Systems and methods for positioning a marine vessel
First Claim
1. A system for orienting a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- a marine propulsion device;
a control circuit that controls operation of the marine propulsion device;
a user input device that inputs to the control circuit a user-desired global position and a user-desired heading of the marine vessel;
wherein the control circuit calculates a position difference between the user-desired global position and an actual global position of the marine vessel;
wherein, when the position difference is greater than a threshold distance from the user-desired global position and an actual heading of the marine vessel is not oriented towards the user-desired global position, the control circuit provides no authority for the marine vessel to translate in a fore/aft direction and a left/right direction and controls the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to yaw until the actual heading is oriented towards the user-desired global position;
wherein, when the position difference is greater than the threshold distance and the actual heading is oriented towards the user-desired global position, the control circuit thereafter controls the marine propulsion device to drive the marine vessel in forward gear so as to minimize the position difference;
wherein, when the position difference is less than the threshold distance and the actual heading is not equal to the user-desired heading, the control circuit provides an increasing amount of authority for the marine vessel to translate in the fore/aft direction and the left/right direction and at the same time controls the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to yaw so as to minimize a difference between the actual heading and the user-desired heading; and
wherein, when the position difference is less than the threshold distance and the actual heading is equal to the user-desired heading, the control circuit provides full authority for the marine vessel to translate in the fore/aft direction and the left/right direction so as to minimize the position difference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are for orienting a marine vessel having a marine propulsion device. A control circuit controls operation of the marine propulsion device. A user input device inputs to the control circuit a user-desired global position and a user-desired heading of the marine vessel. The control circuit calculates a position difference between the user-desired global position and an actual global position of the marine vessel and controls the marine propulsion device to minimize the position difference. The control circuit controls the marine propulsion device to orient an actual heading of the marine vessel towards the user-desired global position when the position difference is greater than a threshold. When the position difference is less than the threshold, the control circuit controls the marine propulsion device to minimize a difference between the actual heading and the user-desired heading while minimizing the position difference.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for orienting a marine vessel, the system comprising:
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a marine propulsion device; a control circuit that controls operation of the marine propulsion device; a user input device that inputs to the control circuit a user-desired global position and a user-desired heading of the marine vessel; wherein the control circuit calculates a position difference between the user-desired global position and an actual global position of the marine vessel; wherein, when the position difference is greater than a threshold distance from the user-desired global position and an actual heading of the marine vessel is not oriented towards the user-desired global position, the control circuit provides no authority for the marine vessel to translate in a fore/aft direction and a left/right direction and controls the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to yaw until the actual heading is oriented towards the user-desired global position; wherein, when the position difference is greater than the threshold distance and the actual heading is oriented towards the user-desired global position, the control circuit thereafter controls the marine propulsion device to drive the marine vessel in forward gear so as to minimize the position difference; wherein, when the position difference is less than the threshold distance and the actual heading is not equal to the user-desired heading, the control circuit provides an increasing amount of authority for the marine vessel to translate in the fore/aft direction and the left/right direction and at the same time controls the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to yaw so as to minimize a difference between the actual heading and the user-desired heading; and wherein, when the position difference is less than the threshold distance and the actual heading is equal to the user-desired heading, the control circuit provides full authority for the marine vessel to translate in the fore/aft direction and the left/right direction so as to minimize the position difference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for orienting a marine vessel having at least one marine propulsion device coupled to the marine vessel, the method comprising:
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receiving user inputs for a user-desired global position and a user-desired heading of the marine vessel; receiving measured values of an actual global position and an actual heading of the marine vessel; calculating a position difference between the user-desired global, position and the actual global position; when the position difference is greater than a threshold distance from the user-desired global position, controlling the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to yaw until an actual heading of the marine vessel is oriented towards the user-desired global position, while at the sane time limiting translation of the marine vessel in a fore/aft direction and a left/right direction; once the actual heading of the marine vessel is oriented towards the user-desired global position, thereafter controlling the marine propulsion device to drive the marine vessel in forward gear so as to minimize the position difference; and when the position difference is less than the threshold distance from the user-desired global position, controlling the marine propulsion device to thereafter cause the marine vessel to yaw until the actual heading equals the user-desired heading, and thereafter controlling the marine propulsion device to cause the marine vessel to translate in the fore/aft direction and the left/right direction so as to minimize the position difference. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification