MARINE DRIVE CONTROL OF A MARINE VESSEL IN A CONFIGURED OPERATION MODE

• US 20200033861A1
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Published: 01/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Neathery, Brian, Steinbrink, Jonathan, Marzuq, Hashim, Pulley, Ben, George, Gino
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/12 Means enabling steering
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2020/003 Arrangements of two, or more outboard propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/216 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles

Abstract

An example of controlling a marine vessel is described herein. Some examples involve receiving an input to place a drive system of a marine vessel into an operation mode; positioning, by the device, two or more marine drive units of the drive system in a first configuration based on the input; identifying, by the device and while the drive system is in the operation mode, that respective throttles associated with the two or more marine drive units are in a same drive position; and repositioning, by the device, the two or more marine drive units to a second configuration based on identifying that the respective throttles are in the same drive position.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, an input to place a drive system of a marine vessel into an operation mode;

positioning, by the device, two or more marine drive units of the drive system in a first configuration based on the input;

identifying, by the device and while the drive system is in the operation mode, that respective throttles associated with the two or more marine drive units are in a same drive position; and

repositioning, by the device, the two or more marine drive units to a second configuration based on identifying that the respective throttles are in the same drive position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning the two or more marine drive units to the first configuration when at least one of the respective throttles is retuned to a neutral position, or

returning the two or more marine drive units to the first configuration when the respective throttles are in different drive positions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when in the first configuration, at least one of the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion at a vectored angle relative to a center line of the marine vessel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when in the second configuration, the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion in a direction that is parallel to a center line of the marine vessel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, when in the first configuration, at least one of the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion at a vectored angle relative to a center line of the marine vessel and, when in the second configuration, the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion parallel to the center line of the marine vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, while in the operation mode, the two or more marine drive units are configured to be in respective fixed positions unless at least one of the respective throttles are in the same drive position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the same drive position is a forward position and, when the respective throttles are in the forward position, the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion toward a stem of the marine vessel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the same drive position is a reverse position and, when the respective throttles are in the reverse position, the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion toward a bow of the marine vessel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more marine drive units comprise:

azimuth thrusters,

outboard drives,

inboard/outboard drives, or

jet drives.

10. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive an operation mode input to place a drive system, of a marine vessel, into an operation mode;

configure a first marine drive unit and a second marine drive unit to be positioned in a first configuration based on the operation mode input,

wherein the first configuration corresponds to positioning the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit for control of the marine vessel while the drive system is in the operation mode;

identify, while the drive system is in the operation mode, that a first throttle and a second throttle are both in a same drive position,

wherein the first throttle is associated with the first marine drive unit and the second throttle is associated with the second marine drive unit; and

configure the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to be repositioned into a second configuration while both the first throttle and the second throttle are in the same drive position.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further to:

configure the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to return to the first configuration when at least one of the first throttle or the second throttle is retuned to a neutral position.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the same drive position comprises a forward position and the one or more processors are further to:

configure the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to return to the first configuration when one of the first throttle or the second throttle is placed in a reverse position.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein, while in the operation mode, the one or more processors are to configure the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to be fixed in the first configuration unless the first throttle and the second throttle are in the same drive position.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein when the first throttle and the second throttle are in the same drive position, the first throttle and the second throttle are both in a forward position or the first throttle and the second throttle are both in a reverse position.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors, when identifying that the first throttle and the second throttle are in the same drive position, are to:

determine that the first throttle and the second throttle are both in the same drive position for a threshold time period.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein when in the first configuration, the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit are configured to generate propulsion at respective angles relative to a center line of the marine vessel and, when in the second configuration, the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit are both configured to generate propulsion in a same direction that is parallel to the center line of the marine vessel.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

monitor the first throttle and the second throttle based on receiving the operation mode input to identify respective throttle positions, of the first throttle and the second throttle, relative to a detent of the first throttle and the second throttle,

wherein the first throttle and the second throttle are in the same drive position when the respective throttle positions are on a same side of the detent and the first throttle and the second throttle are in a neutral position when the respective throttle positions are aligned with the detent.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein, while in the operation mode, the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit are configured to provide forward propulsion at respective fixed angles relative to a center line of the marine vessel, and wherein the one or more processors are to:

determine that the same drive position comprises a reverse position; and

configure the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to provide reverse propulsion relative to the marine vessel.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive an input to place a drive system, of a marine vessel, into an operation mode;

position two or more marine drive units, of the drive system, in a first configuration based on the input,

wherein, when in the first configuration, each of the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion in different directions relative to a center line of the marine vessel;

identify, while the drive system is in the operation mode, that a throttle control, associated with the two or more marine drive units, is in a same drive position; and

position the two or more marine drive units into a second configuration based on the throttle control being in the same drive position,

wherein, when in the second configuration, each of the two or more marine drive units are configured to generate propulsion in a same direction relative to the center line of the marine vessel.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein when the drive system is in the operation mode, the throttle control controls a position of the two or more marine drive units and an amount of fuel to the two or more marine drive units and when the drive system is not in the operation mode, the throttle control does not control the position of the two or more marine drive units.