Backup rescue notification from deep sea

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814977-B2
Application number	US-201815922214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A ship distress system that uses a location system associated with the ship and an unmanned aircraft in communication with the location system that continuously receives the location of the ship. The unmanned aircraft can be deployed from a launcher into the direction of potential rescuers so that the unmanned aircraft can provide the location of the ship in distress. The unmanned aircraft is launched in a collapsed position and then unfolds into an extended position after kinetic energy from the launch is lost to maximize the speed and distance that the unmanned aircraft can cover. The unmanned aircraft can includes a camera to search for and identify any third parties that can effect a rescue and is programmed to search for and communicate with a potential rescue vessels or bases after being deployed into the air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ship distress system, comprising:
a launcher configured to be positioned on a ship; and
an unmanned aircraft associated with the launcher for being deployed into the air therefrom and having data storage for recording the location of the ship and a wireless communication system for broadcasting the location of the ship to a third party,
wherein the unmanned aircraft automatically transitions from a collapsed position when associated with the launcher to an extended position in response to detecting, after being deployed into the air, that the kinetic energy from the launch has been exhausted.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the unmanned aircraft further includes a camera and is programmed to search video captured by the camera to identify any third parties that can effect a rescue.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aircraft is programmed to search for a potential rescue vessel after being deployed into the air.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of the unmanned aircrafts associated with a corresponding plurality of the launchers.

6. A method of notifying that a ship is in distress, comprising: deploying, via a launcher, an unmanned aircraft from the ship, wherein:
the unmanned aircraft is configured to broadcast the location of the ship to a third party after being launched; and
the unmanned aircraft automatically transitions from a collapsed position when associated with the launcher to an extended position in response to detecting, after being deployed into the air, that the kinetic energy from the launch has been exhausted.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the unmanned aircraft includes a wireless communication system that broadcasts the location of the ship to the third party after being launched.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the unmanned aircraft further includes a camera and is programmed to broadcast video over the communication system.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of having the unmanned aircraft search for a third party after being launched.

11. A ship distress system, comprising:
a location system associated with a ship that continuously provides the location of the ship;
an unmanned aircraft in communication with the location system for continuously receiving the location of the ship and having a wireless communication system for broadcasting the location of the ship; and
a launcher positioned on the ship that is configured to deploy the unmanned aircraft from the ship in response to user activation,
wherein the unmanned aircraft automatically transitions from a collapsed position when associated with the launcher to an extended position in response to detecting, after being deployed into the air, that the kinetic energy from the launch has been exhausted.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unmanned aircraft further includes a camera and is programmed to search video captured by the camera to identify any third parties that can effect a rescue.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the unmanned aircraft is programmed to search for a potential rescue vessel after being deployed into the air.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising the step of launching a plurality of unmanned aircrafts from a corresponding plurality of launchers.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of launchers are targeted by the location system toward a plurality of potential third party rescuers.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Rakshit Sarbajit K
• Saraya Siddharth K

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title

• B64U2101/56

  for locating missing persons or animals · CPC title

• B63C9/01 Primary

  Air-sea rescue devices, i.e. equipment carried by, and capable of being dropped from, an aircraft (inflatable vessels B63B7/00; inflatable buoys B63B22/22) · CPC title