Watercraft battery control system

• US 20030076071A1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kanno, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 6,987,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1476 by mechanical action on the generator

Abstract

A watercraft battery control system monitors a battery charge. The system informs the watercraft operator when the battery charge is below a predetermined value. Alternatively, the system automatically controls engine operation by starting the engine or by increasing the speed of the engine to allow a generator to replenish the battery charge when the battery charge has fallen below a predetermined value. By informing the user of an inadequate battery charge, the user can start the engine an recharge the battery. Alternatively, the system automatically maintains the battery at a predetermined charge level to ensure safe and enjoyable watercraft operation.

Claims

1. A watercraft battery monitoring system comprising:

an integrating unit that integrates the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

a charge determining unit responsive to the net integrated current value that determines whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a predetermined value; and

an alarm unit responsive to the charge determining unit to output a perceptible alarm when the charge determining unit determines that the remaining charge in the battery is less than the predetermined value.

2. The watercraft battery monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the perceptible alarm is visual.

3. The watercraft battery monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the perceptible alarm is audible.

4. The watercraft battery monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the perceptible alarm is also visual.

5. A watercraft battery monitoring system comprising:

an integrating unit that integrates the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

a charge determining unit responsive to the net integrated current value that determines whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a first predetermined value; and

an engine control unit responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically start an engine when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value.

6. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 5, wherein the charge determining unit determines whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value, and wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically stop the engine when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value.

7. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

an input unit that receives an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic start enable command; and

a storage unit that receives the input and that stores a value representing whether the automatic start enable command is set or reset,

wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the value representing the automatic start enable command in the storage unit to automatically start the engine only when the automatic start enable command is set.

8. A watercraft battery monitoring system comprising:

an integrating unit that integrates the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

a charge determining unit responsive to the net integrated current value that determines whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a first predetermined value; and

an engine control unit responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically increase a speed of an engine from an initial engine speed to an increased engine speed when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value and the engine control unit determines that the engine is already running, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value.

9. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 8, wherein the charge determining unit determines whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value, and wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically reduce the engine speed from the increased engine speed to the initial engine speed when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value.

10. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

an input unit that receives an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic speed control enable command; and

a storage unit that receives the input and that stores a value representing whether the automatic speed control enable command is set or reset,

wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the value representing the automatic speed control enable command in the storage unit to automatically increase the speed of the engine only when the automatic speed control enable command is set.

11. A watercraft battery monitoring system comprising:

an integrating unit that integrates the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

a charge determining unit responsive to the net integrated current value that determines whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a first predetermined value; and

an engine control unit responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically start an engine when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value and the engine control unit determines that the engine is stopped, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value, the engine control unit further responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically increase a speed of the engine from an initial engine speed to an increased engine speed when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value and the engine control unit determines that the engine is already running to thereby increase the electrical current provided to the battery.

12. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 11, wherein the charge determining unit determines whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value, and wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically reduce the engine speed from the increased engine speed to the initial engine speed when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value and the engine speed was increased by the engine control unit, the engine control unit further responsive to the charge determining unit to automatically stop the engine when the charge determining unit determines that the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value and the engine was automatically started by the engine control unit.

13. The watercraft battery monitoring system as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

an input unit that receives an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic engine start enable command and that receives an input to set or reset an automatic speed control enable command; and

a storage unit that receives the inputs and that stores a value representing whether automatic engine start enable command is set or reset and that stores a value representing whether the automatic speed control enable command is set or reset,

wherein the engine control unit is responsive to the value representing the automatic start enable command in the storage unit to automatically start the engine only when the automatic start enable command is set, and wherein the engine control unit is further responsive to the value representing the automatic speed control enable command in the storage unit to automatically increase the speed of the engine only when the automatic speed control enable command is set.

14. A method for maintaining a charge in a watercraft battery, comprising:

integrating the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

determining from the net integrated current value whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a predetermined value; and

outputting a perceptible alarm when the remaining charge in the battery is less than the predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the perceptible alarm is visual.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the perceptible alarm is audible.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the perceptible alarm is also visual.

18. A method for maintaining a charge in a watercraft battery, comprising:

integrating the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

determining from the net integrated current value whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a predetermined value; and

automatically starting an engine when the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value; and

automatically stopping the engine when the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic start enable command; and

storing a value representing whether the automatic start enable command is set or reset, and automatically starting the engine only when the stored value represents the automatic start enable command being set.

21. A method for maintaining a charge in a watercraft battery, comprising:

integrating the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

determining from the net integrated current value whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a predetermined value; and

automatically increasing a speed of engine from an initial engine speed to an increased engine speed when the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value; and

automatically decreasing the engine speed from the increased engine speed to the initial engine speed when the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic speed control enable command; and

storing a value representing whether the automatic speed control enable command is set or reset, and automatically increasing the speed of the engine only when the stored value represents the automatic speed control enable command being set.

24. A method for maintaining a charge in a watercraft battery, comprising:

integrating the current extracted from a battery and the current provided to a battery to provide a net integrated current value;

determining from the net integrated current value whether a remaining charge in the battery is less than a predetermined value; and

performing at least one of;

automatically starting an engine when the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value and the engine is stopped, the engine being coupled to a generator that provides electrical current to charge the battery to a charge level greater than the first predetermined value, and

automatically increasing a speed of engine from an initial engine speed to an increased engine speed when the charge in the battery is less than the first predetermined value and the engine is already running.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than a second predetermined value; and

performing at least one of;

automatically decreasing the engine speed from the increased engine speed to the initial engine speed when the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value and the engine speed was automatically increased from the initial engine speed to the increased engine speed, and

automatically stopping the engine when the charge in the battery is greater than the second predetermined value and the engine was automatically started.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving an input by an operator to set or reset an automatic start enable command;

receiving an input by the operator to set or reset an automatic speed control enable command;

storing a value representing whether the automatic start enable command is set or reset, and automatically starting the engine only when the stored value represents the automatic start enable command being set; and

storing a value representing whether the automatic speed control enable command is set or reset, and automatically increasing the speed of the engine only when the stored value represents the automatic speed control enable command being set.