Method and apparatus for controlling position of vessel

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling a position of a vessel, the method comprising: receiving a command associated with fixing a position; determining a fixed position in response to receiving the command; and controlling the vessel to be positioned at the fixed position, wherein the controlling comprises performing station-keeping control or recovery control on the basis of the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel.

Description

Method and device for controlling the position of a vessel

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling the position of a ship.

[0002] Typically, users of small vessels steer and throttle to berth or dock. However, due to the inexperience of users of recreational vessels and the influence of environmental disturbances such as currents and winds, berthing or docking in confined spaces can be challenging. Furthermore, vessel accidents most frequently occur during berthing or docking, making it difficult for the general public to easily operate or control recreational vessels.

[0003] Accordingly, the development of technology that enables ships to automatically dock or berth at precise locations is actively underway.

[0004] The background technology described above is technical information that the inventor possessed for the purpose of deriving the present invention or acquired in the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be considered as publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the application for the present invention.

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for controlling the position of a vessel. The problems addressed by the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above. Other problems and advantages of the present disclosure not mentioned above can be understood through the following description and will be more clearly understood through the embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the problems and advantages addressed by the present disclosure can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure may provide a method for controlling the position of a vessel, comprising: receiving a command associated with fixing a position; determining a fixing position in response to receiving the command; and controlling the vessel to be positioned at the fixing position, wherein the controlling step includes performing fixing control or restoring control based on a lateral distance between the fixing position and the vessel.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure may provide a device for controlling the position of a vessel, comprising: a memory having at least one program stored therein; and a processor operating by executing the at least one program; wherein the processor receives a command related to fixing a position, and in response to receiving the command, determines a fixing position, and controls the vessel to be positioned at the fixing position, wherein the controlling includes performing fixing control or restoration control based on a lateral distance between the fixing position and the vessel.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure can provide a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method according to the first aspect on a computer.

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the position of the vessel can be controlled to be maintained at a specific point even if the vessel user does not directly control it, thereby providing convenience and safety to the user.

[0010] In particular, an effective ship position control method can be provided by adopting different procedures for controlling the ship's position depending on the presence or absence of external disturbance or the degree of external disturbance.

[0011] Additionally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a solution for vessels without bow thrusters by proposing a two-engine based position control scheme.

[0012] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an autonomous navigation system according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vessel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the position of a ship according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a flowchart specifically explaining a process of performing fixed control or restoration control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining state variables used in position control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 6A to 6C are conceptual diagrams illustrating control of a vessel using two engines according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a flowchart specifically explaining a fixed control process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIGS. 8A to 8D are conceptual diagrams for explaining a restoration control process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a disturbance estimation process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the position of a vessel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a method for controlling the position of a vessel comprises: receiving a command related to fixing a position; determining a fixed position in response to receiving the command; and controlling the vessel to be positioned at the fixed position; wherein the controlling step comprises performing fixing control or restoration control based on a lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel.

[0024] In the above method, the command may include an auto-anchoring command or an autonomous operation stop command.

[0025] In the above method, the step of determining the fixed position may include: a step of determining whether the speed of the vessel is less than a first threshold value; and a step of determining the fixed position as the current position of the vessel based on the speed of the vessel being less than the first threshold value.

[0026] In the above method, the step of determining the fixed position may further include: a step of determining an expected position of the vessel based on the speed of the vessel being greater than or equal to the first threshold value; and a step of determining the fixed position as the expected position of the vessel.

[0027] In the above method, the step of performing the fixed control or the restoration control may include the step of determining whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel is less than a second threshold value; and the step of performing the fixed control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel being less than the second threshold value, and performing the restoration control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel being greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0028] In the above method, the method may further include a step of stopping the fixed control based on receiving a command from a user to stop the fixed control while performing the fixed control.

[0029] In the above method, the method may further include a step of stopping the restoration control based on the distance between the fixed position and the vessel being smaller than a third threshold value while performing the restoration control.

[0030] In the above method, the step of performing the fixed control may include a step of obtaining the current position, the current heading angle, the target position, and the target heading angle of the ship; and a step of calculating a state error based on the current position, the current heading angle, the target position, and the target heading angle of the ship.

[0031] In the above method, the state error includes a position error and a heading error of the vessel, and the position error of the vessel may include a first direction error and a second direction error.

[0032] In the above method, the first direction corresponding to the first direction error may correspond to the bow direction of the ship, and the second direction corresponding to the second direction error may be perpendicular to the first direction.

[0033] In the above method, the step of performing the fixed control may further include a step of calculating an objective function based on the state error; and a step of calculating a state control order and method based on the objective function.

