Fuel switch support system, fuel switch support method, and program

Abstract

To provide a fuel switch support system capable of supporting a switch operation of fuel in a restriction area.SOLUTION: A fuel switch support system includes: a first acquisition unit 202 for accepting input of a first condition which is the condition based on a target position for completing switching of a fuel according to a restriction, which is a position separated from a restriction area which is a sea area restricted regarding usable fuel; a second acquisition unit 203 for accepting input of a second condition which is the condition based on a switch start point for starting switching of the fuel, which is a position farther away from the restriction area than the target position; a third acquisition unit 204 for accepting input of a third condition which is the condition based on a position coming close to a prescribed distance to the switch start position, which is a position farther from the restriction area than the switch start position; a vessel position acquisition unit 205 for acquiring a position of an object vessel; and a notification unit 208 for transmitting a notification content according to the fulfilled condition to a terminal device when the acquired position of the vessel fulfills one of the first, the second, or the third condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel switching support system, a fuel switching support method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are ocean areas designated as Emission Control Areas (ECA). In ECAs, it is necessary to use fuel that complies with the regulations of the ECA. For example, a ship entering or leaving an ECA may carry two fuels, one that complies with the ECA and one that does not, and in areas that are not ECAs, may use fuel that does not comply with the ECA and switch to fuel that complies with the ECA before entering the ECA. In addition, since fuel that complies with the ECA is more expensive in terms of monetary value than fuel that does not comply with the ECA, the fuel may be switched to coincide with the timing of entry into the ECA. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-331484 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if fuel switching is not performed appropriately, penalties such as fines may be imposed. Therefore, there is a demand for appropriate fuel switching operations. For example, crew members may want to remember to perform the fuel switching operation and start the switching operation when they reach an appropriate location. In addition, not only crew members but also onshore managers who manage the ship on land have a need to know whether the ship's fuel switching operation has been performed appropriately.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel switching support system, a fuel switching support method, and a program that can support fuel switching operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a fuel switching support system having a first acquisition unit that accepts input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target location away from a restricted area, which is a sea area where available fuels are regulated, where fuel switching in accordance with the regulations will be completed; a second acquisition unit that accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on a switching start point at a location away from the restricted area further than the target location and where the fuel switching will be started; a third acquisition unit that accepts input of a third condition, which is a condition based on a location away from the restricted area further than the switching start point and that is within a predetermined distance of the switching start point; a ship position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a target ship; and a notification unit that, when the acquired position of the ship satisfies any of the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition, sends notification content according to the satisfied condition to a terminal device.

[0007] Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a fuel switching support method executed by a computer, which accepts input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target location away from a restricted area, which is a sea area where available fuels are regulated, where fuel switching in accordance with the regulations will be completed, accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on a switching start point at a location away from the restricted area further than the target location and where the fuel switching will be started, accepts input of a third condition, which is a condition based on a location away from the restricted area further than the switching start point and that is within a predetermined distance of the switching start point, acquires a position of a target ship, and if the acquired position of the ship satisfies any of the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition, sends notification content according to the satisfied condition to a terminal device.

[0008] Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a program executed by a computer, which accepts input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target location away from a restricted area, which is a sea area where available fuel is regulated, where fuel switching in accordance with the regulations will be completed; accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on a switching start point at a location away from the restricted area further than the target location, where fuel switching will be started; accepts input of a third condition, which is a condition based on a location away from the restricted area further than the switching start point, which is within a predetermined distance of the switching start point; acquires a position of a target ship; and, if the acquired position of the ship satisfies any of the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition, sends notification content according to the met condition to a terminal device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to assist the fuel switching operation. In addition, because it is possible to provide advance notification of the fuel switch and the start timing, preparations for the switch operation can be made with ample time, thereby reducing delays in the timing of the fuel switch or forgetting to do so. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by notifying the onshore manager of the completion of fuel switching, it is also possible to monitor the condition on land. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a fuel switching support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of a fuel switching support server 20. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of an operation terminal 10. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for registering a restricted area. [Diagram 5] 13 is a display screen of the operation terminal 10 when a restricted area is input from the operation terminal 10. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the operation terminal 10. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen for selecting a restricted area to be registered. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a condition registration process performed by the fuel switching support server 20. [Figure 9A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a planned route is displayed for a restricted area. [Figure 9B] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the operation terminal 10 when a guide position is displayed by inputting a position according to a first condition by a crew member. FIG. [Figure 9C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen after a fuel switching start point is input. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a reference route RR is displayed on the display screen of the operation terminal 10. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set depending on the method 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a determination region is set with the position of the ship as the center. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a case where conditions are set depending on the method 2. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a case where conditions are set depending on the method 3. [Figure 15A] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set depending on the method 4. [Figure 15B] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set depending on the method 4. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set depending on the method 5. [Figure 17] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the fuel switching support server 20. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating task management. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a fuel switching assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a fuel switching support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fuel switching support system includes an operation terminal 10, a fuel switching support server 20, a terminal device 30, and a network NW. The operation terminal 10 is communicably connected to a fuel switching support server 20 via a network NW. The operation terminal 10 is carried by a crew member on board the ship and used on board the ship. The operation terminal 10 may be, for example, any one of a smartphone, a tablet, a PC (personal computer), and the like. Although only one operation terminal 10 is shown in this figure, multiple operation terminals 10 may be used on one ship. For example, on one ship, there may be multiple crew members in charge of fuel switching operations, and one operation terminal 10 may be used by each of the multiple crew members. Furthermore, when there are multiple ships to be managed, an operation terminal 10 may be provided for each ship. In this case, individual identification information capable of identifying each operation terminal 10 may be assigned in advance to each operation terminal 10 as terminal identification information, and the terminal identification information and ship identification information for identifying the ship may be associated and stored in the storage unit 200 of the fuel switching support server 20. This makes it possible to identify the correspondence between the ship and the operation terminal 10 for each of the multiple ships.

[0012] An application program for implementing the functions of the operation terminal 10 on the smartphone or tablet may be downloaded from a server or the like and installed on the smartphone or tablet to allow the smartphone or tablet to function as the operation terminal 10.

[0013] The fuel switching support server 20 is communicably connected to the operation terminal 10 and the terminal device 30 via the network NW. The fuel switching assistance server 20 may be a single server device, or may be a cloud server realized by a plurality of computers.

[0014] The terminal device 30 is communicably connected to the fuel switching support server 20 via the network NW. The terminal device 30 is used by a manager who manages the ship in a remote location. The terminal device 30 is used, for example, in a land station that manages the ship. The terminal device 30 may be, for example, any one of a smartphone, a tablet, a PC, etc. An application program for realizing the functions of the terminal device 30 may be downloaded from a server or the like and installed on the smartphone or tablet to allow the smartphone or tablet to function as the terminal device 30. A browser for realizing the functions of the terminal device 30 may be installed on the PC to allow the PC to function as the terminal device 30.

[0015] The network NW is a network such as the Internet, and may be wired or wireless, or may be a combination of wired and wireless.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of the fuel switching support server 20. As shown in FIG. The fuel switching support server 20 includes a memory unit 200, a communication unit 201, a first acquisition unit 202, a second acquisition unit 203, a third acquisition unit 204, a ship position acquisition unit 205, an approximate position generation unit 206, a completion instruction acquisition unit 207, a notification unit 208, a task management unit 209, a control unit 210, and an output unit 211. The storage unit 200 stores various data. For example, the storage unit 200 stores the planned route of the ship to be supported for fuel switching. The planned route is received from the navigation equipment or the operation terminal 10 and stored. The storage unit 200 also stores a restricted area, which is a sea area where available fuel is restricted. The restricted area is, for example, an ECA (Emission Control Area). Furthermore, the storage unit 200 stores electronic nautical charts in advance.

[0017] The communication unit 201 communicates with the operation terminal 10 via the network NW, and also communicates with the terminal device 30 via the network NW.

[0018] The first acquisition unit 202 receives an input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target position away from a regulated area, which is a sea area where available fuel is regulated, and where fuel switching in accordance with the regulations is to be completed. Here, the first condition may be specified by any of the following methods.

[0019] (Method 1) The first condition may be set by accepting any position on an electronic chart as a target position. That is, the first acquisition unit 202 may accept input of the first condition, which is a condition based on a target position, by specifying any position on a route as the target position (FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, etc., described later).

[0020] (Method 2) Also, the first condition may be set by accepting a boundary line designated for any position on the electronic nautical chart as a target position. That is, the first acquisition unit 202 may accept input of the first condition by accepting input of a boundary line including a position away from the restricted area for any position on the electronic nautical chart (see FIG. 13 to be described later, etc.).

[0021] (Method 3) The first acquisition unit 202 may receive the input of the first condition by receiving the input of an area including a position away from the restricted area (see FIG. 14, etc., described later). More specifically, in method 1, a point is specified and used as a condition, and in method 2, a line is specified and used as a condition, while in method 3, an area is specified for any position on the electronic chart and used as a condition.

[0022] (Method 4) The first acquisition unit 202 may acquire a first distance based on the position of the target ship as the first condition (see, for example, Figures 15A and 15B described later). More specifically, in methods 1 to 3, the condition is set by either a point, a line, or an area for a position on the electronic chart, whereas in method 4, the condition is set by a range based on the distance starting from the target ship, rather than by specifying a position on the electronic chart. The range based on the distance starting from the target ship may be a sector-shaped area with the center point of the arc set to the position of the ship. A sector-shaped first area (e.g., judgment area JA1 in Figure 15A) with the radius of the arc being the first distance (e.g., radius R1 in Figure 15A) can be set as the first condition.

[0023] (Method 5) The first acquisition unit 202 may acquire a fourth region that is a fourth distance away from the outer periphery of the restricted area as the first condition (see FIG. 16, etc., described later). More specifically, in methods 1 to 3, a condition is set by a point, a line, or an area for a position on an electronic chart, and in method 4, a condition is set based on a position around a target ship using the ship as a reference, whereas in method 5, a condition is set for the outer periphery of the restricted area using the restricted area as a reference.

[0024] The second acquisition unit 203 accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on a switching start point at a position farther away from the regulated area than the target position and at which fuel switching begins (Method 1: Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, etc.). The second acquisition unit 203 accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on the position at which fuel switching is to begin, for the electronic nautical chart on the display screen of the operation terminal 10 (Method 1: Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 15B, 16, etc.). The second acquisition unit 203 accepts input of a second condition, which is a condition based on the switching start point, by specifying any position on the route as the switching start point (Method 1: Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, etc.). The second acquisition unit 203 accepts the input of the second condition by accepting the input of a boundary line including a position that is farther away from the regulated area than the target position (see FIG. 13 and the like, which will be described later). The second acquisition unit 203 accepts the input of the second condition by accepting an input of an area including a position farther away from the restricted area than the target position (see FIG. 14, etc., described later). The second acquisition unit 203 acquires a second distance (for example, radius R2 in FIG. 15A) longer than the first distance based on the position of the target ship as a second condition (FIG. 15A, etc., described later). By acquiring this second distance, a fan-shaped second area (for example, judgment area JA2 in FIG. 15A) with an arc radius set to the second distance (for example, radius R2 in FIG. 15A) is set as the second condition.

[0025] The second acquisition unit 203 acquires, as a second condition, a fifth region that is a fifth distance away from the outer periphery of the restricted area that is longer than the fourth distance (see FIG. 16, etc., which will be described later).

[0026] Here, the second acquisition unit 203 performs the second condition based on the data input from the operation terminal 10. Here, in a ship, there are parts between the fuel tank and the internal combustion engine that are connected by piping, and paths through which fuel is supplied inside the internal combustion engine. Therefore, even if a fuel switching operation is performed, the fuel before the switching remains, and the switching is not completed immediately. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the fuel switching operation to a certain extent before the position where the restricted area is reached. The position for notifying the point where this switching operation will be performed is the switching start point. When the ship reaches this switching start point, a notification is received by the operation terminal 10, and the crew performs the switching operation, so that the fuel switching is completed by the time the ship reaches the switching completion point. The distance between the target position and the switching start point can be determined based on the time it takes for the fuel to be completely switched and the distance to be traveled.

[0027] Also, the operator of the operation terminal 10 can arbitrarily determine the second condition for the fuel switching start point in consideration of the target position according to the convenience of the work on board, etc. For example, some crew members may want to secure a large margin of time from the fuel switching start point to arriving at the fuel switching completion point, and some may want to secure a small margin of time. In addition, the speed of the managed vessel may be fast or slow, and the faster the vessel is, the faster the fuel is generally consumed, so the shorter the time from starting the fuel switch to completing the switch. On the other hand, when the vessel is slow, fuel is not consumed as easily, so the time from starting the fuel switch to completing the switch is longer. In addition, restricted areas are sometimes set up near ports, and if there is a request from the port to slow down, the vessel may navigate at a speed that complies with the request. Therefore, the second condition can be set according to the convenience of the crew's work, etc., or the second condition can be set taking into account the speed.

[0028] The third acquisition unit 204 accepts input of a third condition, which is a condition based on a position that is farther from the regulated area than the switching start point and that approaches the switching start point to a predetermined distance (for example, Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, etc.). This third condition, which is a condition based on a position that approaches the switching start point to a predetermined distance, may be a distance from the switching start point or a time until the switching start point is reached. When time is input as the third condition, a distance can be calculated based on the input time and the speed of the ship at the time of making the determination, and the calculated distance can be used as a condition.

[0029] The third acquisition unit 204 acquires, as a third condition, a third distance that is longer than the second distance and that uses the periphery of the restricted area as a reference (eg, FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B).

[0030] The third acquisition unit 204 acquires, as a third condition, a sixth area that is a sixth distance away from the outer periphery of the restricted area, which is longer than the fifth distance (eg, FIG. 16, etc.).

[0031] The third acquisition unit 204 accepts input of the distance from the switching start point according to the second condition acquired by the second acquisition unit 203 as a third condition (for example, Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15A, 15B, 16, etc.).

[0032] Here, the third condition is input from the operation terminal 10, so that each crew member using the operation terminal 10 can receive a notification according to the third condition at a timing of their choice. For example, crew members may differ in the amount of preparation time they want to secure from the switching start point. Also, if the time of arrival at the switching start point is in the middle of the night, it may be better to set the switching start point at an earlier position (a position away from the target position). In this case, the third acquisition unit 204 may be configured to accept input of a new third condition. In this way, by being able to arbitrarily specify (or change) the third condition, it becomes possible to smoothly carry out the fuel switching operation. Furthermore, if there is a change in speed or route after setting the switching start point, and it turns out that the switching start point was originally scheduled to be reached during the day but will be reached at night, the second acquisition unit 203 may accept an input of the position of the new switching start point to modify the second condition. Note that the estimated time of arrival at the switching start point is displayed on the display screen of a navigation device such as an ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System), so that the estimated time of arrival can be known by checking the screen, and the second condition can also be modified as necessary.

[0033] The ship position acquisition unit 205 acquires the position of the target ship. For example, the ship position acquisition unit 205 acquires the position of the target ship by receiving position data, which is the result of measurement of the current position of the ship by the navigation equipment mounted on the target ship, from the navigation equipment via the network NW. The navigation equipment may be any equipment having a function of measuring the ship's position and transmitting the measurement result to the outside.

[0034] When the first acquisition unit 202 receives the input of the first condition, the guide position generation unit 206 generates a guide position that is a guide position for starting fuel switching, which is a position according to the condition based on the input target position and is farther away from the regulated area than the target position, and displays the guide position on the terminal device. When inputting the switching start position for starting fuel switching, the operator operating the operation terminal 10 can specify and input the switching start position by referring to the guide position.

[0035] The completion instruction acquisition unit 207 acquires, from the operation terminal, a switching completion instruction indicating that the fuel switching has been completed.

[0036] When the acquired position of the vessel satisfies any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, the notification unit 208 transmits notification content according to the satisfied condition to the terminal device.

[0037] When the acquired position of the ship satisfies the first condition, the notification unit 208 determines whether a completion instruction has been acquired from the operation terminal, and transmits notification content according to whether or not the completion instruction has been acquired to a terminal device used on land.

[0038] The notification unit 208 uses the acquired ship position as a reference and, when the distance to the restricted area reaches a distance corresponding to any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, determines that the condition corresponding to the reached distance is satisfied, and transmits notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition to the terminal device.

[0039] When the acquired position of the ship reaches any of the fourth, fifth, or sixth areas, the notification unit 208 determines that the condition corresponding to the area reached is satisfied, and transmits notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition to the terminal device.

[0040] If the notification unit 208 is unable to obtain the switching completion instruction from the operation terminal before the position of the target ship reaches the target position, it notifies the terminal device used on land that the switching completion instruction has not been received, and notifies the operation terminal that the switching completion instruction has not been input.

[0041] The notification unit 208 sets a ship area surrounding the acquired ship position, and when the ship area reaches a position corresponding to any one of the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition, it determines that the condition corresponding to the position has been satisfied, and transmits notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition to the terminal device.

[0042] The task management unit 209 manages a task of whether or not to issue a notification based on the conditions (a combination of the first to third conditions) set for a registered restricted area. When a restricted area is specified and an instruction to issue a notification is input from the operation terminal 10, the task management unit 209 enables the task as one that issues a notification. When a restricted area is specified and an instruction not to issue a notification is input from the operation terminal 10, the task management unit 209 disables the task as one that does not issue a notification. Furthermore, although the task management unit 209 was registered as a task that issues a notification, after the ship reaches the target position for that task, it switches the task from enabled to disabled.

[0043] The control unit 210 controls each unit in the fuel switching support server 20 . The output unit 211 outputs various types of data.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram showing the configuration of the operation terminal 10. As shown in FIG. The operation terminal 10 includes a storage unit 100 , a communication unit 101 , a first display unit 102 , a condition input unit 103 , a completion instruction input unit 104 , a control unit 105 , an output unit 106 , and an input unit 107 . The storage unit 100 stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 100 stores data received from the fuel switching support server 20. The communication unit 101 communicates with the fuel switching support server 20 via the network NW. The first display unit 102 displays the restricted area on a nautical chart, and also displays the route of the target ship on the nautical chart on the display screen of the operation terminal 10. In addition, the first display unit 102 displays the restricted area on the nautical chart on the display screen of the operation terminal 10. The condition input unit 103 accepts input of various conditions (first condition, second condition, third condition). The completion instruction input unit 104 receives an input of an instruction indicating that the fuel switching operation has been completed from an operator (crew member). The condition input unit 103 and the completion instruction input unit 104 may receive input based on the operation content input by touching a touch panel provided on the operation terminal 10.

[0045] The control unit 105 controls each unit in the operation terminal 10 . The output unit 106 outputs various data. The output unit 106 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, and may output various information by displaying it. Although the output unit 106 and the first display unit 102 are described separately as having different functions, they may be configured as a single output unit. The input unit 107 accepts various operation inputs from an operator. The input unit 107 may be, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The input unit 107, the condition input unit 103, and the completion instruction input unit 104 are described separately as having different functions, but may be configured as a single input unit.

[0046] Next, the operation of the above-mentioned fuel switching support system S will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for registering a restricted area. <<Preparation: Registration process for restricted areas>> The fuel switching support system S performs the registration process for restricted areas. The restricted area is registered in the fuel switching support server 20 by inputting the information from the operation terminal 10. More specifically, an operator who operates the operation terminal 10 operates the operation terminal 10 to display an electronic nautical chart on the display screen of the operation terminal 10. The operation terminal 10 displays the electronic nautical chart on the display screen based on the operation input from the operator. For example, an electronic nautical chart EC such as a display screen G10 is displayed on the operation terminal 10. The operator refers to this electronic nautical chart and inputs a restricted area on the electronic nautical chart EC. The restricted area is input, for example, via a touch panel of the operation terminal 10, by specifying (plotting) a plurality of points P that represent the shape of the restricted area on the electronic nautical chart EC, so that a figure passing through these points P is generated, and the generated figure is input as the restricted area AR. In the example of this figure, when four points are input, a figure passing through these four points is input as the restricted area AR. The input restricted area is transmitted from the operation terminal 10 to the fuel switching support server 20. Here, the restricted area can be represented by data indicating at which position on the electronic nautical chart the points are specified. The operation terminal 10 transmits data representing the positions of each of the multiple points P on the electronic chart to the fuel switching support server 20. As a result, the control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 writes the data representing the restricted area received from the operation terminal 10 into the storage unit 200, thereby registering it.

[0047] Here, the case where the restricted area is input by plotting a plurality of points P on an electronic chart has been described, but the position of the top of the restricted area may also be input by latitude and longitude. FIG. 5 shows a display screen of the operation terminal 10 when the restricted area is input from the operation terminal 10. As shown in FIG. Here, it is possible to input a plurality of pairs of latitude and longitude. This screen G11 shows a state where three pairs of latitude and longitude are input. In this case, a triangular regulated area can be set with the positions of the three pairs of latitude and longitude as vertices. In addition, by pressing the button B1, a pair of latitude and longitude can be added. When one pair of latitude and longitude is added, an area based on four vertices is set, and when two pairs of latitude and longitude are added, an area based on five vertices is set. For the pair of latitude and longitude input in this way, the registration name of the area can be set by inputting it in the input field B2. In this way, by specifying an arbitrary position and pressing the registration button B2, data representing the regulated area is transmitted from the operation terminal 10 to the fuel switching support server 20.

[0048] A single restricted area may be registered, or multiple restricted areas may be registered.

[0049] Here, the case where the restricted area is registered from the operation terminal 10 has been described, but the restricted area may be registered from the terminal device 30, or may be registered from a management terminal used by an administrator, which is a terminal device different from the operation terminal 10 and the terminal device 30. Such a management terminal may be communicably connected to the fuel switching support server 20 via the network NW.

[0050] <<Preparation: Display of registered restricted areas>> 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the operation terminal 10. Here, a restricted area AR set for an electronic chart EC is displayed on the display screen G13. The operator can check the registered restricted area on the display screen of the operation terminal 10.

[0051] <<Preparation: Registering a route>> A crew member (operator) generates planned route data for the ship he / she is aboard using navigation equipment, and transmits the generated planned route data together with ship identification information to the fuel switching support server 20. The planned route data is data that indicates the route that the ship is scheduled to navigate. The ship navigates along the route indicated by the planned route data as a target. As a result, the route of the target ship is registered in the fuel switching support server 20. Here, a case will be described in which the process for fuel switching is performed after the route is registered, but the process for fuel switching can be performed even if the route is not registered.

[0052] <<Preparation: Registering the first to third conditions>> Next, the registration of the first to third conditions will be described. Here, the first to third conditions can be individually registered for each registered restricted area. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen G14 for selecting a regulated area to be registered. The crew member can display the selection screen G14 on the operation terminal 10 and register which regulated area is to be targeted for processing related to fuel switching. Here, the registered names of the regulated areas registered in FIG. 5 are displayed. Then, a case is shown in which, of the registered regulated areas 14a, 14b, and 14c, the regulated area 14c is selected as the registration target for conditions (first condition to third condition). When the crew member operates and inputs the operation button 14f horizontally adjacent to the name given to the regulated area 14c, the registration processing of the conditions is executed. In this example, conditions have already been registered for the restricted areas 14a and 14b, and switch buttons 14d and 14e are provided for switching whether or not to execute processing related to fuel switching for those areas. The crew can specify whether or not to execute processing related to fuel switching for the restricted areas 14a and 14b by switching the switch buttons 14d and 14e on or off. For example, when an operation to turn on the switch button 14d is performed, an instruction is transmitted from the operation terminal 10 to the fuel switching support server 20 to execute processing related to fuel switching for the restricted area 14a corresponding to the switch button 14d. As a result, the fuel switching support server 20 manages the task as a target for executing processing related to fuel switching for the restricted area 14a.

[0053] In addition, a delete button may be provided to delete a restricted area that has already been registered, and when a crew member inputs a delete command using the delete button, the restricted area to be deleted may be deleted.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the condition registration process performed by the fuel switching support server 20. As shown in FIG. The control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 receives an input for selecting a regulated area to be edited from the operation terminal 10 (step S101). Here, for example, on the display screen G14 shown in Fig. 7, the crew member inputs into the operation terminal 10 which regulated area is to be edited, and the control unit 210 receives a selection input for the regulated area input by the crew member. The control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 determines whether or not planned route data has already been registered for the selected regulated area.

[0055] If the planned route data for the selected restricted area is registered (step S102-YES), the control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 advances the process to step S103. On the other hand, if the planned route data for the selected restricted area is not registered (step S102-NO), the control unit 210 advances the process to step S111. Here, the control unit 210 determines that the planned route data has been registered by collecting the planned route data from the navigation equipment when the navigation equipment that creates the route, such as ECDIS, is linked to the fuel changeover support server 20. Even when the navigation equipment and the fuel changeover support server 20 are not linked to each other, the control unit 210 determines that the planned route data has been registered when the planned route data is acquired based on the operation input from the crew.

[0056] If planned route data has been registered (step S102-YES), the control unit 210 acquires the planned route data (step S103), transmits data for displaying a screen in which the planned route data is superimposed on the electronic chart to the operation terminal 10, and causes the operation terminal 10 to display it (step S104). The operation terminal 10 displays a screen in which planned route data is superimposed on an electronic nautical chart based on the data received from the fuel switching support server 20. Then, the operation terminal 10 accepts input of a first condition. Here, a case in which conditions are accepted based on method 1 will be described as an example. The operation terminal 10 accepts an input, such as by touch input, specifying a target position for completing fuel switching for any position on the planned route superimposed on the electronic nautical chart. Then, the operation terminal 10 transmits data representing the position on the electronic nautical chart input as the target position to the fuel switching support server 20 as the first condition.

[0057] The first acquisition unit 202 of the fuel switching assistance server 20 acquires data indicating the target position transmitted from the operation terminal 10 as a first condition (step S105). When the first acquisition unit 202 accepts the input of the first condition, the guide position generation unit 206 generates a guide position that is a position according to the condition based on the input target position, and is farther away from the regulated area than the target position, as a guide position for starting fuel switching (step S106), and transmits the guide position to the operation terminal 10, causing it to be displayed on the operation terminal 10 (step S107).

[0058] The operation terminal 10 displays a guide position on the electronic nautical chart based on an instruction from the fuel switching support server 20. The crew member refers to the guide position and touches the electronic nautical chart to input the position where fuel switching should start as the switching start position. The operation terminal 10 transmits data indicating the touch-input position on the electronic nautical chart to the fuel switching support server 20 as the second condition. The second acquisition unit 203 of the fuel switching assistance server 20 receives the second condition from the operation terminal 10 (step S108). On the other hand, after input of the second condition is completed, the operation terminal 10 accepts input of the third condition. The operation terminal 10 transmits the input third condition to the fuel switching support server 20. The third acquisition unit 204 of the fuel switching support server 20 acquires the third condition transmitted from the operation terminal 10 (step S109). When the first condition to the third condition are input, the control unit 210 registers these first condition to the third condition by storing them in the storage unit 200 (step S110). In this manner, the first to third conditions for the restricted area are registered.

[0059] On the other hand, if planned route data for the selected restricted area is not registered in step S102 (step S102-NO), the control unit 210 generates a reference route (step S111) and displays the generated reference route on the electronic nautical chart (step S112). For example, the control unit 210 may acquire the current course of the target ship from the navigation equipment, extend the course to generate a route predicted for the future as a reference route, and display the generated reference route on the electronic nautical chart. Then, the control unit 210 shifts the process to step S105.

