Organizations: INMARSAT: improving maritime communications

Improving maritime communications is the raison d'être of INMARSAT, of which 40 countries are now members. INMARSAT operates the world's only commercial satellite system devoted to international mobile communications. This article describes the system and the services which can be provided through it, and covers the policy issues of interest to INMARSAT. It concludes by considering the future of maritime mobile communications via satellite.     

The maritime radio spectrum future

Future satisfaction of the electromagnetic spectrum needs of the maritime mobile service is dependent on the translation of those needs to frequency allocations. In September 1979, over 100 countries will consider all of the spectrum, and make changes to meet perceived needs of radio services, including maritime needs up to the year 2000. This conference, the World Administrative Radio Conference 1979, will have a significant impact on future maritime radio operations. Issues, procedures, competing requirements, are explored to enable a better understanding of the regulatory process for frequency allocations.     

HF radio marine telex

The system of maritime mobile communications utilizing HF radio narrow-band direct-printing telegraph (HF marine telex) is expected to see expanded use during the next several years. Experience has shown the necessity for the system to embody both automatic error correction techniques and effective means of selective calling. Use of SITOR error correction has demonstrated that error rates in the order of10^{-5}is a realistic expectation. Two selective calling methods, the sequential single frequency code (SSFC) and the digital selective calling (SELCAL), have been adopted internationally, although the latter is still subject to final definition of technical characteristics. HF marine telex avoids most of the problems encountered with manual Morse radiotelegraph. It is tried and proven, efficient and economical. Equipment is readily available. Indications are for a rapid expansion of this system's use.     

A queing system approach for the design of coast guard vessel traffic services communications

In order to provide for the safe and expeditious passage of maritime traffic in congested waters, the U.S. Coast Guard is authorized by the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972 to establish, operate, and maintain Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) where needed. In larger areas, a VTS will generally require a communications system to enable the vessel traffic center and the participating vessels to exchange information. In designing such a system, it is necessary to assess the expected communications loading in order to determine frequency requirements and evaluate alternative configurations for the system. Here, VTS communications are viewed as a queuing system. The customers (messages) arrive at the service facility (communications channel) according to some probabilistic process, and are then serviced (transmitted) according to some other probabilistic process. Queues or waiting lines form as arriving messages wait to be transmitted, because the communications channels are busy. Three classes of messages are considered in the arrival process: check in/check out (basic VTS) messages; Vessel Movement Reporting System (VMRS) messages; and bridge-to-bridge messages. Each class is characterized by an independent Poisson distribution, and the resultant arrival process is a well-defined nonhomogeneous Poisson process. The service time is characterized by a general distribution with a known mean and variance. The queuing results, which are developed, include the utilization factor, the expected waiting time, and the expected number of messages waiting to be transmitted. The arrival process and the queuing results vary according to the time of the day, reflecting the varying traffic load throughout the day. A detailed example is given for a preliminary analysis of New York Harbor VTS communications.     

Recent advances in high-speed underwater acoustic communications

In recent years, underwater acoustic (UWA) communications have received much attention as their applications have begun to shift from military toward commercial. Digital communications through UWA channels differ substantially from those in other media, such as radio channels, due to severe signal degradations caused by multipath propagation and high temporal and spatial variability of the channel conditions. The design of underwater acoustic communication systems has until recently relied on the use of noncoherent modulation techniques. However, to achieve high data rates on the severely band-limited UWA channels, bandwidth-efficient modulation techniques must be considered, together with array processing for exploitation of spatial multipath diversity. The new generation of underwater communication systems, employing phase-coherent modulation techniques, has a potential of achieving at least an order of magnitude increase in data throughput. The emerging communication scenario in which the modern underwater acoustic systems mill operate is that of an underwater network consisting of stationary and mobile nodes. Current research focuses on the development of efficient signal processing algorithms, multiuser communications in the presence of interference, and design of efficient modulation and coding schemes. This paper presents a review of recent results and research problems in high-speed underwater acoustic communications, focusing on the bandwidth-efficient phase-coherent methods. Experimental results are included to illustrate the state-of-the-art coherent detection of digital signals transmitted at 30 and 40 kb/s through a rapidly varying one-mile shallow water channel     

