Ship stopping determination device and ship stopping determination method

Abstract

To support determination on which stop method is to be used to stop a ship.SOLUTION: A ship stop determination device comprises: an acquisition section for acquiring a present position of an object ship and an operation condition including an arrival place, an arrival schedule time, and a mooring end schedule time as a navigation schedule; and a determination section for obtaining fuel consumption amounts for each one of a first kind to navigate at a speed with an excellent fuel consumption amount and to drift until the mooring end schedule time after arriving at the arrival place, a second kind to navigate at the speed with the excellent fuel consumption amount and to anchor until the mooring end schedule time after arriving at the arrival place, and a third kind to navigate at a speed lower than the speed with the excellent fuel consumption amount and to drift or anchor until the mooring end schedule time if there is a surplus time after arriving at the arrival place, and then determining a stop method to be recommended based on order of the fuel consumption amounts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship stop determination device and a ship stop determination method.

Background Art

[0002] When stopping a ship, any means such as anchoring, drifting, or mooring is used. If a mooring facility is not used, the ship is stopped either by anchoring or drifting. When temporarily stopping a ship, the crew determines which of anchoring and drifting is better based on past experience, sea conditions, etc. When anchoring, it is necessary to give prior instructions to the personnel responsible for anchoring and have them make the necessary preparations.

[0003] When operating a ship, there is a system that displays various useful information to provide various information for improving safety to the shipping company by displaying the information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when the crew determines which stopping method, such as anchoring or drifting, is better, it is necessary to consider various factors such as fuel consumption, and since the considerations vary depending on the situation, it is not easy for inexperienced crew members to determine the judgment, and the burden is large.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a ship stop determination device and a ship stop determination method that assist in determining which stopping method to use to stop a ship. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a ship stopping determination device having an acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the target vessel and operating conditions including the destination, scheduled arrival time, and scheduled end time of anchoring as part of the sailing plan; and a determination unit that determines the fuel consumption for each of the following three types: a first type in which the vessel sails at a fuel-efficient speed and drifts until the scheduled end time of anchoring after arriving at the destination; a second type in which the vessel sails at a fuel-efficient speed and anchors until the scheduled end time of anchoring after arriving at the destination; and a third type in which the vessel sails at a speed lower than the fuel-efficient speed and drifts or anchors until the scheduled end time of anchoring if there is surplus time after arriving at the destination, and determines a recommended stopping method based on the order of the fuel consumption.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a ship stopping determination method performed by a computer, which includes obtaining the current location of the target ship and operating conditions including the destination, scheduled arrival time, and scheduled end time of anchoring as part of the planned voyage, and determining the fuel consumption for each of the following three types: a first type in which the ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed and drifts until the scheduled end time of anchoring after arriving at the destination, a second type in which the ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed and anchors until the scheduled end time of anchoring after arriving at the destination, and a third type in which the ship sails at a speed lower than the fuel-efficient speed and drifts or anchors until the scheduled end time of anchoring if there is surplus time after arriving at the destination, and determining a recommended stopping method based on the order of the fuel consumption. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention described above, it is possible to assist in deciding whether to anchor or drift. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a ship monitoring system S using a ship stop determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart explaining the operation of the ship stop detection device 30. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart explaining the operation of the ship stop detection device 30. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the types of stopping methods when the estimated arrival time is required. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the types of stopping methods when an estimated arrival time is not required. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the combinations of stopping methods, sorted from those with the best fuel consumption (lowest fuel consumption) to those with the lowest. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a display screen shown on the display device of terminal device 40. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the display screen of the terminal device 40 when an alternative is displayed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes a ship stop determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a ship monitoring system S using a ship stop determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The ship monitoring system S includes a ship information collection device 10, an external information collection device 20, a ship stop determination device 30, and a terminal device 40. In the ship monitoring system S, the ship stop determination device 30 and the terminal device 40 are installed on the ship to be monitored and can be used by that ship to manage its own ship (the ship for which the decision of whether to anchor or drift is made). Alternatively, the ship stop determination device 30 and the terminal device 40 can be installed at a monitoring station on land and used to monitor multiple ships navigating in ports, etc. Furthermore, the ship stop determination device 30 may be installed as a server device in one of the regions, and the terminal device 40 may be installed at the monitoring station or on the ship to be monitored, and the terminal device 40 and the ship stop determination device 30 may be connected to communicate via a network such as wireless or wired. In this embodiment, a terminal device 40 is installed on the vessel to be monitored, and the crew of the vessel monitors their own vessel as an example.

[0012] Here, the vessels to be monitored may be vessels operated by a crew, or they may be vessels that can be operated without direct operation by a crew, such as autonomous vessels or self-driving vessels. When monitoring autonomous vessels, if there is a crew on the autonomous vessel, the terminal device 40 may be installed on the autonomous vessel so that the crew can check the displayed content, or if there is no crew on the autonomous vessel, the terminal device 40 may be installed at a monitoring station so that a monitor can check the displayed content.

[0013] The ship information collection device 10 collects information about the monitored vessel. For example, the ship information collection device 10 collects information such as the position information (latitude, longitude, heading), ship speed, and wind conditions (wind direction, wind speed) of the monitored vessel. The monitored vessels are the vessel to be determined to perform either anchoring or drifting (hereinafter also referred to as "our vessel") and other vessels present around the vessel to be determined. The position information of our vessel can be obtained from the GPS (Global Positioning System) installed on our vessel, ship speed from the speed sensor, and wind conditions from the wind speed sensor and wind direction sensor. For both our vessel and other vessels, position information, ship speed, heading (course), etc., can be obtained from information output from the AIS (Automatic Identification System). Furthermore, the ship information collection device 10 has the function of a data logger and stores logs of the ship's speed and remaining fuel level while it is sailing. The ship information collection device 10 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the ship stop determination device 30 via a communication I / F 11, and transmits the various information it has collected to the ship stop determination device 30. An application containing a program for realizing the functions of the ship information collection device 10 may be incorporated into and executed by another device to realize the functions of the ship information collection device 10.

[0014] The external information gathering device 20 collects various types of information related to the sea area in which the ship is navigating. For example, the external information gathering device 20 communicates with an external server device and receives various types of information from the server device. The information received includes meteorological and oceanographic information. The external information gathering device 20 can also obtain nautical chart information from the external server device. Meteorological and oceanographic information includes information on weather and ocean conditions, such as weather, waves (wave height, wave direction, period, etc.), tides, and typhoon information. The external information gathering device 20 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the ship stop determination device 30 via the communication I / F 21, and transmits the various information it has collected to the ship stop determination device 30. The external information collection device 20 may transmit a request to an external server device or the like using an API (Application Programming Interface) and receive the result. An application including a program for realizing the functions of the external information collection device 20 may be incorporated into another device and executed to realize the functions as the external information collection device 20.

