AUTOPILOT FEATURES FOR MARINE NAVIGATION

• US 20170205828A1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Estabrook, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,274,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/02 using 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: B63H 25/12 with fluid transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/38 Rudders
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles

Abstract

A marine autopilot system is disclosed. While in autopilot mode, the marine vessel'"'"'s autopilot system autonomously steers the marine vessel'"'"'s rudder. Steering input provided using the helm typically results in counter-steering to the autopilot. If the autopilot is following a current heading or course (route), the autopilot may continue its efforts to remain on the heading or course in response to the deviation caused by steering input to the helm. The disclosed autopilot system improves this problem by including one or more sensors that measure helm movement and wirelessly transmit helm movement data to one or more components of the marine vessel'"'"'s electronic network. If the operator of the marine vessel manually steers the helm to deviate from a current heading or course, helm movement exceeding a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold may cause the autopilot control to temporarily disengage, allowing a user to manually steer the marine vessel.

Claims

1. An autopilot system for a marine vessel, comprising:

a memory configured to store a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold;

a sensor unit mountable to a helm of the marine vessel, the sensor unit being configured to generate helm movement data and to wirelessly transmit the helm movement data;

a chart plotter coupled with the sensor unit, the chart plotter being configured to generate routing data indicative of a charted course for the marine vessel to follow; and

a course control unit configured to;

receive autopilot data and use the autopilot data to autonomously steer a rudder associated with the marine vessel to maintain the charted course in accordance with the routing data;

receive the helm movement data; and

disengage the autonomous steering of the rudder using the autopilot data when the helm movement data exceeds the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold.

2. The autopilot system of claim 1, wherein the rudder is associated with a hydraulic actuator steering system.

3. The autopilot system of claim 1, further comprising a position determining component configured to determine a geographic position of the marine vessel, wherein the course control unit is further configured to determine a current heading of the marine vessel.

4. The autopilot system of claim 3, wherein the memory is further configured to store a predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold, wherein the course control unit is further configured to re-engage the autonomous steering of the rudder when the current heading of the marine vessel is within a predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold over a threshold time period.

5. The autopilot system of claim 1, wherein the helm movement data is indicative of angular movement of the helm, and

wherein the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold that causes the course control unit to disengage the autonomous steering of the rudder is a threshold helm angle.

6. The autopilot system of claim 1, wherein the helm movement data is indicative of a rate of angular movement of the helm, and

wherein the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold that causes the course control unit to disengage the autonomous steering of the rudder is a threshold helm angle based upon the rate of angular movement of the helm accumulated over a period of time in the same direction.

7. The autopilot system of claim 1, wherein the chart plotter is further configured to wirelessly receive the helm movement data transmitted by the sensor unit, and to transmit the helm movement data to the course control unit via a wired network.

8. An autopilot system for a marine vessel, comprising:

a sensor unit mountable to a helm of the marine vessel, the sensor unit being configured to generate helm movement data and to wirelessly transmit a helm steering indicator when the helm movement data exceeds a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold; and

a course control unit configured to receive the helm steering indicator and autonomously steer a rudder associated with the marine vessel to maintain a heading or charted course, the autonomous steering of the rudder disengaged in response to receiving the helm steering indicator.

9. The autopilot system of claim 8, wherein the rudder is associated with a hydraulic actuator steering system.

10. The autopilot system of claim 8, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to determine a tilt angle, acceleration and magnetic heading of the marine vessel and the course control unit is further configured to determine a current heading of the marine vessel based on the determined tilt angle, acceleration and magnetic heading.

11. The autopilot system of claim 10, wherein the course control unit is further configured to re-engage the autonomous steering of the rudder when the current heading of the marine vessel is within a predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold over a threshold time period.

12. The autopilot system of claim 8, wherein the sensor unit includes an accelerometer sensor and is further configured to determine the helm movement based upon changes in accelerometer sensor orientation as the helm is rotated when steered, and

wherein the helm steering indicator is generated when helm movement is detected in excess of a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold helm angle.

13. The autopilot system of claim 8, wherein the sensor unit includes a gyroscope sensor and is further configured to determine the helm movement based upon a rate of helm movement due to changes in an orientation of the gyroscope sensor as the helm is rotated when steered, and

wherein the helm steering indicator is generated when helm movement is detected in excess of a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold helm angle based upon the rate of helm movement.

14. The autopilot system of claim 8, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to wirelessly transmit an autopilot re-engage indicator when the current heading of the marine vessel is within a predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold over a threshold time period.

15. An autopilot system for a marine vessel, comprising:

a memory configured to store a heading of the marine vessel and a predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold;

a position determining component configured to determine a geographic position of the marine vessel;

a first sensor unit mountable to a helm of the marine vessel, the first sensor unit being configured to generate helm movement data and to transmit the helm movement data;

a course control unit configured to

continuously determine a heading of the marine vessel based on the determined geographic position

disengage the autonomous steering of the rudder when the helm movement data exceeds the predetermined threshold, and

re-engage the autonomous steering of the rudder when the current heading of the marine vessel is within a predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold, and

autonomously steer the rudder to maintain the current heading of the marine vessel.

16. The autopilot system of claim 15, further comprising a second sensor unit mountable to the marine vessel at a location different than the helm, the second sensor unit being configured to generate marine vessel movement data and to transmit the marine vessel movement data, wherein the course control unit is further configured to determine helm movement based upon a difference between the helm movement data and the marine vessel movement data.

17. The autopilot system of claim 15, wherein the rudder is associated with a hydraulic actuator steering system.

18. The autopilot system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold is a helm angle based upon the rate of helm movement and the predetermined autopilot re-engagement threshold is a maximum deviation of the marine vessel heading.

19. The autopilot system of claim 15, wherein the helm movement data is indicative of angular movement of the helm of the marine vessel, and

wherein the course control unit is further configured to determine when the helm movement exceeds the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold when the angular movement of the helm exceeds a threshold angle.

20. The autopilot system of claim 15, wherein the helm movement data is indicative of a rate of angular movement of the helm of the marine vessel, and

wherein the course control unit is further configured to determine when the helm movement exceeds the predetermined autopilot disengagement threshold when the angular movement of the helm exceeds a threshold angle based upon the rate of angular movement of the helm accumulated over a period of time in the same direction.