物联网技术发展综述及海洋信息化对策研究

物联网是在互联网的基础上,利用信息技术实现物体自动识别和信息共享的网络系统。介绍了物联网发展的背景、体系结构及物联网的主要关键技术,分析了物联网的主要特征和内涵;在此基础上,介绍了有关国家物联网的发展战略和现状,并结合我国海洋领域的具体情况,提出了物联网技术影响下,我国海洋信息化发展的应对策略和技术路径。     

海上构筑物用海存在的问题及管理政策建议

随着社会经济的发展和海洋资源开发利用水平的提高,海上人工构筑物呈现种类、数量和规模都迅速增长的态势。但目前我国大部分海上构筑物尚未纳入统一的管理体系,导致管理权限不清和管理环节缺位。文章分析我国海上构筑物管理的现状和存在的问题,从海洋管理实践出发,对海上构筑物管理进行有益探索,提出在协调众多涉海部门的基础上,从审批、登记、竣工验收、弃置管理、事中事后监管等方面,解决最紧迫的管理需求,先易后难地完善海上构筑物管理的缺位环节,逐步建立和完善海上构筑物管理制度体系,更好地服务于海洋经济建设。     

European view of automated VHF/UHF radio systems--Marine spectrum usage alternatives and trends

The current situation for VHF/UHF marine communications in Europe is outlined, and the expectations for increased automation of that service axe presented within the framework of the historical and regional factors which have shaped the current system. The degree of automation now employed, types and number of channels available, and services provided, are described for the different regions of Europe, and in specific instances, compared to U.S. practices. Estimates are given for the additional radio spectrum required to support automated service through the turn of the century. The radio bands which offer the best prospects for support of this growth are discussed in terms of their relative availability and advantages for the marine user.     

Issues and challenges in spatio-temporal application of an ecosystem services framework to UK seas

The concepts of ecosystem services and human welfare provide strong integrative frameworks that can be used to inform marine policy and management decisions that support sustainable development. A theoretical framework has been developed and applied to create a model for UK seas to measure changes in final ecosystem services, in terms of human welfare. The model that has been developed is explicitly spatial and temporal to facilitate its use in supporting marine planning decisions. The development and application of this framework to UK seas necessarily requires many assumptions to be made. The paper describes the development and population of the framework and discusses the practical limitations and challenges in seeking to develop and apply such models. Significant differences in long-term values of different services were identified under the different scenarios. All scenarios highlight the projected decline in oil and gas revenues which provide particular intense values at sites of extraction. These values are partially replaced by revenues from offshore renewables in some of the scenarios. Values associated with carbon sequestration, maritime transport, tourism and pollution assimilation are also very significant but more spatially diffuse. The study has demonstrated that it is possible to develop spatio-temporal models to evaluate changes in final ecosystem service benefits using existing data, although the approach necessarily requires many assumptions to be made.     

Development of a federal standard to enhance interoperability of government maritime mobile telecommunications

This paper describes the development of a Federal standard designed to improve the interoperability of Government maritime mobile telecommunications. Developed by the National Communications System's Office of Technology and Standards for the Government Maritime Communications Working Group, the standard details required coding, modulation, and transmission capabilities for most Government medium- and high-frequency radiotelegraph systems used in maritime mobile telecommunications.     

New automated maritime telephone system

As one of the most valuable services in telecommunication service, NTT has developed a new automated maritime telephone system for public use. Calls between ship and land subscribers, or between one ship and another can be connected automatically by subscribers' dialing in the nationwide system. The new system adopts a lot of technical features such as automatic location registration, new signaling methods, etc. An outline of system performance and function is described herein.     

Geopolitical factors of maritime policies and marine spatial planning: State,regions, and geographical planning scope

This article sets out to explore the extent to which the maritime policies that have been formulated in recent years are public policies on a par with other State-level policies, or whether the geographical domain where they are applied makes them exceptional. Maritime policy and territorial structure are very closely related, and it can be seen that maritime policies are beginning to shift towards the domain of State internal affairs, necessitating the rethinking of the way powers are distributed between territorial bodies that have the legal power to be involved in the formulation of these policies and some instruments, such as marine spatial planning.     