[0015] The ship stop determination device 30 is communicably connected to the ship information collection device 10, the external information collection device 20, and the terminal device 40 by wireless or wired communication. The ship stop determination device 30 may be a single computer or a cloud server. Also, an application including a program for realizing the functions of the ship stop determination device 30 may be incorporated into another device and executed to realize the functions as the ship stop determination device 30.

[0016] The data reception unit 31 receives various information by communicating with at least one of the ship information collection device 10, the external information collection device 20, and the terminal device 40. For example, the data reception unit 31 acquires other ship data indicating the situation of other ships around the target ship by receiving it from the ship information collection device 10. Also, the data reception unit 31 acquires weather data indicating the weather around the target ship by receiving it from the external information collection device 20. Also, the data reception unit 31 acquires data indicating the operation conditions by receiving it from the terminal device 40. The operation conditions include, for example, the destination, the scheduled arrival time, and the scheduled end time of berthing as the navigation plan. Also, the operation conditions may include information specifying whether it is essential to arrive at the scheduled arrival time and information specifying whether it is essential to anchor.

[0017] The bottom sediment information storage unit 33 stores bottom sediment information representing the surface geology constituting the seabed in the water area. By referring to the bottom sediment information, it is possible to grasp whether the geology is suitable for anchoring.

[0018] In this embodiment, if existing nautical chart data includes seabed sediment information, the seabed sediment information storage unit 33 may store the seabed sediment information based on the existing nautical chart data.

[0019] The fuel consumption memory unit 34 stores information representing the relationship between the ship's motion state and fuel consumption. The motion states of a ship include drifting, anchoring, and sailing. The fuel consumption memory unit 34 stores, for example, the amount of fuel consumed during drifting, the amount of fuel consumed while anchored, and the amount of fuel consumed according to the ship's speed. When drifting or anchored, some ships may stop the main engines that power the propellers and operate auxiliary engines that power the ship's electrical and various hydraulic equipment. In that case, the amount of fuel consumed when the main engines are running will differ from the amount of fuel consumed when only the auxiliary engines are running. Also, fuel consumption differs depending on the ship's speed. The fuel consumption memory unit 34 stores the amount of fuel consumed according to these various motion states. The amount of fuel consumed during drifting, the amount of fuel consumed while anchored, and the amount of fuel consumed according to the ship's speed may be stored in the fuel consumption memory unit 34 in advance, or they may be entered by the user via an input device. Alternatively, the ship stop determination device 30 may acquire data stored in the data logger of the ship information collection device 10, and based on the acquired data, calculate the amount of fuel consumed during drifting based on the amount of fuel consumed during the drifting period, the amount of fuel consumed while anchored based on the amount of fuel consumed while anchored, and the amount of fuel consumed at each speed based on the distance traveled and the amount of fuel consumed when sailing at a certain speed, and write these calculations to the fuel consumption storage unit 34.

[0020] The stop determination unit 35 determines whether to recommend anchoring or drifting when stopping a vessel. The stop determination unit 35 has a determination engine 36, which determines whether to recommend anchoring or drifting. The judgment engine 36 calculates the fuel consumption for each of the following types of navigation: Type 1, where the ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed and drifts until the scheduled end of anchoring time after arriving at the destination; Type 2, where the ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed and anchors until the scheduled end of anchoring time after arriving at the destination; and Type 3, where the ship operates at a speed lower than the fuel-efficient speed and drifts or anchors until the scheduled end of anchoring time if there is surplus time after arriving at the destination. Based on the order of fuel consumption, the engine determines the recommended stopping method. Furthermore, the determination engine 36 refers to the information entered as an operating condition, which specifies whether or not it is essential to arrive at the scheduled arrival time. If the scheduled arrival time is essential, it calculates the fuel consumption if the vehicle is moved to arrive by the scheduled arrival time. If the scheduled arrival time is not essential, it calculates the fuel consumption if the vehicle is moved to arrive by the scheduled end time of berthing. Based on the order of fuel consumption, it determines the recommended stopping method. Furthermore, the judgment engine 36 determines whether the period from arrival at the destination to the scheduled end time of berthing is equal to or greater than the standard period. If it is equal to or greater than the standard period, it excludes the types that include drift and determines the recommended stopping method based on the order of fuel consumption for the remaining types. Furthermore, if the period from arrival at the destination to the scheduled end time of berthing is less than the standard period, the determination engine 36 excludes the type that includes anchoring and determines the recommended stopping method based on the order of fuel consumption of the remaining types.

[0021] Furthermore, the determination engine 36 includes a first determination unit that determines whether the stopping location is an area where anchoring is possible based on nautical chart data, a second determination unit that determines whether the meteorological data satisfies the first condition, and a stop determination unit that determines whether to anchor or drift the target vessel based on the determination results of the first and second determination units, respectively.

[0022] The stopping location indicates the position of the target where the vessel will stop. This stopping location may be expressed as coordinates using latitude and longitude, or it may be represented by the range (area) of the target where the vessel will stop. The first condition is that the weather is suitable for anchoring or drifting. For example, the first condition is that the wind speed is above the wind speed threshold (e.g., 10 knots). If the wind speed is above 10 knots, it can be determined that drifting is not possible, but anchoring may be possible. The determination engine 36, based on the determination results of the first determination unit and the second determination unit, determines whether to recommend anchoring or drifting, taking into account the wind conditions in the area to be stopped and whether anchoring is possible in the area to be stopped.

[0023] Furthermore, the judgment engine 36 has a third judgment unit that determines whether the stop period is longer than or equal to the reference period. The stop judgment unit of the judgment engine 36 further determines whether to recommend anchoring or drifting for the target vessel based on the judgment result of the third judgment unit. The stop period is the period during which the vessel is scheduled to be stopped, for example, the period from when the vessel arrives at the destination until the scheduled end time of anchoring. The reference period is the period during which it is estimated that anchoring is more economical than drifting from a fuel consumption standpoint, for example, one day. Since the judgment engine 36 can make a judgment including the judgment result of the third judgment unit, it can determine whether to recommend anchoring or drifting while also considering economic aspects based on fuel consumption. In addition, when anchoring, a certain amount of preparation time is required for dropping anchor and a certain amount of time is required until weighing anchor and setting sail, so the judgment engine 36 can also consider such preparation time when determining whether to recommend anchoring or drifting.

