International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 1

Number 2

June 2007

193

The Research of Integrated Maritime Digital

Information System

Zhang Wei, Liu Renjie & Liu Chang

Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the Integrated Maritime Digital Information System (IMDIS) holistically,

expatiates the functions and meaning of constructing this system. Then the basic frame of this system and the

problems what we would meet during the construction have been discussed. In the end, it discusses how to

intelligentize the functions that base on the IMDIS and presents the notion of “classificatory alert”.

1 INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, as the means of transportation on the sea

is improving gradually, a lot of information systems

that have the function of collision avoidance, scan,

patrol and surveillance have been used abroad. This

makes the traffic on the sea more safe and

administrable. But these information systems don’t

have a consistent data format; the information

between them can’t be shared effectively. Another

problem is that the design principle of these systems

is different and some functions of equipments are

overlapped. Then they work singly and the data

collected by them can’t be used effectively. These go

against to the contrasting and using of the data for

the manager.

In order to satisfy the growing demand to

transportation on the sea of economy development,

we need to reinforce the management of traffic on

the sea, advance the service ability and manage

level. Based on these things, we present the notion of

“Integrated Maritime Digital Information System”

(IMDIS).

2 SUMMARIZE OF IMDIS

IMDIS is a system that can collect most information

of ships in range based on present VTS, integrate

the information from different equipments and

synthesize them to create exacter and all-sided vessel

information. In this system, the data from radar and

radar data processing system, AIS system, CCTV,

short-massage ship location report system, port

database and Web can be integrated effectively to

create a piece of exact and all-sided information of

every vessel target. These integrated vessel data

could be visional on an all-around display and we

also can control and process these data. In this

system, processing and contrasting information can

be realized in time and effectively. This can reduce

the work intensity of operator and play down the

waste of resource. Then we can make communion of

every resource from system inside and improve

the lever of the service to vessels. IMDIS will

make the vessel traffic service system based on a

new technology level, increase the producing,

organizing and managing ability of port. It is very

necessary.

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2.1 The problems that maritime information system

at present has

1 Although there are several VTS in China already

have strong function DBMS and precision data of

track target on the sea from various sensors, they

still can’t share their information with other

systems in port like harbor control system,

examine and approve system. Lots of information

needs orderly worker to input by hand. This

increases the work intensity of VTS manager.

2 The information offered by communication

equipments between VTS and vessels always

overlapped with each other, and because of the

different precision they often make the

information of vessels in confusion.

3 It is like information lonely island between

different systems. So it is restricted in

differentiating whether the data collected is from

one target. What more is that one target in each

system has different identify name. This also

makes VTS manager difficult in contrasting and

integrating information.

4 The MIS database of VTS isn’t used effectively.

5 The operation of these equipments is dissimilar

and this increases the burden of port operator.

2.2 Why it is necessary to build a IMDIS

1 IMDIS can make the VTS manager more

convenient to get kinds of information of vessels

and equipments in port and transmit data

according to different system requirement.

2 This system can created more consistent data

format and make VTS connect with each other.

3 Using this system can make the manager master

more dynamic information on the sea and

advance the quality of service to vessels.

4 Achieving uniform management and application

of the equipments in port by using IMDIS.

5 It is propitious to the VTS managers to pay more

attention to ships’ situation, release the work

intension of watches

6 Based on this system we can achieve the basic

intelligent operation on vessel management.

7 The adjacent VTS can cooperate with each other

when there is emergency.

3 THE BASIC FRAME OF IMDIS

Based on the collection of maritime affairs, the basic

frame of IMDIS as follow:

Fig. 1. Basic frame of IMDIS

IMDIS gathers information from some systems

just as what we can see in figure 1. These systems

contain most information of vessels. IMDIS

integrates them and put them on the ECDIS for

surveillance and achieve the interlinkage between

VTS. Then there are a lot of functions that we can

offer to vessels, such as send the real-time location

of vessels to ship company who can know their

ships’ location any time, satisfy kinds of demand

of ships on the sea; communicate with other VTS,

emergency rescue center, .etc to complete management

on the sea together; put the dynamic information of

ships in port on web to send the port real-time

information to ministry of communications and ships

can web ID or PSW to report.

IMDIS consist of three modules structurally:

Integrated display and control module, Integrated

Information processing module, Integrated infor-

mation database module.

1 Integrated display and control module is the part

to display and control, VTS manager use this to

keep the vessels under surveillance and control.

In this module the radar data, AIS data, CCTV,

shipping attemper information, .etc can first be

integrated then display at the ECDIS.

2 Integrated Information processing module is the

hard core of IMDIS, the main function of it as

follow:

− Process (like decode, classify, integrate, etc.)

the information collected from subsystems. The

information after the process includes vessel’s

name, location, call sign, and the number of

voyages, etc Connect with MIS of VTS, put the

ship information into database for playback in

future;

− Accept dictates from control unit, complete

operation to vessels’ information;

− Achieve putting part dynamic information of

vessels on web;

3 Integrated information database module can

store, vindicate and use the information of

IMDIS. Its function is store ships’ maritime

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affaire information; satisfy demand of VTS and

subsystem of IMDIS.

4 MAIN TECHNIQUE PROBLEMS IN THE

CONSTRUCTION OF IMDIS

IMDIS is a huge system that includes various data of

sensors and HDS (Heterogeneous Distributed

System). So a lot of technique problems should be

solved in the construction of IMDIS.

