Maritime Port and Anti-Terrorist Data Gateway With Ingress and Egress Control

Abstract

A marine port monitoring system including a plurality of inspection apparatus, either fixed, mobile, wired or wireless for intercepting data on and of vessels entering or leaving a port or canal. The system includes sensors placed in a shipping channel for examination of a hull of a passing vessel to detect externally mounted weapons, explosives or contraband and, the recording of the vessels acoustical signature for purpose of identification and mechanical validation and verification. The inspection apparatus includes devices for the removing of cargo containers from vessels, non-intrusive inspection of containers and isolating containers having suspect cargo. The apparatus includes explosive containment including a separable containment system for protecting the apparatus. The system includes a remote buoy reporting the arrival and departures of vessels at a predetermined distance from said apparatus for maritime domain awareness and protection of said apparatus.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A maritime port inspection system, known as the Sea Sentinel System and hereby referred to as “the system” that is an integrated, multi-component, prior to port system whose primary function is the prevention of terrorist attack by use of container ship or bulk carrier comprising of:
 (a) two or more semi-submersible or jack-up platforms strategically placed outside a port or canal's entrance creating a prior to port, ingress and egress, interdiction and mitigation zone comprising of:   (i) a plurality of above water and below water sensors, including diver interdiction, underwater sonar imaging of ships hulls, acoustic monitoring devices to establish ships acoustic signature, and antenna arrays to receive and transmit data from Container Security Devices or CSD's; sensors will gather information such as the unauthorized opening of a container, unauthorized hull mounted activities, commercial data including Automatic Information System or AIS, ships manifest, and container contents, also devices for disruption of maritime traffic, and also environment evidence contrary to clean waterways; platforms are designed to be capable of integrating new technologies as they become available.   (ii) a pontoon ballast system with damping system for compensating against ocean currents and swells including areas for working and laboratories attached to said platform for controlling a floating height of said platform in the waterway.   (iii) a positioning system to the sea floor.   (iv) the semi-submersible platforms are a multilevel structure.   (v) the semi-submersible platforms will be placed approximately 1,320 feet apart from each other at a distance from the port that could be up to 15 nautical miles, but within the jurisdiction of the governing body of the port establishing the aforementioned, prior to port, interdiction and mitigation zone.   (b) one special purpose lift boat that is designed to rapidly hoist and remove suspect containers identified as a risk by the system as a potential threat of terrorism from a container vessel at sea, within the aforementioned interdiction and mitigation zone, which allows for removal of said suspect container without interruption to commerce and is comprised of:   (i) a deck house for crew interrogation.   (ii) on board inspection equipment for container inspection.   (iii) on board inspection equipment to diffuse explosive devices.   (iv) a blast containment module capable of submergence if an explosive device cannot be diffused.   (c) one or more deep water buoys designed to be placed at sea in known shipping lanes for the purpose of total maritime domain awareness, vessel tracking and the collection of AIS information for the prevention of terrorism.   (d) an advanced visual software system with a plurality of capabilities, including global vessel tracking, container tracking via CSD, container manifest tracking, crew monitoring, weather reporting, and ships AIS data gathering.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  and establishing a prior to port interdiction and mitigation zone that provides the lead federal agency a significant timeline to assess potential terrorist threats and mitigate them before they arrive into the port of embarkation. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  and providing an advanced warning by screening outgoing vessels and allows for early warnings to be posted via the system network. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  and that the system will offer underwater marine, oceanographic and environmental laboratories for Universities and the scientific community. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  and establishing a data acquisition gateway by forming a virtual at sea entrance to ports and harbors which comprises a commercially marketable asset for sales to subscribers. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  and that the system's secondary function is the collection of maritime data as it pertains to vessel global position, hull integrity, manifest, and AIS information.