System and method for remote management of pneumatic fender

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a management system and method capable of reliably and more easily ascertaining the state of a pneumatic fender remotely without placing strong restrictions on radio communication. A spherical accommodating container 3 in which a sensor 2, a transmission / reception terminal 9, and a battery 10 are accommodated is rolled in a discretionary direction inside a pneumatic fender 15; a weight 6 that acts as an eccentric member and the battery 10 are kept in a position at the lower end of the accomodating container 3; a non-directional antenna 9b is kept in a position at the upper end of the accommodating container 3, radio communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard is performed between the transmission / reception terminal 9 and a relay device 11A; detection data from the sensor 2 is transmitted from the transmission / reception terminal 9 to the relay device 11A by the non-directional antenna 9b and transmitted to a communication network 13 via the relay device 11A; and a management index based on the detection data is displayed on a specific terminal device 12 connected to the communication network 13.

Description

System and method for remote management of pneumatic fenders

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for remotely managing pneumatic fenders, and more particularly to a system and method for remotely and reliably and easily grasping the status of pneumatic fenders while avoiding the strict constraints of wireless communication.

[0002] A method has been proposed in which a container containing a sensor is attached to the mouth fitting of a pneumatic fender, and the sensor detects the internal pressure and temperature of the fender (see Patent Document 1). In this proposed method, the sensor communicates wirelessly with a receiver outside the fender, and the sensor data is acquired by the receiver. This detection data makes it possible to understand the condition of the fender.

[0003] A chain net attached to the outer periphery of the fender is connected to the mouthpiece. This mouthpiece and chain net cause radio wave interference when the sensor and receiver communicate wirelessly. Therefore, the receiver must be positioned appropriately to ensure stable wireless communication between them. Because the fender sways due to waves and rotates around its cylindrical axis, the receiver must be positioned appropriately and timely to ensure more stable wireless communication. Furthermore, wireless communication is subject to various restrictions (legal regulations). Therefore, there is room for improvement in order to more reliably and easily grasp the status of the fender remotely while avoiding the strict restrictions on wireless communication.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-76609

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a management system and method that can reliably and easily grasp the status of pneumatic fenders remotely while avoiding the strict restrictions on wireless communication.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a remote management system for pneumatic fenders, which comprises a sensor that detects detection data indicating the state of the pneumatic fender, a transmitting / receiving terminal connected to the sensor, a battery that operates the sensor and the transmitting / receiving terminal, and a storage container that houses the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery and is installed inside the pneumatic fender, and in which management indicators based on the detection data are displayed on a specific terminal device, the remote management system for pneumatic fenders further comprises a relay device that wirelessly communicates with the transmitting / receiving terminal installed outside the pneumatic fender, and the storage container is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender when used in a horizontal position, and the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery are connected to a remote management system for pneumatic fenders. the transmitting / receiving terminal has an eccentric member that shifts the center of gravity of the battery in a specific direction when the battery is stored therein, and the eccentric member is maintained at the position of the lower end of the storage container; the transmitting / receiving terminal has an omnidirectional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the position of the upper end of the storage container inside the storage container where the eccentric member is maintained at the position of the lower end; wireless communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard is performed between the transmitting / receiving terminal and the repeater device; the detection data is transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal to the repeater device by the transmitting / receiving omnidirectional antenna and then transmitted to a communication network via the repeater device; and the management indicator is displayed on the specific terminal device connected to the communication network.

[0007] The remote management method for pneumatic fenders of the present invention comprises connecting a transmitting / receiving terminal to a sensor that detects detection data indicating the state of the pneumatic fender, the sensor and the transmitting / receiving terminal being operated by a battery, housing the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery in a container and installing it inside the pneumatic fender, and displaying management indicators based on the detection data on a specific terminal device. In this remote management method for pneumatic fenders, a relay device that wirelessly communicates with the transmitting / receiving terminal is installed outside the pneumatic fender, and the container is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender that is used in a horizontally placed state, and the relay device that wirelessly communicates with the transmitting / receiving terminal and the battery is installed outside the pneumatic fender. The transmitter / receiver terminal is configured to have an eccentric member that decenters the center of gravity in a specific direction, and the eccentric member is maintained at the lower end position of the storage container, and the transmitter / receiver terminal is configured to have an omnidirectional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the upper end position of the storage container inside the storage container where the eccentric member is maintained at the lower end position, wireless communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard is performed between the transmitter / receiver terminal and the relay device, the detection data is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver terminal to the relay device via the omnidirectional antenna and then transmitted to a communication network via the relay device, and the management index is displayed on the specific terminal device connected to the communication network.

[0008] According to the present invention, wireless communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard is performed between the transmitting / receiving terminal installed inside the pneumatic fender and the relay device connected to the communication network, so that the detection data can be transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal to the relay device without being subject to strict restrictions on wireless communication between the transmitting / receiving terminal and the relay device.

[0009] When the sensor, the transmitter / receiver terminal, and the battery are housed in the container, the eccentric member is maintained at the lower end of the container, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the upper end of the container. Therefore, even if the pneumatic fender sways or rotates around its cylindrical axis, causing the spherical container to roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender, the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the upper end of the container. As a result, the omnidirectional antenna is positioned at a certain distance from the wall surface (outer surface) of the pneumatic fender that covers the top of the omnidirectional antenna. This allows wireless communication between the transmitter / receiver terminal and the relay device via radio waves passing through the gaps between the chains of the chain net, even if a chain net is attached to the outer surface of the pneumatic fender. Therefore, the management indicators can be stably displayed on the specific terminal device connected to the communication network, which is advantageous for reliably monitoring the status of the pneumatic fender remotely. Furthermore, by simply installing the container containing the sensor, the transmitter / receiver terminal, and the battery inside the pneumatic fender, there is no need for special work to attach the sensor, the transmitter / receiver terminal, and the battery to the pneumatic fender, making it easier to understand the condition of the pneumatic fender.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment of a remote management system for pneumatic fenders. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the internal structure of the pneumatic fender in a longitudinal cross-sectional view, with a portion of the pneumatic fender in FIG. 1 cut away. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the pneumatic fender in a front view. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the internal structure of the storage container in FIG. 2 in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the storage container in FIG. 4 cut away in a plan view. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a plan view of a pneumatic fender moored to a quay. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which data detected by a sensor is transmitted via a direct route between a transmitting / receiving terminal and a relay device. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the internal structure of a storage container covered by a cover. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a plan view of the storage container and cover in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which data detected by a sensor is transmitted via a detour route between a transmitting / receiving terminal and a relay device.

[0011] Hereinafter, a system and method for remotely managing a pneumatic fender according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

[0012] In an embodiment of a remote management system 1 (hereinafter referred to as system 1) for pneumatic fenders illustrated in Fig. 1, the state of a horizontal pneumatic fender 15 (hereinafter referred to as fender 15) used in a horizontally placed state is grasped based on detection data M from a sensor 2 housed in a storage container 3. In this embodiment, the state of a plurality of fenders 15 (15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E) is grasped using specific terminal devices 12 (12a, 12b, 12c).

[0013] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the fender 15 is a hollow rubber body with a cylindrical portion and bowl-shaped portions connected to both axial ends of the cylindrical portion. A reinforcing layer is embedded in this hollow body, and gas (air) is sealed inside. The dashed-dotted line CL in the figures indicates the cylindrical axis extending in the axial direction of the fender 15. Various known specifications of fenders 15 can be used. The fender 15 has a ferrule 16a at one axial end of the fender. The ferrule 16a is a cylindrical, concave metal member, and the surface opening of the ferrule 16a is covered with a metal cover attached with bolts or the like. A through hole 16e is formed in the ferrule 16a, connecting the inside and outside of the fender 15, and the through hole 16a is closed with a cover member. A safety valve 16b and other valves are attached to the ferrule 16a. The mouth fittings 16a may be provided at both ends of the fender 15 in the axial direction of the cylinder.

[0014] A chain net 16c is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the fender 15. The chains that make up the chain net 16c extend radially from the center (the mouth fitting 16a) in a front view and also extend circumferentially in the bowl-shaped portions at both ends of the fender 15 in the axial direction. In the cylindrical portion of the fender 15, the chains extend in the axial and circumferential directions. Therefore, the chains form a lattice pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the fender 15. Tires or the like are fixed to appropriate positions on the chain net 16c as shock absorbers. The chain net 16c may not be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the fender 15.

[0015] 1 to 5, this system 1 includes a sensor 2, a transmitting / receiving terminal 9, a battery 10, a storage container 3, and a relay device 11A. The sensor 2, the transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and the battery 10 are housed in the storage container 3 and arranged inside the fender 15, while the relay device 11A and the specific terminal device 12 are arranged outside the fender 15.

[0016] Wireless communication is performed between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A. The relay device 11A is connected to the communication network 13 wirelessly or by wire. The specific terminal device 12 is a communication device that can be connected to the communication network 13 wirelessly or by wire. Examples of the communication network 13 include the Internet communication network and a specific LAN such as an in-house LAN. In this embodiment, a server 11B is communicatively connected to the communication network 13.

[0017] The sensor 2 detects detection data M that indicates the state of the fender 15. The sensor 2 has a detection unit, a memory unit, and a control unit, and the detection unit acquires the detection data M. The acquired detection data M is stored in the memory unit, and the control unit controls the operation of the sensor 2 (such as the timing of acquiring the detection data M). Examples of the detection data M include internal pressure data of the fender 15, internal temperature data, and acceleration data acting on the fender 15.

[0018] Therefore, the sensors 2 used may include a pressure sensor that detects the internal pressure of the fender 15, a temperature sensor that detects the internal temperature, and an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration (external force) acting on the fender 15. The respective detected data M of the internal pressure data, internal temperature data, and acceleration data indicate the internal pressure state, temperature state, and external force load state of the fender 15. One or more of these types of sensors 2 are installed on the fender 15. The sensors 2 may have various known specifications. The detected data M is transmitted to the relay device 11A by wireless communication.

