Watercraft speed control device
First Claim
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1. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
- a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft;
a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft;
a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;
a control module comprising;
an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity;
an 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.
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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.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
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a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft; a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft; a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft; a control module comprising; an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity; an 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. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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2. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
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a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft; control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft; a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft; a control module comprising; an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity; 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.
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3. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
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a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft; control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft; a control module comprising; 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. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
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a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft; a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft; a tachometer device capable of measuring the revolutions per minute of a drive shaft of said engine propelling said watercraft; a control module comprising an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said velocity magnitude and said predetermined velocity; 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. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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13. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:
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a velocity measuring device capable of obtaining a measurement of the velocity magnitude of said watercraft; a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity for said watercraft; a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft; a control module comprising 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.
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Specification