Ship-to-ship Cargo Transfer Detection via AIS Proximity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ship-to-ship (STS) cargo transfers often go unrecorded by port authorities, leading to inaccurate cargo reports and lost cargo due to their occurrence outside port areas and varying reporting formats, which complicates the tracking of cargo movements.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method to identify potential STS cargo transfers by determining the distance and duration between vessels, considering speed, position, and cargo compatibility, using Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages and geolocation techniques to determine if vessels are within a threshold distance and time for a prolonged period outside port areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If port authorities rely on traditional port-based cargo recording methods, then cargo transfers within port areas are accurately recorded, but STS cargo transfers occurring outside port areas are missed or unrecorded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from port-centric spatial monitoring to vessel-centric spatial monitoring by tracking vessel positions and proximity relationships. This dimensional shift enables detection of cargo transfers occurring anywhere in maritime space, not just within port boundaries, thereby capturing STS transfers that previously occurred in the monitoring blind spot.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces AIS (Automatic Identification System) data as an intermediary mechanism to track vessel positions and infer cargo transfers. By using AIS messages as the mediator between physical vessel movements and cargo transfer detection, the system can identify potential STS transfers through proximity analysis without requiring direct observation of the transfer operation itself.
2Reliability
If port authorities manually review and report cargo transfers, then detailed cargo information can be recorded, but reporting is inconsistent and many transfers are not reported
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service cargo transfer detection by automatically analyzing AIS data to identify potential STS transfers without requiring manual intervention. The algorithm autonomously processes vessel position data, applies proximity thresholds, and generates transfer identifications, making the reporting process self-sufficient and eliminating reliance on manual port authority review.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where identified potential STS transfers are flagged for verification. The system continuously monitors vessel proximity patterns and provides feedback loops that refine detection accuracy over time, allowing port authorities to focus their manual review efforts only on high-probability cases rather than all transfers.
3Ease of operation
If cargo transfers are tracked using daily report boundaries (midnight to midnight), then reporting is simplified, but transfers crossing report boundaries are not correctly identified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by continuously monitoring vessel proximity in real-time or near-real-time rather than waiting for daily report cycles. By performing continuous detection and identification before report boundaries are reached, the system captures transfers that span multiple daily reporting periods, ensuring complete transfer identification regardless of timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous monitoring of vessel positions and proximity relationships without interruption by daily report boundaries. This continuous useful action ensures that cargo transfers are detected based on their actual temporal duration rather than arbitrary reporting schedules, maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the operational framework.
4Adaptability or versatility
If different port authorities use different reporting formats, then each authority can customize reports to local needs, but cargo tracking across multiple authorities becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal detection framework based on standardized AIS data that can be applied across different port authorities regardless of their local reporting format preferences. The core detection algorithm uses universal vessel position parameters and proximity thresholds that are independent of any specific reporting format, enabling consistent STS transfer identification across multiple authorities while allowing each to customize output formats as needed.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for identifying a potential ship-to-ship "STS" cargo transfer, the method comprising determining a distance between a first vessel and a second vessel, determining if the distance is below a vessel distance threshold, if the distance is below the vessel distance threshold, determining a period of the distance being below the vessel distance threshold, determining if the period is above a time threshold, and, if the period is above the time threshold, identifying a potential STS cargo transfer.