[0019] The storage container 3 is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the fender 15 that is used in a horizontal position. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the storage container 3 comprises a spherical container body 4 and a weight 6. Inside the container body 4, a sensor 2, a transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and a battery 10 are installed.

[0020] The spherical container 3 (container body 4) is not limited to a general sphere or ellipsoidal sphere, but may also be a polyhedron (e.g., a regular dodecahedron or a regular icosahedron) that can roll in any direction inside the fender 15. This spherical body is not limited to a planar structure formed by surfaces, but may also have a frame structure. That is, a spherical body (such as a sphere, ellipsoidal sphere, or polyhedron) whose outer shape is formed into a spherical shape by a frame can also be used as the container body 4. The container body 4 may be formed into a spherical body by joining multiple divided bodies. The diameter of the spherical container body 4 (the diameter of the inscribed sphere in cross section) is, for example, 10 cm or more and 20 cm or less.

[0021] The container body 4 has communication holes 5 penetrating the peripheral wall. The communication holes 5 function to communicate between the container body 4 and the interior of the fender 15, allowing the sensor 2 to accurately detect the internal pressure and temperature of the fender 15. The number and shape of the communication holes 5 are not particularly limited. For example, multiple communication holes 5 can be scattered throughout the container body 4, or polygonal or slit-shaped communication holes 5 can be used. The container body 4 is preferably made of a non-metallic material so as not to shield the radio waves W used in wireless communication. The container body 4 is formed, for example, from a resin such as polycarbonate resin, ABS resin, PVC resin, or PP resin, or vulcanized rubber.

[0022] The weight 6 can be made of various known specifications, and can be made of metal. The shape of the weight 6 is not particularly limited, and not only a block-shaped weight 6 but also a sheet-shaped weight 6 can be used. In this embodiment, the weight 6 is disposed inside the container body 4, but it can also be fixed to the outer surface of the container body 4.

[0023] The transmitting / receiving terminal 9 is connected to the sensor 2 and wirelessly transmits the detection data M from the sensor 2 to the relay device 11A. The transmitting / receiving terminal 9 has a module board 9a and an omnidirectional antenna 9b connected to the module board 9a. The sensor 2 is installed on the module board 9a. In this embodiment, the module board 9a is fixed to the inner surface of the container body 4, and the omnidirectional antenna 9b, located above it, is connected to the module board 9a by a conductor.

[0024] The omnidirectional antenna 9b transmits radio waves W in all directions from the center in a plan view and receives radio waves W from all directions. Various types of known omnidirectional antennas 9b can be used, such as a ceramic antenna or a loop antenna.

[0025] The battery 10 powers the sensor 2 and the transmitting / receiving terminal 9. The battery 10 can be of various known specifications, such as a lithium battery. The battery 10 is connected to the module board 9a and is disposed below the module board 9a in this embodiment. Below the battery 10, a weight 6 is fixed to the inner surface of the container body 4.

[0026] The container 3 has an eccentric member that offsets the center of gravity in a specific direction when the sensor 2, the transceiver terminal 9, and the battery 10 are housed inside. The eccentric member is maintained at the lower end of the container 3, and inside the container 3 where the eccentric member is maintained at the lower end, the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end of the container 3.

[0027] In this embodiment, in the cross-sectional view illustrated in Fig. 4, the sensor 2, module substrate 9a, battery 10, and weight 6 are arranged in the lower half of the container body 4, and the omnidirectional antenna 9b is arranged in the upper half of the container body 4. That is, the battery 10 and weight 6 are opposed to the omnidirectional antenna 9b across the center of the cross section of the container body 4, with the weight 6 and the omnidirectional antenna 9b being located at the farthest positions. Compared to the sensor 2, module substrate 9a, and omnidirectional antenna 9b, the battery 10 and weight 6 are each very heavy. Therefore, in this embodiment, the battery 10 and weight 6 are used as eccentric members.

[0028] The container 3 (container body 4) rolls (swings) in any direction inside the fender 15, but since it has the eccentric members 6, 10, the eccentric members 6, 10 always try to move toward the lower end position of the container 3 (container body 4). As a result, the eccentric members 6, 10 are maintained at the lower end position of the container 3 (container body 4), and the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end position of the container 3 (container body 4).

[0029] If the omnidirectional antenna 9b can be stably maintained at the upper end of the container body 4 without the weight 6 as an eccentric member, the weight 6 can be omitted. However, providing the weight 6 is advantageous for stably maintaining the omnidirectional antenna 9b at the upper end of the container body 4. The weight of the weight 6 is set to an appropriate value through a test conducted in advance so that the weight 6 is stably maintained at the lower end of the container body 4 after the storage container 3 has rolled (i.e., the omnidirectional antenna 9b is stably maintained at the upper end of the container body 4).

