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Title: System for automatically controlling navigation

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7051657

A system is described for automatically controlling navigation of a ship, comprising a radio transmitter attached to the body of a sole crew member, a radio receiver installed on board the ship so as to receive a signal transmitted by the radio transmitter, and a control command unit connected with the output side of the radio receiver so as to control the prime mover of the ship to thereby stop the prime mover of the ship if the crew member falls overboard. The radio transmitter transmits a radio signal while the crew member is on board the ship and stops or attenuates the signal if the crew member falls overboard. The radio receiver transmits an output signal to the control command unit when the generation of the signal by the transmitter is stopped or when the signal is attenuated. The control command unit is provided with means to receive an output signal from the radio receiver, if the crew member falls overboard, to thereby decelerate the prime mover of the ship, compute the time which passes from the time when the crew member fell overboard to the time when the prime mover of the ship has been decelerated and control the power line and the steering system of the ship in accordance with the computed time so that the ship moves ahead or astern or turns at a low speed to a position near the crew member and then stops.

Assignee:
Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho, Tokyo
Patent Number(s):
US 4630205
OSTI ID:
7051657
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 10 May 1984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English