LiDAR vessel-to-vessel docking system and method
AssigneeCashman Dredging and Marine Contracting, Co., LLC
InventorsTimothy Mannering, Jay Cashman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vessel docking system has a vessel such as a scow and/or a tugboat, a platform such as a barge and/or a dredger, an optical distance measuring means, a vessel display unit, and a control means. The vessel display unit is configured to display a position and a location of the vessel and/or the platform. The optical distance measuring means is in communication with the vessel display unit. The optical distance measuring means includes a sensor, a laser, and lens. The optical distance measuring means is configured to determine a distance and a pathway between the platform and the vessel.
Claims17
A docking system comprising:
- a platform;
- a vessel;
- an optical distance measuring means configured to determine a position of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel,
- wherein the optical distance measuring means is configured to cooperate with the vessel display unit to provide a trajectory of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel,
- wherein the trajectory includes a location, a position, a heading, and a rate of speed, and wherein the optical distance measuring means includes a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) module configured to determine a position and a location of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel, and
- wherein the optical distance measuring means includes a plurality of LiDAR modules disposed on the platform;
- a vessel display unit configured to display the position;
- and
- a control means configured to adjust a location of the vessel.
A method of using a docking system comprising:
- providing a docking system including:
- a platform,
- a vessel,
- an optical distance measuring means configured to determine a location and a position of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel,
- wherein the optical distance measuring means is configured to cooperate with the vessel display unit to provide a trajectory of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel,
- wherein the trajectory includes a location, a position, a heading, and a rate of speed, and wherein the optical distance measuring means includes a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) module configured to determine a position and a location of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel, and
- wherein the optical distance measuring means includes a plurality of LiDAR modules disposed on the platform,
- a vessel display unit configured to display the position, and
- a control means configured to adjust a location of the vessel;
- acquiring, by the optical distance measuring means, the location and the position of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel;
- displaying, by the vessel display unit, the location and the position of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel;
- and
- adjusting, by the control means, at least one of the location and the position of one of the platform and the vessel relative to the other of the platform and the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.