow direction of the ship and the direction of the vector satisfy predetermined criteria, a route for the ship to navigate from the position of the ship to the target docking point via the set first intermediate target point is formulated, and the ship is automatically steered according to the formulated route.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , when an obstacle is detected in a water area between the position of the vessel and the first intermediate target point, the control unit sets a second intermediate target point in the water area for the vessel to navigate around the obstacle; A control device, wherein the second intermediate target point is set so as to satisfy the specified criteria between the position of the ship and the second intermediate target point, and between the second intermediate target point and the first intermediate target point, respectively.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , when a distance of a vector connecting the position of the vessel and the first intermediate target point, or an angle between a bow direction of the vessel and a direction of the vector does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, the control unit sets a second intermediate target point in a water area between the position of the vessel and the first intermediate target point; A control device, wherein the second intermediate target point is set so as to satisfy the specified criteria between the position of the ship and the second intermediate target point, and between the second intermediate target point and the first intermediate target point, respectively.

4. The control device according to claim 2 or 3, The control unit is a control device that, when two or more second intermediate targets are set in the waters between the position of the ship and the first intermediate target, accepts a selection of the order in which the ship will arrive at each of the two or more second intermediate targets, and formulates the route by associating the position of the ship, each of the two or more second intermediate targets for which the order of arrival is set, the first intermediate target, and the target docking point.

5. A control method executed by a control device that automatically pilots a ship, comprising: The control device When the vessel is located outside a range of a water area in which automatic steering to a target docking point can be initiated, setting a first intermediate target point within the range of the water area; When a distance of a vector connecting the position of the ship and the first intermediate target point and an angle between a bow direction of the ship and a direction of the vector satisfy a predetermined criterion, a route for the ship to travel from the position of the ship to the target docking point via the set first intermediate target point is developed; automatically steering the vessel according to the formulated route; A control method for performing the above.

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