[0034] In the above method, the step of performing the restoration control may include a step of controlling the player to face the fixed position; and a step of controlling the ship to move forward toward the fixed position.

[0035] In the above method, the method further includes a step of estimating a disturbance based on a ship state including information on the movement of the ship; wherein the disturbance can be estimated based on a dynamic model.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a device for controlling the position of a ship comprises: a memory having at least one program stored therein; and a processor operating by executing the at least one program; wherein the processor receives a command related to fixing a position, and in response to receiving the command, determines a fixing position, and controls the ship to be located at the fixing position, wherein the controlling includes performing fixing control or restoration control based on a lateral distance between the fixing position and the ship.

[0037] One embodiment of the present invention can provide a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the above method.

[0038] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and it should be understood that it includes all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. The embodiments presented below are provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the invention of the scope of the invention. In describing the present invention, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0040] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. Some or all of these functional blocks may be implemented by various hardware and / or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the functional blocks of the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more microprocessors or by circuit configurations for a given function. Furthermore, for example, the functional blocks of the present disclosure may be implemented in various programming or scripting languages. The functional blocks may be implemented by algorithms that execute on one or more processors. Furthermore, the present disclosure may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism," "element," "means," and "configuration" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations.

[0041] Additionally, the connecting lines or connecting members between components depicted in the drawings are merely exemplary representations of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections. In an actual device, connections between components may be represented by various functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections that may be replaced or added.

[0042] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first" or "second," used in the specification may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used to distinguish one component from another.

[0043] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an autonomous navigation system according to the present disclosure.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, the autonomous navigation system (100) may include a ship's control device (110), an EIU (Engine Interface Unit 120), an Autonomous Navigation Processor (130, hereinafter, an autonomous navigation processing unit), and an engine (140).

[0045] The steering device (110) may include at least a portion of a throttle lever, a steering wheel, and a joystick. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the steering device (110) may include other ship devices. The steering device (110) may be referred to as a helm station according to an embodiment.

[0046] The EIU (120) may refer to a device that acquires a signal (S1) from a steering device (110) included in a ship through a communication network within the ship and transmits it to the engine (140). The signal (S1) may include a message or protocol of several steering devices (110) included in the ship. The EIU (120) may transmit the signal (S1) of the steering device (110) as is to the engine (140), or may convert the signal (S1) of the steering device (110) and then transmit the converted signal (S2) to the engine (140). The present invention is not limited thereto.

[0047] The EIU (120) may be a device that enables switching between autonomous and manual operation modes of a ship by transmitting or injecting a signal (S1) of a steering device (110). The EIU (120) may determine whether the current operation mode of the ship is autonomous or manual, based on a control command received from the autonomous operation processing device (130). The EIU (120) may also receive the operation status of the ship determined from the autonomous operation processing device (130). In this case, the EIU (120) may operate based on the determined operation status. According to an embodiment, the EIU (120) may determine the autonomous operation mode by detecting a control value output from the steering device (110) even when a user does not control the steering devices (110).

[0048] The EIU (120) can be connected to the ship's steering device (110) and engine (140) via an internal communication network. The internal communication network can include a CAN (Controller Area Network). Here, CAN can refer to an internal communication network of a ship, automobile, etc. that can perform data transmission between ECUs (Engine Control Units), control of various steering devices (110), control of a system, etc., and is not limited thereto. The internal communication network can refer to any communication network that can transmit data between the ship's steering device (110) and the engine (140). According to an embodiment, a user can check the status of the linkage between the steering devices (110), the autonomous navigation processing unit (130), and the engine (140) by using the EIU (120).

[0049] The autonomous navigation processing unit (130) may be a device that processes control commands for controlling the ship's steering device (110) when the ship is in autonomous navigation mode. In other words, even when the user does not operate the steering device (110), the autonomous navigation processing unit (130) may generate commands for controlling the ship's steering device (110). In addition, the autonomous navigation processing unit (130) may transmit the ship's navigation status to the EIU (120) so that the EIU (120) may operate based on the ship's navigation status.

[0050] The engine (140) may be a device that operates based on control commands from the ship's steering devices (110). For example, when the ship is in manual operation mode, the engine (140) may operate based on user input operating the steering device (110). As another example, when the ship is in autonomous operation mode, the engine (140) may operate based on control commands received from the autonomous operation processing device (130).

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vessel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 2, a vessel (1) and an autonomous navigation system (100) included in the vessel (1) are illustrated. In addition, the autonomous navigation system (100) is illustrated as being connected to an engine (140) of the vessel (1).

