Automatic Ship Propulsion Force Setting via Sensor Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ship handling control systems require manual calibration and setting work by workers to configure propulsion devices, which is inefficient and labor-intensive.

Innovation Solution

An automatic setting device and method that includes input operation setting, target behavior acquisition, ship information acquisition, actual behavior calculation, and propulsion force setting units to automatically configure propulsion forces for ship propulsion devices without manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual calibration and setting work is performed by workers to configure propulsion devices, then the control system can be set up, but the process is inefficient and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetting work efficiencyVSAvoidmanual intervention level

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs self-calibration by automatically acquiring ship behavior information through sensors, calculating actual behavior, and determining propulsion force settings without requiring manual intervention from calibration workers, thereby achieving automated setting work

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical calibration operations with an automated information processing system that uses sensors to acquire ship behavior data, processes it through calculation units, and automatically determines control parameters, substituting human labor with computational mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of manufacture

If manual calibration work is performed to set propulsion forces, then the control device can be configured, but the process requires significant labor input

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetting process simplicityVSAvoidlabor input

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The control device autonomously performs calibration by acquiring ship behavior information from sensors, calculating actual behavior, and automatically determining propulsion force settings, eliminating the need for manual calibration work and reducing labor input to zero

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary acquisition of ship behavior information and calculation of actual behavior automatically before determining the final propulsion force settings, preparing all necessary data and computations in advance to enable automated decision-making

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11958583B2Automatic setting device, automatic setting method, and program

Publication Date: 2024.04.16 NHK SPRING CO LTD

AI summary

This automatic setting device for automatically setting control devices for a plurality of ship propulsion apparatuses for generating ship propulsion forces is provided with: an input operation setting unit that sets an input operation for a ship; a target behavior acquisition unit that acquires a target behavior of the ship corresponding to the input operation set by the input operation setting unit; a ship information acquisition unit that acquires ship information about the position and/or the bearing of the ship; an actual behavior calculation unit that calculates the actual behavior of the ship on the basis of the ship information acquired by the ship information acquisition unit; and a propulsion force setting unit that sets the magnitudes and the directions of the propulsion forces generated by the respective ship propulsion apparatuses on the basis of the actual behavior of the ship acquired by the actual behavior calculation unit and the target behavior of the ship acquired by the target behavior acquisition unit.