1 Problems of the transformation between different

information systems and the interchangeability

between different databases.

2 Problems of the synthesis display of radar data,

AIS data and the data of ship's location from short

message.

3 The format of VTS.

4 Which information should be interchanged when

different subsystems are exchanging information?

5 The problem that which data format of

heterogeneous database should be used when

different VTS centers interchange information.

6 The problem of protecting the IMDIS from being

attacked when it is linking with the web.

7 CCTV links with the moving targets on the

ECDIS.

8 The problem of protecting the IMDIS from being

attacked when it is linking with the web.

The problems upwards are unavoidable in the

process of construction of IMDIS, some of them

have been solved in some MSA (Maritime Safety

Administration). For example, Shenzhen MSA had

used the distributed data processing technology, the

CORBA middleware technology and the trigger

technology for integrating the VTS system, POE

examine and approve system, vessel visa/checking

system, pilot-apply system, etc. In 2003, Tianjin

VTS center had used computer serial interface for

picking up tailed radar data. Then, Tianjin VTS

Center invented electronic chart display system, and

displayed the data on the system.

According to the problems upward, there are

some measures have been proved to be feasible, such

as:

1 According to the problems of the transformation

between different information systems and the

interchangeability between different databases,

CORBA middleware technology could be

applied. This technology can interchange VTS

system with series of exterior operation

information systems. CORBA was put forward in

1991 by OMG as a technology rule facing

distributed objects. Its purpose is making the

software basing on distributed objects more

reusable, more flexible and more inter-operate to

share information and resources more

conveniently. CORBA can solve the problem of

data format of heterogeneous database of VTS

Centers.

2 How to avoid being attacked when IMDIS links

to the web is a very important problem. Because

of the importance of this system, it is required

that even if it is attacked, it must can go on

working; the information of web

management/web disposition cannot be stolen. It

must possess such a system that can inspect and

tail after the inbreak ,supply flexible and

efficiency communication services. The example

of Shenzhen MSA was proved that the united

system consist of firewall system, inbreak-

inspection system, virus-defending system and

data-backup system can defend net attacks

efficiently.

3 For the integrated display of radar data, AIS data

and the data of ship's location from short

message, there already are a lot of methods used

for the integrated of radar data and AIS data by

now, and a single static database of vessel

information has been formed. However, the

integrated of short-message ships’ location

reporting system and the ECDIS are still in

research.

The other problems will be solved in our future

research.

5 THE INTELLIGENTIZE OF VESSEL TRAFFIC

MANAGEMENT BASED ON IMDIS

According to the research of IMO, the reason of 80%

maritime accidents is related to the man-made factor.

That is to say these accidents are mostly caused by

the oversight or misoperation of the one on duty.

Through the analysis of hundred of typical maritime

accidents, I find that almost any tache in accidents

are avoidable by personnel’s effective treatment.

But because of the limit of latter-day alerting

mechanism, potential danger can not be deterred.

Actually most accidents happened on the moment

that the environment at sea not very bad, good

weather make the manager’s mind don’t concentrate,

then accidents happen.

So now it could be solved based on IMDIS. With

the IMDIS we could integrate the information at sea

furthest. Then IMDIS could make some simple

judgments to the situation, give first alert and take

some basic measure automatically, then release the

burden and mistake of managers.

By analyzing dozens of traffic accidents at

sea, I summarize that the wrong judgment of

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encounter ship of watches can be divide into four

arrangements.

1 The person on watch don’t discover encounter

ship, then accident happen;

2 The person on watch discover encounter ship, but

don’t pay enough attention to the pulse of it, then

accident happen;

3 The person on watch discover encounter ship and

pay enough attention to the pulse of it, but don’t

adopt right and effective measure to avoid

accident;

4 The person on watch pay enough attention to the

pulse of encounter ship and adopt right and

effective measure but don’t understand the

intention of encounter ship, then accident

happens.

Based on the situation above, this paper presents

the notion of “classificatory alert” to corresponding

the four arrangements above.

Classificatory alert is a new function based on

IMDIS, the system uses the information collected

forecasting the vessels’ navigate intention, divides

the dangerous situation to four levers and sets four

alert levers. The watches on boat and VTS could pay

different attention according to different alert lever.

Then it could make the watches have a known of

danger on degree.

6 THE END

IMDIS is a huge system. It is a lot of practice problems

during the construction. This paper describes it on

the whole. Other key problems will be researched in

the future. The question on how to intelligentize the

function of IMDIS will be discussed deeply.

REFERENCES

Liu Renjie. 2006. ‘Shipping Traffic Management-Electronic

Information System’. Dalian. China.

Wu Zhaolin. 2001. ‘The Research of Preventing Collisions and

Traffic Safety at Sea’. Dalian. China.

MSA of China. 2003. ‘The Volume of RepresenTative

Maritime Accidents’. China.

Hu Zhibin. 2005. the Classify of Man-made Mistake in

Maritime Accident. 6

‘Navigation Technology’.China.

Zhang Juxiu. 2005. Multi-sensor Information Integrate

Technology and Development. 4

‘the world of electron’.

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Meng Xianhong. 2006. ‘The Research and Design for VTS

System Function Extension and Improvement’.

Lianyungang MSA. Jiang Su. China