[0024] Furthermore, the judgment engine 36 has a fourth judgment unit that determines whether the scheduled arrival time falls within the anchoring time zone. The stop judgment unit of the judgment engine 36 further determines whether to anchor or drift the target vessel based on the judgment result of the fourth judgment unit. Here, the scheduled arrival time is the time the vessel is scheduled to arrive at the target location where it will stop (for example, the stopping location). The anchoring time zone is the time zone during which crew members who perform anchoring operations are available. Since the judgment engine 36 can also make a judgment based on the judgment result of the fourth judgment unit, it can also consider whether the vessel can be promptly anchored upon arrival at the target location where it will stop, and can determine whether to recommend anchoring or drifting.

[0025] Furthermore, the determination engine 36 has a fifth determination unit that determines whether or not there is another vessel within a reference distance based on the distance from the target vessel to the other vessel indicated by the other vessel data. The reference distance can be any value as long as it is a distance that ensures safety from other vessels when anchoring or drifting, but here we will explain the case where it is 1 MN (mile). The stop determination unit of the determination engine 36 further determines whether to anchor or drift the target vessel based on the determination result of the fifth determination unit. As a result, the determination engine 36 can determine that neither anchoring nor drifting should be performed, taking safety into consideration, if another vessel is within a reference distance, and can determine that anchoring or drifting is possible if no other vessel is within a reference distance.

[0026] Furthermore, if the judgment engine 36 determines that stopping by either anchoring or drifting is not possible, it has a function to generate alternative guidance to change the stopping location.

[0027] The determination result storage unit 37 temporarily stores the result determined by the stop determination unit 35. The past data storage unit 38 reads the data temporarily stored in the judgment result storage unit 37 and stores it as a log.

[0028] The data transmission unit 39 transmits the judgment result, which has been temporarily stored in the judgment result storage unit 37, to the terminal device 40.

[0029] The terminal device 40 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the ship stop determination device 30 via a communication I / F 41, enabling communication and allowing transmission and reception of various information to and from the ship stop determination device 30. This terminal device 40 is, for example, a computer. The terminal device 40 may also be a smartphone or tablet, or it may be incorporated into navigation equipment. If the terminal device 40 is a smartphone or tablet, the crew can carry it and check the prediction results at any location on board the ship. The terminal device PC40 is connected to a liquid crystal display and outputs the judgment result output from the ship stop judgment device 30 by displaying it on the liquid crystal display. The terminal device 40 may also output a sound corresponding to the prediction result from a speaker. The terminal device 40 is connected to an input device such as a keyboard or mouse, and can accept operational input from the input device. The input device connected to the terminal device 40 may be a touch panel. The terminal device 40 transmits the various input information to the ship stop determination device 30 via the communication I / F 41. An application containing a program for realizing the functions of the terminal device 40 may be incorporated into and executed on another device to realize the functions of the terminal device 40.

[0030] Next, the operation of the ship stop determination device 30 described above will be explained. Before using the functions of the ship stop determination device 30, the user inputs various data via the input device of the terminal device 40, which is then written to a user-writable configuration file. The various data include fuel consumption in the idle state when the ship's speed is 0 and the engine is on, fuel consumption required when anchored, the relationship between speed and fuel consumption, a value representing the standard period that serves as the basis for the anchoring period, a wind speed standard value that serves as the basis for indicating strong winds, and a threshold value for seabed type.

[0031] Fuel consumption in an idle state where the ship's speed is 0 and the engines are on is, for example, the fuel consumption when both the main engine and auxiliary engines are on but the ship's speed is 0, in the case of a ship equipped with both a main engine and an auxiliary engine. The fuel consumption required while anchored is, for example, the fuel consumption when the main engine is off and the auxiliary engine is on, in the case of a vessel equipped with both a main engine and an auxiliary engine. The relationship between speed and fuel consumption is the fuel consumption at each speed. By referring to this data, it is possible to understand fuel consumption according to speed, and also to identify the speed at which fuel consumption is lowest. While users may input fuel consumption and the relationship between speed and fuel consumption via an input device, it is also possible for the user to acquire data stored in a data logger from the ship information collection device 10, and for the determination engine 36 to calculate fuel consumption based on the acquired data, rather than the user inputting the data. For example, time-series data of the ship's speed and remaining fuel can be stored as a log in the data logger, and based on this log data, the determination engine 36 can sequentially calculate fuel consumption as log data becomes available and write it to the fuel consumption storage unit 34, and read it from the fuel consumption storage unit 34 as needed. The bottom sediment threshold is a value that represents the type of bottom sediment that is considered suitable for anchoring for a ship (for example, sand is suitable, or both sand and mud are suitable).

[0032] Figures 2 and 3 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the ship stop determination device 30. When stopping a vessel, the crew inputs the stopping location, the estimated time of arrival at the stopping location, the duration of the stop, and whether or not anchoring is necessary via the terminal device 40. Here, Figures 7 and 8 show examples of display screens shown on the display device of the terminal device 40. The display screen of the terminal device 40 displays a destination input field for entering the target destination, an estimated arrival time input field for entering the estimated arrival time, an anchoring input field for entering whether anchoring is required or not, an estimated end time of anchoring input field for entering the estimated end time of anchoring, and a display field for displaying the judgment result. The destination input field is an input field where you can enter numerical values ​​representing the latitude and longitude of the stop location. Alternatively, the destination input field may allow you to specify the stop location on a map, or by specifying the desired stopping area on a nautical chart. Clicking on this destination input field may display a pop-up window showing a nearby nautical chart, including your current location, allowing you to specify the stop location on that chart.

[0033] The estimated arrival time input field is an input field where a numerical value representing the estimated arrival time can be entered. The estimated arrival time input field may also include a selection field to indicate whether or not arrival by the estimated arrival time is mandatory. The selection field allows the user to choose whether arrival by the estimated arrival time is mandatory (YES) or not (NO).

[0034] The anchoring input field 302 allows the user to select whether anchoring is required (YES) or not (NO) upon arrival at the destination. The "Scheduled End Time of Anchorage" input field is a field where you can enter a numerical value representing the scheduled end time of the anchorage. The scheduled end time of anchorage indicates the planned end date of the anchorage.

[0035] The display area 304 shows the result determined by the judgment engine 36. Before the judgment engine 36 makes a judgment, nothing is displayed in the display area. Figure 7 shows the case where the judgment result displays the text "Anchoring recommended," and Figure 8 shows the case where the judgment result displays the text "Cannot stop because another ship is nearby. Set the destination to a location ○NM away in the ○ direction and judge again" as an alternative.

