Watercraft speed control device

• US 8,475,221 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enovation Controls, LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Econtrols Incorporated
• Inventors: Walser, Michael W., Guglielmo, Kennon H., Shouse, Kenneth R., Grogan, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US12/965,059
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1
• US Class Current: 440/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/10 using sensors, e.g. pressure sensors, strain gauges or accelerometers
• 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: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/00 Maritime or waterways transport

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.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:

an inertia measurement device capable of obtaining a measurement of the acceleration of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined desired velocity of said watercraft and a predetermined desired acceleration of said watercraft; and

a control module comprising an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said predetermined desired velocity, said predetermined desired acceleration, and said acceleration measurement; and

said first engine speed output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

3. The system as in claim 1 or 2 further comprising:

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;

said control module further comprising an engine torque algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said first engine speed output correction and said tachometer speed measurement; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein said control module further comprises:

an additional engine torque algorithm capable of creating a second engine torque output correction corresponding to an input representative of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm, said second engine torque output correction representing a dynamic historical value of the torque required to change the engine speed of an engine propelling said watercraft an amount approximately equal to said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

a torque comparator capable of summing said first engine torque output correction of said engine torque algorithm and said second engine torque output correction of said additional engine torque algorithm, said sum being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

5. The system as in claim 4 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of engine speed correction and torque required to produce said engine speed correction as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine torque algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

6. The system as in claim 5 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

7. The system as in claim 4 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of engine speed and torque required to produce said engine speed as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine torque algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

8. The system as in claim 7 wherein said additional engine torque algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

9. The system as in claim 1 or 2 further comprising:

a tachometer device capable of measuring the revolutions per minute of a drive shaft of said engine propelling said watercraft;

said control module further comprising an engine torque algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said first engine speed output correction and said tachometer revolutions per minute measurement; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein said control module further comprises:

an additional engine torque algorithm capable of creating a second engine torque output correction corresponding to an input representative of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm, said second engine torque output correction representing a dynamic historical value of the torque required to change the engine speed of an engine propelling said watercraft an amount approximately equal to said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

a torque comparator capable of summing said first engine torque output correction of said engine torque algorithm and said second engine torque output correction of said additional engine torque algorithm, said sum being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

11. The system as in claim 1 or 2 further comprising:

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft;

said control module further comprising;

an additional engine speed comparator capable of determining the engine speed error between said first engine speed output correction and said tachometer speed measurement; and

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.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein said control module further comprises:

an additional engine torque algorithm capable of creating a second engine torque output correction corresponding to an input representative of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm, said second engine torque output correction representing a dynamic historical value of the torque required to change the engine speed of an engine propelling said watercraft an amount approximately equal to said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm; and

a torque comparator capable of summing said first engine torque output correction of said engine torque algorithm and said second engine torque output correction of said additional engine torque algorithm, said sum being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

13. The system as in claim 1 or 2 wherein said control module further comprises:

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 second algorithm; and

said sum capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at approximately said predetermined velocity.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein said control module further comprises:

an engine control module capable of using said sum of said first engine speed output correction of said engine speed algorithm and said second engine speed output correction of said additional engine speed algorithm to cause said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

15. The system as in claim 13 wherein said additional engine speed algorithm is capable of building a table of discrete data pairs of velocity magnitude and engine speed of said watercraft as said watercraft is repeatedly operated for calibration over a prevailing set of ambient conditions, said additional engine speed algorithm being capable of determining interpolated and extrapolated data points among and extending from said data pairs collected during said calibration operation of said watercraft.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein said additional engine speed algorithm is capable of determining a condition of predetermined change in a predetermined parameter prior to updating said table.

2. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:

an inertia measurement device capable of obtaining a measurement of the acceleration of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined desired velocity of said watercraft and a predetermined desired acceleration of said watercraft; and

a control module comprising;

an acceleration comparator capable of determining the acceleration magnitude difference between said predetermined desired acceleration and said acceleration measurement; and

an engine speed algorithm capable of creating a first engine speed output correction from said predetermined desired velocity and said acceleration magnitude difference; and

said first engine speed output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

17. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:

an inertia measurement device capable of obtaining a measurement of the acceleration of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined acceleration of 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 predetermined velocity, said acceleration measurement, and said predetermined acceleration; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.

18. A system for controlling the velocity of a watercraft having an engine for propulsion, said system comprising:

an inertia measurement device capable of obtaining a measurement of the acceleration of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined velocity of said watercraft;

a control input device capable of accepting an input of a predetermined acceleration of said watercraft;

a tachometer device capable of measuring the speed of said engine propelling said watercraft; and

a control module, comprising;

an acceleration comparator capable of determining the acceleration magnitude difference between said predetermined desired acceleration and said acceleration measurement; and

an algorithm capable of creating a first engine torque output correction from said tachometer speed measurement, said predetermined velocity, and said acceleration magnitude difference; and

said first engine torque output correction being capable of causing said watercraft to be propelled at substantially said predetermined velocity.