Method for positioning a marine vessel
First Claim
1. A method for maintaining a marine vessel in a selected position, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis which extends through a lower surface of a hull of said marine vessel;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis which extends through said lower surface of said hull of said marine vessel;
determining a global position of said marine vessel;
determining a heading of said marine vessel;
receiving a signal command to maintain the current global position and heading of said marine vessel;
storing said current global position and heading of said marine vessel as a target global position and a target heading in response to receiving said signal command;
determining a subsequent global position of said marine vessel;
determining a subsequent heading of said marine vessel;
calculating a position error difference between said subsequent global position and said target global position;
calculating a heading error difference between said subsequent heading and said target heading;
determining the required marine vessel movements to minimize said position error difference and said heading error difference;
resolving said required marine vessel movements into a target linear thrust and a target moment about a preselected point of said marine vessel;
determining a first rotational position of said first marine propulsion device about said first steering axis, a second rotational position of said second marine propulsion device about said second steering axis, a first magnitude and first direction of thrust for said first marine propulsion device, and a second magnitude s and second direction of thrust for said second marine propulsion device which will result in achievement of said target linear thrust and said target moment about said preselected point of said marine vessel;
rotating said first and second marine propulsion devices to said first and second rotational positions about said first and second steering axes, respectively; and
causing said first and second marine propulsion devices to produce said first and second magnitudes and directions of thrust, respectively.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vessel positioning system maneuvers a marine vessel in such a way that the vessel maintains its global position and heading in accordance with a desired position and heading selected by the operator of the marine vessel. When used in conjunction with a joystick, the operator of the marine vessel can place the system in a station keeping enabled mode and the system then maintains the desired position obtained upon the initial change in the joystick from an active mode to an inactive mode. In this way, the operator can selectively maneuver the marine vessel manually and, when the joystick is released, the vessel will maintain the position in which it was at the instant the operator stopped maneuvering it with the joystick.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A method for maintaining a marine vessel in a selected position, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis which extends through a lower surface of a hull of said marine vessel;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis which extends through said lower surface of said hull of said marine vessel;
determining a global position of said marine vessel;
determining a heading of said marine vessel;
receiving a signal command to maintain the current global position and heading of said marine vessel;
storing said current global position and heading of said marine vessel as a target global position and a target heading in response to receiving said signal command;
determining a subsequent global position of said marine vessel;
determining a subsequent heading of said marine vessel;
calculating a position error difference between said subsequent global position and said target global position;
calculating a heading error difference between said subsequent heading and said target heading;
determining the required marine vessel movements to minimize said position error difference and said heading error difference;
resolving said required marine vessel movements into a target linear thrust and a target moment about a preselected point of said marine vessel;
determining a first rotational position of said first marine propulsion device about said first steering axis, a second rotational position of said second marine propulsion device about said second steering axis, a first magnitude and first direction of thrust for said first marine propulsion device, and a second magnitude s and second direction of thrust for said second marine propulsion device which will result in achievement of said target linear thrust and said target moment about said preselected point of said marine vessel;
rotating said first and second marine propulsion devices to said first and second rotational positions about said first and second steering axes, respectively; and
causing said first and second marine propulsion devices to produce said first and second magnitudes and directions of thrust, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for positioning a marine vessel, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a measured position of said marine vessel;
selecting a desired position of said marine vessel;
determining a current position of said marine vessel;
calculating a difference between said desired and current positions of said marine vessel;
determining required movements of said marine vessel to reduce the magnitude of said difference;
providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis; and
maneuvering said marine vessel to achieve said required movements. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for positioning a marine vessel, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a measured position of said marine vessel;
selecting a desired position of said marine vessel in response to receiving a manually provided input signal;
determining a current position of said marine vessel by storing a recent magnitude of said measured position, said measured, desired, and current positions of said marine vessel each being defined in relation to a global position and a heading of said marine vessel;
calculating a difference between said desired and current positions of said marine vessel;
determining a required movement of said marine vessel which reduces the magnitude of said difference;
providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis;
providing a first internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said first marine propulsion device; and
providing a second internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said second marine propulsion device, said first and second internal combustion engines being the sole providers or torque to said first and second marine propulsion devices, respectively; and
maneuvering said marine vessel to achieve said required movements. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for positioning a marine vessel, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a measured position of said marine vessel;
selecting a desired position of said marine vessel in response to receiving a manually provided input signal;
determining a current position of said marine vessel by storing a recent magnitude of said measured position, said measured, desired, and current positions of said marine vessel each being defined in relation to a global position and a heading of said marine vessel;
calculating a difference between said desired and current positions of said marine vessel;
determining a required movement of said marine vessel which reduces the magnitude of said difference;
providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis;
providing a first internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said first marine propulsion device; and
providing a second internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said second marine propulsion device, said first and second internal combustion engines being the sole providers or torque to said first and second marine propulsion devices, respectively;
providing a manually operable control device which is configured to provide an output signal which is representative of a marine vessel movement command, said manually operable control device having an active state during which it is being manually manipulated and an inactive state when it is not being manually manipulated; and
resolving said required movements of said marine vessel into a target linear thrust and a target moment about a preselected point of said marine vessel;
determining a first rotational position of said first marine propulsion device about said first vertical steering axis, a second rotational position of said second marine propulsion device about said second vertical steering axis, a first magnitude and first direction of thrust for said first marine propulsion device, and a second magnitude and second direction of thrust for said second marine propulsion device which will result in achievement of said target linear thrust and said target moment about said preselected point of said marine vessel; and
rotating said first and second marine propulsion devices to said first and second rotational positions about said first and second vertical steering axes, respectively; and
causing said first and second marine propulsion devices to produce said first and second magnitudes and directions of thrust, respectively, said first and second rotational positions resulting in said first and second marine propulsion devices producing first and second thrust vectors which intersect at a point located on a centerline which extends from a bow to a stem of said marine vessel. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for positioning a marine vessel, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a measured position of said marine vessel;
selecting a desired position of said marine vessel;
determining a current position of said marine vessel, said measured, desired, and current positions of said marine vessel each being defined in relation to a global position and a heading of said marine vessel;
calculating a difference between said desired and current positions of said marine vessel;
determining required movements of said marine vessel to reduce the magnitude of said difference;
providing a first marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a first steering axis;
providing a second marine propulsion device which is rotatable about a second steering axis, said first and second steering axes each being generally vertical and extending through a hull surface of said marine vessel, said first marine propulsion device comprising a first propeller attached to a rear portion of said first marine propulsion device to provide a pushing thrust on said first marine propulsion device when said first propeller is rotated in a forward direction, said second marine propulsion device comprising a second propeller attached to a rear portion of said second marine propulsion device to provide a pushing thrust on said second marine propulsion device when said second propeller is rotated in a forward direction;
providing a first internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said first marine propulsion device;
providing a second internal combustion engine disposed within said hull of said marine vessel and connected in torque transmitting relation with said second marine propulsion device, said first and second internal combustion engines being the sole providers or torque to said first and second marine propulsion devices, respectively;
providing a joystick which is configured to provide an output signal which is representative of a marine vessel movement command, said joystick having an active state during which it is being manually manipulated and an inactive state when it is not being manually manipulated, said step of selecting a desired position of said marine vessel only being performed when said status of said joystick initially changes from active to inactive, said measured position being saved as said desired position when said status of said joystick initially changes from active to inactive when said enable command is selected; and
maneuvering said marine vessel to achieve said required movements. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification