Method for initializing a marine vessel control system

• US 6,382,122 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Wyant, John W., Gaynor, Phillip K., Willows, Kurt D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vasudeva, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US09/888,156
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 114/144.RE, 114/114.E, 701/206, 701/213, 440/84, 440/1, 440/2, 440/3
• US Class Current: 114/144.0RE
• 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: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40286 the transportation system being a waterborne vessel
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An auto detect system is provided for a marine vessel in which the various associations and relationships between marine propulsion devices, gauges, sensors, and other components are quickly and easily determined. The system performs a method which automatically determines the number of marine propulsion devices on the marine vessel and, where needed, prompts the boat builder or marine vessel outfitter to enter various commands to identify particular marine propulsion devices with reference to their location on the marine vessel and to identify certain other components, such as gauges, with reference to both their location at a particular helm station and their association with a particular marine propulsion device.

Claims

1. A method for initializing a marine vessel control system, comprising the steps of:

providing a microprocessor connected in signal communication with a communication bus of said marine vessel control system;

automatically determining the number of individual marine propulsion devices connected to said communication bus associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the number of control stations associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said control stations when it is determined that more than one of said control stations are associated with said marine vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said number of individual marine propulsion devices determining step comprises the step of interrogating a signal on said communication bus to determine if more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices is transmitting a signal on said communication bus.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting an operator to identify the physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices in terms of said physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the number of individual gauges associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual gauges in terms of its relationship with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when more than one of said individual gauges are associated with said marine vessel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prompting an operator to identify each of said individual gauges in terms of its association with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel and in terms of its association with one of said control stations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said marine vessel control comprises a controller area network system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel is obtained from a data packet comprising a plurality of bytes of information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said data packet is transmitted on a controller area network communication bus by each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a default screen display for each of said control stations as a function of the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices.

12. A method for initializing a marine vessel control system, comprising the steps of:

determining the number of individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel by interrogating a signal on a communication bus to determine if more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices is transmitting a signal on said communication bus;

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel;

prompting an operator to identify the physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices in terms of said physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining the number of control stations associated with said marine vessel;

identifying each of said control stations when it is determined that more than one of said control stations are associated with said marine vessel;

determining the number of individual gauges associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual gauges in terms of its relationship with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when more than one of said individual gauges are associated-with said marine vessel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prompting an operator to identify each of said individual gauges in terms of its association with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel and in terms of its association with one of said control stations.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel, said operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel being obtained from a data packet comprising a plurality of bytes of information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said data packet is transmitted on a controller area network communication bus by each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a default screen display for each of said control stations as a function of the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices.

18. A method for initializing a marine vessel control system, comprising the steps of:

determining the number of individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel by interrogating a signal on a communication bus to determine if more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices is transmitting a signal on said communication bus;

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel;

determining the number of control stations associated with said marine vessel;

identifying each of said control stations when it is determined that more than one of said control stations are associated with said marine vessel;

prompting an operator to identify the physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when it is determined that more than one of said individual marine propulsion devices are associated with said marine vessel;

identifying each of said individual marine propulsion devices in terms of said physical location of each of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel;

determining the number of individual associated with said marine vessel; and

identifying each of said individual in terms of its relationship with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel when more than one of said individual are associated with said marine vessel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

prompting an operator to identify each of said individual in terms of its association with an associated one of said individual marine propulsion devices on said marine vessel and in terms of its association with one of said control stations; and

determining the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel, said operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel being obtained from a data packet comprising a plurality of bytes of information, said data packet being transmitted on a controller area network communication bus by each of said individual marine propulsion devices associated with said marine vessel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting a default screen display for each of said control stations as a function of the operational type of each of said individual marine propulsion devices.