[0053] As described above with reference to FIG. 1, it may be understood that the autonomous navigation system (100) includes an engine (140), and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the autonomous navigation system (100) may be understood to be connected to the engine (140).

[0054] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the ship (1) may be a ship that does not include a bow thruster, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, the engine (140) may include a first engine (141) and a second engine (142). Referring to FIG. 2, the first engine (141) and the second engine (142) are arranged at the rear of the ship (1), but are not limited thereto.

[0056] Each of the first engine (141) and the second engine (142) can be independently controlled. That is, the output and direction of each of the first engine (141) and the second engine (142) can be independently controlled.

[0057] Meanwhile, the embodiments to be described later are described as including two engines, i.e., a first engine (141) and a second engine (142), of the ship (1), but the engine (140) may include three or more engines, and the embodiments to be described later can be analogically applied to a ship (1) including three or more engines.

[0058] Hereinafter, a method for controlling a vessel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, specifically, a method for controlling the vessel's position, is described. The method for controlling the vessel's position according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed by a device for controlling the vessel's position according to the present disclosure, specifically, a processor of the device for controlling the vessel's position. The device for controlling the vessel's position may be understood to be included in the autonomous navigation system (100) of FIG. 1 or the autonomous navigation system (100).

[0059] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the position of a ship according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may receive a command (301).

[0061] Here, the command may refer to a command related to fixing the ship's position. That is, the device controlling the ship's position may receive a command input by a user or automatically generated by the autonomous navigation system (100), and this command may be a command related to fixing the ship's position. For example, the received command may be an auto-anchoring command input by a user. For example, the received command may be a command to stop autonomous navigation.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may determine (302) whether the speed of the vessel is less than a first threshold value.

[0063] In one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may determine whether the vessel's speed is less than a first threshold based on receiving a command associated with fixing the vessel's position. As will be described below, determining whether the vessel's speed is less than the first threshold may be used to determine a fixed position. In the present disclosure, a fixed position may refer to a reference point for dynamically controlling the vessel's position. Unlike land vehicles, a vessel is located at sea level, making it impossible to maintain a relative position relative to the surrounding environment. Therefore, dynamic positioning may be required to control the position. In the present disclosure, a fixed position may be referred to as a reference point for dynamic position control and may also be referred to as a DP (dynamic positioning) point.

[0064] Meanwhile, the first threshold value can be preset to any suitable value. For example, the first threshold value can be 0.5 kts, 1 kts, or 2 kts.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel can determine a fixed position as the current position of the vessel (303).

[0066] In one embodiment, a device controlling the position of a vessel may determine (303) a fixed position as the current position of the vessel based on the vessel's speed being less than a first threshold value. This may be because, when considering the current course and / or vessel speed, there is no need to calculate a separate fixed position.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel can determine (304) a fixed position as the expected position of the vessel.

[0068] In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of a vessel may determine (304) a fixed position as the expected position of the vessel based on the vessel's speed being greater than or equal to a first threshold value. This may be because, considering the course and / or speed of the vessel during operation, a separate fixed position needs to be calculated. In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of the vessel may calculate an expected braking distance based on the course and / or speed. The device controlling the position of the vessel may determine the expected position of the vessel based on the calculated expected braking distance and the current position of the vessel, and may determine the fixed position based thereon.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may perform fixation control or recovery control (305).

[0070] In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of a vessel may perform either a fixation control or a restoration control (305) based on determining a fixed position. Specifically, the device controlling the position of a vessel may perform either a fixation control or a restoration control (305) based on determining a fixed position as the current vessel position (303) or determining a fixed position as the expected vessel position (304). In the present disclosure, both the fixation control and the restoration control relate to the position control of a vessel. However, unlike the fixation control, the restoration control may refer to the position control when the vessel is moved by a strong disturbance, particularly, a strong disturbance acting laterally on the vessel. The distinction between the fixation control and the restoration control may be further clarified by the embodiments described below.

[0071] FIG. 4 is a flowchart specifically explaining a process of performing fixed control or restoration control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] As described above, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform fixation control or restoration control (305) based on determining the fixed position. Specifically, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform fixation control or restoration control (305) based on determining the fixed position as the current position of the vessel (303) or determining the fixed position as the expected position of the vessel (304).

[0073] Referring to FIG. 4, the process of performing fixed control or restoration control (305) is illustrated in detail.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may determine (401) whether a lateral distance between a fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than a second threshold value. As will be described below, the second threshold value may serve as a criterion for performing fixed control or restoration control. The second threshold value may be preset to any suitable value. For example, the second threshold value may be 7 m, 10 m, or 15 m.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a ship can perform fixed control (402) based on a lateral distance between a fixed position and the position of the ship being less than a second threshold value.