[0060] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the operation terminal 10 when the first to third conditions are registered. 9A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a planned route is displayed for a restricted area. The planned route PR is a route that travels from the upper right side to the lower left side of the display screen G21. In this figure, the display screen G21 of the operation terminal 10 displays the regulated area AR and an electronic nautical chart on which the planned route PR according to the planned route data is superimposed. Such a screen is a display screen displayed on the operation terminal 10 after the above-mentioned step S104. Here, a message "Please tap the fuel switching completion point" is displayed on the lower side of the display screen G21. Based on this message, the crew can input the fuel switching completion point as a target position. In addition, since the planned route PR is displayed here, the crew can input the target position to any position along the planned route PR. In addition, since the planned route is displayed, the crew can set the target position to a position on the route that the ship may pass by inputting the target position to any position on the planned route using this planned route as a clue. If the target position is set near the regulated area AR, it can be specified as a target that the target ship completes the fuel switching when it reaches a position as close as possible to the regulated area AR. If the target position is set to a position somewhat away from the regulated area AR, it can be specified as a target that the target ship completes the fuel switching with enough time to reach the regulated area AR.

[0061] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing an example of the display screen G22 of the operation terminal 10 when a guide position is displayed by inputting a position according to the first condition by the crew member. When the crew inputs a target position for the position P1 on the planned route PR on the display screen G22, the estimated position P2a generated by the estimated position generating unit 206 is displayed on the planned route PR. Here, the estimated position generating unit 206 determines a position along the planned route PR, which is a position before the target position is reached, as the estimated position. When determining the estimated position, the estimated position generating unit 206 determines a travel distance based on the ship's speed and fuel consumption from the completion of the fuel switching operation until the fuel remaining in the fuel supply path from the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine is consumed, and sets the estimated position at a position that is a predetermined distance before the target position. Here, a position that is a predetermined distance before the target position may be determined as the estimated position. For example, the predetermined distance may be determined by collecting multiple past data on the distance traveled from the fuel switching operation to the actual fuel switching for the target ship, and calculating the average value of these data. In this way, the reference position is a position where there is a certain degree of probability that the fuel switch will be completed when the vessel reaches the target position after sailing along the planned route PR and performing a fuel switch operation. Therefore, if the reference position is designated as the fuel switch start point, the fuel switch will be completed when the vessel reaches the target position.

[0062] Here, the reference position generating unit 206 causes the operation terminal 10 to display the reference position in a graphic having a different display mode from the graphic indicating the first condition. For example, if the graphic indicating the first condition is a circle with a filled inner periphery, the reference position may be displayed as a circle with an unfilled inner periphery. Also, the graphics of the target position and the reference position may be displayed in different graphics (for example, a circle and a triangle, etc.). The crew can input the fuel switching start point indicating the second condition after confirming where the guide position P2a is on the planned route PR with respect to the target position P1. Here, since the guide position P2a is displayed, the crew can specify the switching start point with reference to this position, so that it is possible to reduce the distance between the switching start point and the target position being shorter than the distance required for fuel switching, or the start of fuel switching at a position farther away from the target position than necessary. In addition, when specifying the fuel switching start point based on the target position, the crew may determine the distance from the target position by taking into account various factors such as speed and distance, and specify the fuel switching start point according to the distance. However, even if there is variation in the fuel switching start points specified by the crew depending on the experience and knowledge of the crew, the crew can correct the fuel switching start point with reference to the guide position. Then, a message "Please tap the fuel switching start point" is displayed at the bottom of the display screen G22 in Fig. 9B. The crew member can specify the fuel switching start point by checking this message and referring to the target position. For example, the crew member can tap input the target position as the fuel switching start point.

[0063] FIG. 9C is a diagram showing an example of the display screen G23 after the fuel switch start point has been input. When the fuel switchover start point is input, a figure representing the input fuel switchover start point P2 is displayed on the display screen G23. Then, at the bottom of the display screen G23, a character string such as "Please enter a fuel start advance notice. A point □NM away from the fuel switching start point" is displayed, and an input field for inputting a distance is displayed within the character string. The crew enters a numerical value indicating the distance into this input field. This allows the third condition to be entered. The control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 sets a position on the planned route PR that is the entered distance away from the fuel switching start point as the third condition. In this case, the third condition represents the point where the fuel start advance notice is to be issued.

[0064] In Fig. 9, the first to third conditions are input based on the planned route in accordance with the above-mentioned method 1. In this case, the positions indicating the first, second and third conditions are associated with the planned route (are on the planned route), so the task can be disabled when the fuel switching function is completed. Here, a case where a planned route is input has been described, but even if a planned route is not input, the first to third conditions may be set. For example, if a planned route is not input, the control unit 210 may obtain the current course of the target ship from the navigation equipment, extend the course to generate a reference route that is a predicted future route, and display the generated reference route on an electronic chart together with the restricted area AR.

[0065] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a reference route RR is displayed on the display screen G25 of the operation terminal 10. Here, the reference route RR is displayed on the opposite side of the wake WK from the target ship SP as the starting point. This makes it possible to set the positions of the first to third conditions for any position along the reference route RR even if the planned route is not input. Therefore, the first to third conditions can be set for any position that the target ship may pass through. Further, although the case where the reference route RR is obtained based on the ship track WK has been described here, the control unit 210 may obtain the reference route RR by extending the bow direction of the target ship.

[0066] (About Method 1) FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set in accordance with the above-mentioned method 1. In FIG. In this figure, after the planned route PR is acquired, a target position (fuel switching completion point) P1 is set, and a fuel switching start point P2 is set. Then, when the vessel reaches a position that is a specified distance D away from the fuel switching start point P2 (or a position based on the time required to reach the switching start point), an alert is notified to the operation terminal 10 by the notification unit 208. In this method 1, the target position (fuel switching completion point) P1 and the fuel switching start point P2 are each associated with the planned route PR (because the target position P1 and the fuel switching start point P2 are each on the planned route PR), so the task can be disabled when the ship's position reaches the target position P1.

[0067] 11, an alert is sent depending on whether the position of the target vessel has reached the target position P1 or the fuel switching start point P2, but if the vessel is sailing at a position different from the planned route PR or if an error occurs in measuring the vessel's position, the vessel's position may not overlap with the target position P1 or the fuel switching start point P2. In such a case, a circle centered on the vessel's position may be set as a judgment area, and it may be judged whether the target position P1 or the fuel switching start point P2 has reached the inner circumference of the judgment area, and an alert may be sent if either position is reached.

[0068] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example in which a determination area JA is set with the position of the ship as the center. As a result, when the target position P1 or the fuel switch start point P2 reaches the inner periphery of the judgment region JA, a notification can be given according to the reached position. The radius of the circle of this judgment area can be set arbitrarily. Although the shape of the judgment area has been described as being circular, it may be a shape other than a circle (an ellipse, a rectangle, or another shape). If the distance from the position of the ship to the periphery of the area in the bow direction is shortened and the distance to the periphery of the area in the port or starboard direction is lengthened, it is possible to detect that the ship has reached the target position P1 or the fuel switching start point P2 even if the position of the ship deviates slightly left or right from the planned route PR, and it is also possible to prevent the ship from prematurely detecting that it has reached the target position P1 or the fuel switching start point P2 in the bow direction.