[0030] The relay device 11A wirelessly communicates with each of the transmitting and receiving terminals 9. Communication based on a predetermined LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) communication standard is performed between each of the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 and the relay device 11A. Examples of LPWA include unlicensed bands such as LoRa WAN, Sigfox, WI-SUN, ELTRES, and ZETA, and licensed bands such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, and LTE Cat. 1. In this embodiment, communication based on the LPWA communication standard of the unlicensed band is performed between each of the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 and the relay device 11A, and wireless communication based on the LoRa WAN communication standard is particularly preferred. Therefore, each of the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 can use various known specifications that allow wireless communication based on the LPWA communication standard of the unlicensed band with the relay device 11A. Between the relay device 11A and the communication network 13, wireless communication is performed based on, for example, the communication standard of the LPWA of the licensed band described above.

[0031] The relay device 11A has a function of connecting each of the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 to the server 11B via the communication network 13. Therefore, the relay device 11A can be a gateway device of various known specifications that can connect wireless communication based on the LPWA communication standard of the unlicensed band to the communication network 13.

[0032] Specific terminal devices 12 (12a, 12b, 12c) such as personal computers, tablet terminals, and smartphones are communicatively connected to the communication network 13. The server 11B is located in an office or the like that is responsible for managing the fenders 15, but a cloud server on the communication network 13 can also be used. The specific terminal devices 12 can access the server 11B via the communication network 13 by, for example, entering a preset password.

[0033] Next, an example of the procedure for a remote management method using this system 1 to grasp the state of the fenders 15 at a remote location far away from where the fenders 15 are used will be described.

[0034] 6, a large number of fenders 15 are moored to a quay 17 by connecting ropes 16d. Therefore, a large number of fenders 15 are placed over a wide area. The relay device 11A is fixedly placed at a predetermined position in an office building at the port, but it can also be mounted on a mobile object 14 such as a car or a drone and moved to an appropriate position.

[0035] In this system 1, the sensors 2 set on each fender 15 acquire detection data M at preset intervals (for example, every hour, every 12 hours, every 24 hours, etc.) or at preset times. The timing (interval) at which each sensor 2 acquires the detection data M is set to a desired timing.

[0036] 7, as the detection data M is acquired, it is sequentially transmitted to relay device 11A by radio waves W emitted from omnidirectional antenna 9b of transmitting / receiving terminal 9. The detection data M transmitted to relay device 11A is sequentially transmitted from relay device 11A to server 11B via communication network 13, input, and stored therein. The detection data M is transmitted from transmitting / receiving terminal 9 together with identification information of sensor 2 that detected the detection data M, and the identification information of sensor 2 is also input to server 11B.

[0037] The more frequently the sensor 2 acquires the detection data M and the shorter the intervals at which it transmits the data to the relay device 11A, the more power the battery 10 consumes, but the more recent the detection data M can be acquired. The less frequently the sensor 2 acquires the detection data M and the longer the intervals at which it transmits the data to the relay device 11A, the more power the battery 10 consumes, but the more difficult it becomes to acquire the most recent detection data M. Therefore, an appropriate timing for each sensor 2 to acquire the detection data M is set depending on the importance of managing each fender 15, etc.

[0038] In the server 11B, a management index Mi for the fender 15 is calculated and stored based on the input detection data M. The server 11B pre-stores unique information for each sensor 2 together with its identification information, and also identifies the fender 15 on which each sensor 2 is installed, and stores information on the product specifications, manufacturing history, and placement location of that fender 15. The server 11B stores the management index Mi for that fender 15 and various information about that fender 15 in association with each other. Therefore, by accessing the server 11B, it is possible to ascertain the management index Mi for that fender 15 at a certain point in time, along with the placement location and start date of placement of each fender 15.

[0039] The detected data M may be stored as the control indicator Mi as is, but instead of or in addition to the detected data M, a data value obtained by processing the detected data M may also be used as the control indicator Mi. For example, the difference between the detected internal pressure data M and the reference internal pressure data, the difference between the detected temperature data M and the reference temperature data, or the difference between the detected acceleration data M and the reference acceleration data may also be used as the control indicator Mi. The reference internal pressure data, the reference temperature data, and the reference acceleration data are set in advance as data for when the fender 15 is normal. Therefore, the greater the difference between the detected data M and these reference data, the more it can be determined that the fender 15 is not in a normal state.

[0040] 1 , a user or manager of the fender 15, a person in charge at the manufacturer of the fender 15, or the like can access the server 11B from a specific terminal device 12, and the management indicators Mi stored in the server 11B are displayed on the specific terminal device 12. By referring to the management indicators Mi displayed on the display of the specific terminal device 12, the internal pressure state, temperature state, external force load state, and the like of each fender 15 can be ascertained.

[0041] According to the above-described system 1, communication is performed based on the unlicensed LPWA communication standard between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A installed on each fender 15. Therefore, a highly flexible communication route network can be constructed between the two without being subject to strict legal restrictions on wireless communication, and the detection data M can be transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to the relay device 11A as desired.

[0042] As described above, the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 is housed in the rolling container 3 and disposed inside the fender 15, and the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end of the container 3. Even if the fender 15 swings or rotates around its cylindrical axis, causing the spherical container 3 to roll in any direction inside the fender 15, the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end of the container 3. As a result, the omnidirectional antenna 9b is disposed at a position some distance away from the wall surface (outer peripheral surface) of the fender 15 that covers the top of the omnidirectional antenna 9b. Radio waves W are transmitted in all directions from the omnidirectional antenna 9b, which is maintained at the upper end of the container 3.

