Parameter optimization method, parameter optimization apparatus, parameter optimization program, and marine vessel navigation control apparatus

• US 20040224577A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaji, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 440/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/20 using models or simulation, e.g. statistical models or stochastic models
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/40 for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0275 using fuzzy logic only

Abstract

A marine vessel navigation control apparatus includes a constant-speed navigation controller and a trim angle controller. The trim angle controller includes an evaluated-value calculation module which calculates evaluated values of a trim angle, an information storage medium, a statistical model creation module which creates a statistical model using the evaluated values stored in the information storage medium as an explained variable, and operation information including the trim angle as an explanatory variable, a target trim angle calculation module which calculates a target trim angle based on the statistical model, and a statistical model storage medium which stores parameters of the created statistical model.

Claims

1. A parameter optimization method for real-time optimization of parameters related to control processing by a control system which controls a controlled object in an environment in which control conditions change dynamically, the method comprising:

a first step of setting an acquisition range of operation information about operation of the controlled object when calculating an initial evaluated value, based on a statistical model created in the past and stored in a storage medium;

a second step of acquiring the operation information in a current environment;

a third step of calculating an evaluated value to evaluate results of the control processing based on the acquired operation information obtained in the second step;

a fourth step of creating a statistical model using the calculated evaluated value as an explained variable, and the corresponding operation information as an explanatory variable;

a fifth step of storing the created statistical model in the storage medium;

a sixth step of calculating estimated values of parameters which provide an optimum solution to the statistical model stored in the storage medium in the fifth step; and

a seventh step of updating the parameters used for the control processing based on the calculated estimated values of the parameters;

wherein

the parameters are optimized in real time through repetition of the second to seventh steps at predetermined time intervals after execution of the first step.

2. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition range used to calculate the initial evaluated value is set to include an optimum solution to the statistical model created in the past.

3. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the statistical model is generated in the fourth step using one of a weighted least squares method and a robust estimation method.

4. The parameter optimization method according to claim 3, wherein a genetic algorithm is used as a solution to the robust estimation method.

5. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the controlled object is one of a marine vessel, an aircraft, and an automobile.

6. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the control system is one of a system for navigation speed control or attitude control in a marine vessel, a system for flying speed control or attitude control in an aircraft, and a system for travel speed control or vehicle distance control in an automobile.

7. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the operation information includes at least information about a trim angle of a marine vessel.

8. The parameter optimization method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluated value that is calculated in the third step is the value of at least one of a trim angle and an engine speed of a marine vessel.

9. A parameter optimization apparatus for real-time optimization of parameters related to control processing by a control system which controls a controlled object in an environment in which control conditions change dynamically, the apparatus comprising:

acquisition range setting means for setting an acquisition range of operation information about operation of the controlled object when calculating an initial evaluated value, based on a statistical model created in the past and stored in a statistical model storage means;

operation information acquisition means for acquiring the operation information in a current environment;

evaluated-value calculation means for calculating an evaluated value to evaluate results of the control processing based on the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition means;

statistical model creation means for creating a statistical model using the evaluated value calculated by the evaluated-value calculation means as an explained variable, and the corresponding operation information as an explanatory variable;

the statistical model storage means for storing the statistical model created by the statistical model creation means;

estimated value calculation means for calculating estimated values of the parameters which provide an optimum solution to the statistical model stored in the statistical model storage means; and

parameter updating means for updating the parameters used for the control processing based on the estimated values of the parameters calculated by the estimated value calculation means.

10. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition range used to calculate the initial evaluated value is set by the acquisition range setting means to include an optimum solution to the statistical model created in the past.

11. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the statistical model creation means generates the statistical model using one of a weighted least squares method and a robust estimation method.

12. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the statistical model creation means uses a genetic algorithm as a solution to the robust estimation method.

13. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controlled object is one of a marine vessel, an aircraft, and an automobile.

14. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control system is one of a system for navigation speed control or attitude control in a marine vessel, a system for flying speed control or attitude control in an aircraft, and a system for travel speed control or vehicle distance control in an automobile.

15. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the operation information includes at least information about a trim angle of a marine vessel.

16. The parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the evaluated value that is calculated by the evaluated-value calculation means is the value of at least one of a trim angle and an engine speed of a marine vessel.

17. A marine vessel navigation control apparatus which controls navigation of a marine vessel, wherein the marine vessel navigation control apparatus includes the parameter optimization apparatus according to claim 9 and optimizes parameters related to navigation control of the marine vessel during the navigation of the marine vessel and controls the navigation of the marine vessel using the optimized parameters.

18. A marine vessel navigational control system comprising an outboard device and the marine vessel navigational control apparatus according to claim 17.

19. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 18, wherein the outboard device includes an electronic throttle valve defining a thrust regulator and a power trim and tilt unit defining an attitude angle controller.

20. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 18, wherein the marine vessel navigation control apparatus includes a constant-speed navigation controller and a trim angle controller.

21. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 20, wherein the constant-speed navigation controller includes a target engine speed calculation module which calculates target engine speed based on predetermined input information and an electronic-throttle valve position calculation module which calculates the valve position of an electronic throttle valve according to the calculated target engine speed.

22. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 20, wherein the trim angle controller includes an evaluated-value calculation module which calculates evaluated values of the trim angle, an information storage medium which stores operation information and evaluated values by associating them with each other, where the operation information includes at least the trim angle, a statistical model creation module which creates a statistical model using the evaluated values stored in the information storage medium as an explained variable, and the operation information including at least the trim angle as an explanatory variable;

and a target trim angle calculation module which calculates a target trim angle based on the statistical model stored in the information storage medium.

23. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 18, wherein the marine vessel navigation control apparatus includes a constant-speed navigation controller and a standardization coefficient optimizer for optimizing standardization coefficients used in the statistical model.

24. The marine vessel navigational control system according to claim 23, wherein the standardization coefficient optimizer includes a standardization coefficient calculation module for determining an optimum standardization coefficient, and the constant-speed navigation controller performs constant-speed navigation control using the newly calculated standardization coefficient.

25. A computer-executable program for real-time optimization of parameters related to control processing by a control system which controls a controlled object in an environment in which control conditions change dynamically, the computer-executable program causing the control system to perform the following steps including:

a first step of setting an acquisition range of operation information about operation of the controlled object when calculating an initial evaluated value, based on a statistical model created in the past and stored in a storage medium;

a second step of acquiring the operation information in a current environment;

a third step of calculating an evaluated value to evaluate results of the control processing based on the acquired operation information;

a fourth step of creating a statistical model using the calculated evaluated value as an explained variable, and the corresponding operation information as an explanatory variable;

a fifth step of storing the created statistical model in the storage medium;

a sixth step of calculating estimated values of the parameters which provide an optimum solution to the stored statistical model; and

a seventh step of updating the parameters used for the control processing based on the calculated estimated values of the parameters;

wherein

the parameters are optimized in real time through repetition of the second to seventh steps at predetermined time intervals after execution of the first step.

26. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the acquisition range used to calculate the initial evaluated value is set to include an optimum solution to the statistical model created in the past.

27. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the statistical model is generated in the fourth step using one of a weighted least squares method and a robust estimation method.

28. The computer-executable program according to claim 27, wherein a genetic algorithm is used as a solution to the robust estimation method.

29. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the controlled object is one of a marine vessel, an aircraft, and an automobile.

30. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the control system is one of a system for navigation speed control or attitude control in a marine vessel, a system for flying speed control or attitude control in an aircraft, and a system for travel speed control or vehicle distance control in an automobile.

31. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the operation information includes at least information about a trim angle of a marine vessel.

32. The computer-executable program according to claim 25, wherein the evaluated value that is calculated in the third step is the value of at least one of a trim angle and an engine speed of a marine vessel.