[0069] (About Method 2) FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set in accordance with the above-mentioned method 2. In FIG. In this figure, after the planned route PR is acquired, a boundary line BO1 based on the target position (fuel switching completion point) is set, and a boundary line BO2 based on the fuel switching start point is set. The boundary lines BO1 and BO2 may be input by tracing the screen with a finger on the touch panel of the operation terminal 10. The boundary line may also be input by inputting two points, the start point and the end point of the boundary line. The first and second conditions may be input in this manner. In this method 2, the boundaries BO1 and BO2 correspond to the planned route PR (because the boundaries BO1 and BO2 each intersect with the planned route PR), so the task can be disabled when the ship's position reaches the boundary line BO1. Furthermore, in this method 2, if the planned route PR is not set, it is not clear which position the ship will pass through, so even if the first and second conditions are set by points as in method 1, there is a possibility that the ship will not pass through those points. In that case, no notification will be given, and it may not be clear whether or not the notification process (task) based on the set conditions can be terminated. However, in the case of method 2, the boundary lines BO1 and BO2 are set, so it is possible to increase the possibility that the ship will pass through. This allows the notification unit 208 to give a notification by detecting that the ship has crossed the boundary lines. The lengths of the boundary lines BO1 and BO2 may be determined arbitrarily.

[0070] (Method 3) FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set in accordance with the above-mentioned method 3. In FIG. In this figure, after the planned route PR is acquired, a notification area NA1 based on a target position (fuel switching completion point) P1 is set, and a notification area NA2 based on a fuel switching start point P2 is set. The notification areas NA1 and NA2 may be input as circles by tracing the screen with a finger on the touch panel of the operation terminal 10. Also, a circle with a radius (or diameter) set according to the amount of operation of pinching out with the finger may be input. Also, the notification area NA1 may be input by inputting the target position P1 and then inputting an operation input specifying the radius, or the notification area NA2 may be input by inputting the target position P2 and then inputting an operation input specifying the radius. The sizes of the notification area NA1 and the notification area NA2 may be set arbitrarily. In this method 3, since the notification areas NA1, NA2 and the planned route PR are associated (since the notification areas NA1 and NA2 overlap with the planned route PR), notification can be made and the task can be disabled when the ship's position reaches the notification area NA1 or the notification area NA2. Furthermore, in this method 3, even if the planned route PR is not set, the notification area NA1 and the notification area NA2 are each areas with a certain degree of width, so it is possible to increase the possibility that the ship will pass through a position in one of these areas compared to a case in which the first or second condition is specified by a point. Therefore, a notification can be issued when the ship passes through the first or second condition, and the task can be disabled.

[0071] (Method 4) FIG. 15A is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set in accordance with the above-mentioned method 4. In FIG. In the above-mentioned methods 1 to 3, the first and second conditions are set by specifying a position on an electronic chart, whereas in method 4, the first and second conditions are set based on the position of the target ship. In this figure, a sector-shaped judgment area JA1 and a sector-shaped judgment area JA2 are set for the ship SP. The radius R1 of the judgment area JA1 corresponds to the distance (first distance) between the target position and the regulated area AR, and the judgment area JA1 is used as the first condition. The center point corresponding to the arc of the judgment area JA1 is set to be the position of the ship SP. The center of the arc of the judgment area JA1 is set to correspond to the bow direction. The radius R2 of the judgment area JA2 corresponds to the distance (second distance) between the switching start point and the regulated area AR, and the judgment area JA2 is used as the second condition. The center point corresponding to the arc of the judgment area JA2 is set to be the position of the ship SP. The center part of the arc of the judgment area JA2 is set to correspond to the bow direction. The radius R3 of the judgment area JA3 corresponds to the distance (third distance) from the switching start point, and the judgment area JA3 is used as the third condition. The center point (P3) corresponding to the arc of the judgment area JA3 is set to be the position of the ship SP on the planned route PR. The center of the arc of the judgment area JA3 is set to correspond to the bow direction. In this method 4, the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition may be set by inputting the distance and the angle of the arc based on the position of the ship from the operation terminal 10.

[0072] Fig. 15B is a diagram for explaining another example in which conditions are set in the above-mentioned method 4. Fig. 15A explains a case in which the first to third conditions are set by having the user specify a distance, but in this example, a case in which conditions are set by having the user specify a time instead of a distance will be explained. The first condition may be a time required to reach the restricted area. When the time is input as the first condition, the first acquisition unit can calculate a distance based on the input time and the speed of the ship, and acquire the calculated distance as the first condition. In this case, the speed of the ship may be a planned speed in the vicinity of the switching completion target position when navigating toward the switching completion target position along the planned route data, or a predetermined speed may be used. The second condition is a time required to reach the restricted area, which is longer than the first condition. When a time is input as the second condition, the second acquisition unit can calculate a distance based on the input time and the speed of the vessel, and use the calculated distance as the second condition. In this case, the speed of the vessel may be a planned speed when navigating from the switching start point to the switching completion target position along the planned route data, or a predetermined speed may be used. The third condition is a time required to reach the restricted area, which is longer than the second condition. When a time is input as the third condition, the third acquisition unit can calculate a distance based on the input time and the speed of the ship, and use the calculated distance as the third condition. In this case, the speed of the ship may be a planned speed when navigating from a position a certain distance before the switching start point along the planned route data to the switching start point, or a predetermined speed may be used. When the first to third conditions are set based on time in this manner, the time required to reach the restricted area is displayed for each of position P3, switching start point P2, and target position P1, as shown in FIG. 15B.

[0073] When the ship SP sails along the planned route PR and reaches position P3, the notification unit 208 detects that the ship SP has reached a position a predetermined distance before the switching start point, and notifies the operation terminal 10 that the ship SP has reached a position a predetermined distance before the switching start point. Thereafter, when the vessel SP navigates along the planned route PR and reaches the position P2, the regulated area AR enters the judgment region JA2. As a result, the notification unit 208 detects that the vessel has reached the switching start point, and transmits a notification to the operation terminal 10 indicating that the vessel has reached the switching start point. Thereafter, when the ship SP continues to navigate along the planned route PR and reaches position P1, the regulated area AR enters the judgment region JA1. As a result, the notification unit 208 detects that the ship SP has reached the fuel switching completion point, and judges whether or not a switching completion instruction has been received from the operation terminal 10. Then, the notification unit 208 transmits a notice according to the judgment result to the operation terminal 10 or the terminal device 30. In this method 4, the case where the planned route PR is set has been described, but the planned route PR does not have to be set. Even if the planned route PR is not set and it is not clear which position the ship will pass through, it is possible to determine whether the restricted area AR has been included in any of the judgment areas JA1, JA2, and JA3 based on the ship, and to notify the operation terminal 10 and the terminal device 30 according to the judgment result.

[0074] (Method 5) FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a case where conditions are set in accordance with the above-mentioned method 5. In FIG. In method 5, a first condition, a second condition, and a third condition are set, which are ranges determined based on the restricted area AR. In this figure, determination areas JA4, JA5, and JA6, which are areas enlarged based on the restricted area AR, are set along the peripheral shape of the restricted area AR. The distance between the restricted area AR and the determination area JA4 corresponds to the first distance, and the determination area JA4 is used as the first condition. The distance between the restricted area AR and the determination area JA5 corresponds to the second distance, and the determination area JA5 is used as the second condition. In this case, the second distance is longer than the first distance. The distance between the restricted area AR and the determination area JA6 corresponds to a third distance, and the determination area JA6 is used as a third condition. In this case, the third distance is longer than the second distance.