[0036] Returning to Figure 2, the data receiving unit 31 of the ship stop determination device 30 receives various data from the terminal device 40 when the destination, estimated arrival time, whether arrival by the estimated arrival time is mandatory, whether anchoring is mandatory, and the estimated end time of anchoring are input (step S100). Here, the ship's position information, ship speed, wind conditions, and information on other ships (position information, ship speed, bow direction, etc.) are also acquired at regular intervals. When the stop determination unit 35 receives various data from the data receiving unit 31, the determination engine 36 calculates a recommended stop method that takes fuel consumption into consideration, and based on the calculation result, identifies which case allows for operation with the lowest fuel consumption (step S101).

[0037] Here, there are two main ways to calculate the recommended stopping method, depending on whether or not the estimated arrival time is required.

[0038] (Case 1) When arrival time is required Figure 4 shows the types of stopping methods when an estimated arrival time is required. In this figure, three types of stopping methods are illustrated: "drift," "anchoring," and "low-speed operation." "Drift" refers to a situation where a ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed, assuming it will arrive at its destination by the required arrival time, and then drifts until the end of its stay. When sailing at a fuel-efficient speed, it may arrive exactly at the required arrival time, or it may arrive before the required arrival time. In the case of arriving before the required arrival time, a drift occurs during the period (symbol A) until the required arrival time. "Anchoring" refers to a situation where a ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed, assuming it will arrive at its destination by the required arrival time, and then remains anchored until the end of the anchorage period. When sailing at a fuel-efficient speed, the ship may arrive exactly at the required arrival time, or it may arrive before the required arrival time. In cases where the ship arrives before the required arrival time, it remains anchored for the period until the required arrival time (symbol A). "Slow-speed operation" refers to operating at a slow speed to arrive at the destination by the required arrival time, and then drifting or anchoring until the end of the berthing time after arriving at the destination by the required arrival time. Here, "low-speed operation" can be divided into two types: when drifting after arriving at the destination ("low-speed operation (part 1)") and when anchoring ("low-speed operation (part 2)"). However, for the time being, we will treat them as a single type of "low-speed operation."

[0039] (Case 2) When arrival time is not required Figure 5 shows the types of stopping methods when an estimated arrival time is not required. In this figure, three types of stopping methods are illustrated: "drift," "anchoring," and "low-speed operation." "Drift" refers to a situation where a ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed, assuming it will arrive at its destination by the end of its stay, and then drifts if there is surplus time before the end of its stay. Here, arriving at the required time is not mandatory, so it is sufficient to sail at a speed that is fuel-efficient. Therefore, the ship may arrive exactly at the scheduled time, but it may also arrive earlier (symbol B) or later (symbol C). After arriving at the destination, the ship drifts. "Anchoring" refers to a situation where a ship sails at a fuel-efficient speed, assuming it will arrive at its destination by the end of the anchoring period, and then anchors if there is surplus time before the end of the anchoring period. In this case, arriving at the mandatory arrival time is not mandatory, so it is sufficient to sail at a speed that is fuel-efficient. Therefore, the ship may arrive exactly at the scheduled arrival time, but it may also arrive earlier (symbol B) or later (symbol C). After arriving at the destination, the ship anchors. "Slow-speed operation" refers to operating at a slow speed to ensure arrival at the destination by the scheduled end time of the berthing period. In this "slow-speed operation," neither drifting nor anchoring is performed until the scheduled end time of the berthing period, and "not stopping" is one of the stopping methods.

[0040] Here, the determination engine 36 refers to the input data to determine whether it is essential to arrive by the scheduled arrival time. If it is determined that it is essential to arrive by the scheduled arrival time, it calculates the fuel consumption for each of the three stopping methods shown in Case 1 above. For example, the decision engine 36 determines the cruising distance for the route from the current location to the destination, and identifies the fuel-efficient speed based on fuel consumption data entered by the user via an input device or stored in the fuel consumption storage unit 34. Then, the decision engine 36 uses the cruising distance and the fuel-efficient speed to determine the arrival time at the destination if the ship is operated at a fuel-efficient speed to arrive on time, and then determines the fuel consumption in the case of drifting from that arrival time until the end of anchoring (fuel consumption in the case of "drifting") and the fuel consumption in the case of anchoring (fuel consumption in the case of "anchoring"). Furthermore, the judgment engine 36 determines the speed required to arrive at the destination by the mandatory arrival time, calculates the fuel consumption when sailing to the destination at that speed, and also calculates the fuel consumption when drifting from the arrival time to the end of anchoring (fuel consumption in the case of "low-speed operation (part 1)") and when anchoring (fuel consumption in the case of "low-speed operation (part 2)"). The judgment engine 36 then sorts the three determined stopping methods ("drift", "anchoring", and "low-speed operation") in order from the best fuel consumption. For "low-speed operation (part 1)" and "low-speed operation (part 2)", the one with the higher fuel consumption may be used as the "low-speed operation" value, and the three options of "drift", "anchoring", and "low-speed operation" may be sorted in order from the best fuel consumption.

[0041] Furthermore, when the determination engine 36 refers to the input data to determine whether it is essential to arrive by the scheduled arrival time, if it determines that it is not essential to arrive by the scheduled arrival time, it calculates the fuel consumption for each of the three stopping methods shown in Case 2 above. For example, the system determines the distance traveled on the route from the current location to the destination and identifies the most fuel-efficient speed based on fuel consumption data entered by the user via an input device or stored in the fuel consumption storage unit 34. The judgment engine 36 then uses the distance traveled and the most fuel-efficient speed to determine the arrival time at the destination if the ship were operated at the most fuel-efficient speed to arrive before the end of the anchorage period. It then determines the fuel consumption if the ship drifts from that arrival time until the end of the anchorage period ("fuel consumption in the case of drifting") and the fuel consumption if the ship is anchored ("fuel consumption in the case of anchoring"). The judgment engine 36 also determines the speed at which the ship would travel to the destination by the end of the anchorage period and determines the fuel consumption if the ship were to travel to the destination at that speed ("fuel consumption in the case of low-speed operation"). The judgment engine 36 then sorts the three types of stopping methods ("drift," "anchoring," and "low-speed operation") in order from those with the best fuel consumption.

[0042] Figure 6 shows the combinations of stopping methods when sorted from those with the best fuel consumption (lowest fuel consumption) to those with the best fuel consumption. Here, the best stopping method in terms of fuel consumption is ranked as "1" and the worst stopping method as "3," resulting in a total of six ranking patterns from "A" to "F." For example, ranking pattern "A" shows that the stopping methods in order from best to worst in terms of fuel consumption are "low-speed operation," "drifting," and "anchoring."

[0043] Based on the calculation results, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S103 if the combination of mooring methods sorted in order of best fuel consumption is rank pattern "A" or "B" (when "low-speed operation" has the best fuel consumption), and proceeds to step S102 if it is any of rank patterns "C", "D", "E", or "F". If the ranking pattern is "A" or "B", the judgment engine 36 determines that "low-speed operation" is recommended as the stopping method (step S103), and writes the judgment result to the judgment result storage unit 37. If the estimated arrival time is specified as mandatory, the engine determines that it recommends either "low-speed operation (part 1)" or "low-speed operation (part 2)" to perform low-speed operation followed by anchoring ("low-speed operation (part 1)") or drifting ("low-speed operation (part 2)"). When the judgment result is written to the judgment result storage unit 37, the data transmission unit 39 reads the written judgment result from the judgment result storage unit 37 and transmits it to the terminal device 40. As a result, the judgment result is displayed in the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40. Here, for example, a string such as "It is recommended to drift after operating at low speed" is displayed. By referring to this string, the crew can understand that, given the currently scheduled destination, scheduled arrival time, and scheduled end time of docking, it is preferable to operate at low speed and then drift after arriving at the destination. This allows the crew to steer the vessel to operate at low speed and then drift.

[0044] Next, the determination engine 36 determines whether or not anchoring is necessary (step S103a). Here, if anchoring was specified as mandatory in step S100 (step S103a-YES), the determination engine 36 proceeds to step S108; if anchoring is not specified as mandatory (step S103a-NO), the process moves to step S201.

[0045] If the determination engine 36 proceeds to step S201, it obtains the ship's current location from the ship information collection device 10 via the data receiving unit 31 and determines whether the ship has arrived at the stop target location (the location set as the destination) (step S201). If the ship has not arrived at the stop target location (step S201-NO), the determination engine 36 executes the process of step S201 again after a certain waiting time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the determination engine 36 has arrived at the stopping location (step S201-YES), it refers to information on other ships and determines whether or not there are other ships within a reference distance (in this case, 1 NM) from its own ship (step S202). If there are no other vessels within the reference distance (step S202-NO), the judgment result stored in the judgment result storage unit 37 is transmitted from the data transmission unit 39 to the terminal device 40, and the judgment result is displayed again on the display screen of the terminal device 40 (step S206). At this point, the ship stop judgment device 30 terminates its processing.

[0046] On the other hand, if there is another vessel within the reference distance (step S202-YES), the determination engine 36 determines that it is not possible for the vessel to stop at the target stopping location, generates an alternative suggestion to change the target stopping location (step S203), and has the data transmission unit 39 transmit it. For example, the determination engine 36 generates information to guide the vessel to the changed target stopping location as an alternative suggestion, such as "re-evaluate at a position ○NM forward in ○ direction." For example, because there is another vessel nearby, the determination engine 36 extracts a position where the vessel can move away from the other vessel by more than the reference distance, and generates the bearing and distance to move from the current position to that extracted position as an alternative suggestion.

[0047] In this way, alternative plans are generated and transmitted from the data transmission unit 39 to the terminal device 40. As a result, a message such as "Cannot stop because another ship is nearby. Set the destination to a location ○NM away in the ○ direction and re-evaluate" is displayed in the display area 304 of the display screen of the terminal device 40. In addition, the determination engine 36 also generates information about elements that make stopping impossible, such as "Cannot stop because another ship is nearby," and displays this information on the terminal device 40, allowing the crew to understand the reason why they cannot stop. Note that the display of elements that make stopping impossible may be omitted.

[0048] Next, the judgment engine 36 determines whether the number of loops is greater than or equal to a predetermined number (step S204). If the number of loops is less than or equal to the predetermined number (step S204-NO), it updates the stop target location to the stop target location generated as an alternative, and proceeds to step S101. Here, in step S101, if no new data has been input from the crew, the processing from step S102 is performed using the currently input data. If new data has been input, the processing from step S102 is performed using the newly input data. Here, the number of loops is the number of times step S204 has been executed since the start of the judgment process. The judgment engine 36 counts the number of loops by incrementing a counter value each time step S204 is executed. The predetermined number can be set by writing any number to the configuration file, for example, 3 times.

[0049] If the number of loops exceeds a predetermined number (step S204-YES), the judgment engine 36 writes a judgment result indicating that a judgment is not possible to the judgment result storage unit 37, thereby causing the terminal device 40 to display "Judgment not possible". In this case, the crew can make their own judgment or contact the monitoring station on land to consider how to respond.

[0050] On the other hand, if the rank pattern in step S101 is one of "C", "D", "E", or "F", the determination engine 36 determines whether or not anchoring is required based on the information entered in step S100 (step S102). If anchoring is specified as mandatory (step S102-YES), the judgment engine 36 determines whether slow-speed operation (third type) is ranked higher than anchoring (second type) among the stopping methods included in the ranking pattern (step S102a). Here, if ranking pattern "C" is selected, the order is "drift", "slow-speed operation", and "anchoring", so it is determined that slow-speed operation is ranked higher (step S102a-YES). Also, here, since it was determined in step S102 that anchoring is mandatory, it is necessary to anchor without drifting, so the judgment engine 36 removes "drift" from ranking pattern "C" and determines that the stopping methods are in the order of "slow-speed operation" and "anchoring". Then, the judgment engine 36 removes "drift" and determines that the ranking pattern is "C" ("slow-speed operation", "anchoring"), and proceeds to step S103. Then, in step S103, the judgment engine 36 determines, based on the ranking, that it recommends "low-speed operation" as the stopping method, and writes the judgment result to the judgment result storage unit 37. As a result, the data transmission unit 39 transmits the written judgment result to the terminal device 40. Then, since the judgment engine 36 determined in step S102 that anchoring is essential, in step S103a it determines that anchoring is essential, and as a result, it determines that it recommends the stopping method of "low-speed operation followed by anchoring," and writes the judgment result to the judgment result storage unit 37. As a result, the data transmission unit 39 transmits the written judgment result to the terminal device 40. Then, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S108.

