Electronic buoy monitoring system to reduce data loss rate
The electronic buoy monitoring system addresses data loss and power consumption issues by employing LPWAN, LoRa, and Sub-GHz RF for efficient, long-distance communication, enhancing fishing net monitoring capabilities.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- KR · KR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NATIONAL KOREA OCEAN UNIVERSITY IND -UNIVERSITY COOP GROUP
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing electronic buoys for fishing nets face issues with data loss, high power consumption, and limited communication range, which are exacerbated by unstable communication and increased costs.
An electronic buoy monitoring system utilizing LPWAN and LoRa transmission and reception technologies, combined with Sub-GHz RF radio frequencies, to enable low-power, long-distance communication and scalable networking.
The system achieves low power consumption, long-distance communication, and cost-effective data transmission with reduced data loss rates, suitable for real-time monitoring of fishing nets.
Smart Images
Figure 112024007079610-PAT00001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technology Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate. More specifically, it relates to an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate in which a transmitting module and a receiving module communicate through LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) and LoRa transmission and reception technologies to perform low-power data communication and wide-area communication. Background Technology
[0002] Generally, a buoy is a device that floats on the water surface to indicate shipping lanes or mark danger zones within a port's controlled waters; it is formed with a specific color or shape to enable identification during the day and is equipped with lighting to allow for identification by light at night.
[0003] Furthermore, in response to the need for efficient utilization of buoys, buoys equipped with various functions—in addition to the aforementioned navigation guidance and danger zone indication capabilities—have recently been developed and are in operation. In particular, marine observation buoys operated by agencies such as the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for marine weather observation and environmental data collection are equipped with expensive equipment, including wind direction and speed sensors and superstructures.
[0004] Meanwhile, fishing nets are tools used in multiple directions for 10 to 48 hours to catch fish and the like in nearby coastal areas or rivers. A method is adopted in which a net is cast below the sea surface, and to determine the location of the installed net, a rope connected to the net is attached to a buoy and floated on the water surface to mark the location, and later the net can be easily retrieved by pulling up the buoy.
[0005] Such buoys mark their locations to facilitate the easy identification of fishing gear and to guide vessels along a safe course.
[0006] Problems such as uncertainty regarding fishing net locations and losses are occurring, and the marine environment is being polluted due to the disposal of equipment including fishing nets and gear. In particular, marine debris such as discarded fishing gear, nets, and ropes left behind by fishermen during operations is causing marine safety accidents, environmental destruction, and fishing disputes.
[0007] To improve this situation, many institutional efforts are underway by the government, such as attaching location tracking devices to fishing gear to collect locations, processing fishing gear without such devices into sea, and digitizing the sales history of fishing gear sellers.
[0008] In addition, companies are developing electronic buoys for monitoring, but existing electronic buoys had disadvantages such as limited range, increased power consumption, data loss, and communication instability.
[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop technology that can monitor fishing nets in real time and ensure long-term communication between electronic buoys for net monitoring and the land by utilizing low-power communication technology.
[0010] Prior Art: KR Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1849344 (Published April 16, 2018) The problem to be solved
[0011] The present invention was devised to improve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rates that can perform low-power data communication and wide-area communication by having a transmitting module and a receiving module communicate through LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) and LoRa transmission and reception technology, and can have several advantages including low power consumption, long-distance communication, scalable networking capabilities, and cost efficiency by using Sub-GHz RF radio frequencies for communication. means of solving the problem
[0012] An electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate according to the present invention, devised to achieve the above objective, comprises: a buoy body module capable of providing buoyancy to keep the buoy body module floating on the water surface without sinking; a sensor module attached to the buoy body module capable of sensing location information and environmental information where the buoy body module is located; a transmitting module capable of transmitting information sensed by the sensor module; and a receiving module capable of receiving information transmitted by the transmitting module, wherein the transmitting module is capable of communicating through long-distance (LoRa) transmission and reception technology using LPWAN.
[0013] Additionally, it includes a buoy body module capable of providing buoyancy to keep the buoy body module floating on the water surface without sinking; a sensor module attached to the buoy body module capable of sensing location information and environmental information where the buoy body module is located; a transmitting module capable of transmitting information sensed by the sensor module; and a receiving module capable of receiving information transmitted by the transmitting module, wherein the transmitting module can communicate using long-distance (LoRa) transmission and reception technology via LPWAN and can communicate with the receiving module using a Sub-GHz RF radio frequency.
[0014] Additionally, it includes a buoy body module capable of providing buoyancy to keep it floating on the water surface without sinking; a sensor module attached to the buoy body module capable of sensing location information and environmental information where the buoy body module is located; a transmitting module capable of transmitting information sensed by the sensor module; and a receiving module capable of receiving information transmitted by the transmitting module, wherein the transmitting module can communicate using long-distance (LoRa) transmission and reception technology via LPWAN and can communicate with the receiving module using a Sub-GHz RF radio frequency; and communication between the transmitting module and the receiving module is performed using RS-232. Effects of the invention
[0015] According to the present invention, the transmitting module and the receiving module can perform low-power data communication and wide-area communication by communicating through LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) and LoRa transmission and reception technology, and by using Sub-GHz RF radio frequency to communicate, they can have several advantages including low power consumption, long-distance communication, scalable networking capabilities, and cost efficiency. Brief explanation of the drawing
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration and operation of a receiving module equipped in an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration and operation of a receiving module, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the power supply of a transmission module, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the power supply of the receiving module, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing received data stored in a database module, FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the display section of a receiving module. FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the display section of a receiving module. FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating a screen showing the location of an electronic buoy transmitting data. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the type, size, and storage space of data received from a receiving module. Figure 10 is a graph showing reception sensitivity by antenna, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the experimental results of changing the length of the C4 antenna coil to improve the communication distance. Specific details for implementing the invention
[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, it should be noted that in assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numeral whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions may obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description is omitted. Additionally, while preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited or restricted thereto and can be modified and implemented in various ways by those skilled in the art.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration and operation of a receiving module equipped in an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration and operation of a receiving module, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the power supply of a transmitting module, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the power supply of a receiving module, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing received data stored in a database module, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the display unit of a receiving module, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the display unit of a receiving module, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a screen showing the location of an electronic buoy transmitting data, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the type, size, and storage space of data received from the receiving module, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the receiving sensitivity by antenna, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing experimental results of changing the length of a C4 antenna coil to improve communication distance.
[0019] An electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a buoy body module, a sensor module, a transmitting module, and a receiving module.
[0020] Hereinafter, the components of an electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
[0021] The buoy body module provides buoyancy, allowing it to remain afloat on the water surface without sinking.
[0022] The sensor module is attached to the buoy body module and can sense location information where the buoy is located, as well as environmental information including water temperature, air temperature, wind direction, and wind speed.
[0023] Referring to Fig. 1, the transmitting module can communicate with the sensor module and the receiving module using long-distance (LoRa) transmission and reception technology via an LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network).
[0024] LPWAN is a wireless communication network technology primarily suitable for long-distance and low-power device communication, providing low-power wide-area communication. LoRa transceiver technology facilitates data transmission and reception by using a LoRa modem, and enables frequency spreading, multiple access, low-power operation, and data transmission by using frequency modulation.
[0025] While the transmitting module equipped in the electronic buoy for fishing nets enables low-power data communication between the sensor and the device, LoRa transmission and reception technology can extend coverage to a wider area.
[0026] In addition, the transmitting module can combine LPWAN and LoRa technologies to enable efficient data communication with receiving modules installed on ships and land.
[0027] In addition, the transmitting module can use Sub-GHz RF radio frequencies for battery optimization, which offers the advantages of low power consumption and long-distance communication.
[0028] Sub-GHz RF radio frequency refers to a frequency band lower than 1 GHz in wireless communication, and electronic buoys for monitoring fishing nets can utilize this to have several advantages, including low power consumption, long-distance communication, scalable networking capabilities, and cost efficiency.
[0029] In addition, referring to FIG. 3, the LDO (low dropout) regulator for power supply to the transmitting module is a type of linear voltage regulator that can maintain stable operation even when the input voltage exceeds the output voltage.
[0030] This enables precise voltage regulation while maintaining a stable output voltage with low fluctuations. Since LDO regulators generate little heat, they are ideal for small and lightweight designs, such as electronic floats.
[0031] Data transmitted from the transmitting module communicates with a receiving module mounted on the ship using a 442 MHz frequency antenna. The 442 MHz frequency is a low frequency commonly used in wireless communication and can be used to efficiently overcome obstacles and minimize power consumption.
[0032] These characteristics facilitate long-distance communication between a transmitting module equipped on an electronic buoy and a receiving module mounted on a ship or installed on land, and can ensure an effective communication distance between antennas.
[0033] Referring to Fig. 2, data transmitted from the transmitting module is received by the receiving module, and the received data is modulated using LoRa technology in LPWANM1 and M2.
[0034] Communication between the transmitting module and the receiving module can be performed using RS-232. RS-232 is a standard protocol and hardware interface specification for serial communication that provides a method for the continuous transmission of data bits and is generally used as a standard for simple communication between terminal devices, sensors, and computers.
[0035] The RS-232 interface is used in electronic buoys for fishing net monitoring, ensuring reliable data transmission and enabling long-distance communication with fewer wires. It also has the advantage of stable operation even in adverse installation environments such as fishing vessels.
[0036] The receiving module may be equipped with a line filter, and the line filter is connected to the power circuit of an electrical and electronic device to control and filter noise and electric waves.
[0037] The line filter equipped in the receiving module can remove noise from the power supply circuit and help improve the performance of the electronic buoy and maintain electrical stability.
