Maritime Data Distribution

A system for dynamically collecting and distributing maritime data

The patent discloses and teaches a system for dynamically collecting and distributing maritime data from many sources without regard for the form, type, and class of the data. The application described is directed to safety of ships at sea. The system establishes and maintains a dynamic zone of concern surrounding the vessel or vehicle of interest and permits a high order of accuracy in location by dead reckoning when satellite connections are not available.

USPTO Abstract

includes a vessel configured to transmit at a predetermined time, or upon electronic inquiry, a signal representative of a current location of the vessel or an expected location of the vessel; a computer network including one or more databases, each of which includes one or more zone of concern data, wherein the zone of concern data corresponds to a zone of concern; and a service provider configured to receive the signal, retrieve the one or more zone of concern data from the computer network based upon the signal and transmit the one or more zone of concern data to the vessel. The zone of concern data, which may he continually changing, may be sent from the service provider to the vessel on a continuous basis with respect to the changing location and heading of the vessel.The zone of concern data is maritime data important to the safe, secure and economical operation of the vessel. The zone of concern is a three-dimensional time bounded area–a geofence–surrounding the vessel.

View the full text of the United States Patent 7,286,914 with images…