[0076] In this disclosure, the fixed control process will be described in detail later.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 4, a device controlling the position of a vessel can determine (403) whether a user's fixed control stop command is received.

[0078] Specifically, the device controlling the position of the ship can determine (403) whether a command to stop the fixed control from the user is received after performing the fixed control.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 4, the device controlling the position of the vessel may determine (401) whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than a second threshold value based on the fact that the user's fixed control stop command is not received. That is, the device controlling the position of the vessel may repeatedly perform at least some of the processes illustrated in FIG. 4 until the user's fixed control stop command is received.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a ship can terminate a process of performing fixed control or restoration control based on receiving a command to stop fixed control from a user.

[0081] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a ship can perform restoration control (403) based on the lateral distance between a fixed position and the position of the ship being greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0082] In this disclosure, the restoration control process will be described in detail later.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a ship can determine (405) whether the distance between a fixed position and the position of the ship is less than a third threshold value.

[0084] Specifically, the device controlling the position of the ship can determine (405) whether the distance between the fixed position and the position of the ship is less than a third threshold value after performing restoration control.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4, a device for controlling the position of a vessel can determine (401) whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than a second threshold value based on whether the distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than a third threshold value.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 4, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform restoration control again (404) based on the distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel being greater than or equal to a third threshold value. That is, the device controlling the position of the vessel may repeatedly perform restoration control until the distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel becomes smaller than the third threshold value.

[0087] Meanwhile, the third threshold value may be preset to any suitable value, and in one embodiment, the third threshold value may be smaller than the second threshold value. For example, the third threshold value may be 0.7 m, 1 m, or 1.5 m.

[0088] Meanwhile, as described above, when the device controlling the position of a vessel compares the distance between a fixed position and the position of the vessel with a threshold value, the comparison with the second threshold value may be based on the lateral distance, and the comparison with the third threshold value may be based on the straight-line distance. This is because, as described above, in response to a strong disturbance acting laterally on the vessel, restoration control, not fixation control, is performed, and therefore, as a condition for initiating restoration control, the comparison with the second threshold value may be based on the lateral distance, and as described below, restoration control includes controlling the vessel to move forward toward the fixed position, and therefore, the comparison with the third threshold value may be based on the straight-line distance.

[0089] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining state variables used in position control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 5, a first current axis (Xb) and a second current axis (Yb) are illustrated to describe the pose of the vessel at the current vessel location. In one embodiment, the first current axis (Xb) corresponds to the bow direction at the current vessel location, and the second current axis (Yb) is perpendicular to the first current axis (Xb) and may correspond to the starboard direction of the vessel.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 5, a first fixed position axis (Xdp) and a second fixed position axis (Ydp) are illustrated for describing the attitude of the vessel at a fixed position. In one embodiment, the first fixed position axis (Xdp) corresponds to the bow direction at the fixed position, and the second fixed position axis (Ydp) is perpendicular to the first fixed position axis (Xdp) and may correspond to the starboard direction of the vessel.

[0092] Meanwhile, it is provided as an example that the first current axis (Xb) and the second current axis (Yb) correspond to the bow direction and the starboard direction, respectively, but is not limited thereto. Similarly, it is provided as an example that the first fixed position axis (Xdp) and the second fixed position axis (Ydp) correspond to the bow direction and the starboard direction, respectively, but is not limited thereto.

[0093] State variables used in position control according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first axis error (X_e), a second axis error (Y_e), and a heading error (ψ_e).

[0094] In one embodiment, the first axis error (X_e) and the second axis error (Y_e) may represent the difference between the fixed position and the current position of the vessel. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the first axis error (X_e) and the second axis error (Y_e) may be calculated with respect to a rectangular coordinate system based on the first fixed position axis (Xdp) and the second fixed position axis (Ydp). That is, the first heading error (X_e) may be the distance between the foot of a waterline lowered from the current position of the vessel to the second fixed axis (Ydp) and the current position of the vessel, and the second heading error (Y_e) may be the distance between the foot of a waterline lowered from the current position of the vessel to the first fixed axis (Xdp) and the current position of the vessel. However, in another embodiment, the first axis error (X_e) and the second axis error (Y_e) may also be calculated with respect to a rectangular coordinate system based on the first current axis (Xb) and the second current axis (Yb).

[0095] In one embodiment, the heading error (ψ_e) may be the angle between the direction of the first current axis (Xb) and the direction of the first fixed position axis (Xdp). That is, the heading error (ψ_e) may be the difference between the current heading angle and the heading angle at the fixed position.

