System and method for handling operations in a body of water

Abstract

A system for handling operations in a body of water has an unmanned floating vehicle configured to perform first activities from a surface of the body of water; at least one intervention/inspection device configured to perform second activities in/on the body of water; a first control module, configured to control the performance of the first activities according to first acquired data; a second control module, configured to control the performance of the second activities according to second acquired data; and a mission control unit in communication with the first and the second control module and configured to assign respective first activities to the first control module and respective second activities to the second control module according to a mission prediction model and to control the performance of the first and second activities assigned in combination.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 an unmanned floating vehicle configured to navigate on a body of water and to perform first activities from a surface of the body of water;   an intervention/inspection device configured to perform second activities in association with the body of water;   a first control module configured to:
 acquire first data related to an execution of the first activities, 
 simulate the execution of the first activities based on the acquired first data, and 
 control the execution of the first activities based on the acquired first data; 
   a second control module configured to:
 acquire second data related to an execution of the second activities, 
 simulate the execution of the second activities based on the acquired second data, and 
 control the execution of the second activities based on the acquired second data; and 
   a mission control unit in communication with the first control module and the second control module, the mission control unit configured to:
 assign the first activities to the first control module based on a mission prediction model, 
 assign the second activities to the second control module based on the mission prediction model, and 
 coordinate control of the execution of the assigned first activities and the execution of the assigned second activities based on the simulation of the execution of the first activities and the simulation of the execution of the second activities. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the first control module is configured to determine a first risk associated with the execution of the first activities based on the simulation of the first activities,   the second control module is configured to determine a second risk associated with the execution of the second activities based on the simulation of the second activities, and   the mission control unit is configured to determine a combined risk based on the determined first risk and the determined second risk.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the first control module is configured to associate each determined first risk to a first class of risk and a first level of risk, and   the second control module is configured to associate each determined second risk to a second class of risk and a second level of risk.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the first control module is configured to determine a first opportunity associated with the execution of the first activities based on the simulation of the first activities, and   the second control module is configured to determine a second opportunity associated with the execution of the second activities based on the simulation of the second activities.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein
 the first control module is configured to associate each determined first opportunity to a first opportunity class and a first opportunity level, and   the second control module is configured to associate each determined second opportunity to a second opportunity class and a second opportunity level.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the intervention/inspection device comprises an unmanned underwater vehicle configured to navigate in the body of water. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the first control module is configured to continuously acquire the first data through a first assembly of sensors, and   the second control module is configured to continuously acquire the second data through a second assembly of sensors.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the first assembly of sensors comprises a first position sensor configured to detect at least one of a position of the unmanned floating vehicle and a speed of the unmanned floating vehicle,   the first assembly of sensors comprises a second position sensor configured to detect at least one of a position of the unmanned underwater vehicle and a speed of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and   the mission control unit is configured to coordinate control of a navigation of the unmanned floating vehicle and the unmanned underwater vehicle by:
 issuing commands to the first control module based on at least one of the detected position of the unmanned floating vehicle and the detected speed of the unmanned floating vehicle, and 
 issuing commands to the second control module based on at least one of the detected position of the unmanned underwater vehicle and the detected speed of the unmanned underwater vehicle. 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the unmanned floating vehicle comprises an automatic launch and recovery device of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and   the mission control unit is configured to control launch and recovery operations of the automatic launch and recovery device based on the mission prediction model, the acquired first data and the acquired second data.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising an underwater station carried by the unmanned floating vehicle and connected to the unmanned floating vehicle by an umbilical cable, the underwater station being configured to house the unmanned underwater vehicle during downtimes of the unmanned underwater vehicle. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the unmanned floating vehicle comprises a hull and a launching pool, and is configured to launch at least one of the unmanned underwater vehicle and underwater equipment. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a remote control station in communication with the mission control unit and configured to monitor a status of each mission. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the intervention/inspection device comprises an unmanned air vehicle configured to fly over the body of water. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of interchangeable intervention/inspection devices having different characteristics, wherein each intervention/inspection device is operatively couplable to the unmanned floating vehicle. 
     
     
         39 . A method for handling operations in a body of water, the method comprising:
 providing an unmanned floating vehicle configured to navigate in the body of water and to perform first activities from a surface of the body of water;   providing an intervention/inspection device configured to perform second activities in association with the body of water;   acquiring first data related to an execution of the first activities by a first control module;   simulating the execution of the first activities based on the first acquired data;   controlling, by the first control module, the execution of the first activities based on the first data acquired;   acquiring second data related to an execution of the second activities by a second control module;   simulating the execution of the second activities based on the second data acquired;   controlling, by the second control module, the execution of the second activities based on the second data acquired;   assigning the first activities to the first control module based on a mission prediction model;   assigning the second activities to the second control module based on the mission prediction model; and   coordinating control of the execution of the first assigned activities and the execution of the second assigned activities based on the simulation of the execution of the first activities and the simulation of the execution of the second activities.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 determining a first risk associated with the execution of the first activities based on the simulation of the first activities;   determining a second risk associated with the execution of the second activities based on the simulation of the second activities; and   determining a combined risk based on the determined first risk and the determined second risk.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 associating each determined first risk to a first class of risk and a first level of risk; and   associating each determined second risk to a second class of risk and a second level of risk.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 determining a first opportunity associated to the execution of the first activities based on the simulation of the first activities; and   determining a second opportunity associated to the execution of the second activities based on the simulation of the second activities.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 associating each determined first opportunity to a first opportunity class and a first opportunity level; and   associating each determined second opportunity to a second opportunity class and a second opportunity level.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the intervention/inspection device comprises is an unmanned underwater vehicle configured to navigate in the body of water, and the method further comprises:
 detecting at least one of a position of the unmanned floating vehicle and a speed of the unmanned floating vehicle,   detecting at least one of a position of the unmanned underwater vehicle and a speed of the unmanned underwater vehicle, and   coordinating control of a navigation of the unmanned floating vehicle and the unmanned underwater vehicle by:
 issuing commands to the first control module, and 
 issuing commands to the second control module. 
   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising controlling launch and recovery operations of the intervention/inspection device based on the mission prediction model, the acquired first data and the acquired second data. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising remotely monitoring a status of each mission. 
     
     
         47 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a mission control unit, cause the mission control unit to:
 acquire, by a first control module, first data related to an execution of first activities performed by an unmanned floating vehicle from a surface of a body of water;   simulate the execution of the first activities based on the first acquired data;   control, by the first control module, the execution of the first activities based on the first data acquired;   acquire, by a second control module, second data related to an execution of second activities performed in association with the body of water by an intervention/inspection device;   simulate the execution of the second activities based on the second data acquired;   control, by the second control module, the execution of the second activities based on the second data acquired;   assign the first activities to the first control module based on a mission prediction model;   assign the second activities to the second control module based on the mission prediction model; and   coordinate control of the execution of the assigned first activities and the execution of the assigned second activities based on the simulation of the execution of the first activities and the simulation of the execution of the second activities.