Integrated vessel monitoring and control system

Abstract

A vessel monitoring and control system. Data indicative of operational conditions for vessel systems is transmitted from the vessel to one or more remote sites and commands are received from the one or more remote sites for controlling the vessel systems. Multiple transmitting and receiving components are available on the vessel for communicating with a variety of different communications systems at the remote sites.

1 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . A vessel monitoring system for monitoring systems on a plurality of vessels and for communicating system condition information from the plurality of vessels to a remote site, the vessel monitoring system comprising: 
 a plurality of sensors onboard each of the plurality of vessels, each of the plurality of sensors for monitoring one or more vessel systems;    a plurality of communications components onboard each of the plurality of vessels for communicating with the remote site, wherein each of the plurality of communications components communicates with the remote site according to a different communications methodology; and    a controller for selecting a one of the plurality of communications components to communicate with the remote site, wherein a selected one of the plurality of communications components is capable of establishing a communications link with the remote site, and wherein the system condition information is communicated to the remote site using the selected one of the plurality of communications components.    
   
   
       41 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the different communications methodologies comprise an Internet connection, a satellite link, a terrestrial radio frequency link, a landline telephone link, a cellular telephone link, a wireless connection, a wired connection or a pager link.  
   
   
       42 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 41  wherein the wireless connection comprises a local area network.  
   
   
       43 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the system condition information is conveyed from the remote site to the vessel user.  
   
   
       44 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 41  wherein the remote site transmits a query signal to one of the plurality of sensors for receiving system condition information therefrom.  
   
   
       45 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  further comprising an onboard controller for controlling a vessel system in response to a signal sent from the remote site.  
   
   
       46 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 45  wherein the onboard controller controls one or more vessel systems to prepare the vessel for arrival of vessel passengers.  
   
   
       47 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the remote site comprises a vessel service center.  
   
   
       48 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein one of the vessel systems comprises a navigation system for creating a virtual boundary circumscribing a present position of the vessel, and wherein the system condition information comprises an alarm when the vessel moves outside the boundary.  
   
   
       49 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 48  wherein the virtual boundary continuously updates as the vessel follows a course.  
   
   
       50 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the controller is responsive to a location of the vessel relative to a location of the remote site for selecting one of the plurality of communications components.  
   
   
       51 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the system condition information comprises one or more of an emergency condition onboard the vehicle or an out of range parameter associated with one of the vessel systems.  
   
   
       52 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the system condition information for the emergency condition is immediately communicated to the remote site by the selected one of the plurality of communications components.  
   
   
       53 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein a vessel user subscribes to a vessel monitoring service according to which system condition information provided to the remote site is available to the vessel user.  
   
   
       54 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 53  wherein the condition system information provided to the remote site is available to the vessel user through one or more of a website or an email transmission.  
   
   
       55 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein one of the plurality of sensors comprises a video camera, a still camera, a motion sensor or an infrared sensor.  
   
   
       56 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein one of the plurality of sensors determines whether a person seeking to board the vessel is an authorized vessel user.  
   
   
       57 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 56  wherein one of the plurality of sensors comprises a password processor, a swipe card reader, a fingerprint reader and a retinal scanner.  
   
   
       58 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the vessel systems comprise a propulsion system, a steering system, a throttle control system and a course controller.  
   
   
       59 . The vessel monitoring system of  claim 40  wherein the remote site determines a maintenance action for the vessel system in response to the system condition information.