[0043] Therefore, even if a chain net 16c is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the fender 15, radio waves W passing through the gaps between the chains of the chain net 16c enable wireless communication between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A. Furthermore, the omnidirectional antenna 9b is positioned away from the mouth fitting 16a, which prevents the radio waves W from being blocked or attenuated by the mouth fitting 16a. In other words, this is advantageous for avoiding radio wave interference caused by the chain net 16c and the mouth fitting 16a when communicating wirelessly between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A.

[0044] Therefore, more stable wireless communication is possible between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A without moving the relay device 11A. As a result, the management index Mi can be stably displayed on a specific terminal device 12 connected to the communication network 13, which is advantageous for reliably grasping the status of the fenders 15 remotely.

[0045] This system 1 essentially comprises a sensor 2, a transmitting / receiving terminal 9, a battery 10, a container 3 that houses these and is installed inside the fender 15, and a relay device 11A. Therefore, this system 1 can be easily applied by equipping not only new fenders 15 but also existing fenders 15 with these essential components.

[0046] To install the sensor 2, transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and battery 10 inside the fender 15, the container 3 containing the sensor 2, transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and battery 10 is simply inserted into the fender 15 through the through-hole 16e formed in the mouth fitting 16a. Therefore, no special work is required to attach the sensor 2, transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and battery 10 to the fender 15, which is advantageous for more easily understanding the condition of the fender 15.

[0047] If wireless communication between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A becomes impossible due to the battery 10 being depleted or due to a malfunction of the sensor 2 or the transmitting / receiving terminal 9, a new container 3 containing the sensor 2, the transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and the battery 10 can be simply inserted into the fender 15 and used. Therefore, this system 1 is easy to maintain.

[0048] The container 3 can roll in any direction inside the fender 15, so when a ship comes alongside and the fender 15 is deformed, it moves away from the deformed part, which is advantageous for protecting the sensor 2, transmitting / receiving terminal 9, and battery 10 housed in the container 3.

[0049] 8 and 9, the container 3 containing the sensor 2, transceiver terminal 9, battery 10, and weight 6 can be covered with a cover 7. As described above, the weight 6 is housed in the container 3 as needed. The cover 7 covers the entire container 3 and is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the fender 15. The container 3 can rotate in any direction (all directions) relative to the cover 7 inside the cover 7.

[0050] 8 and 9, a general spherical storage container 3 is housed in a general spherical cover body 7. The cover body 7 is not limited to a general sphere or an ellipsoidal sphere, but may be a polyhedron (e.g., a regular dodecahedron or a regular icosahedron) in which the cover body 7 itself can roll in any direction and the storage container 3 can rotate in any direction relative to the cover body 7 inside the cover body 7. This spherical cover body 7 is not limited to a surface structure formed by surfaces, but may also have a frame structure. The cover body 7 may be formed into a spherical shape by joining multiple divided bodies.

[0051] The cover body 7 has through holes 7a penetrating the peripheral wall. The through holes 7a function to connect the inside of the container body 4 with the inside of the fender 15, allowing the sensor 2 to accurately detect the internal pressure and temperature of the fender 15. The number and shape of the through holes 7a are not particularly limited. For example, a plurality of through holes 7a can be scattered throughout the cover body 7, or polygonal or slit-shaped through holes 7a can be used.

[0052] The cover body 7 is preferably made of a non-metallic material so as not to shield the radio waves W used in wireless communication. The cover body 7 is formed from, for example, a resin such as polycarbonate resin, ABS resin, PVC resin, or PP resin, or vulcanized rubber.

[0053] In order to smoothly rotate the storage container 3 in any direction (all directions) relative to the cover body 7 inside the cover body 7, it is preferable to reduce the frictional resistance between the opposing outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the storage container 3 and the inner surface (inner circumferential surface) of the cover body 7. Therefore, the cover body 7 illustrated in FIG. 8 has a low-friction portion 8 on its inner surface (inner circumferential surface). Various known low-friction materials and low-friction mechanisms, such as a fluororesin layer or a bearing roller, can be used as the low-friction portion 8. The low-friction portion 8 may be provided on the outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the storage container 3. The presence of the low-friction portion 8 between the outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the storage container 3 and the inner surface (inner circumferential surface) of the cover body 7 in this manner enables the storage container 3 to smoothly rotate in any direction relative to the cover body 7 inside the cover body 7. To avoid interfering with the smooth rotation of the storage container 3, the through-hole 7a of the cover body 7 and the communication hole 5 of the container body 4 may be slit-shaped.

[0054] Inside the cover body 7, the weight 6 and battery 10, which function as eccentric members of the container 3, are maintained at the lower end of the cover body 7, and the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end of the cover body 7. In other words, as the container 3 rotates inside the cover body 7, the eccentric members 6 and 10 always try to move toward the lower end of the cover body 7. As a result, the eccentric members 6 and 10 are maintained at the lower end of the cover body 7, and the omnidirectional antenna 9b is maintained at the upper end of the cover body 7.

