ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MARINE VESSEL

• US 20120191277A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company), Medallion Instrumentation Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Clever, Timothy J., Cansiani, Kevin A., Payne, Martin, Koches, Christopher A., Gaskins, Ronald E., Norris, Lance
• Granted Patent: US 9,233,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/10 Power-driven personal watercraft, e.g. water scooters water jet propulsion B63H11/00; jet steering B63H25/46; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/10 Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/213 Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/22 the propulsion power units being controlled from exterior of engine room, e.g. from navigation bridge; Arrangements of order telegraphs
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/045 for marine engines

Abstract

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a profile storage module, a profile playback module, and a speed control module. The profile storage module stores an acceleration profile specifying a manner of accelerating a marine vessel. The profile playback module, in response to a play command received from a vessel operator, retrieves the acceleration profile and adjusts a desired engine speed based on the acceleration profile. The speed control module controls an engine speed of the marine vessel based on the desired engine speed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a profile storage module that stores an acceleration profile specifying a manner of accelerating a marine vessel;

a profile playback module that, in response to a play command received from a vessel operator, retrieves the acceleration profile and adjusts a desired engine speed based on the acceleration profile; and

a speed control module that controls an engine speed of the marine vessel based on the desired engine speed.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the acceleration profile includes at least one of N engine speeds and N vessel speeds; and

N is an integer greater than one.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a profile upload module that uploads the acceleration profile to at least one of an operator interface device and a network device in response to an upload command received from the vessel operator.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a profile download module that downloads the acceleration profile from at least one of an operator interface device and a network device in response to a download command received from the vessel operator.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a profile transition module that generates a transition profile specifying a manner of transitioning the marine vessel from a final speed of the acceleration profile to a desired cruise speed, wherein the speed control module controls the engine speed based on the transition profile.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a profile record module that records the acceleration profile in response to a record command received from the vessel operator.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a recording activation module that activates recording when a difference in a position of an accelerator lever from a first position to a second position is greater than a first difference during a first period that begins when the record command is received from the vessel operator.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the profile record module records the engine speed for a second period when the recording activation module activates recording.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a playback activation module that activates playback when a difference in a position of an accelerator lever from a first position to a second position is greater than a first difference during a first period that begins when the play command is received from the vessel operator.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the speed control module controls the engine speed based on the acceleration profile when the playback activation module activates playback.

11. A method comprising:

storing an acceleration profile specifying a manner of accelerating a marine vessel;

retrieving the acceleration profile in response to a play command received from a vessel operator;

adjusting a desired engine speed based on the acceleration profile in response to said play command; and

controlling an engine speed of the marine vessel based on the desired engine speed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the acceleration profile includes at least one of N engine speeds and N vessel speeds; and

N is an integer greater than one.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising uploading the acceleration profile to at least one of an operator interface device and a network device in response to an upload command received from the vessel operator.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising downloading the acceleration profile from at least one of an operator interface device and a network device in response to a download command received from the vessel operator.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a transition profile specifying a manner of transitioning the marine vessel from a final speed of the acceleration profile to a desired cruise speed; and

controlling the engine speed based on the transition profile.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising recording the acceleration profile in response to a record command received from the vessel operator.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising activating recording when a difference in a position of an accelerator lever from a first position to a second position is greater than a first difference during a first period that begins when the record command is received from the vessel operator.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising recording the engine speed for a second period when the recording activation module activates recording.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating playback when a difference in a position of an accelerator lever from a first position to a second position is greater than a first difference during a first period that begins when the play command is received from the vessel operator.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising controlling the engine speed based on the acceleration profile when playback is activated.