[0075] In this method 5, the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition may be set by inputting, from the operation terminal 10, a distance based on the periphery of the restricted area AR.

[0076] When the ship SP navigates along the planned route PR and reaches the judgment area JA6, the notification unit 208 detects that the ship SP has reached a position a predetermined distance before the switching start point, and notifies the operation terminal 10 that the ship SP has reached a position a predetermined distance before the switching start point. Thereafter, when the ship SP navigates along the planned route PR and reaches the judgment area JA5, the notification unit 208 detects that the ship SP has reached the switching start point and sends a notification to the operation terminal 10 indicating that the ship has reached the switching start point. Thereafter, when the vessel SP further navigates along the planned route PR and reaches the judgment area JA4, the notification unit 208 detects that the vessel SP has reached the fuel switching completion point, and judges whether or not a switching completion instruction has been received from the operation terminal 10. Then, the notification unit 208 transmits a notice according to the judgment result to the operation terminal 10 or the terminal device 30. In this method 5, the case where the planned route PR is set has been described, but the planned route PR does not have to be set. Even if the planned route PR is not set and it is not clear which position the ship will pass through, by determining whether the ship's position has come to be included in any of the judgment areas JA6, JA4, and JA5 based on the restricted area AR, it is possible to notify the operation terminal 10 and the terminal device 30 according to the judgment result.

[0077] In the above-mentioned Figures 11 to 16, a case has been described in which the planned route PR is acquired and then processing is performed according to various conditions. However, if the planned route PR cannot be obtained, a reference route RR may be acquired and then processing is performed according to various conditions.

[0078] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the fuel switching support server 20. As shown in FIG. The control unit 210 of the fuel switching support server 20 reads out a task set for a ship to be managed (step S201). For example, when there are multiple tasks, the control unit 210 may read out a task set for a regulated area in the bow direction of the ship. Next, the vessel position acquisition unit 205 acquires the vessel position (step S202). The notification unit 208 determines whether the acquired vessel position satisfies a third condition (step S203).

[0079] If the acquired ship position has not reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the third condition, it is determined that the third condition is not satisfied (step S203-NO), and the control unit 210 shifts the process to step S202. As a result, the ship position acquisition unit 205 acquires the ship position (step S202).

[0080] On the other hand, if the acquired position of the ship has reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the third condition, it is determined that the third condition is met (step S203-YES), and the notification unit 208 issues a notification according to the third condition (step S204). For example, a message saying "Arrived 5 NM before the fuel changeover start point" is sent to the operation terminal 10. Here, if there are multiple operation terminals 10 of crew members on board the managed ship, the notification unit 208 sends a notification to each operation terminal 10. This makes it possible to notify each crew member even if multiple crew members are involved in the fuel changeover work. In addition, if the notification in step 204 is not given and a notification is given when the switching start point is reached, the crew may not be able to start the switching operation immediately if they are performing another task. For this reason, by receiving a notification some time before the timing of reaching the switching start point, the crew can know that the switching start point is approaching to a certain extent. This makes it possible to finish the current task and shift tasks in time for the start of the fuel switching operation.

[0081] Next, the vessel position acquisition unit 205 acquires the vessel position (step S205). The notification unit 208 determines whether the acquired vessel position satisfies a second condition (step S206). If the acquired ship position has not reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the second condition, it is determined that the second condition is not satisfied (step S206-NO), and the control unit 210 shifts the process to step S205. As a result, the ship position acquisition unit 205 acquires the ship position (step S205).

[0082] On the other hand, if the acquired position of the ship has reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the second condition (step S206-YES), the notification unit 208 issues a notification according to the second condition (step S207). For example, a message saying "The fuel switching start point has been reached" is sent to the operation terminal 10. Here, if there are multiple operation terminals 10 of crew members on board the ship to be managed, the notification unit 208 sends a notification to each operation terminal 10.

[0083] Next, the vessel position acquisition unit 205 acquires the vessel position (step S208). The notification unit 208 determines whether the acquired vessel position satisfies a first condition (step S209). If the acquired ship position has not reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the first condition, it is determined that the first condition is not satisfied (step S209-NO), and the control unit 210 shifts the process to step S208. As a result, the ship position acquisition unit 205 acquires the ship position (step S208).

[0084] On the other hand, if the acquired ship position has reached the position (or area) on the electronic chart set as the first condition (step S209-YES), the control unit 210 judges whether a completion instruction has been acquired from the operation terminal 10 by the completion instruction acquisition unit 207 (step S210). If the judgment result shows that a completion instruction has been acquired (step S210-YES), the notification unit 208 notifies the terminal device 30 by sending a message such as "Fuel switching has been completed" (step S211). Then, the task management unit 209 switches the task that was the subject of processing to invalid (step S212).

[0085] On the other hand, if a completion instruction has not been obtained in step S210 (step S210-NO), the notification unit 208 transmits an alert including a message such as "Fuel switching has not been completed" to the operation terminal 10 (step S213). This enables the crew member carrying the operation terminal 10 to check whether they have forgotten to perform the switching completion operation, and to take measures such as circling the ship around the restricted area until the fuel switching is completed. The notification unit 208 also transmits an alert including a message such as "Fuel switching has not been completed" to the terminal device 30 (step S214). This allows the person in charge at the land station to take various measures such as contacting the ship. Thereafter, control unit 210 advances the process to step S210.

[0086] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating task management. When a command to display the fuel switching task is input by a crew member on the operation terminal 10, the registered fuel switching task is displayed as shown on the display screen G31. Here, the task at the bottom is enabled. Then, when the ship reaches the target position, a screen is displayed on the display screen G32 of the operation terminal 10, which allows input of the completion of the switching operation, such as "Is the fuel switching completed?". Here, if the crew member has performed the fuel switching operation, they can input the completion of the fuel switching operation by pressing the "Yes" button. This causes the task at the bottom to be disabled, as shown on the display screen G33.

[0087] In the embodiment described above, when the ship reaches the target position, the task management unit 209 switches the task that has been managed as the target position from active to inactive. Here, the fuel switching support server 20 can also manage various tasks other than fuel switching, and in such a case, even if there are multiple types of tasks, it can invalidate those that have been completed managing. As a result, even if there are multiple tasks, the tasks can be automatically invalidated without being manually invalidated from the operation terminal 10 by a crew member or the like.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the conditions (first condition to third condition) are input from the operation terminal 10, but when conditions are input from one of the operation terminals 10 carried by each crew member on the same ship, various notifications based on the same conditions may be sent to the operation terminals 10 of the other crew members on the same ship. Also, even if crew members are on the same ship, they may input conditions into their respective operation terminals 10 so that various notifications based on the conditions are sent to each operation terminal 10 individually.

