# US 2024/0201418 A1 · Marine monitoring system, control appratus and marine monitoring method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0201418 A1 - Document ID: US20240201418A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/555,288 - Filed: 2021-04-15 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-15 - Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Inventors: Go ITAMI; Jun KATO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201418A1 ## CPC - G01W 1/04: giving only separate indications of the variables measured - B63B 22/00: Buoys ({floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06;} means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; {mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12}) - B63B 35/50: Vessels or floating structures for aircraft (aircraft carriers B63G11/00; flying-boat hulls, other flotation means for aircraft B64) - B63B 79/15: for monitoring environmental variables, e.g. wave height or weather data - B64F 3/00: Ground installations specially adapted for captive aircraft - B64U 10/60: Tethered aircraft - B64U 50/35: by wireless transmission, e.g. by induction - G05D 1/678: for tethered vehicles (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672) - B63B 2035/4453: {for converting solar energy into electric energy} - B64U 2101/00: UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications - B64U 2101/20: for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms - B64U 2201/202: using tethers for connecting to ground station - G05D 2105/80: for information gathering, e.g. for academic research - G05D 2107/27: {Oceans} - G05D 2109/254: {Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters} - Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation - G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A marine monitoring system includes a control device 1 and at least one flight vehicle 2. The control device 1 includes: a sensor unit 13 that measures at least one of an underwater environment and a sea-surface environment to acquire marine data; a control unit 16 that controls the flight vehicle 2; and a communication unit 15 that receives above-water data measured by the flight vehicle 2. The flight vehicle 2 includes a sensor unit 24 that measures an above-water environment according to control of the control device 1 to acquire the above-water data, and a communication unit 21 that transmits the above-water data to the control device 1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A marine monitoring system comprising a control device and at least one flight vehicle, wherein: the control device includes: a first measurement unit, including one or more sensors, configured to measure at least one of data related to an underwater environment and data related to a sea-surface environment to acquire first measurement data, a control unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to control the at least one flight vehicle, and a first communication unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to receive second measurement data measured by the at least one flight vehicle; and the flight vehicle includes: a second measurement unit, including one or more sensors, configured to measure data related to an above-water environment based on control of the control device to acquire the second measurement data, and a second communication unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to transmit the second measurement data to the control device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The marine monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit is configured to transmit, to a communication satellite, the first measurement data and the second measurement data received from the at least one flight vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The marine monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: the control device and the at least one flight vehicle are connected by a wire; the control device or the at least one flight vehicle includes an adjustment unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to adjust a length of an open portion of the wire; and the control unit is configured to control the adjustment unit to shorten the length of the open portion of the wire to recover the at least one flight vehicle to the control device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The marine monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes; a power feeding unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to supply power to (i) a mobile flight vehicle among the at least one flight vehicle through radio wave transmission and (ii) a standby flight vehicle among the at least one flight vehicle through a contactless method within the control device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The marine monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the control device includes: a solar power generator, and an oscillatory power generator configured to use oscillation of waves. ### Claim 6 A control device in a marine monitoring system including a control device and at least one flight vehicle, the control device comprising: a measurement unit, including one or more sensors, configured to measure at least one of data related to an underwater environment and data related to a sea-surface environment to acquire first measurement data; a control unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to control the at least one flight vehicle, the at least one flight vehicle being configured to measure data related to an above-water environment; and a communication unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to receive second measurement data measured by the at least one flight vehicle. ### Claim 7 A marine monitoring method performed by a marine monitoring system including a control device and at least one flight vehicle, the method comprising: measuring, by the control device, at least one of data related to an underwater environment and data related to a sea-surface environment to acquire first measurement data; controlling, by the control device, the at least one flight vehicle; receiving, by the control device, second measurement data measured by the at least one flight vehicle; measuring, by the at least one flight vehicle, data related to an above-water environment based on control of the control device to acquire the second measurement data; and transmitting, by the at least one flight vehicle, the second measurement data to the control device.