[0051] When the judgment engine 36 moves the process to step S108, it determines whether the scheduled arrival time falls within the anchoring time zone (step S108). If the scheduled arrival time does not fall within the anchoring time zone (step S108-NO), it generates a judgment result indicating that the ship will drift until the anchoring time zone arrives, and then anchor, and writes this result to the judgment result storage unit 37 (step S109). The data transmission unit 39 transmits the judgment result written to the judgment result storage unit 37 to the terminal device 40. As a result, the message "Drift until between 6:00 and 20:00, then anchor" is displayed in the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40. In this case, if the determination result obtained in step 103 is "operate at low speed and then anchor," the determination engine 36 may synthesize the determination results and generate a message such as "operate at low speed, arrive at the destination, drift until between 6:00 and 20:00, and then anchor," which will then be displayed on the terminal device 40. In this case, the crew may decide to drift until at least 6:00 after arriving at the destination, and then anchor. The judgment engine 36 then proceeds to step S201.

[0052] Meanwhile, in step S108, if the scheduled arrival time falls within the anchoring time zone (step S108-YES), the judgment engine 36 determines whether the bottom composition at the stopping location (destination) matches the value set as the bottom composition threshold. For example, if the bottom composition threshold is set to "other than rock," such as sand or mud, the engine determines whether it is other than rock (step S110). Here, if the bottom composition is rock, the engine can determine that anchoring is not possible because anchoring could be damaged. If the bottom composition is mud, sand, etc., the engine can determine that anchoring is possible. Furthermore, depending on the vessel, the bottom composition threshold may vary, such as setting only "mud" or setting "mud and sand." The determination engine 36 determines that anchoring is recommended if the bottom material at the stopping location is not rock (step S110-YES), and writes the determination result to the determination result storage unit 37.

[0053] When the judgment result is written to the judgment result storage unit 37, the data transmission unit 39 reads the written judgment result from the judgment result storage unit 37 and transmits it to the terminal device 40. As a result, the judgment result is displayed in the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40. Here, for example, a string corresponding to the judgment result that was determined to be recommended is displayed. For example, if the recommended action is "anchoring," a string such as "It is recommended to anchor after operating in a fuel-efficient manner" is displayed, and if the recommended action is "low-speed operation," a string such as "It is recommended to anchor after operating at a low speed and arriving at the destination" is displayed. By referring to this string, the crew can understand whether it is preferable to anchor after operating in a fuel-efficient manner or after operating at a low speed, given the currently planned destination, estimated arrival time, and estimated end time of anchoring, and can operate their ship with the recommended content in mind. After this, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S201.

[0054] On the other hand, if the bottom material at the stopping location is not rock (i.e., it is rock) (step S110-NO), the judgment engine 36 determines that it is not possible for the vessel to stop at the stopping location, generates an alternative suggestion to change the stopping location (step S112), and has it transmitted from the data transmission unit 39. For example, the judgment engine 36 generates information to guide the vessel to the changed stopping location as an alternative suggestion, such as "Set the destination to a location ○NM away in the ○ direction, and make a new judgment." After the crew confirms this information, they can re-enter the suggested landing location as their destination. For example, the determination engine 36 extracts locations from the nautical chart data where the seabed is not rocky (sand or mud) near the currently set stopping location, and generates an alternative direction and distance to reach that extracted location from the current position. Once the alternative is generated and transmitted from the data transmission unit 39 to the terminal device 40, a message such as "Set the destination to a location ○NM away in ○ direction and determine again" is displayed in the display area 304 of the terminal device 40's display screen. Subsequently, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S100.

[0055] On the other hand, in step S102a, the judgment engine 36 determines "NO" (step S102a-NO) if the ranking pattern is any of "D" (drift, anchoring, low-speed operation), "E" (anchoring, low-speed operation, drift), or "F" (anchoring, drift, low-speed operation), because anchoring has a higher ranking than low-speed operation. The process then proceeds to step S108. When the judgment engine 36 moves the process to step S108, it determines whether the scheduled arrival time falls within the anchoring time zone (step S108). If the scheduled arrival time does not fall within the anchoring time zone (step S108-NO), it generates a judgment result indicating that the ship will drift until the anchoring time zone arrives, and then anchor, and writes this result to the judgment result storage unit 37 (step S109). The data transmission unit 39 transmits the judgment result written to the judgment result storage unit 37 to the terminal device 40. As a result, the message "Drift until between 6:00 and 20:00, then anchor" is displayed in the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40. The determination engine 36 then determines whether the seabed composition at the stopping location (destination) matches the value set as the seabed composition threshold. For example, if the seabed composition threshold is set to "other than rock," such as sand or mud, the engine determines whether it is other than rock (step S110). If the seabed composition at the stopping location is other than rock (step S110-YES), the determination engine 36 determines that anchoring is recommended (step S111) and writes the determination result to the determination result storage unit 37. When the judgment result is written to the judgment result storage unit 37, the data transmission unit 39 reads the written judgment result from the judgment result storage unit 37 and transmits it to the terminal device 40. As a result, the judgment result is displayed in the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40. Here, for example, a string of text such as "It is recommended to operate in a fuel-efficient state, drift until between 6:00 and 20:00, and then anchor" is displayed. On the other hand, if the bottom material at the stopping location is not rock (i.e., it is rock) (step S110-NO), the determination engine 36 determines that it is not possible for the vessel to stop at the stopping location, generates an alternative guide to change the stopping location (step S112), and has it transmitted from the data transmission unit 39. For example, the determination engine 36 generates information to guide the vessel to the changed stopping location as an alternative, such as "Set the destination to a location ○NM away in the ○ direction, and determine again."

[0056] On the other hand, in step S102, if the determination engine 36 determines that anchoring is not required (step S102-NO), it refers to meteorological data or oceanographic data and determines whether or not there is data in the meteorological data or oceanographic data indicating that there is a possibility of gusts occurring (step S104). If the judgment engine 36 does not contain data indicating that gusts of wind may occur (i.e., it contains data indicating that there is little chance of gusts of wind occurring) (step S104-NO), it refers to meteorological or oceanographic data to determine whether the wind speed near the vessel satisfies the first condition (for example, wind speed of 10 knots or more) (step S105).

