System Description   

The VMS comprises of three subsystems:

   The Positioning System

   The Data Communications Medium

   The Management Display System

1. The Positioning System

GPS (Global Positioning System) provides the best solution with worldwide 24-hour coverage in all weather conditions. For VMS, small OEM GPS receiver’s which are specifically designed for the vehicle/vessel tracking market are utilized; these being available from a wide variety of manufacturers. There are advantages with using units specifically designed for vehicle tracking as they have built-in features unique to this requirement.

2. The Data Communications Medium

The communication link carrying the position information back to the central display computer can be via any of the following communication systems:

   Radio Communications (HF, UHF, VHF, Trunk radio or Microwave link)

   Cellular or Satellite Telephone (GSM, Orbcomm)

   Satellite Communications (Inmarsat, Comsat etc).

The advantage of radio communications is that once the radio link is set up the ‘call’s are free of charge, however there are other complications in terms of licensing and achievable range of signal which have to be considered on a case by case basis.

Cellular Communications costs are cheaper than Satellite, but coverage is a limiting factor. Both the GSM and AMPS systems use circuit switching for voice and some types of data, and packet switching for data. The data services are CDPD (cellular digital packet data) for AMPS networks and SMS (short message service) for the GMS networks.

Satellite Telephone systems which have become recently operational, will provide wider coverage but at an increase in cost. Orbcomm also offer low orbit satellite communication systems and provide a data communication option.

Full Satellite communications systems such as Inmarsat are available worldwide but at an increased cost, however this is sometimes the only method available in the offshore environment. Inmarsat C, a store and forward system, costs significantly less than the A or B options, and provides excellent options for vessel tracking systems. The recent IMO requirement for vessels above a certain tonnage to have GMDSS (Global Marine Distress and Safety System) installed provides an ideal system for vessel tracking and management. The GMDSS includes an integrated Inmarsat C / GPS and can be programmed to send vessel position (and other attribute data) at a user-defined interval.

The selection of the communications medium is therefore usually made on the basis of coverage and cost; and in some instances a combination of systems may provide an ideal solution. For example within an offshore Oil Field the vessels on the long haul from the supply base to the filed can be tracked utilizing Inmarsat C but once they reach the field they come within range of a UHF system. The combination of the two communication systems provides a more useful system to the client.

3. The Management Display System

The management display system utilizes MapInfo, a Geographic Information System (GIS), to provide the detailed map of all the tracked units upon a geographic background display in order to reference individual vehicle in relations to their surroundings. Meridian have written their own software to interface the GPS data to MapInfo, and provide the real-time display of each tracked vehicle within the MapInfo environment. This is called MVMMap. All position data can be logged to a database for review or playback at a user defined interval.

MapInfo, arguably one of the most popular PC based GIS systems, provides for the manipulation and display of many different layers or maps such that the mobile units locations can be displayed over background data containing details of streets, highways, borders (state or country), houses, major buildings and utilities for vehicle tracking; cables, pipelines, platforms, reefs, outcrops, ports, land mass, bathymetry contours etc for vessel tracking; and topographic detail (mountains, rivers, contours etc), airports, approach flight lines etc for aircraft tracking.

Multiple vehicles or mobile units can be tracked simultaneously, the total number allowed being a function of the update rate requirement and the system hardware configuration (computer hardware, operating system, data communications etc).

Each tracked unit is provided with a unique identity code. This enables the unit to be recognized by the system and displayed with a unique identifier or icon on the display screen (map). Information such as vehicle or vessel name, speed, direction etc can be obtained by pointing to the icon and clicking with the mouse.

The positions of all systems can be logged for a defined period, the length depending on the amount of storage space available. A 24-hour period is usually specified after which time the data can be backed up to tape or Iomega zip drives (or similar), for archiving purposes. Stored data can be played back at a user defined speed, this being particularly useful if the user wishes to quickly review the movements of a specific vehicle or vehicles within a defined time period. This could be, for example, a vehicle collision investigation, hijacking or theft, or a general review of fleet efficiency.

BNP is committed to the ongoing development of the software to increase the versatility and functionality of the system for the vehicle tracking market.

Enhancements envisaged are:

   Incorporation of two way email messaging

   Integration with other systems or sensors

   Scheduling and Routing

Or indeed, any modification or requirement a particular client requests.

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