Boat Crew Support Monitoring With Adaptive Data Transmission

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Solution Overview

Problem

Small boat captains often lack technical expertise, making it difficult to diagnose and resolve issues on board, leading to the need for external rescue due to insufficient real-time monitoring and information provision.

Innovation Solution

A crew support system with a communication terminal that switches between periodic and high-speed transmission modes to provide real-time monitoring and support, allowing onboard resolution of issues through a server and client terminals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If periodic transmission mode is used to minimize power consumption, then power usage is reduced, but real-time monitoring capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidreal-time monitoring capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The communication terminal dynamically switches between periodic transmission mode and event-driven transmission mode based on operational conditions. When normal operation is detected, periodic transmission minimizes power consumption. When abnormal conditions are detected (e.g., engine failure, critical warnings), the system automatically transitions to event-driven mode to transmit data in real-time, thus adapting power usage and monitoring intensity to actual needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes transmission parameters (transmission interval, data volume) based on operational state. During normal operation, longer transmission intervals and reduced data volumes are used to save power. During abnormal states, transmission intervals are shortened and data volumes increased to ensure real-time monitoring and rapid response

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If event-driven transmission mode is used to achieve real-time monitoring, then monitoring responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring responsivenessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs periodic transmission during normal operation to maintain connectivity while conserving power. The periodic intervals are optimized to balance power consumption with the need for routine monitoring. Event-driven transmission is triggered only when specific conditions are met, avoiding continuous high-power operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The communication terminal autonomously determines when to switch between transmission modes based on detected operational conditions. The system self-regulates power consumption by transmitting data only when necessary (event-driven) versus using efficient periodic transmission during normal states, without requiring constant external control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If detailed device information is transmitted frequently to enable rapid diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but communication data volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidcommunication data volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system transmits different levels of detail based on operational context. During normal operation, summarized or reduced data is transmitted. When abnormal conditions are detected, detailed device information and diagnostic data are transmitted to enable precise diagnosis. This local quality adjustment ensures diagnostic accuracy is maintained when needed while minimizing unnecessary data transmission

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If comprehensive monitoring data is collected and transmitted, then problem diagnosis capability is improved, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproblem diagnosis capabilityVSAvoidinformation processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary processing and filtering of monitoring data before transmission. Relevant parameters are pre-identified and prepared for transmission based on operational state. When abnormalities occur, already-processed diagnostic information is available for immediate transmission, reducing the complexity of real-time data processing while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12500954B2Crew support system, and server, communication terminal, and client terminal for the crew support system

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A crew support system includes a communication terminal to collect information about a device on a watercraft and transmit the information, a server to receive the information from the communication terminal, and a client terminal to communicate with the server. The communication terminal includes a periodic transmission mode to transmit the information to the server in a periodic transmission cycle, and a high-speed transmission mode to transmit the information in a cycle shorter than the periodic transmission cycle. The server determines a status of the watercraft, and transmits information about measures to address the status, to the client terminal, based on the result of the determination. The client terminal provides the information received from the server to a user. The server determines whether or not a recovery operation by the crew is possible, and transmits information about the result of the determination regarding the recovery operation to the client terminal.