Patent ID: 7286914

Claim:
A system for collecting and distributing maritime data, comprising: a vessel configured to transmit a signal representative of one of (i) a current location of the vessel and (ii) an expected location of the vessel; a computer network including a plurality of databases, each of which includes one or more zone of concern data, wherein the zone of concern data corresponds to a zone of concern, wherein the zone of concern is one of (i) a three-dimensionally distance-bounded area surrounding the vessel and (ii) a time-bounded area surrounding the vessel, wherein the one or more zone of concern data is at least one of (i) accident data, (ii) health crises data, (iii) piracy data, (iv) terrorism data, (v) open warfare data, (vi) disease data, (vii) emergency re-routing data, (viii) political unrest data, (ix) coast guard assistance data, (x) navigation lights data, (xi) reef data, (xii) shipwreck data and (xiii) port contact information data; 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, wherein the service provider comprises at least one server, wherein the server is operative for: formulating a query as a function of one of (i) the location of the vessel and (ii) the expected location of the vessel; transmitting the query to the plurality of databases, wherein the databases are remote from the server and the vessel; and receiving the one or more zone of concern data associated with the query.