The FCC-Regulation of the marine radio service

The regulation of the national marine radio service is performed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This paper discusses the evolution of the Commission, the impact of national and international factors on regulatory matters, and the administration processes which describe the procedures for promulgating rules and regulations. The competitive pressures for the available radio spectrum, effects of existing precedents, and the impact of new technology on the rule making process is described with particular emphasis on automated VHF radiotelephone systems being developed for maritime use. The introduction of this service is considered in terms of the problems posed vis-a-vis compatibility requirements, signaling techniques, frequency utilization, impact on existing stations, and system considerations.     

基于GPRS/GPS的海上移动目标监测系统设计

提出了一种运用GPRS/GPS技术实现海上移动目标监控及位置测量的系统设计方案,介绍了监测系统的结构组成及工作原理,阐述了系统嵌入式平台搭建、GPS定位数据获取以及利用GPRS无线通信技术实现远距离数据传输的方案设计与实现,并提出了对海上移动目标异常状况的判断和处理方法。该方案能够满足海上移动目标远程监控及位置测量的要求,并可以有效地降低成本,便于在实际中进行推广和应用。     

Social responsibility in shipping

This paper discusses the effects of competition in shipping, noting recent gains for the consumers of shipping services, a variety of strategies for investors in shipping and some of the effects on seamen. The dangers of monopolistic effects in ports are described and there is a discussion of the externalities involved in maritime safety, including pollution. The current regulatory regime, particularly the involvement of classification societies, is criticised and it is suggested that lessons can be learnt from other industries.     

埕岛极浅海油田高速高效开发配套技术

针对埕岛油田复杂的自然地理和气候条件,生产中配套应用了适合浅海油田开发的油藏工程、钻采工艺、海工工程、油水井监测、自动化控制及油藏生产管理综合调整等技术,使一个浅海边际油田开发获得了较高的效益,并形成了独具特色的海上油田高速高效开发配套技术。     

The multiple roles of acoustic mapping in integrated ocean management,Canadian Atlantic continental margin

Coastal and ocean environments worldwide are coming under increasing pressure from resource development. In some cases, integrated coastal zone management programs have been successfully adopted. However, with the collapse of offshore fisheries and competition among industries for use of the seabed, many maritime countries are recognizing that more data are needed to support the sustainable management of offshore resources. Developments in multibeam mapping technology, in concert with traditional geoscience survey techniques, now provide the capability to image the sea floor in high resolution. Examples from the Canadian Atlantic continental margin are used to demonstrate the application of high-resolution sea floor mapping techniques to develop data bases and maps; these maps are fundamental information for the future management of offshore resources.     

Geodetic Datum of Indonesian Maritime Boundaries: Status and Problems

Indonesia has maritime boundaries with 10 countries namely: Australia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Palau, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. Many treaties have been ratified concerning these boundaries. Unfortunately, many coordinates of boundary points mentioned in the treaties are not clear in relation to their geodetic datum. The uncertainty in geodetic datum of boundary points introduces complications and problems in spatial management of Indonesia's maritime boundaries, since it can displace the boundary lines from their assumed true location. This study investigates the possible original geodetic datums for the maritime boundaries between Indonesia and neighboring countries, in the case they are not explicitly stated in the treaties. The displacements of boundaries in WGS84 datum are generally in the order of a few hundred meters, i.e., about 200 to 400 m, depending on the assumed original geodetic datum being considered. These boundary displacements are spatially advantageous for Indonesia in some cases and also disadvantageous in others. The study will sum up with some conclusions and recommendations.     

Geodetic Datum of Indonesian Maritime Boundaries: Status and Problems

Indonesia has maritime boundaries with 10 countries namely: Australia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Palau, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. Many treaties have been ratified concerning these boundaries. Unfortunately, many coordinates of boundary points mentioned in the treaties are not clear in relation to their geodetic datum. The uncertainty in geodetic datum of boundary points introduces complications and problems in spatial management of Indonesia's maritime boundaries, since it can displace the boundary lines from their assumed true location. This study investigates the possible original geodetic datums for the maritime boundaries between Indonesia and neighboring countries, in the case they are not explicitly stated in the treaties. The displacements of boundaries in WGS84 datum are generally in the order of a few hundred meters, i.e., about 200 to 400 m, depending on the assumed original geodetic datum being considered. These boundary displacements are spatially advantageous for Indonesia in some cases and also disadvantageous in others. The study will sum up with some conclusions and recommendations.