[0055] Therefore, even if the fender 15 swings or rotates about its cylindrical axis, causing the spherical cover body 7 to roll in any direction inside the fender 15, the omnidirectional antenna 9b will be maintained at the upper end of the cover body 7. Therefore, the omnidirectional antenna 9b is positioned at a certain distance from the wall surface (outer peripheral surface) of the fender 15 that covers the top of the omnidirectional antenna 9b. Radio waves W are transmitted in all directions from the omnidirectional antenna 9b, which is maintained at the upper end of the storage container 3. The omnidirectional antenna 9b is also positioned at a distance from the mouth fitting 16a. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the radio waves W being blocked or attenuated by the mouth fitting 16a.

[0056] 8 and 9 , more stable wireless communication is possible between the transceiver terminal 9 and the relay device 11A without moving the relay device 11A, as in the case of using the storage container 3 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 . As a result, the management index Mi can be stably displayed on a specific terminal device 12 connected to the communication network 13, which is advantageous for reliably grasping the status of the fender 15 remotely. In the storage container 3 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the omnidirectional antenna 9b may be maintained at a position slightly lower than the top end of the storage container 3. However, in the storage container 3 covered by the cover 7 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the omnidirectional antenna 9b can be more easily maintained at the top end of the cover 7.

[0057] However, when the relay device 11A is fixed in a predetermined position, there may be fenders 15 located at a very long distance (for example, several hundred meters or more) from the relay device 11A. Therefore, when the detection data M from the sensor 2 installed on the fender 15 is transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to the relay device 11A, the communication distance between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A may become excessively long.

[0058] When the transmitter / receiver terminal 9 transmits the detection data M via radio waves W from the omnidirectional antenna 9b to the relay device 11A, if the transmission of the detection data M fails (transmission fails), the transmitter / receiver terminal 9 repeats the transmission until it succeeds. Therefore, if the communication distance between the transmitter / receiver terminal 9 and the relay device 11A is excessive, the battery 10 consumes a lot of power for communication between them, or communication becomes impossible. Under weather conditions such as wind and rain that make wireless communication unstable, the battery 10 consumes a lot of power for wireless communication between them, or communication becomes impossible, even if the communication distance between them is relatively short. Therefore, if a method is adopted in which the relay device 11A is mounted on the mobile body 14 and placed close to each fender 15 to ensure stable wireless communication between them, fuel is consumed for the movement of the mobile body 14.

[0059] In this system 1, the communication route of the detection data M from each transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to relay device 11A is set so that when the communication strength S between each transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and relay device 11A is equal to or greater than a preset reference value Sc, the direct route Rd shown in Fig. 7 is selected, and when the communication strength S is less than the reference value Sc, the detour route Rb shown in Fig. 10 is selected. This communication strength S is the strength of the radio waves W received by relay device 11A when the detection data M is transmitted to relay device 11A via radio waves W from each transmitting / receiving terminal 9 (non-directional antenna 9b).

[0060] The reference value Sc is determined by, for example, varying the communication strength S by varying the distance between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A at multiple levels, thereby determining the strength of the radio waves W at which the relay device 11A cannot stably receive the detection data M. The upper limit of the determined strength of the radio waves W is determined in advance as the reference value Sc. When the detection data M is transmitted to the relay device 11A via radio waves W from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9, if the strength of the radio waves W received by the relay device 11A is less than the reference value Sc (if the detection data M cannot be received), the detour route Rb is selected without repeating the transmission of the radio waves W.

[0061] The reference value Sc can be converted into a distance and used as the maximum distance between the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and the relay device 11A at which the relay device 11A can always stably receive the detection data M. Therefore, the setting can be such that the detour route Rb is selected for the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 whose distance from the relay device 11A is greater than the reference value (reference distance value) Sc, and the direct route Rd is selected for the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 whose distance from the relay device 11A is shorter than the reference value (reference distance value) Sc.

[0062] As illustrated in Figure 7, the direct route Rd is a transmission route through which the detection data M is transmitted directly from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to the relay device 11A without the intervention of the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 installed in another fender 15. The transmitting / receiving terminals 9 installed in the fenders 15A, 15B, and 15C, which are located relatively close to the relay device 11A, have a short communication distance with the relay device 11A. Therefore, the communication strength S at the relay device 11A of the radio waves W used by the transmitting / receiving terminals 9 installed in these fenders 15A, 15B, and 15C to transmit the detection data M is equal to or greater than the reference value Sc, and therefore the direct route Rd is selected. In other words, the detection data M is transmitted directly from the transmitting / receiving terminals 9 installed in the fenders 15A, 15B, and 15C to the relay device 11A.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the detour route Rb is a transmission route through which, when the detection data M is transmitted from the transceiver terminal 9 (non-directional antenna 9b) to the relay device 11A, the detection data M is transmitted via at least one transceiver terminal 9 installed in another fender 15 between the transceiver terminal 9 and the relay device 11A. The transceiver terminals 9 installed in the fenders 15D and 15E, which are located relatively far from the relay device 11A, have a long communication distance with the relay device 11A. Therefore, the communication strength S of the radio waves W transmitted by the transceiver terminals 9 installed in these fenders 15D and 15E at the relay device 11A is less than the reference value Sc, and therefore the detour route Rb is selected. That is, the detection data M transmitted from the transceiver terminal 9 installed in the fender 15D is transmitted to the relay device 11A via the transceiver terminals 9 installed in one or more other fenders 15.