[0089] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the terminal device 30 is notified as to whether or not a fuel switch has been performed when the target position is reached, but the set target position may be transmitted to the terminal device 30 in advance.

[0090] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the position of the ship is obtained from the ship and it is determined whether the conditions are met. However, if the position of the ship cannot be obtained, the notification unit 208 may calculate the notification time from a position based on the planned route and the set conditions, and make a notification when the notification time arrives.

[0091] The operation terminal 10 in the above-described embodiment may be realized by a computer. Also, the fuel switching support server 20 may be realized by a computer. In that case, a program for realizing this function may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to realize the function. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may include a medium that dynamically holds a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, and a medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that is a server or client in that case. The above-described program may be a program for realizing a part of the above-described function, or may be a program that can realize the above-described function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or may be a program that is realized using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0092] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10...operation terminal, 20...support server, 30...terminal device, 100...storage unit, 101...communication unit, 102...first display unit, 103...condition input unit, 104...completion instruction input unit, 105...control unit, 106...output unit, 107...input unit, 200...storage unit, 201...communication unit, 202...first acquisition unit, 203...second acquisition unit, 204...third acquisition unit, 205...ship position acquisition unit, 206...approximate position generation unit, 207...completion instruction acquisition unit, 208...notification unit, 209...task management unit, 210...control unit, 211...output unit

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that receives an input of a first condition, the first condition being a condition based on a target position away from a regulated area, which is a sea area where available fuel is regulated, and where fuel switching in accordance with the regulation is to be completed; a second acquisition unit that receives an input of a second condition, the second condition being a condition based on a switching start point at which the switching of the fuel is started and which is located farther away from the regulated area than the target position; a third acquisition unit that accepts an input of a third condition that is a condition based on a position that is farther away from the regulated area than the switching start point and that approaches the switching start point by a predetermined distance; A ship position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a target ship; a notification unit that, when the acquired ship position satisfies any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, transmits a notification content according to the satisfied condition to a terminal device; A fuel switching assistance system having:

2. a completion instruction acquisition unit that acquires, from an operation terminal, a switching completion instruction indicating that the switching of the fuel has been completed; When the acquired position of the ship satisfies the first condition, the notification unit determines whether a completion instruction has been acquired from the operation terminal, and transmits notification content according to whether the completion instruction has been acquired to a terminal device used on land. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

3. The notification unit is If the switching completion instruction cannot be obtained from the operation terminal before the position of the target ship reaches the target position, the terminal device used on land is notified that the switching completion instruction has not been received, and the operation terminal is notified that the switching completion instruction has not been input. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 2.

4. a guide position generating unit that, when the first acquisition unit receives an input of the first condition, generates a guide position that is a guide position for starting the fuel switching, the guide position being a position according to a condition based on the input target position and that is farther away from the regulated area than the target position, and displays the guide position on an operation terminal, The second acquisition unit receives an input of a second condition, which is a condition based on a position at which the fuel switching is to be started, on a nautical chart on a display screen of the operation terminal. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 2.

5. a first display unit that displays the restricted area on a nautical chart and displays the route of the target ship on the nautical chart; the first acquisition unit accepts an input of a first condition that is a condition based on the target position by specifying a position on the route as the target position; The second acquisition unit receives an input of a second condition that is a condition based on the switching start point when a position on the route is designated as the switching start point. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

6. A first display unit that displays the restricted area on a nautical chart, the first acquisition unit accepts an input of the first condition by accepting an input of a boundary line including a position away from the restricted area; The second acquisition unit accepts an input of the second condition by accepting an input of a boundary line including a position from the restricted area farther than the target position. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

7. A first display unit that displays the restricted area on a nautical chart, the first acquisition unit accepts an input of the first condition by accepting an input of an area including a position away from the restricted area; The second acquisition unit accepts an input of the second condition by accepting an input of an area including a position farther away from the restricted area than the target position. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

8. The notification unit is A ship area surrounding the acquired ship position is set, and when the ship area reaches a position corresponding to any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, it is determined that the condition corresponding to the position is satisfied, and notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

9. The first acquisition unit is Obtaining a first distance based on the position of the target ship as the first condition; The second acquisition unit is A second distance, which is longer than the first distance and is based on the position of the target ship, is acquired as the second condition; The third acquisition unit is acquiring, as the third condition, a third distance that is longer than the second distance with respect to the periphery of the restricted area; The notification unit is Using the acquired ship position as a reference, when the distance to the restricted area reaches a distance corresponding to any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, it is determined that the condition corresponding to the reached distance is satisfied, and a notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

10. The first acquisition unit is When a time required to reach the restricted area is input, a distance is calculated based on the input time and a predetermined speed, and the calculated distance is acquired as the first condition; The second acquisition unit is When a time required to reach the restricted area that is longer than the first condition is input, a distance is calculated based on the input time and a predetermined speed, and the calculated distance is acquired as the second condition; The third acquisition unit is When a time required to reach the restricted area that is longer than the second condition is input, a distance is calculated based on the input time and a predetermined speed, and the calculated distance is acquired as the third condition; The notification unit is Using the acquired ship position as a reference, when the distance to the restricted area reaches a distance corresponding to any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, it is determined that the condition corresponding to the reached distance is satisfied, and a notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

11. The first acquisition unit is A fourth region that is a fourth distance away from an outer periphery of the restricted area is acquired as the first condition; The second acquisition unit is A fifth area that is a fifth distance away from an outer periphery of the restricted area, the fifth distance being longer than the fourth distance, is acquired as the second condition; The third acquisition unit is A sixth area that is a sixth distance away from an outer periphery of the restricted area, the sixth distance being longer than the fifth distance, is acquired as the third condition; The notification unit is When the acquired position of the ship reaches any one of the fourth area, the fifth area, and the sixth area, it is determined that a condition corresponding to the area reached is satisfied, and a notification content corresponding to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. The fuel switching assistance system of claim 1 .

12. The third acquisition unit is A distance from a switching start point according to the second condition acquired by the second acquisition unit is input and accepted as the third condition. A fuel switching assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A fuel switching assistance method executed by a computer, comprising: Accepting an input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target position away from a regulated area, which is a sea area where available fuel is regulated, and where fuel switching in accordance with the regulation is to be completed; accepts an input of a second condition based on a switching start point at which the switching of the fuel is started and which is located farther away from the regulated area than the target position; accepting an input of a third condition based on a position that is farther away from the regulated area than the switching start point and that approaches the switching start point by a predetermined distance; Obtain the position of the target vessel, If the acquired ship position satisfies any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, a notification content according to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. Fuel switching assistance methods.

14. A program executed by a computer, Accepting an input of a first condition, which is a condition based on a target position away from a regulated area, which is a sea area where available fuel is regulated, and where fuel switching in accordance with the regulation is to be completed; accepts an input of a second condition based on a switching start point at which the switching of the fuel is started and which is located farther away from the regulated area than the target position; accepting an input of a third condition based on a position that is farther away from the regulated area than the switching start point and that approaches the switching start point by a predetermined distance; Obtain the position of the target vessel, If the acquired ship position satisfies any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, a notification content according to the satisfied condition is transmitted to the terminal device. program.

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