[0096] FIGS. 6A to 6C are conceptual diagrams illustrating control of a vessel using two engines according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] Figure 6a is a drawing explaining a process by which a ship is controlled to move forward.

[0098] In the present disclosure, forward movement of a vessel may mean that the vessel moves in a forward direction (e.g., in the direction of the first current axis (Xb)).

[0099] Referring to Figure 6a, if both engines are controlled to produce thrust of the same magnitude in the bow direction, the ship can be controlled to move forward.

[0100] Figure 6b is a drawing explaining a process by which a ship is controlled to rotate.

[0101] In the present disclosure, a ship moving in a rotational manner may mean that the ship moves in such a way that the ship's bow direction changes.

[0102] Referring to Figure 6b, when two engines are controlled to generate thrust in opposite directions, the ship can be controlled to rotate.

[0103] Figure 6c is a drawing explaining a process by which a ship is controlled to move laterally (or, transversely).

[0104] In the present disclosure, a lateral movement of a vessel may mean that the vessel moves in a direction perpendicular to the bow direction (e.g., in the direction of the second current axis (Yb)) while maintaining the bow direction.

[0105] Referring to Figure 6c, if the two engines are controlled to generate thrust at different angles, not parallel to the bow direction, the ship can be controlled to move laterally.

[0106] FIG. 7 is a flowchart specifically explaining a fixed control process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] As described above, the device for controlling the position of the vessel can determine (401) whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than the second threshold value, and the device for controlling the position of the vessel can perform the fixing control (402) based on whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the position of the vessel is less than the second threshold value.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can obtain the current position and current heading angle of the ship (701).

[0109] Referring to FIG. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can obtain the position and target heading angle of a target ship (702).

[0110] Here, the position of the target vessel may be a fixed position. Additionally, the target heading angle may be a heading angle at the fixed position (e.g., the first fixed axis (Xdp)).

[0111] Referring to Fig. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can calculate a state error (703).

[0112] In one embodiment, the state error may be calculated based on the current vessel position, the current heading angle, the target vessel position, and the target heading angle. In one embodiment, the state error may include the vessel's position error and the vessel's heading error. Furthermore, the vessel's position error may include a first heading error and a second heading error, and the first and second directions of the first heading error and the second heading error may be perpendicular to each other.

[0113] Meanwhile, the calculated state error can be used as a state variable for calculating an objective function. Accordingly, the state error can correspond to the state variable described above with reference to FIG. 5. Accordingly, the state error can be composed of the first axis error (X_e), the second axis error (Y_e), and the heading error (ψ_e) described above. For example, the state error can be expressed as "state error (X_e, Y_e, ψ_e)".

[0114] Referring to FIG. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can produce an objective function (704).

[0115] In one embodiment, the objective function can be calculated based on the calculated state error and threshold value.

[0116] An objective function may refer to a mathematical expression that quantifies the performance of a system and serves as a criterion for optimization. In the present disclosure, the objective function may be used to minimize an error.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can produce (705) a sequence and method for state control.

[0118] In one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel can derive a sequence and method for state control based on the derived objective function.

[0119] The order for state control may be related to which state is to be controlled with priority. As an example, a device for controlling the position of a ship may determine the order for state control in the order of the first axis error (X_e), the second axis error (Y_e), and the heading error (ψ_e). As another example, the device for controlling the position of a ship may determine the order for state control in the order of the heading error (ψ_e), the first axis error (X_e), and the second axis error (Y_e). As yet another example, the device for controlling the position of a ship may determine the order for state control in the order of the converted error value of each state error in the order of smaller or larger according to a preset standard.

[0120] The method for state control may relate to how to control the ship's steering system to eliminate state errors. For example, the ship may be controlled to move forward to eliminate the first-axis error (X_e), but the ship may also be controlled to move rotationally or the ship may be controlled to move sideways. As another example, a control method different from the control method for eliminating only the first-axis error (X_e) may be adopted to simultaneously eliminate both the first-axis error (X_e) and the second-axis error (Y_e).

[0121] Referring to FIG. 7, a device for controlling the position of a ship can control the ship (706) based on the calculated state control sequence and method.

[0122] A device for controlling the position of a ship can control the ship by generating a control signal based on the calculated state control sequence and method.

[0123] Thereafter, as described above, the device controlling the position of the vessel can determine (403) whether a user's fixed control stop command is received.

[0124] FIGS. 8A to 8D are conceptual diagrams for explaining a restoration control process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0125] Figure 8a shows a state in which a ship is displaced from a fixed position due to an external disturbance.