[0057] If the wind speed does not meet the first condition (for example, the wind speed is less than 10 knots) (step S105-NO), the judgment engine 36 determines whether the stop period is equal to or greater than the standard period (for example, 1 day) (step S106). If the stop period is equal to or greater than the standard period (step S106-YES), the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S102a. The judgment engine 36 determines whether slow-speed operation is ranked higher than anchoring among the stopping methods included in the ranking pattern (step S102a). In this case, since the ranking pattern "C" is selected, the order is "drift", "slow-speed operation", and "anchoring", so it is determined that slow-speed operation is ranked higher (step S102a-YES). Furthermore, since it has been determined in step S106 that the anchoring period is longer than the standard period, the judgment engine 36 does not perform drifting and removes "drift" from the priority pattern "C," determining that the order of stopping methods is "low-speed operation" followed by "anchoring." If drifting is not removed here and drifting is selected, the ship will continue to drift for as long as it is stopped longer than the standard period. During drifting, various tasks will be performed by the crew, such as monitoring the area around the ship. In this case, stopping by "anchoring" may reduce fuel consumption more than stopping by "drifting," but it will also reduce the workload on the crew. Therefore, by removing "drifting" from the candidates, it is possible to select a stopping method that reduces the burden on the crew rather than reducing fuel consumption. The judgment engine 36 then removes "drifting" and determines that the priority pattern is "C" ("low-speed operation" followed by "anchoring"), and proceeds to step S103. Then, in step S103, the judgment engine 36 determines that it recommends "low-speed operation" (step S103) and writes the determination result to the judgment result storage unit 37. As a result, the data transmission unit 39 transmits the determination result to the terminal device 40 and displays the determination result. Next, since the judgment engine 36 determined in step S102 that anchoring is not mandatory, in the determination of whether or not anchoring is mandatory in step S103a, it determines that anchoring is not mandatory and proceeds to step S201.

[0058] On the other hand, in step S102a, if any of the ranking patterns "D" (drift, anchoring, slow sailing), "E" (anchoring, slow sailing, drift), or "F" (anchoring, drift, slow sailing) is selected, the system determines that anchoring is higher in rank than slow sailing (step S102a-NO), and the judgment engine 36 removes "drift" from the ranking patterns (ranking patterns "D" (anchoring, slow sailing), "E" (anchoring, slow sailing), "F" (anchoring, slow sailing)), and proceeds to step S108. Here, by removing "drift" from the candidates for stopping methods included in the ranking patterns, it is possible to select a stopping method that reduces the burden on the crew more than fuel consumption. Also, since drift is removed here, regardless of the ranking pattern, "anchoring" will be recommended as a stopping method with priority over "slow sailing," and the judgments from step S108 onwards are performed on the premise that anchoring will be used.

[0059] On the other hand, in step S106, if the stopping period is not longer than the standard period (step S106-NO), the judgment engine 36 determines whether low-speed operation (third type) is ranked higher than drift (first type) among the stopping methods included in the ranking pattern (step S106a). Here, if ranking pattern "E" is selected, the order is "anchoring", "slow sailing", and "drifting", so it is determined that slow sailing is the higher-ranked option (step S106a-YES). At this point, the judgment engine 36 removes "anchoring" from the candidates for stopping methods included in the ranking pattern and proceeds to step S103, assuming that the ranking pattern is "E" ("slow sailing", "drifting"). Here, since it was determined in step S106 that the stopping period is less than the standard period, even if one were to attempt to anchor within the standard period, a certain amount of time would be required for preparation, and various tasks for the crew would be incurred for anchoring. Therefore, not anchoring is more advantageous in terms of both time and the efficiency of the crew's work. As a result, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S103, where "low-speed operation" is selected as the stopping method, and in step S103a, it is determined that anchoring is not required (step S103a-NO), and the process proceeds to step S201.

[0060] On the other hand, in the determination in step S106a, if any of the ranking patterns "C" (drift, slow speed operation, anchoring), "D" (drift, anchoring, slow speed operation), or "F" (anchoring, drift, slow speed operation) are selected, the determination engine 36 determines that drift is ranked higher than slow speed operation (step S106a-NO). The determination engine 36 then removes "anchoring" from the list of candidate stopping methods included in the ranking pattern and determines that the ranking pattern is "C" (drift, slow speed operation), "D" (drift, slow speed operation), or "F" (drift, slow speed operation), and recommends "drift" (step S107). Since anchoring is removed here, regardless of the ranking pattern, "drift" will be recommended as a stopping method with priority over "slow speed operation". In this case, since the stop period is determined to be less than the standard period in step S106, excluding "anchoring" has advantages in that it avoids the creation of a preparation period for anchoring and does not create a workload for the crew associated with anchoring. The judgment engine 36 then writes the judgment result, which is "drift," to the judgment result storage unit 37. As a result, the data transmission unit 39 transmits the judgment result to the terminal device 40 and displays it, in response to the judgment result being written to the judgment result storage unit 37. Consequently, the display field 304 on the display screen of the terminal device 40 displays the string, "It is recommended to drift after operating in good condition with good fuel consumption." By referring to this string, the crew can understand that, given the currently planned stopping location, scheduled arrival time, and stopping period, it is preferable to drift after operating in good condition with good fuel consumption. This allows the crew to steer the vessel to arrive at the stopping location at the scheduled arrival time. Then, after step S107, the judgment engine 36 proceeds to step S201.

[0061] On the other hand, in step S104, if the data includes information indicating the possibility of a gust of wind occurring (step S104-YES), and in step S105, if the wind speed near the vessel satisfies the first condition (for example, wind speed of 10 knots or more) (step S105-YES), the judgment engine 36 removes "drift" from the list of candidate stopping methods included in the ranking pattern, and determines that the ranking pattern is "C" (low-speed operation, anchoring), "D" (anchoring, low-speed operation), "F" (anchoring, low-speed operation), "F" (anchoring, low-speed operation), and then determines whether low-speed operation is ranked higher than anchoring among the stopping methods included in the ranking pattern (step S102a). In cases where there is a possibility of strong gusts of wind such as typhoons, or when the wind speed meets the first condition (wind speed of 10 knots or more, etc.), drifting could cause the vessel to be carried away by the wind. Therefore, by eliminating drifting, it is possible to recommend a stopping method that excludes stopping methods that could cause the vessel to be carried away. Here, if ranking pattern "C" is selected, the order is "low-speed operation" followed by "anchoring," so it is determined that low-speed operation is the higher priority (step S102a-YES). Then, in step S103, the judgment engine 36 determines that "low-speed operation" is recommended, and in step S103a, it determines that anchoring is not mandatory, and proceeds to step S201. On the other hand, if the answer is S104-YES or S105-YES, and one of the ranking patterns "D", "E", or "F" is selected in step S102a, then in all cases the order is "anchoring" followed by "slow-speed operation", so it is determined that anchoring is the higher-ranking option (step S102a-NO). The determination engine 36 then proceeds to step S108.

