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  Vessel monitoring systemUSPTO Application #: 20060095173Title: Vessel monitoring system Abstract: A vessel monitoring system enabling vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they are unable or unavailable to personally do so. The system provides an efficient method for inspecting and repairing a designated vessel at periodic intervals and for reporting the results of such inspections and repairs to the vessel's owner in a timely manner for the owner's review and consideration. (end of abstract) Agent: Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC - Chicago, IL, US Inventors: James J. Knoska, Melvin I. Dalrymple, Kevin M. Peters USPTO Applicaton #: 20060095173 - Class: 701029000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, And Relative Location, Vehicle Control, Guidance, Operation, Or Indication, Vehicle Diagnosis Or Maintenance Indication The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060095173. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY CLAIM [0001] This application is a divisional of, claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/768,756, filed Jan. 29, 2004, which is a continuation of, claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/736,904 filed Dec. 13, 2000, which is a non-provisional of U.S. patent application 60/170,782 filed Dec. 15, 1999, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein. DESCRIPTION [0002] The present invention relates in general to a vessel monitoring system, and in particular to a vessel monitoring system which enables vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they are unable or not available to monitor their vessels. BACKGROUND [0003] Most boat or vessel owners leave their boat, yacht or vessel unattended and unmonitored for significant periods of time while docked or moored. During these time periods, a number of things may happen (e.g., equipment/line failure, faulty through-hull fittings, etc.) that may damage the boat or cause it to sink. Statistics show that for every one boat that sinks at sea, four boats sink at the dock or mooring. The costs to repair a boat that has been under water, even briefly, can be significant. In such situations, the owner of a boat must pay for the repairs not covered by insurance and is deprived of using his or her boat until the boat is repaired. [0004] Moreover, boat owners know these risks are present and are generally concerned about their unattended or unmonitored boats. Some boat owners have people check their boats. However, there is no coordinated system for checking boats, checking certain components of the boat and for regularly reporting the status of the boats to the boat owners. Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient and timely monitoring system that enables vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they are unable or unavailable to do so themselves. SUMMARY [0005] The vessel monitoring system of the present invention overcomes the above problems by providing a system for conducting thorough, interior and exterior periodic inspections of designated boats, or vessels, for taking immediate corrective action, if necessary, to fix or repair any deficiencies noted during the inspection, and for immediately reporting or making available the results of the inspections and the corrective actions taken, if any, to the boat's owner so he or she stays informed on the current status of his or her boat. The information collected from these inspections and repairs is also preferably used to create historical databases for the boats monitored by the system. [0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vessel monitoring system. [0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel monitoring system that provides the vessel owner information on a vessel's condition. [0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a vessel monitoring system that immediately repairs or takes corrective action to fix any repairs identified during the detailed inspection of the vessel. [0009] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, components or steps. [0010] Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of the initiation process of the vessel monitoring system of the present invention; [0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of the vessel monitoring process of the vessel monitoring system of present invention; and [0013] FIGS. 3A and 3B are a sample inspection report of the vessel monitoring system of present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0014] Initiation Process [0015] The vessel monitoring system of the present invention is preferably used by a plurality of vessel or boat owners, although it is described herein in relation to one boat or vessel owner. Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a vessel or boat owner, referred to herein as the boat owner, vessel owner or customer, establishes an account with an implementor of the vessel monitoring system of the present invention. As indicated by block 10, the customer, usually in response to some form of written or verbal solicitation or advertisement, initiates the process by requesting a monitoring proposal from the implementor. A geographic manager, preferably an employee of the implementor, prepares a monitoring proposal based on information supplied by the customer regarding the customer's vessel or, if deemed necessary, the geographic manager may visit and inspect the boat to prepare a more thorough monitoring proposal. This may be required for relatively large, unique or exceptionally complicated vessels. The implementor or geographic manager provides the monitoring proposal to the customer. The proposal, in addition to all the standard contractual terms required by the implementor, designates the type of monitoring for the designated boat. The monitoring may be customized as desired by the vessel owner or may be a standardized monitoring procedure. [0016] The preferred embodiment of the vessel monitoring system of the present invention includes interior and exterior monitoring procedures, although it should be appreciated that the monitoring procedures could be varied. Generally, the exterior monitoring procedures includes an inspection of the exterior lines of the boat, the exterior electrical equipment, the exterior entries of the boat, the exterior boat coverings and the ground tackle. Generally, the interior monitoring procedures includes an inspection of the boat's interior, the engine room, the boat's bilge pumps, the boat's through-hull fittings and an inspection for oil and fuel leakage. The customer may select the exterior monitoring procedures, or the exterior and interior monitoring procedures. [0017] If the customer accepts the proposal, the customer executes a service agreement with the implementor, as indicated in block 12. The geographic manager, as indicated in block 14, prepares a customer information profile for the boat, assigns a system identification number to the boat and in one embodiment prepares and affixes a bar code or other identifier device with the system identification number to the customer's boat, generally referred to as an identifier. The customer information profile includes details of the monitoring procedures contracted for, a photograph of the boat, the name and official hull identification number ("HIN"), a diagram of the boat and its equipment, a map of the customer's marina where the boat is docked or moored and any other information that the geographic manager considers pertinent for facilitating the monitoring procedures. In the embodiment where a bar code is affixed to the boat, the bar code is preferably a "Dallas" chip-type bar code, and is preferably affixed to the boat in a reasonably accessible location acceptable to the customer and where it is least effected by the elements. It should be appreciated that the system identification number for the boat does not need to be affixed to the boat. [0018] The implementor also conducts a baseline inspection of the boat. The baseline inspection may be conducted by the geographic manager or may be outsourced to a boat inspection professional who conducts the inspection under the supervision of the implementor. The baseline inspection establishes a baseline for the condition of the equipment, features and overall condition of boat as a point of comparison for future inspections and monitoring. The information from the customer information profile created by the geographic manager and the information from the baseline inspection are inputted using a communication device and stored in a conventional computer database or other conventional computer storage medium of the present invention which is maintained by the implementor. Preferably, the communication device is a computer connected to the computer database, although other devices are contemplated such as lap tops or personal digital assistants that communicate with the computer database through a secure internet connection or other data network. It is also contemplated that the implementor could input information using a telephone or cellular phone and voice recognition software. It should also be appreciated that while the present invention is discussed with respect to one implementor, one or more implementors (or watch officers, customers, etc.) may communicate simultaneously with the computer database using one or more communication devices. Continue reading... Full patent description for Vessel monitoring system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Vessel monitoring system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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