[0126] Referring to Fig. 8a, the ship is pushed by the disturbance, and the current ship position is shown to be far from the fixed position. In the state shown in Fig. 8a, as described above, the device for controlling the ship position

[0127] In one embodiment, a device controlling the position of a vessel may determine to perform restoration control (403) based on a lateral distance between a fixed position and the position of the vessel being greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

[0128] In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform restoration control, which may include controlling the bow angle to point toward a fixed position. In other words, in the present disclosure, unlike the fixed control, in the case of restoration control, priority may be given to controlling the bow angle to point toward a fixed position.

[0129] Figure 8b shows a state in which the player is controlled to face a fixed position.

[0130] Referring to Fig. 8b, it is illustrated that the device controlling the position of the vessel primarily controls the vessel so that the bow faces the fixed position. For example, the device controlling the position of the vessel may control the bow angle so that the bow faces the fixed position without performing control to eliminate state errors, i.e., the first-axis error (X_e), the second-axis error (Y_e), and the bow error (ψ_e), through forward or lateral movement.

[0131] In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform a restoration control including controlling the vessel to move forward toward the fixed position after controlling the vessel to move toward the fixed position.

[0132] Figure 8c shows a state in which the ship is controlled to move forward toward a fixed position.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 8c, a device for controlling the position of a vessel is shown controlling the vessel to move forward while the bow is facing a fixed position.

[0134] In one embodiment, the device controlling the position of the vessel may perform a restoration control to control the vessel to maintain the heading angle and position based on the vessel reaching a fixed position.

[0135] Figure 8d shows a state in which the ship is controlled to reach a fixed position and maintain the heading angle and position.

[0136] In one embodiment, a device for controlling the position of a vessel may control the vessel to move forward to a fixed position, and then, upon reaching the fixed position, control the vessel to maintain the fixed position regardless of the heading angle, for example, without considering the heading error (ψ_e).

[0137] Meanwhile, the aforementioned fixed control and recovery control, while both aimed at maintaining a fixed position, are based on different mechanisms. This may be because recovery control is position control performed when a vessel is moved by a strong lateral disturbance. A vessel may move laterally due to a strong lateral disturbance, and if the bow is controlled to point toward the fixed position in response, the same disturbance will not be applied laterally. Therefore, if the bow is controlled to point toward the fixed position, then moved forward to the fixed position, and then controlled to maintain the fixed position, position control can be easily performed in subsequent stages.

[0138] Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a disturbance estimation process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] The position control device (910) of FIG. 9 may correspond to a device for controlling the position of a ship of the present disclosure.

[0140] In one embodiment, the position control device (910) may generate a control signal (901). The control signal (901) may include a signal for controlling the movement of the vessel. For example, the control signal (901) may include a control signal for causing the vessel to maintain a fixed position.

[0141] In one embodiment, the position control device (910) may transmit a control signal (901) to a vessel (920). Here, the vessel (920) may be understood as the vessel (1) or EIU (120) described above.

[0142] As will be described later, the position control device (910) can generate a control signal (901) based on disturbance data (905).

[0143] Meanwhile, the movement of the ship (920) may be affected by disturbance (902). Accordingly, the movement of the ship (920) or the ship state (903) described below may be based on the control signal (901) and disturbance (902).

[0144] In one embodiment, the vessel (920) may be controlled based on a control signal (901). Furthermore, in one embodiment, the vessel (920) may be affected by a disturbance (902). That is, the movement of the vessel (920) may be influenced by not only the control signal (901) controlling the vessel (920), but also the disturbance (902).

[0145] In one embodiment, a vessel state (903) may be generated by a vessel (920). The vessel state (903) may include information regarding the movement of the vessel (920). Since the vessel state (903) is a result of the control of the vessel (920) and the influence of external factors, it cannot be considered as something that the vessel (920) actively generates. However, from the perspective that the result of the vessel state (903) can be expressed as the position, attitude, etc. of the vessel (920), it can be interpreted that the vessel state (902) is generated by the vessel (920). In one embodiment, the vessel state (902) may include changes in the values ​​of the aforementioned state variables.

[0146] In one embodiment, the disturbance estimation device (930) can receive the ship state (903). The disturbance estimation device (930) can estimate the disturbance based on the ship state (903) and generate the estimated disturbance (904).

[0147] In one embodiment, the disturbance estimation device (930) may include a dynamic model and an estimation unit. The dynamic model may refer to a model for analyzing the movement of a vessel reflected in the vessel state (903). The estimation unit may estimate the disturbance based on the dynamic model and the vessel state (903).

