Seaway Route Planning With Prioritized Waypoint Base Points

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional route planning devices require manual selection of waypoints and base points, which is cumbersome and complicated, especially in navigation systems like ECDIS, where navigators need to manually find and set appropriate base points based on distance and direction.

Innovation Solution

A route planning apparatus that automatically identifies and prioritizes potential base points near a set waypoint, displaying them on a screen with a list of priorities, allowing easy selection by the navigator.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual selection of waypoints and base points is used, then navigation route planning can be performed, but the operation becomes cumbersome and complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of setting waypoint and base pointVSAvoidcomplexity of route planning process
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores multiple candidate base points with their distances and directions relative to each waypoint before the user needs them. When a user sets a waypoint, the corresponding base points are already prepared and can be immediately displayed and selected, eliminating the need for manual searching and calculation during route planning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a data structure that copies and stores the spatial relationships between waypoints and base points in advance. This copied information includes distances, directions, and identifiers of base points relative to each waypoint, allowing the system to quickly retrieve and display relevant base points without performing real-time calculations when users interact with the interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If manual finding and selection of base points is performed, then accurate navigation data can be obtained, but the process becomes time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed of route planningVSAvoidtime for setting waypoint and base point
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculations to determine distances and directions between all potential waypoints and base points before the user begins route planning. This pre-computed information is stored and readily available, allowing instant retrieval when a user selects a waypoint, thereby dramatically reducing the time required for base point selection during actual route planning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If automated base point identification is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of selecting base pointVSAvoidcomplexity of automated identification system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores pre-calculated spatial relationship data including distances, directions, and identifiers of base points relative to each waypoint. This copied data structure allows the automated identification function to simply retrieve and display relevant information without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby implementing automation with minimal additional system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4105909B1Seaway planning device, seaway planning method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 FURUNO ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP4105909B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4105909B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4105909B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A route planning apparatus (1) is provided for planning a navigation route of a ship. The route planning apparatus (1) includes a display unit (19) for displaying a chart on a screen; and an operation unit (18) configured to designate a position in the screen. In addition, the route planning apparatus (1) includes a storage unit (17) configured to store one or more potential base points that may be a potential base point of a waypoint; a point setting unit (12) configured to set a waypoint on the chart in response to a navigator's operation; a base point acquisition unit (13) configured to extract the base points within a predetermined range of the set waypoint as a reference from the storage unit (17); and a base point determination unit (14) configured to determine the extracted potential base point to be the base point of the set waypoint.