[0064] For example, the detour route Rb is formed by connecting the other transceiver terminals 9 constituting the detour route Rb with straight lines from the transmitter-receiver terminal 9 at the start point of the detour route Rb to the relay device 11A at the end point, and calculating the total length AL of each straight line. The lines with the shortest calculated total length AL are then selected as the detour route Rb. However, the just before relay device 11A is a transmitter-receiver terminal 9 installed on a fender 15 (15A, 15B, 15C) that has a short communication distance with relay device 11A and can form a direct route Rd.

[0065] 10 as an example, the detour route Rb from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 installed on the fender 15E, which is the starting point, to the relay device 11A, which is the end point, will be considered as follows: First, the transmitting / receiving terminals 9 that can form a direct route Rd with the relay device 11A are the fenders 15A, 15B, and 15C, so the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 installed on any one of these fenders 15A to 15C will be the waypoint immediately before the relay device 11A.

[0066] The waypoints are the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 installed on each of the fenders 15D, 15C, 15B, and 15A. This means that there are three possible detour routes Rb: a route (first route) that passes through the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 installed on the fenders 15D and 15C in that order; a route (second route) that passes through the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 installed on the fenders 15D, 15C, and 15B in that order; and a route (third route) that passes through the transmitting and receiving terminals 9 installed on the fenders 15D, 15C, 15B, and 15A in that order. Comparing the total lengths AL of the first to third routes, the first route is the shortest and the third route is the longest. Therefore, the priority of the detour routes Rb is determined in the order of the first route, the second route, and the third route.

[0067] When transmitting the detected data M from the transmitting / receiving terminal 3, which is the starting point, to the relay device 11A, a detour route Rb with the shortest total length AL is selected first, and transmission is attempted sequentially, starting with the detour route Rb with the highest priority. If the detected data M can be successfully transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 installed on the fender 15E to the relay device 11A via the detour route Rb with the highest priority (first route), the transmission of the detected data M is completed. If the detected data M cannot be transmitted to the relay device 11A via the detour route Rb with the first priority, the detour route Rb with the second highest priority (second route) is attempted. If the detected data M can be successfully transmitted to the relay device 11A via the detour route Rb with the second highest priority, the transmission of the detected data M is completed. In this way, transmission of the detected data M is attempted via the detour routes Rb with the highest priority until the detected data M can be successfully transmitted to the relay device 11A. In this way, by setting the detour route Rb with the shortest possible total length AL to be selected with priority, it is advantageous to reduce the amount of power consumed by each battery 10.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, the direct route Rd or the detour route Rb is selected as the transmission route for each of the detection data M from each of the transmitting / receiving terminals 9 to the relay device 11A based on the communication strength S between them. This eliminates the need for repeated, unnecessary communication failures, and reduces the power consumption of the batteries 10 installed in each of the fenders 15. Since there is less need to mount the relay device 11A on the mobile body 14 and move it close to each of the transmitting / receiving terminals 9 (fenders 15) in order to ensure stable wireless communication with the relay device 11A, fuel consumption associated with the movement of the mobile body 14 is also reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to more reliably grasp the status of each of the fenders 15 while suppressing energy consumption in the process of grasping the status of each of the fenders 15.

[0069] Because a large number of fenders 15 are also installed on ships moored to quays 17, this system 1 can also be applied to grasping the status of these fenders 15. This system 1 can also be applied to grasping the status of a large number of fenders 15 moored to offshore facilities. In this case, if the relay device 11A is installed on the ship that serves as the mobile body 14 and moved close to each fender 15, the amount of fuel consumed during the movement would be excessive because the mobile body 14 is a ship. Therefore, in this case, use of this system 1 can minimize the fuel consumption of the mobile body 14, which is extremely advantageous in reducing energy consumption in the process of grasping the status of each fender 15.

[0070] If the communication between each transmitting / receiving terminal 9 and relay device 11A is wireless based on the LoRa WAN communication standard, the mutual communication between them can be carried out extremely freely without strict legal restrictions. Therefore, for example, by issuing an instruction from a specific terminal device 12a of the administrator to each transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to change the timing of acquiring the detection data M by the sensor 2 or an instruction to change the frequency of transmitting the detection data M from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to relay device 11A, these settings can be easily changed.

[0071] When transmitting the detection data M from the transmitting / receiving terminal 9 to the relay device 11A, it is advisable to adopt a modulation method for the transmitted radio waves W that is suitable for the environment in which the fender 15 is used. Examples of modulation methods include CSS (chirp spread spectrum) and FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum). When CSS is adopted as the modulation method, it greatly reduces electromagnetic interference while making interception difficult, and is therefore considered to be suitable for wireless communication in an offshore environment.

