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EP-4342786-B1 - INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND VESSEL

EP4342786B1EP 4342786 B1EP4342786 B1EP 4342786B1EP-4342786-B1

Inventors

  • ARAI, YUJI
  • MASUTANI, AKIHIKO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230629

Claims (5)

  1. An information processing apparatus (50) that calculates a route of a vessel (1) including a wind power propulsion unit (10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) configured to propel a hull (11) by wind power, the information processing apparatus (50) comprising: an information acquisition unit (51) configured to acquire area information that is created based on operation information acquired in each area by another vessel (1B) and includes real-time information relating to at least one of weather and hydrographic condition in the area; a route calculation unit (52) configured to calculate a route suitable for propulsion by wind power based on the area information; and a display unit (64) configured to display a fuel consumption reduction amount obtained by the calculated route, wherein the route calculation unit (52) calculates the route based on sailing performance calculated in consideration of at least one of a tacking effect and a gybing effect while using a polar diagram, and the display unit (64) displays a comparison of fuel consumption amounts between the calculated route and another route.
  2. The information processing apparatus (50) according to claim 1, wherein the route calculation unit (52) evaluates the route based on the area information.
  3. The information processing apparatus (50) according to claim 1, wherein the route calculation unit (52) creates a plurality of candidate routes and selects the route suitable for propulsion by wind power from among the candidate routes.
  4. The information processing apparatus (50) according to claim 3, wherein the route calculation unit (52) creates the candidate route based on at least one of the area information and a weather/hydrographic condition forecast.
  5. A vessel (1) comprising the information processing apparatus (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that calculates a route of a vessel including a wind power propulsion unit configured to propel a hull by wind power. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vessel. Description of Related Art As a conventional information processing apparatus that calculates a route for a vessel, an apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-134089 is known. The information processing apparatus acquires past weather/hydrographic condition data in an area where a vessel can operate, and calculates an optimal route. United States Patent Publication No. 2022/214171 discloses systems and methods for substantially automated and environmentally compensated passage planning for mobile structures. German Patent Publication No. 10 2013 105502 discloses a method for storing energy on a watercraft, in which energy is recorded and stored during travel of the watercraft. United States Patent Publication No. 2013/220191 discloses a ship comprising a plurality of Magnus rotors. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Here, the information processing apparatus described above proposes a route for avoiding a windy area, but such a route is not always suitable for a vessel propelled by using wind power. That is, in the information processing apparatus described above, it may not be possible to propose a route that maximizes thrust due to a wind or a route that can maximize reduction of fuel consumption by using a wind. In addition, in the information processing apparatus described above, operation information of another route operated in advance of a route of a vessel is considered. However, the information processing apparatus can consider only weather and hydrographic condition in a narrow linear range operated by the preceding vessel. In a case of calculating a route of a vessel propelled by using wind power, it may be possible to reduce fuel consumption by using a route that bypasses a great circle route, and it is needed to consider weather and hydrographic condition of an area with a wide range. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of calculating an appropriate route for a vessel including a wind power propulsion unit for propelling a hull by a wind power, and a vessel. The invention is set out in the appended set of claims. With the information processing apparatus according to the present invention, the information acquisition unit acquires the area information that is created based on the operation information acquired in each area by another vessel and includes the information relating to at least one of the weather and the hydrographic condition in the area. Since the area information is information based on the actual operation information of another vessel, the area information more accurately indicates a state of the weather and hydrographic condition in each area than a weather/hydrographic condition forecast. Therefore, the route calculation unit can calculate the route suitable for propulsion by wind power in consideration of the accurate state of the weather and hydrographic condition for an area covering a wide range. From the above, it is possible to calculate an appropriate route for the vessel including the wind power propulsion unit configured to propel the hull by wind power. The route calculation unit may evaluate the route based on the area information. Accordingly, the route calculation unit can accurately evaluate the route in consideration of the state of the weather and hydrographic condition based on the actual operation information of another vessel. The route calculation unit may create a plurality of candidate routes and select the route suitable for propulsion by wind power from among the candidate routes. In this case, it is possible to easily select the route suitable for propulsion by wind power. The route calculation unit may create the candidate route based on at least one of the area information and a weather/hydrographic condition forecast. Accordingly, the route calculation unit can create a candidate route suitable for propulsion by wind power in consideration of the weather and the hydrographic condition. According to the invention, the route calculation unit may calculate the route based on sailing performance calculated in consideration of at least one of a tacking effect and a gybing effect while using a polar diagram. In this case, it is possible to select a direction with a wind direction 0° or a direction with a wind direction 180°, in which the propulsive force is difficult to obtain, as an advancing direction from the polar diagram. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus capable of calculating an appropriate route for a vessel including a wind power propulsion unit for propelling a hull by a wind power, and a vessel. BRIEF DES