Automatic Distress Alerting System for Maritime Rescue
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) is prone to false distress alert messages due to human error, which accounts for 70% of false signals, leading to high costs and inefficiencies in rescue operations.
Innovation Solution
An automatic distress alerting system that employs sensors and a processor device on ships to detect distress situations, generate alert packages, and transmit them to satellites, with a human officer confirming only if necessary, reducing human intervention and false alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators manually detect, record and send distress alerts in GMDSS system, then the system can respond to maritime emergencies, but human error causes 70% of false distress alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where sensors automatically detect distress conditions, the processor automatically generates and transmits alert packages without requiring manual human intervention for each step, thereby eliminating human error while maintaining reliable emergency response
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical human operation system with an automated electronic system consisting of sensors, processors, and transmitters that work together to detect, process, and transmit distress alerts automatically, substituting human decision-making with automated electronic processing
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electronic equipment function separately in GMDSS system, then each equipment can perform its specific function, but the large number of equipments and various models generate difficulties in data introduction leading to false alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate electronic equipment into a unified integrated system where sensors, processors, and transmitters are combined into a single coordinated apparatus that manages distress detection and transmission, eliminating the complexity of coordinating multiple independent devices
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated processor device performs multiple functions including receiving data from various sensor types, processing information, generating alert packages, and controlling transmission, making the system universal and adaptable to different equipment models while simplifying operations
3Productivity
If human personnel manually check and analyze distress signals, then rescue operations can be coordinated, but the costs incurred in checking, analyzing and taking actions are significantly high
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system performs self-service by automatically detecting distress conditions, generating alert packages with all necessary information, and transmitting signals without requiring manual human analysis, thereby eliminating operational costs associated with human checking and analysis while maintaining efficient rescue coordination
Solution Approach 2:
The automated processor device acts as an intermediary between sensor detection and rescue coordination, automatically processing sensor data into structured alert packages that can be directly transmitted to rescue authorities, eliminating the need for manual human intermediaries and reducing operational costs
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments herein provide a system and a method for automatic distress alerting at sea. The method comprises detecting a distress situation by the sensors, sending a distress signal to the processor device, initiating an alarm for a pre-defined time, confirming the detected distress situation by a responsible officer, sending a distress alert package generated by the processor device through a main transmitter device to several satellites and to the terrestrial stations, informing nearest maritime search and rescue coordination centers after receiving the distress alert package and sending one or more rescue teams to a location based on a data provided in the distress alert package. If the alarm is detected to be false by the responsible officer then the distress alert is removed and alarm is activated if the responsible officer neither confirms nor denies the distress situation.