Watercraft speed control device

• US 20080003900A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enovation Controls, LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Econtrols Incorporated
• Inventors: Grogan, Joseph, Walser, Michael, Guglielmo, Kennon, Shouse, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,494,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 440/87
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S

Abstract

An automatic speed control system that provides desired watercraft velocity over land. The coupled algorithms correct engine speed and torque using inertia based measurements, GPS, and tachometer measurements, and the corrections are augmented and enhanced by velocity/speed and torque/speed relationships that are dynamically and adaptively programmed with real-time data collected during replicated operations of the watercraft in specified conditions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said apparatus comprising:

a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;

a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity;

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;

an additional engine speed comparator capable of determining the engine speed error between said tachometer speed measurement and said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm;

an engine torque algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said engine speed error; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

4. An apparatus as in claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said velocity measuring device is selected from the group consisting of a GPS device, a paddle wheel, and a pitot tube.

5. An apparatus as in claims 1 or 2 further comprising:

an engine control module capable of using said first engine torque output correction to cause said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

7. An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein said engine speed algorithm includes an advanced control loop function.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said advanced control loop function is selected from the group consisting of a series, a parallel, an ideal, an interacting, a noninteracting, an analog, a classical, and a Laplace function.

9. An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein said engine speed algorithm is selected from the group consisting of a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm, a proportional algorithm, an integral algorithm, and a derivative algorithm.

10. An apparatus as in claims 1 or 2 wherein said engine torque algorithm includes an advanced control loop function.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said advanced control loop function is selected from the group consisting of a series, a parallel, an ideal, an interacting, a noninteracting, an analog, a classical, and a Laplace function.

12. An apparatus as in claims 1 or 2 wherein said engine torque algorithm is selected from the group consisting of a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm, a proportional algorithm, an integral algorithm, and a derivative algorithm.

13. An apparatus as in claims 1 or 2 further comprising:

an additional engine torque algorithm capable of creating a second engine torque output correction corresponding to an input representative of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm, said second engine torque output correction representing a dynamic historical value of the torque required to change the engine speed of an engine propelling said watercraft an amount approximately equal to said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

a torque comparator capable of summing said first engine torque output correction of said engine torque algorithm and said second engine torque output correction of said additional engine torque algorithm, said sum being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of engine speed correction and torque required to produce said engine speed correction as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine torque algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

15. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of engine speed and torque required to produce said engine speed as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine torque algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

16. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

17. An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

2. An apparatus for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said apparatus comprising:

a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;

a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity;

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;

an engine torque algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said tachometer speed measurement and said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

3. An apparatus for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said apparatus comprising:

a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;

a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity;

an additional engine speed algorithm capable of creating a second engine speed output correction corresponding to an input representative of said predetermined velocity, said second engine speed output correction representing a dynamic historical value of the speed of an engine propelling said watercraft at a velocity approximately equal to said predetermined velocity; and

an engine speed comparator capable of summing said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm and said second engine speed output correction of said additional engine speed algorithm, said sum capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

6. An apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising:

an engine control module capable of using said sum of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm and said second engine speed output correction of said additional engine speed algorithm to cause said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

18. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said additional engine speed algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of velocity magnitude and engine speed of said watercraft as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine speed algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18 wherein said additional engine speed algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

20. An apparatus for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said apparatus comprising:

a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;

a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity;

a tachometer device capable of measuring the revolutions per minute of a drive shaft of said engine propelling said watercraft;

an engine torque algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said tachometer revolutions per minute measurement and said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

22. An apparatus as in claims 20 or 21 further comprising:

an engine control module capable of using said first engine torque output correction to cause said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

23. An apparatus as in claims 20 or 21 wherein said velocity measuring device is selected from the group consisting of a GPS device, a paddle wheel, and a pitot tube.

24. An apparatus as in claims 20 or 21 wherein said algorithm includes an advanced control loop function.

25. An apparatus as in claim 24 wherein said advanced control loop function is selected from the group consisting of a series, a parallel, an ideal, an interacting, a noninteracting, an analog, a classical, and a Laplace function.

26. An apparatus as in claims 20 or 21 wherein said algorithm is selected from the group consisting of a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm, a proportional algorithm, an integral algorithm, and a derivative algorithm.

21. An apparatus for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said apparatus comprising:

a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;

a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;

an algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said tachometer speed measurement, said velocity measurement, and said predetermined velocity; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.