19. Nov. 2013

TAIYO MUSEN CO.,LTD.

Personal Locator Beacon

(PLB)

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What is Cospas-Sarsat Beacon ?

EPIRB

(Emergency Position Indicating

Radio Beacon)

ELT

(Emergency Locator Transmitter)

PLB

(Personal Locater Beacon)

For maritime use For aviation use For personal use

Search and Rescue System via Satellite

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JCG’s airplane(Beechcraft) will be arrived the scene of distress in

40 min. after starting rescue operation as far as in 200NM.

Image of Search and Rescue

Rescue

SOS+Lon./Lat.

Starts rescue!

Search！

RCCs

PLB

Cospas-Sarsat satellite

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Satellite systems

Middle orbit satellite

（altitude: approx. 20,000km)

（MEOSAR）×75

GNSS(Galileo)/GPS/GLONASS

Low orbit polar orbit satellite

（altitude: approx. 1,000km)

(LEOSAR)×６

Stationary satellite

（altitude: approx. 36,000km)

（GEOSAR）×６

Present Future（2017～）

Galileo-FOC satellite will be

launched after 2012.

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World situation(1)

PLB is already in operation in Europe and

U.S.A. since toward 2000.

Kannad-made

(France)）

McMurdo-

made

(U.K.)

ACR-

made

(U.S.A.)

PLB with return link is not yet

available in the market, although

1st generation PLB is currently

available by 3 suppliers.

In Japan, the system is not

available due to regulation

setting stage.

European and American 1st generation PLB

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World situation (2)

Material by Cospas-Sarsat J.C.

PLB

PLB is expected to increase more than EPIRB and ELT

after 2014. Rescue with PLB was recorded 180

operations and 291 persons in 2011.

History and expectation for the operation of Cospas-Sarsat beacons

Total

EPIRB ELT

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2nd generation beacon -What’s the return link?-

Earth station Search and

Rescue

beacon

Return link message service provider

RCCs

Rescue

operation

Distress

signal

Positioning

signal

Return link message

Raise of survival will

With ARIB, Taiyo succeeded a

return link verification test via

QZS-1 satellite(Michibiki) in

2010～2011.

SAR/Galileo

satellite

Search and Rescue system Strong point

With 2 kinds of return link

beacon, the survivor notice

that a distress signal was

received and a search and

rescue operation has been

started

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Situation in Japan

PLB is not introduced in Japan

Market needs Regulation is

not yet set.

No domestic

PLB

Taiyo pressures the government

to set a regulation soon for

immediate implementation of

PLB.

There is tangible demand for

distress of small boats which is

not required search and rescue

device mandatory.

Implementation

of PLB！

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PLB developed (summary 1)

Items Design target Realization

Weight Less than 450 g 160 g

Two frequency antenna Antenna length Lower than 400mm

267mm

Low power consumption At -20℃, Over 24H operation

Operation for 29H 36min.

Transmission of positioning data

Built-in GNSS receiver

Built-in GNSS receiver

Buoyancy Float on the water with buoyant case.

Float on the water with buoyant case.

Size D33mm×W48mm

×H99mm D32mm×W47mm

×H98mm

The smallest in the world(Company comparison)

Design target and Realization

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PLB developed (summary 2)

Small size and light weight Hold In pocket or on belt.

Float on the water

Do not sink in the water.

（With buoyant case and strap.）

Simple operation

Draw out an antenna, break a switch cover, and

push power switch for more than 2 sec. to

start operation.

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PLB developed (Detail 1)

Designed for two frequency transmitter of both

406MHz and 121.5MHｚ with low power

consumption.（Built-in antenna tuner)

Designed of controller including future return link

function. （application for ACK1,ACK2）

Developed software for transmission of long

message with positioning data.

Selected battery and packed to CR123x2 cell to

operate more than 24H at -20℃.

Verified to meet Cospas-Sarsat standard.

At starting, an evidence of starting is left and two separate actions

are required The sort of design is to avoid any mistaken operations.

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PLB developed (Detail 2)

Round shape design

Advanced antenna

storage.

PCB is held by a case

Only 2 screws

Fix the antenna

At this position.

Switch for [TEST] Start switch

Break switch cover,

Switch on !

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Target boats of PLB

Target for PLB is 190 thousands small boats

Pleasure motor boats

63%

Class 1 small fishier 2%

Sport fisher 2%

Others 5%

Small common boats

24%

Pleasure yacht 4%

Among them, target market is

more than 190 thousands boats

which is inshore boats limited

over 5 NM and class 1 small

fishing boats.

There are more than 400

thousands small boats are

registered in JCI except

fishery and inshore boats.

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Taiyo’s plan for PLB

Productization together with regulatory cooperation

in Japan for the PLB which is applied Taiyo’s Cospas-

Sarsat 406MHz beacon technology for EPIRB.

To contribute marine security spreading PLB to small

boats for fishing, yachting and pleasure which do not

equip with EPIRB.

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TAIYO MUSEN CO.,LTD.

Thank you!!