Engine Detection

• US 20160225195A1
• Filed: 02/03/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaynor, Phillip King
• Granted Patent: US 9,728,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/02 not involving the registering, indicating or recording of other data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, may cause the computer to detect electrical noise corresponding to one or more engines starting or running. The computer may record a first timestamp corresponding to the engines starting or running. The computer may detect that the engines have stopped. The computer may record a second timestamp corresponding to the engines stopping. The computer may also use the first and second timestamps to determine engine runtimes.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

detect electrical noise corresponding to one or more engines starting or running;

record a first timestamp corresponding to the engines starting or running;

detect that the engines have stopped;

record a second timestamp corresponding to the engines stopping; and

use the first and second timestamps to determine engine runtimes.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to transmit the first timestamp, second timestamp, engine runtimes, or combinations thereof to a cloud software service.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

retrieve a total engine hours value; and

add an engine runtime to the total engine hours value.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

retrieve a number of hours corresponding to a next scheduled maintenance;

determine a difference between the total engine hours value and the next scheduled maintenance number of hours; and

display the difference.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

analyze electrical noise emitted by an engine to determine a revolutions per minute (RPM) corresponding to the engine; and

display the RPM.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to:

analyze electrical noise emitted by the engines to determine a type of engine; and

record the type of engine.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect electrical noise corresponding to the engines starting or running comprise computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect electrical noise on a direct current (DC) electrical system coupled to the engines and a marine electronics device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect electrical noise corresponding to the engines starting or running further comprise computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to disable an electrical noise filter.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect that the engines have stopped comprise computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to monitor electrical noise to detect that electrical noise corresponding to the engines is not being emitted.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to detect time periods where the engines are idling by monitoring the electrical noise corresponding to the engines.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect electrical noise corresponding to the engines starting or running comprise computer-executable instructions that cause the computer to detect electrical noise corresponding to a frequency signature of an engine.

12. An apparatus for displaying marine electronic data, comprising:

one or more processors;

a screen configured to display marine data; and

memory having a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

detect electrical noise corresponding to one or more engines starting or running;

record a first timestamp corresponding to the engines starting or running;

detect that the engines have stopped;

record a second timestamp corresponding to the engines stopping; and

use the first and second timestamps to determine engine runtimes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the processors to transmit the engine runtimes to a cloud software service.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the processors to:

retrieve a total engine hours value corresponding to an engine; and

add an engine runtime to the total engine hours value.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions that cause the processors to detect electrical noise corresponding the engines starting or running comprise executable instructions that cause the processors to detect electrical noise on a direct current (DC) electrical system.

16. A method for detecting engine hours, comprising:

detecting electrical noise corresponding to an engine running, wherein the engine is connected to a direct current (DC) electrical system and the electrical noise is detected by a computerized device connected to the electrical system;

monitoring the electrical noise to determine the amount of time that the engine is running; and

storing a record, on the computerized device, of the amount of time that the engine is running.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring the electrical noise to determine the amount of time that the engine is running comprises:

detecting that an engine has started; and

detecting that the engine has stopped.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting time periods when the engine is idling; and

storing a record describing the time periods when the engine is idling.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting the record of the amount of time that the engine is running to a cloud software service.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring the electrical noise to determine the amount of time that the engine is running further comprises:

monitoring the electrical noise to detect revolutions per minute (RPM) of the engine while the engine is running; and

storing a record describing the RPM of the engine while the engine is running.