Marine drive control of a marine vessel in a configured operation mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10642273-B2
Application number	US-201816047209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A marine vessel may be controlled by a device receiving an input to place a drive system of a marine vessel into an operation mode; positioning two or more marine drive units of the drive system in a first configuration based on the input; identifying, 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 the two or more marine drive units to a second configuration based on identifying that the respective throttles are in the same drive position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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;
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; and
returning, by the device, 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 when the respective throttles are in different drive positions.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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 stern of the marine vessel.

7. 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.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more marine drive units comprise:
azimuth thrusters,
outboard drives,
inboard/outboard drives, or

jet drives.

9. 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;

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; and
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 or when the first throttle and the second throttle are in different drive positions.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein, when configuring the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to return to the first configuration, the one or more processors are 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 Hall the neutral position.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein, when configuring the first marine drive unit and the second marine drive unit to return to the first configuration, the one or more processors are 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.

12. The device of claim 9 , 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.

13. The device of claim 9 , 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.

14. The device of claim 9 , 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.

15. The device of claim 9 , 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.

16. The device of claim 9 , 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.

17. The device of claim 9 , 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.

18. 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

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Neathery Brian
• Steinbrink Jonathan
• Marzuq Hashim
• Pulley Ben
• George Gino

Classifications

• B63H2021/216

  using electric control means · CPC title

• B63H25/42

  Steering or dynamic anchoring by propulsive elements (by jets B63H25/46); Steering or dynamic anchoring by propellers used therefor only; Steering or dynamic anchoring by rudders carrying propellers · CPC title

• B63H21/21 Primary

  Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels · CPC title

• B63H20/12 Primary

  Means enabling steering · CPC title

• B63H2020/003

  Arrangements of two, or more outboard propulsion units · CPC title