Patent ID: 12204035

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Maritime information provided by currently available systems is maritime information on a point on the ocean, that is, local information which cannot be deemed as information reflecting influence of actual ocean currents, and thus, this information would not be so much useful to marine operations.

In describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known art which is related to the present disclosure may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, technical terms, as will be mentioned hereinafter, are terms defined in consideration of their function in the present disclosure, which may vary according to the intention of users or operators, practice, or the like. Accordingly, the definitions of the terms will be given based on the content throughout the specification. It should not be understood that the terminology used herein is merely for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limiting the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise”, “include”, “have”, etc. when used in this specification, specify the presence of features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations of them but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof.

It may be suggested that in association with each system illustrated in the drawings, elements with same or different reference numerals may be different from or similar to each other in some cases. However, elements having different embodiments may be operated with some or all of the systems seen or described in the specification. Various elements illustrated in the drawings may be identical to or different from each other, and use of the terms first, second, etc. to describe various elements is arbitrary.

In the specification, “transmission”, “delivery”, or “provision” by a component of data or signal to another component means that any one component directly transmits data or signal to another component, and implies that data or signal is transmitted to another component through at least one of the other elements.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG.1is a diagram illustrating that an apparatus for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is disposed on the ocean, andFIG.2is a block diagram illustrating the apparatus for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants in accordance withFIG.1.

The apparatus for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one observation buoy100and a relay buoy200, as illustrated inFIGS.1and2.

The observation buoy100has a main body made of a rubber tube101filled with oil O. Upon movement thereof, influence of ocean currents on the ocean is reflected thereon as much as possible. The observation buoy100includes a GPS receiver120, a communicator110, and a power source130.

The GPS receiver120is configured to receive signals transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites and to generate location information.

The communicator110communicates with the relay buoy200wirelessly by means of Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN, NFC (Near Field Communication), and short-range wireless communication technology such as infrared communication. The communicator110provides location information generated by the GPS receiver120to the relay buoy200by means of the short-range wireless communication technology as described above. The communicator110is comprised of a short-range wireless communication module, thus being lightweight.

The power source130is configured to provide driving power to the GPS receiver120and the communicator110and is comprised of a battery, thus being lightweight.

The observation buoy100includes lightweight components as described above and thus can show movement for which influence of the ocean currents on the ocean is reflected as much as possible.

The relay buoy200floats on the ocean and is configured to receive location information from at least one observation buoy100and to provide the received location information to a weather information management server S. Compared with the observation buoy100, the relay buoy200is heavier. As the relay buoy200is not influenced by the ocean currents, observation equipment required for observation can be mounted thereon.

The relay buoy200includes a communicator210, a buoy launcher240, a propeller230, a controller220, and a power source250.

The communicator210is configured to perform wireless transmission and reception of signals with at least observation buoy100and a weather information management server S. The communicator210communicates with the observation buoy100by means of Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN, NFC (Near Field Communication, and short-range wireless communication technology such as infrared communication, whereas in communicating with the weather information management server S, WiMAX, Wireless LAN, CDMA, LTE-M (LTE-Maritime), 3G, 4G, 5G, or long-range wireless communication technology such as LoRa (Long Range), etc. may be used. No special limitation is applied to communication methods.

The buoy launcher240is configured to launch a reserve observation buoy100stored in an observation buoy storage201aof a relay buoy main body201to the ocean under control by the controller220. A point in time to launch the reserve observation buoy100is when a voltage of the power source130of the observation buoy100which comes close to the relay buoy200drops equal to or less than a preset voltage.

The propeller230is installed at a lower part or a side surface of the relay buoy200and generates propulsion, so as to move the relay buoy200on the ocean. When a signal level of the location information generated by the observation buoy100is equal to or less than a preset level, the propeller230generates propulsion, so as to move the relay buoy200close to the observation buoy (a location spaced apart from the observation buoy as much as a preset distance). The operation by the propeller230is controlled by the controller220.

The controller220is a microprocessor which controls the whole operation of the relay buoy200. The controller220senses a voltage of the power source130of the at least one observation buoy100. When the sensed voltage is equal to or less than the preset voltage, the controller240activates the buoy launcher240and launches, to the ocean, the reserve observation buoy100stored in the observation buoy storage201aof the relay buoy main body201. The controller220senses the signal level of location information of the observation buoy100and, when the sensed signal level is equal to or less than the preset level, controls the propeller230to thereby move the relay buoy200to a location spaced part from the observation buoy100as much as the preset distance.

The power source250is configured to supply driving power to the communicator210, the buoy launcher240, the propeller230, and the controller220. A solar cell or battery may be used, and configurations thereof are not specifically limited as far as they generate driving power.

A method of tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure configured as described above will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG.3is a flowchart to explain a method for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, where “S” means step.

Prior to description of the method of tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants, it is assumed that at least one observation buoy100floats on the ocean, and a relay buoy200floats near the observation buoy100.

The relay buoy200senses a voltage of the power source130of the observation buoy100S10and determines whether the sensed voltage is equal to or less than the preset voltage S20.

When the voltage sensed in step S20is larger than the preset voltage N, the relay buoy200receives location information from the observation buoy100S30.

The relay buoy200determines whether the signal level of the location information transmitted from the observation buoy100is equal to or less than the preset level S40.

When the signal level of the location information sensed in step S40is larger than the preset voltage N, the relay buoy200transmits the location information received from the observation buoy100to a weather information management server S S50.

In the meantime, when the voltage of the power source130of the observation buoy100sensed in step20is equal to or less than the preset level, the relay buoy200launches the stored reserve observation buoy to the ocean S60and then returns to step30.

Also, when the signal level of the location information sensed at step S40is equal to or less than the preset level Y, the relay buoy200is moved due to propulsion generated by the propeller to a location spaced part from the observation buoy100as much as the preset distance S70, and then returns to step S30.

According to an apparatus and a method for tracking location using a control platform of a small buoy for simulating marine pollutants according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one observation buoy is configured to receive a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite, to generate location information, and to perform wireless transmission and reception of signals with the relay buoy, and a relay buoy is configured to receive location information from the at least observation buoy and to provide the received location information to a weather information management server, whereby location information of the observation buoy on which influence of actual ocean currents is reflected as much as possible is provided to the weather information management server, thereby being capable of enhancing accuracy of simulating the ocean currents.

Optimal embodiments are disclosed in the drawings and the specification, and specific terms are used therein. In this regard, it should be understood that they are used for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which are not intended to limit the meaning thereof or to limit the scope of the invention described in the claims. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. It is thus well known to those skilled in that art that the patent right of the present disclosure should be defined by the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.