[0072] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Remote management system 2 Sensor 3 Storage container 4 Container body 5 Communication hole 6 Weight (eccentric member) 7 Cover body 7a Through hole 8 Low friction part 9 Transmitting / receiving terminal device 9a Module board 9b Omnidirectional antenna 10 Battery (eccentric member) 11A Relay device 11B Server 12 (12a, 12b, 12c) Specific terminal device 13 Communication network 14 Mobile body 15 (15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E) Pneumatic fender 16a Mouthpiece 16b Safety valve 16c Chain net 16d Connecting rope 16e Through hole 17 Quay W Radio wave

Claims

1. A remote management system for pneumatic fenders, comprising a sensor that detects detection data indicating the state of a pneumatic fender, a transmitting / receiving terminal connected to the sensor, a battery that operates the sensor and the transmitting / receiving terminal, and a storage container that houses the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery and is installed inside the pneumatic fender, and in which management indicators based on the detection data are displayed on a specific terminal device, the system has a relay device that wirelessly communicates with the transmitting / receiving terminal installed outside the pneumatic fender, the storage container is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender that is used in a horizontal position, and has an eccentric member that eccentricates its center of gravity in a specific direction when the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery are stored, and the eccentric member is maintained at the bottom end of the storage container, the transmitting / receiving terminal has an omnidirectional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the top end of the storage container inside the storage container with the eccentric member maintained at the bottom end, A remote management system for pneumatic fenders in which wireless communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard is performed between the transmitting / receiving terminal and the relay device, the detection data is transmitted from the transmitting / receiving terminal to the relay device via the omnidirectional antenna and then transmitted to a communication network via the relay device, and the management indicators are displayed on the specific terminal device connected to the communication network.

2. A remote management system for a pneumatic fender according to claim 1, wherein the battery is used as the eccentric member.

3. A remote management system for pneumatic fenders according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is provided with a weight, and the weight is used as the eccentric member.

4. A remote management system for a pneumatic fender as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a spherical cover body that covers the entire storage container and can roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender, and which is configured so that the storage container rotates in any direction inside the cover body, the eccentric member is maintained at the lower end position of the cover body, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the upper end position of the cover body.

5. A remote management system for pneumatic fenders as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal and the battery are housed in the container and installed inside each of the plurality of pneumatic fenders, and the transmission route of each of the detection data from each of the transmitting / receiving terminals to the relay device is set so that if the communication strength between each of the transmitting / receiving terminals and the relay device is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, a direct route from each of the transmitting / receiving terminals to the relay device is selected, and if the communication strength is less than the reference value, a detour route is selected in which at least one other transmitting / receiving terminal is interposed between each of the transmitting / receiving terminals and the relay device.

6. A remote management system for pneumatic fenders as described in claim 5, in which the detour route is formed by connecting the transmitting / receiving terminal that is the starting point of the detour route to the relay device that is the end point of the detour route in straight lines, with the other transmitting / receiving terminals that make up the detour route as waypoints, and the waypoint immediately before the relay device is the transmitting / receiving terminal installed on the fender that can form the direct route, and the total length of each straight line is calculated, and priority is given to the shortest calculated total length.

7. A method for remotely managing pneumatic fenders, comprising connecting a transmitter / receiver terminal to a sensor that detects detection data indicating the state of the pneumatic fender, the sensor and the transmitter / receiver terminal being battery operated, housing the sensor, the transmitter / receiver terminal and the battery in a container and installing it inside the pneumatic fender, and displaying management indicators based on the detection data on a specific terminal device, wherein a relay device that wirelessly communicates with the transmitter / receiver terminal is installed outside the pneumatic fender, the container is a spherical body that can roll in any direction inside the pneumatic fender that is used in a horizontal position, and is designed to have an eccentric member that offsets its center of gravity in a specific direction when the sensor, the transmitter / receiver terminal and the battery are housed therein, and the eccentric member is maintained at the bottom end of the container, the transmitter / receiver terminal is designed to have an omnidirectional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna is maintained at the top end of the container inside the container that maintains the eccentric member at the bottom end, A remote management method for pneumatic fenders, comprising: performing wireless communication based on a predetermined LPWA communication standard between the transmitting / receiving terminal and the relay device; transmitting the detection data from the transmitting / receiving terminal to the relay device via the omnidirectional antenna; transmitting the data to a communication network via the relay device; and displaying the management indicators on the specific terminal device connected to the communication network.

8. A method for remotely managing pneumatic fenders as described in claim 7, wherein the sensor, the transmitting / receiving terminal, and the battery are housed in the container and installed inside each of the plurality of pneumatic fenders, and the transmission route from each of the transmitting / receiving terminals to the relay device selects a direct route from each of the transmitting / receiving terminals to the relay device when the communication strength between each of the transmitting / receiving terminals and the relay device is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, and selects a detour route in which at least one other transmitting / receiving terminal is interposed between each of the transmitting / receiving terminals and the relay device when the communication strength is less than the reference value.

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