Ship Convoy Collision Risk Evaluation Using Representative Values

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional collision risk evaluation systems fail to account for the collective risk of a convoy of ships, requiring individual ships with low risk to be avoided along with the entire group, even if a ship with a high risk is present.

Innovation Solution

A ship monitoring system that generates first and second ship data, calculates collision risk values, determines if multiple ships form a convoy, and selects a representative risk value for the group, issuing an alarm for the entire convoy if the maximum risk exceeds a threshold.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If collision risk is evaluated individually for each ship in a convoy, then the evaluation process is simple and straightforward, but the system cannot identify collective convoy risk and may miss high-risk convays where individual ships have low risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvoy risk evaluation accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges individual ship risk evaluations with convoy-level analysis by integrating ship data and convoy data processing. The system combines position data, velocity data, and risk values from multiple ships to perform collective convoy risk assessment, allowing identification of high-risk convays that would be missed by individual evaluation alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the risk evaluation process into distinct modules: ship data generation, convoy data generation, risk value calculation, and convoy risk determination. This segmentation allows the system to handle both individual ship assessment and collective convoy assessment separately while integrating the results, improving measurement precision without overwhelming system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If the system monitors and evaluates every individual ship separately, then detailed risk information is obtained for each vessel, but the overall convoy risk picture is lost and avoidance maneuvers cannot be optimized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvoy-level risk informationVSAvoidrisk evaluation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a multi-functional system that performs both individual ship risk evaluation and collective convoy risk assessment using the same core processing infrastructure. The risk value calculator and convoy risk determinator work together to provide comprehensive risk information at both levels, preventing loss of convoy-level information while maintaining evaluation efficiency through shared data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If the system treats each ship independently in collision risk assessment, then computational resources are used efficiently for individual cases, but high-risk convays are not identified and unnecessary avoidance maneuvers may be required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision risk assessment reliabilityVSAvoidcomputational energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary convolution of ship data to identify potential convays before conducting full risk assessment. By pre-processing position and velocity data to detect groups of ships moving together, the system can then apply risk evaluation only to identified convays rather than treating every ship independently, improving reliability of collision risk assessment while reducing computational energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4235622B1Ship monitoring system, ship monitoring method, information processing device, and program
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 FURUNO ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP4235622B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4235622B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4235622B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a ship monitoring system capable of appropriately evaluating risks of collisions for a plurality of other ships which constitute a convoy. The ship monitoring system includes a first data generator, a second data generator, a risk value calculator, a convoy determinator, and a representative value selector. The first data generator generates first ship data indicative of a position and a velocity of a first ship. The second data generator generates a plurality of second ship data indicative of positions and velocities of a plurality of second ships. The risk value calculator calculates a risk value indicative of a risk of a collision between the first ship and each of the plurality of second ships based on the first ship data and the plurality of second ship data. The convoy determinator determines whether the plurality of second ships are a convoy based on the plurality of second ship data. The representative value selector selects a representative value from the risk values calculated for the plurality of second ships determined to be the convoy.