[0148] In one embodiment, the data processing device (940) can receive the estimated disturbance (904) and generate disturbance data (905). The data processing device (940) can process the estimated disturbance (904) into disturbance data (905), which is data that can be used by the position control device (910) or the display device (950).

[0149] In one embodiment, the disturbance data (905) may be transmitted to a position control device (910) and a display device (950).

[0150] In one embodiment, the position control device (910) may generate a control signal (901) based on disturbance data (905). That is, the control signal (901) may be generated by reflecting information about disturbances reflected on the vessel.

[0151] In one embodiment, the display device (950) may refer to a device for providing information about a vessel to a user. For example, the display device (950) may visualize the vessel's location and surrounding environment and provide it to the user.

[0152] In one embodiment, the display device (950) can receive disturbance data (905). The display device (950) can provide information about the disturbance to the user based on the received disturbance data (905).

[0153] Meanwhile, the devices illustrated as individual configurations in FIG. 9 do not mean that they are provided independently of each other, and may be provided for the convenience of understanding the control process. The position control device (910), the disturbance estimation device (930), the data processing device (940), and the display device (950) may be implemented as a single device, and the position control device (910), the disturbance estimation device (930), the data processing device (940), and the display device (950) may be included in the autonomous navigation system (100), and may be understood as being included in the ship (920).

[0154] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the position of a vessel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0155] Each step of the method for controlling the position of a vessel illustrated in FIG. 10 can be performed by the device for controlling the position of the vessel described above, specifically, by the processor of the device for controlling the position of the vessel.

[0156] At step 1010, the processor may receive a command associated with fixing a position.

[0157] In one embodiment, the command may include an auto-anchoring command or an autonomous flight stop command.

[0158] At step 1020, the processor, in response to receiving the command, may determine a fixed location.

[0159] In one embodiment, step 1020 may include determining whether the speed of the vessel is less than a first threshold and, based on the speed of the vessel being less than the first threshold, determining a fixed position as the current position of the vessel.

[0160] In one embodiment, step 1020 may include determining an expected position of the vessel based on a speed of the vessel being greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and determining a fixed position as the expected position of the vessel.

[0161] At step 1030, the processor can control the vessel to be positioned at a fixed position.

[0162] In one embodiment, step 1030 may include performing a fixation control or a restoration control based on a lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel.

[0163] In one embodiment, the step of performing anchor control or restoration control may include the step of determining whether a lateral distance between the anchor position and the vessel is less than a second threshold value, and the step of performing anchor control based on the lateral distance between the anchor position and the vessel being less than the second threshold value, and the step of performing restoration control based on the lateral distance between the anchor position and the vessel being greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0164] In one embodiment, the processor may stop the fixed control based on receiving a user command to stop the fixed control while performing the fixed control.

[0165] In one embodiment, the processor may stop the restoration control based on the distance between the fixed position and the vessel being performed being less than a third threshold value.

[0166] In one embodiment, the step of performing fixed control may include the step of obtaining a current position, a current heading angle, a target position, and a target heading angle of the vessel, and the step of calculating a state error based on the current position, the current heading angle, the target position, and the target heading angle of the vessel.

[0167] In one embodiment, the step of performing fixed control may include the step of calculating an objective function based on a state error and the step of calculating a state control order and method based on the objective function.

[0168] In one embodiment, the step of performing restoration control may include the step of controlling the player to face a fixed position and the step of controlling the vessel to move forward toward the fixed position.

[0169] In one embodiment, the state error includes a position error and a heading error of the vessel, and the position error of the vessel may include a first heading error and a second heading error.

[0170] In one embodiment, the first direction corresponding to the first direction error may correspond to the bow direction of the vessel, and the second direction corresponding to the second direction error may be perpendicular to the first direction.

[0171] In one embodiment, the processor may estimate the disturbance based on the vessel state, which includes information about the vessel's movements.

[0172] In one embodiment, the disturbance can be estimated based on a dynamic model.

[0173] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0174] The device (1100) illustrated in FIG. 11 may be a device for controlling the position of the aforementioned ship.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 11, the device (1100) may include a communication unit (1110), a processor (1120), and a database (1130). Only components related to the embodiment are illustrated in the device (1100) of FIG. 11. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that other general components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0176] The communication unit (1110) may include one or more components that enable wired / wireless communication with an external server or external device. For example, the communication unit (1110) may include at least one of a short-range communication unit (not shown), a mobile communication unit (not shown), and a broadcast receiving unit (not shown).

[0177] DB (1130) is hardware that stores various data processed within the device (1100) and can store programs for processing and controlling the processor (1120). DB (1130) can store payment information, user information, etc.

[0178] DB (1130) may include random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM, Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

[0179] The processor (1120) controls the overall operation of the device (1100). For example, the processor (1120) can control the input unit (not shown), the display (not shown), the communication unit (1110), the DB (1130), etc., by executing programs stored in the DB (1130). The processor (1120) can control the operation of the device (1100) by executing programs stored in the DB (1130).

[0180] The processor (1120) can control at least some of the operations of the device (1100) described above in FIGS. 1 to 10.

[0181] The processor (1120) may be implemented using at least one of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions.

[0182] In one embodiment, the device (1100) may be a mobile electronic device. For example, the device (1100) may be implemented as a smartphone, tablet PC, PC, smart TV, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop, media player, navigation device, camera-equipped device, or other mobile electronic device. Furthermore, the device (1100) may be implemented as a wearable device, such as a watch, glasses, hair band, or ring, equipped with communication and data processing capabilities.

[0183] Embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories.

[0184] Meanwhile, the computer program may be specifically designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be one known and available to those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of computer programs may include not only machine language code, such as that generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

[0185] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0186] Unless the steps constituting the method according to the present invention are explicitly described in a specific order or are otherwise described in a different order, the steps may be performed in any appropriate order. The present invention is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps are described. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (e.g., “for example,” “etc.”) in the present invention is merely intended to illustrate the present invention in more detail, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the examples or exemplary terms unless otherwise defined by the claims. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, and variations can be configured according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

[0187] Therefore, the idea of ​​the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and not only the scope of the patent claims described below but also all scopes equivalent to or equivalently modified from the scope of the patent claims are considered to fall within the scope of the idea of ​​the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the position of a ship, A step of receiving a command associated with fixing a position; In response to receiving the above command, a step of determining a fixed position; A step of controlling the vessel to be positioned at the fixed position; Including, but not limited to, The above controlling step is, A step of performing fixing control or restoration control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel; including, method.

2. In paragraph 1, The above command is, Including an auto-anchoring command or an autonomous flight stop command, method.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of determining the above fixed position is: a step of determining whether the speed of the vessel is less than a first threshold value; and A step of determining a fixed position as the current position of the vessel based on the speed of the vessel being less than the first threshold value; including, method.

4. In paragraph 3, The step of determining the above fixed position is: A step of determining the expected location of the vessel based on the speed of the vessel being greater than or equal to the first threshold value; and A step of determining the fixed position as the expected position of the vessel; including more, method.

5. In paragraph 1, The step of performing the above fixed control or restoration control is: a step of determining whether the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel is less than a second threshold value; and A step of performing the fixing control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel being less than the second threshold value, and performing the restoration control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel being greater than or equal to the second threshold value; including, method.

6. In paragraph 5, A step of stopping the fixed control based on receiving a command from a user to stop the fixed control while performing the fixed control; including more, method.

7. In paragraph 5, A step of stopping the restoration control while performing the restoration control based on the distance between the fixed position and the vessel being less than a third threshold value; including more, method.

8. In paragraph 1, The step of performing the above fixed control is: A step of obtaining the current position, current heading angle, target position and target heading angle of the above vessel; and A step of calculating a state error based on the current position of the vessel, the current heading angle, the target position, and the target heading angle; including, method.

9. In paragraph 8, The above state error is, Including the position error and bow error of the above vessel, The position error of the above vessel includes a first direction error and a second direction error. method.

10. In paragraph 9, The first direction corresponding to the first direction error corresponds to the bow direction of the ship, The second direction corresponding to the second direction error is perpendicular to the first direction, method.

11. In paragraph 8, The step of performing the above fixed control is: A step of calculating an objective function based on the above state error; and A step of calculating a state control sequence and method based on the above objective function; including more, method.

12. In paragraph 1, The steps of performing the above restoration control are: A step of controlling the player to face the fixed position; and A step of controlling the vessel to move forward toward the fixed position; including, method.

13. In paragraph 1, A step of estimating a disturbance based on a ship state including information on the movement of the ship; Including more than, The above disturbance is, Estimated based on the dynamic model, method.

14. As a device for controlling the position of a ship, memory in which at least one program is stored; and A processor that operates by executing at least one program; The above processor, Receives a command associated with the fixation of a position, In response to receiving the above command, determine a fixed location, Control the vessel to be located at the above fixed position, The above control is, Including performing fixing control or restoration control based on the lateral distance between the fixed position and the vessel, device.

15. A computer-readable recording medium recording a program for executing the method according to paragraph 1 on a computer.

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