US3772693A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Secondary radar ranging systems
Assignee: Exxon Mobil Corp
•
Filing: 1970-11-17
•
Granted: 1973-11-13
•
Expires: 1990-11-17
Abstract
Abstract A system for assisting the berthing of large ships measures their range and aspect relative to the berth and includes two master radars on the ship and two radar transponders at the berth and means for measuring the four ranges between each master radar and each transponder. Alternatively the master radars may be at the berth and the radar transponders on the ship.
Inventors
- 👤 R Allard
- 👤 P Bulman
- 👤 J Clarke
- 👤 J Prior
- 👤 D Sampson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:10
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S5/00; G01S5/02; G01S5/0247
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
Apparatus for assisting the berthing of a ship comprising a first master radar and a second master radar fixedly spaced from one another at known positions on a first object, a first radar transponder and a second radar transponder fixedly spaced from one another at known positions on a second object, one of said objects constituting a jetty and the other of said objects constituting a ship to be berthed at said jetty and movable relative thereto, said apparatus further including means for repeatedly and consecutively measuring each of the four ranges between the two master radars and the two transponders, and means responsive to said four measured ranges for determining the ranges of the bow and stern of the ship from the jetty, for determining the fore and aft alignment of the ship relative to its desired berthing position, and for determining the velocities and accelerations of the bow and stern of the ship and the fore and aft velocity of the ship.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
Apparatus for assisting the berthing of a ship comprising a first master radar and a second master radar fixedly spaced from one another at known positions on a first object, a first radar transponder and a second radar transponder fixedly spaced from one another at known positions on a second object, one of said objects constituting a jetty and the other of said objects constituting a ship to be berthed at said jetty and movable relative thereto, said apparatus further including means for repeatedly and consecutively measuring each of the four ranges between the two master radars and the two transponders, and means responsive to said four measured ranges for determining the ranges of the bow and stern of the ship from the jetty, for determining the fore and aft alignment of the ship relative to its desired berthing position, and for determining the velocities and accelerations of the bow and stern of the ship and the fore and aft velocity of the ship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
209 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which both the first master radar and the second master radar include means for generating a sequence of pulses regular in time, means for generating a set of first pulses each so timed relative to a radar transmitter pulse that there is a fixed interval between it and the radar transmitted pulse and whose timing is random compared with the sequence of pulses, means for generating a set of second pulses each contemporaneous with a radar received pulse, whereby an interpulse period of a first kind is defined as that period which starts with a first pulse and ends with the next occurring second pulse and an interpulse period of a second kind is defined as that period which starts with a second pulse and ends with the next occurring first pulse, counting means, means for allowing the sequence of pulses to be applied to the counting means for the duration of a plurality of interpulse periods of the same kind as each other, and means for extracting from the counting means the count registered in the counting means divided by the number of interpulse periods for the duration of which the sequence of pulses was applied to the counting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which both the first master radar and the second master radar include means for receiving radar returns from the first radar transponder to the exclusion of the second radar transponder and means for receiving radar returns from the second radar transponder to the exclusion of the first radar transponder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and in which the first radar transponder is arranged to respond on a different frequency from the second radar transponder and the means for receiving radar returns from the first radar transponder to the exclusion of the second radar transponder includes a local oscillator of such a frequency that the master radar is receptive to the first radar transponder to the exclusion of the second radar transponder and the means for receiving radar returns from the second radaR transponder to the exclusion of the first radar transponder includes a local oscillator of such a frequency that the master radar is receptive to the second radar transponder to the exclusion of the first radar transponder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and in which the first radar transponder is arranged to respond to coded interrogating radar signals having a first code and the second radar transponder is arranged to respond to coded interrogating radar signals having a second code and the means for receiving radar returns from the first radar transponder to the exclusion of the second radar transponder includes means for controlling the interrogating master radar to transmit a coded radar signal having the first code and the means for receiving radar returns from the second radar transponder to the exclusion of the first radar transponder includes means for controlling the interrogating master radar to transmit a coded radar signal having the second code.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ship is fitted with a radio receiver adapted for use in cooperation with a radio transmitter on the jetty for the reception of the range data at the ship.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ship is fitted with a display indicating the range and aspect of the ship with reference to the jetty.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of berthing ships comprising measuring the distances between a first master radar and each of two radar transponders and between a second master radar and each of the said two radar transponders, the said first and second master radars being situated at known fixedly spaced positions on the ship to be berthed and the said two radar transponders being situated at known spaced fixed positions relative to the desired berthing position.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of berthing ships comprising measuring the distances between a first master radar and each of two radar transponders and between a second master radar and each of the said two radar transponders, the said first and second master radars being situated at known fixedly spaced positions on the ship to be berthed and the said two radar transponders being situated at known spaced fixed positions relative to the desired berthing position.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of berthing ships comprising measuring the distances between a first master radar and each of two radar transponders and between a second master radar and each of the said two radar transponders, the said first and second master radars being situated at known spaced fixed positions relative to the desired berthing position and the said two radar transponders being situated at known fixedly spaced positions on the ship to be berthed.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of berthing ships comprising measuring the distances between a first master radar and each of two radar transponders and between a second master radar and each of the said two radar transponders, the said first and second master radars being situated at known spaced fixed positions relative to the desired berthing position and the said two radar transponders being situated at known fixedly spaced positions on the ship to be berthed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-12 | 1977-05-14 | 1977-11-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-12 | 1981-05-14 | 1981-11-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-12 | 1985-05-14 | 1985-11-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |