NETWORKED ARCHITECTURE FOR A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A STEERABLE THRUSTING DEVICE

• US 20160016651A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superior Marine Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Superior Marine Products LLC
• Inventors: Anderson, Neil D., Benda, Nels E., White, Travis M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,464,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/007 Trolling propulsion units trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/216 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2025/045 making use of satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/04 automatic, e.g. reacting to compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A control system for a steerable thrusting device is disclosed comprising a mobile device and application which interface with an electronic controller to command the output power and directional heading of the steerable thrusting device. In at least one embodiment, the mobile device serves the functions of a mapping and input device that communicates bi-directionally with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and direction device-equipped electronic controller, which in turn controls the power and heading of the thrusting device on a marine vessel. Data can be stored on the mobile device or procured in real-time via network access to a dedicated database and communicated to the electronic controller in order to execute specific functions of the thrusting device control system. The data created in the control system is capable of being shared amongst similar devices via the use of a cloud network.

Claims

1. ) A method for controlling a steerable thruster on a vessel using an electronic control system comprising:

establishing a wireless network communication between a peripheral input device and the internet;

starting a mobile controller application on said peripheral input device;

establishing communication between said peripheral input device and an electronic controller;

establishing location of the vessel based on data from a GNSS location device;

establishing direction of the thruster based on data from a direction device;

accessing waypoint or route data;

utilizing the mobile controller application to reference waypoint or route data to compile control input data;

utilizing the control system GNSS device location data, and data received from direction device to provide control feedback for navigating a route or navigating to a waypoint;

sending said routing data compiled by controller application from the peripheral input device to an electronic controller;

establishing communication between an electronic controller and a steerable thruster device;

sending control signals from said electronic controller to the steerable thruster device;

wherein said control signals from said electronic controller controls direction and magnitude of thrusting device causing the vessel to move towards said waypoint or route.

2. ) The method of claim 1 wherein said peripheral input device is a smart phone.

3. ) The method of claim 1 wherein said peripheral input device is a tablet.

4. ) The method of claim 1 wherein the waypoint or route data is downloaded from a site on the internet.

5. ) The method of claim 1 wherein the information for creation of route or waypoint data is from a cached or locally stored data source on the peripheral input device.

6. ) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing communication between a peripheral input device and an electronic controller is a wireless connection.

7. ) A method of sharing waypoint or route data comprising the steps of:

establishing a wireless network communication between a peripheral input device and the internet;

starting a mobile controller application on said peripheral input device;

generating at least one waypoint or route in the mobile controller application;

and uploading at least one waypoint or route.

8. ) The method of generating a waypoint or route of claim 7 wherein the waypoint or route is created by manually navigating to the waypoint or navigating over the route.

9. ) The method of generating a waypoint or route of claim 7 wherein the waypoint or route is created on a device capable of generating the waypoint or route.

10. ) The method of sharing waypoint or route data of claim 7 wherein the step of wireless uploading the at least one waypoint data further comprises uploading the data to a cloud.

11. ) The method of sharing waypoint or route data of claim 7 further comprising providing other users access to the cloud to access the at least one waypoint.

12. ) The method of sharing waypoint or route data of claim 7 further comprising the step of directing the mobile controller application to control a steerable thrusting device vessel to one or more of the downloaded shared waypoints.

13. ) An electronic control system for controlling a steerable thruster on a vessel comprising:

a mobile peripheral input device;

said peripheral input device comprising a wireless network link for uploading or downloading data or information from the internet to the said peripheral input device;

a mobile controller application for operation on said mobile peripheral input device;

a global positioning device for establishing the location of the object;

a direction device for determining heading of the thruster;

wherein said mobile controller application creates waypoint or routing data using collected location position data, heading data, and destination data;

an electronic controller for receiving the routing data;

wherein said electronic controller uses said routing data to create control signals;

and a steerable thruster for receiving the control signals for controlling thrust and directional heading of the vessel towards a waypoint or route.

14. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein said peripheral input device is a tablet.

15. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein said peripheral input device is a smartphone.

16. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein said electronic control further comprises a mount for securing said electronic control on the outer drive shaft tube of a trolling motor.

17. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein said mobile controller application utilizes data representing routes, waypoints, or maps.

18. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 further comprising a screen for viewing maps to choose routes.

19. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein the direction device is contained within the electronic controller.

20. ) The electronic control system of claim 13 wherein uploaded destination data is saved to the cloud.