초록 ▼

A method to provide technical information from a marine vessel to a remote location by means of a computer connected and logged in to a communication means of the marine vessel. The technical information concerns an equipment or system associated with, or installed on, the marine vessel. A communica

A method to provide technical information from a marine vessel to a remote location by means of a computer connected and logged in to a communication means of the marine vessel. The technical information concerns an equipment or system associated with, or installed on, the marine vessel. A communication session on the logged in computer is initiated. An address is selected from an address list of one or more technical specialists associated with the equipment. A message is sent to a remote address. A communication session on a remote computer system is initiated at the remote address with the logged in computer.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for providing technical information from a marine vessel to a remote location, the technical information relating to an equipment or system associated with, or installed on, the marine vessel, with a computer connected and logged-in to a communication system of

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for providing technical information from a marine vessel to a remote location, the technical information relating to an equipment or system associated with, or installed on, the marine vessel, with a computer connected and logged-in to a communication system of the marine vessel, wherein the equipment or system is selected from a group comprising motors, generators, propulsion units, valves, pumps or field devices installed on the marine vessel, and wherein the information is selected from a group comprising diagnostic, maintenance, or operational information, the method comprising: receiving an identification of a selected equipment or system, determining a geographical position of the selected equipment or system; initiating a communication session on the logged-in computer, selecting an address of a remote computer from an address list of one or more technical specialists associated with the selected equipment or system, wherein the address is selected based on the geographical position, sending a message to the selected address, initiating a communication session between the logged-in computer and the remote computer, displaying technical information at the logged-in computer sending the technical information to the remote computer and causing the remote computer to display the technical information, receiving a selection of part of the technical information, transmitting the selected part of the technical information to the remote computer, and receiving diagnostic, maintenance, or operational information regarding the selected equipment or system from the remote computer, wherein the received information is based at least in part on the selected part of the technical information sent to the remote computer. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: enabling between the logged-in computer and the remote computer instant messaging and/or conferencing in the communication session. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: making available a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application executing at the logged-in computer, wherein the GUI is shared with the remote computer. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: making available a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application executing at the remote computer, wherein the GUI is shared with the logged-in computer. 5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: making available a GUI of an application executing on the logged-in computer for the remote computer to take over control and thereby enabling the logged-in computer to be interrogated and/or controlled from the remote computer. 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: enabling instant messaging and/or conferencing in the communication session between the logged-in computer and multiple remote computers. 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: enabling instant messaging and/or conferencing of technical information about a multiple equipment and/or equipment systems associated with the marine vessel. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the logged-in computer comprises a Remote Monitoring and Control Server. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the logged-in computer is connected to an Asset Optimisation server. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the technical information comprises maintenance information. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the technical information comprises diagnostic information stored locally and based on any of: reports, conditions, events, or alarms. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the equipment or system associated with the marine vessel comprises equipment installed onboard the marine vessel. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the equipment or system associated with the marine vessel comprises equipment installed in the vicinity of the marine vessel. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the equipment or system associated with the marine vessel comprises equipment installed underwater or on the seabed in the vicinity of the marine vessel. 15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the technical information to and from the marine vessel at least in part by wireless communication means. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the wireless communication means comprises satellite communication using a system including any of: Inmarsat, VSAT, QSAT, NORSAT, L-band, Leo, Iridium. 17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the wireless communication means comprises a radio telephone system such as any of AMPS, NMT, TACS, CDMA or TDMA based systems, D AMPS, GSM, PDC, CDPD, GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000, WODMA, IMT2000. 18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the technical information is transmitted in part formatted suitable for an Internet standard which may be any of: HTML, a HTML derivative, I-MODE, WAP, WDML. 19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication is transmitted in an encrypted form, including and not limited to IPsec. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the communication is transmitted in an encrypted form dependent on transmission in part by frequency hopping. 21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the communication is transmitted in an encrypted form dependent on a protocol according to a telephone standard including any of: AMPS, NMT, TACS, ODMA or TDMA based systems, D AMPS, OSM, PDC, CDPD, GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000, WCDMA, IMT2000. 22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote location comprises any of: on land, in another marine vessel, in another part of the same vessel. 23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user comprises any authorized one of: operator, technician, maintenance person or other authorized person on the marine vessel, a diver in the water. 24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: selecting with the graphical representation displayed on the logged-in computer an option to obtain technical information about the equipment or system. 25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the graphical representation associated with the equipment or system is associated by a computer program product of the onboard control system with information about technical support for the equipment, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer readable medium. 26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the address comprises an address selected from a list of addresses in a predetermined manner. 27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the graphical representation associated with the equipment or system comprises a software entity comprising a container for one or more aspects. 28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the software entity is embodied as an aspect. 29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the option to communicate is activated by selecting a graphical representation associated with the equipment or system of the marine vessel displayed by the logged-in computer. 30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the option to communicate is activated by selecting a text based option associated with the equipment or system of the marine vessel displayed by the logged-in computer. 31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address for the technical specialist is provided by an aspect of the selected equipment in the onboard control system. 32. The method according to claim 1, wherein the technical information comprises economic evaluations of maintenance options based any of the technical information. 33. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a command from the remote computer and controlling the selected equipment or system in accordance with the received command. 34. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the address of the remote computer based on a current time at the geographical location. 35. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, comprising: receiving an identification of a selected equipment or system, determining a geographical position of the selected equipment or system; receiving an identification of a selected equipment or system, initiating a communication session on the logged-in computer, selecting an address of a remote computer from an address list of one or more technical specialists associated with the selected equipment or system, wherein the address is selected based on the geographical position, sending a message to the selected address, initiating a communication session between the logged-in computer and the remote computer, displaying technical information at the logged-in computer, sending the technical information to the remote computer and causing the remote computer to display the technical information, receiving a selection of part of the technical information, transmitting the selected part of the technical information to the remote computer, and receiving diagnostic, maintenance, or operational information regarding the selected equipment or system from the remote computer, wherein the received information is based at least in part on the selected part of the technical information sent to the remote computer. 36. A system, comprising: a component configured to receive an identification of a selected equipment or system; a component configured to determine a geographical position of the selected equipment or system; a component configured to initiate a communication session between a logged-in computer and a remote computer, a component configured to select an address of the remote computer from an address list of one or more technical specialists associated with the selected equipment or system, wherein the address is selected based on the geographical position, a component configured to send a message to the selected remote address, a component configured to display the technical information at the logged-in computer, a component configured to send the technical information to the remote computer and to cause the remote computer to display the technical information at the remote computer, a component configured to receive a selection of part of the technical information, a component configured to transmit the selected part of the technical information to the remote computer, a component configured to receive diagnostic, maintenance, or operational information regarding the selected equipment or system from the remote computer based at least on the selected part of the technical information sent to the remote computer, and a component configured to receive a command from the remote computer and to control the selected equipment or system in accordance with the received command.