[0038] Additionally, the receiving module may be equipped with DC-DC converter isolation, which is primarily used in power supply circuits to convert and isolate power between various voltage levels and maintains an electrically isolated circuit to prevent any noise or problems occurring during power conversion from propagating to other parts of the electronic buoys.
[0039] In particular, since maintaining isolation between the high-voltage circuit and the low-voltage circuit is very important for the protection of the electronic buoy, the receiving module in the present invention performs this role by being equipped with DC-DC converter isolation.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 5, the data transmitted from the transmitting module equipped in the electronic buoy to the receiving module located on a ship or on land consists of ID information, latitude information, longitude information, battery level, and Check-Sum, with a data size of 10 bytes, the ID information being 22 bits, the latitude and longitude information being 24 bits each, the battery level being 2 bits, and the Check-Sum being 8 bits.
[0042] Data transmitted to the receiving module is stored in the database module, and the database module is configured to include a flash memory section and a RAM section.
[0043] Among the data transmitted to the receiving module, important data is stored in the flash memory of the database module, and other data is stored in the RAM.
[0044] Also, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the receiving module is equipped with a display unit so that the received information can be visualized and viewed.
[0045] An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of the electronic buoy according to the present invention.
[0046] Data loss rate is evaluated using the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), which is an indicator for measuring the signal strength received in wireless communication, and signal quality is generally expressed in dBm, with higher values indicating better signal quality.
[0047] In the experiment, the RSSI sensitivity and the magnitude of the transmission volume were checked once per minute, and the amount of data transmitted was determined by checking the amount of data for one hour. Through this, the amount of data transmitted via wireless communication can be monitored and statistics generated.
[0048] Referring to Fig. 5, this is data received through a receiving module, and can receive and store the ID information of the buoy, latitude and longitude, received signal strength, and SNR.
[0049] In the experiment, the buoy transmitting data was located 35 km away from the receiving module as shown in Fig. 8, and at 35 km, the maximum reception sensitivity was measured to be -87 and the minimum reception sensitivity to be -106.
[0050] In addition, a comparative experiment was conducted by equipping each with a different antenna to increase the communication distance between the transmitting module and the receiving module at 442 MHz.
[0051] Figure 10 shows the reception sensitivity of each transmitting antenna among multiple antennas, and antenna number 19 has the lowest sensitivity of -102, and the antennas with the second lowest sensitivity are antennas 6 and 19, with sensitivities of -110 and -111, respectively.
[0052] These experimental results show the difference in reception sensitivity between antennas, allowing for the selection of an antenna to optimize transmission and reception distances during communication.
[0053] Figure 11 shows the experimental results of changing the length of the C4 antenna coil to improve the communication distance. In the experiment, three antenna configurations consisting of 22 PCB + 91 nH, 24 PCB + 43 nH, and 27 PCB + 27 nH were used, and the reception sensitivity for each antenna length was measured.
[0054] When the antenna length is 90mm, the reception sensitivity reaches its lowest value of -65.44 at 22 PCB + 27nH, and when the antenna is 24 PCB + 43nH and the length is 80mm, the reception sensitivity reaches its lowest value of -51.47 at 27PCB + 27nH. When the antenna length is 120mm, the reception sensitivity has its lowest value of -51.47 at 27PCB + 27nH. The experimental results demonstrate the effect of antenna length on communication distance, and that optimal performance is achieved at a specific length of a specific antenna.
[0055] The electronic buoy monitoring system according to the present invention solves the problems of conventional electronic buoys by embedding an optimal antenna selected through experiments into a transmission module to reduce the data loss rate, and applies LoRa communication technology to the electronic buoy to optimize power usage and expand the communication range.
[0056] The foregoing description is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical concept of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to make various modifications, changes, and substitutions within the scope of the essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are intended to explain, not limit, the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by such embodiments and accompanying drawings. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of rights of the present invention.
Claims
Claim 1 delete Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A buoy body module capable of providing buoyancy to keep the buoy body module floating on the water surface without sinking; a sensor module attached to the buoy body module capable of sensing location information and environmental information where the buoy body module is located; and a transmission module capable of transmitting information sensed by the sensor module. It includes a receiving module capable of receiving information transmitted from a transmitting module, wherein the transmitting module can communicate via long-range (LoRa) transmission and reception technology using LPWAN and can perform communication with the receiving module using Sub-GHz RF radio frequency; communication between the transmitting module and the receiving module is performed using RS-232, and includes an LDO regulator for power supply to the transmitting module; the receiving module may be equipped with a line filter, and the line filter is connected to the power circuit of an electrical and electronic device to control and filter noise and electric waves; the receiving module is equipped with DC-DC converter isolation and maintains an electrically isolated circuit to prevent any noise or problems occurring during power conversion from propagating to other parts of the electronic buoys; data transmitted from the transmitting module to the receiving module located on a ship or on land includes ID information, latitude information, longitude information, and remaining battery level; data transmitted from the receiving module is stored in a database module, and the database module includes a flash memory section and a RAM section. An electronic buoy monitoring system for reducing data loss rates, including the configuration.