[0062] According to the embodiment described above, conventionally, it was sometimes difficult to determine whether drifting or anchoring was optimal, and the decision had to be made subjectively. However, according to the embodiment described above, the decision engine 36 makes a decision on whether to anchor or drift according to the items and decision order. As a result, even inexperienced crew members can easily make a decision. Therefore, the burden on the crew when making a decision can be reduced.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, by inputting the arrival time and destination of the vessel to be stopped, and the duration of the stop, the system can automatically or manually acquire conditions from various factors such as nautical chart information, ship sensor data (ship speed, wind speed, AIS), and weather conditions, and propose the optimal stopping method based on these conditions. Here, fuel consumption is calculated for each type of stopping method, the order of fuel consumption is estimated, and the best stopping method among drifting, anchoring, and low-speed operation is estimated, taking these estimations into consideration. This makes it possible to identify a recommended stopping method while taking fuel consumption into account. Conventionally, decisions were made based on the past experience and knowledge of the ship's operator, such as whether to operate at low speed to the destination to arrive at the end of anchoring time, or whether to drift or anchor after arriving at the destination with good fuel consumption. However, with this embodiment, it is possible to estimate a recommended stopping method based on more accurate fuel consumption figures, while also considering fuel consumption during drifting and while anchored. The various criteria used in the judgment can be changed at the discretion of the crew.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, it is possible to make a decision that takes into account not only the situation of one's own vessel but also that of other vessels, including safety aspects and economic aspects that take fuel into consideration. If neither drifting nor anchoring is appropriate, specific alternatives can be proposed. Furthermore, after determining whether to drift or anchor, the decision can be made again upon arrival at the destination where the vessel will stop.

[0065] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the vessel being monitored may be an autonomous vessel, also known as an automated vessel, which can be operated without direct crew intervention. In this case, for example, even a vessel without a crew can autonomously make decisions regarding anchoring and drifting without human intervention, and can then anchor or drift.

[0066] Furthermore, in step S101 of Figure 2 in the embodiment described above, a recommended stopping method considering fuel consumption is calculated, and based on the calculation result, the case in which operation can be carried out with the least fuel consumption is identified. Here, since the speed that is efficient for fuel consumption differs for each vessel, it is possible that when operating at a speed that is efficient for fuel consumption, it may not be possible to arrive in time for the scheduled arrival time specified as "essential" by the user. In such cases, a message such as "The scheduled arrival time is early, so please enter a later time than the currently entered scheduled arrival time" may be displayed in the display field 304 of Figure 7. Then, the process may be moved to step S100, and if a new scheduled arrival time is entered, the process of S101 may be performed again. This can encourage the user to operate at a speed that is efficient for fuel consumption.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the use of the ship stop determination device 30 for monitoring the ship itself was described, but it may also be used at a monitoring station on land.

[0068] The aforementioned sediment information storage unit 33, fuel consumption storage unit 34, determination result storage unit 37, and past data storage unit 38 are composed of storage media, such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or any combination of these storage media. These sediment information storage unit 33, fuel consumption storage unit 34, determination result storage unit 37, and past data storage unit 38 can, for example, use non-volatile memory. The data receiving unit 31, the stop determination unit 35, and the data transmission unit 39 may be composed of a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0069] The data receiving unit 31, stop determination unit 35, and data transmission unit 39 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented using a computer. In that case, the program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Moreover, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such cases. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be for implementing a part of the above-mentioned function, or it may be a program that can implement the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0070] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 10...Ship information collection device, 20...External information collection device, 30...Ship stop determination device, 31...Data receiving unit, 33...Bottom sediment information storage unit, 34...Fuel consumption storage unit, 35...Stop determination unit, 36...Determination engine, 37...Determination result storage unit, 38...Past data storage unit, 39...Data transmission unit, 40...Terminal device, S...Ship monitoring system

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the current location of the target vessel and operating conditions including the destination, estimated time of arrival, and estimated time of end of berthing as part of the sailing plan, Type 1: Navigating at a speed that optimizes fuel consumption, and then drifting until the scheduled end time of anchorage after arriving at the destination. The second type involves sailing at a speed that optimizes fuel consumption, and then anchoring until the scheduled end time after arriving at the destination. The third type involves operating at a speed lower than the speed at which fuel consumption is optimal, and if there is surplus time after arriving at the destination, drifting or anchoring until the scheduled end time of docking. For each of these, calculate the fuel consumption. A determination unit determines a recommended stopping method based on the order of fuel consumption. A ship stopping determination device having the following features.

2. The aforementioned operating conditions include information specifying whether or not it is essential to arrive at the scheduled arrival time. The determination unit, If the aforementioned estimated arrival time is required, calculate the fuel consumption if the vehicle were to travel to arrive by the aforementioned estimated arrival time. If the aforementioned estimated arrival time is not required, calculate the fuel consumption if the vehicle were to move to arrive by the aforementioned estimated end time of berthing. Based on the order of fuel consumption, the recommended stopping method is determined. The ship stop determination device according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit determines whether the period from arrival at the destination to the scheduled end time of berthing is equal to or greater than the standard period. If the period exceeds the reference period, the recommended stopping method is determined based on the order of fuel consumption for the remaining categories, excluding categories that include drift. The ship stop determination device according to claim 1.

4. If the period from arrival at the destination to the scheduled end time of anchoring is less than the standard period, the determination unit excludes anchoring-related categories and determines the recommended stopping method based on the order of fuel consumption for the remaining categories. The ship stop determination device according to claim 3.

5. It has a memory unit for storing nautical chart data, The determination unit, If the aforementioned recommended stopping method includes anchoring, Based on the aforementioned chart data, it is determined whether or not the stopping location is within an area where anchoring is possible. If the area is suitable for anchoring, it is determined that the type including anchoring is recommended. If the area is not suitable for anchoring, it is recommended to change the destination. A ship stop determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The acquisition unit acquires other ship data showing the status of other ships, The determination unit, After arriving at the destination, it is determined whether the distance from the target vessel to the other vessel indicated by the other vessel data is within the standard distance. If the distance to the aforementioned other vessel is within the standard distance, it is recommended to change the destination. The ship stop determination device according to claim 5.

7. A method for determining whether a ship is stopped, which is performed by a computer, The current location of the target vessel and its sailing schedule, including destination, estimated time of arrival, and estimated time of end of berthing, are obtained. For each of the following types of operations, the fuel consumption is calculated: Type 1 involves sailing at a fuel-efficient speed and drifting until the scheduled end of anchoring time after arriving at the destination; Type 2 involves sailing at a fuel-efficient speed and anchoring until the scheduled end of anchoring time after arriving at the destination; and Type 3 involves operating at a speed lower than the fuel-efficient speed and drifting or anchoring until the scheduled end of anchoring time if there is surplus time after arriving at the destination. Based on the order of fuel consumption, the recommended stopping method is determined. A method for determining whether a vessel is stopped, including the following.

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