Lanyard system and method for a marine vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618538-B2
Application number	US-202016786207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A vessel control system for a marine vessel propelled by at least one propulsion device includes a wireless lanyard system including at least one fob worn by an individual on the marine vessel and a helm transceiver at a helm area of the marine vessel configured to receive radio signals from the at least one fob. A controller is configured to detect, based on communications between each of the at least one fob and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob is present on the marine vessel. A missing fob is detected if at least one of the fobs is no longer detected at the helm transceiver, and then a man overboard event is generated. The vessel control system is configured to automatically activate one or more search assistance functions based on the man overboard event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vessel control system for a marine vessel propelled by at least one propulsion device, the system comprising:
a wireless lanyard system including:
at least one fob worn by an individual on the marine vessel;
a helm transceiver at a helm area of the marine vessel configured to receive radio signals from the at least one fob;
a vessel network on the marine vessel that communicatively links a controller and at least one digital switching node connected to at least one of a searchlight, an underwater light, an anchor, and a stereo;

a controller configured to:
detect, based on communications between each of the at least one fob and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob is present on the marine vessel;
determine that a missing fob of the at least one fob is no longer detected at the helm transceiver;
generate a man overboard event when the missing fob is not detected by communicating a man overboard message on the vessel network; and

wherein, upon receipt of the man overboard event, the digital switching node activates at least one search assistance function, including at least one of turning on the searchlight, turning on the underwater light, controlling one or more lights to generate an SOS alert, dropping the anchor, reducing a volume of the stereo, and turning off the stereo.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an engine controller associated with the at least one propulsion device and configured to receive the man overboard event via the vessel network and then to automatically control the at least one propulsion device to stop propelling the marine vessel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one activated search assistance function further includes recording at least one of a GPS location and IMU data in a memory of the controller.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fob includes an operator fob and at least one passenger fob; and
wherein the at least one search assistance functions activated depend on whether the missing fob is the operator fob or the passenger fob.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein, if the missing fob is the operator fob, the search assistance functions include at least one of controlling one or more lights to generate the SOS alert and dropping the anchor.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein, if the missing fob is the passenger fob, the search assistance functions include at least one of turning on the at least one searchlight, turning on the at least one underwater light, reducing the volume of the stereo, and turning off the stereo.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein, if the missing fob is the operator fob, the search assistance functions include automatically controlling the at least one propulsion device to stop propelling the marine vessel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one propulsion device to stop propelling the marine vessel includes reducing a rotational speed of the at least one propulsion device to an idle set point and then automatically shifting a gear system of the at least one propulsion device to a neutral position.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that no fob is detected on the marine vessel, and then to control the one or more lights to generate the SOS alert.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured such that no man overboard event is generated when a gear system of the at least one propulsion device is in a neutral position or the at least one propulsion device is off.

11. A method of controlling a marine vessel, the method comprising:
operating a lanyard system to detect a fob worn by an individual present on the marine vessel;
determining that the fob is no longer detected;
generating a man overboard event when the fob is not detected by communicating a man overboard message on a vessel network to at least one digital switching node connected to at least one of a searchlight, an underwater light, an anchor, and a stereo; and
upon receipt of the man overboard event, operating the at least one digital switching node to automatically activate one or more search assistance functions based on the man overboard event, including at least one of turning on the at least one searchlight, turning on at the least one underwater light, controlling the one or more lights to generate an SOS alert, dropping the anchor, reducing the stereo volume, and turning off the stereo.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fob is a lanyard connectable to a switch when the individual is present at a helm of the marine vessel, and wherein determining that the fob is no longer detected includes determining that the lanyard is no longer connected to the switch.

13. A method of controlling a marine vessel, the method comprising:
operating a wireless lanyard system to receive, at a helm transceiver at a helm area of the marine vessel, radio signals from at least one fob worn by an individual on the marine vessel;
detecting, based on communications between each of the at least one fob and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob is present on the marine vessel;
determining that a missing fob of the at least one fob is no longer detected at the helm transceiver;
generating a man overboard event when the missing fob is not detected by communicating a man overboard message on a vessel network to at least one digital switching node connected to at least one of a searchlight, an underwater light, an anchor, and a stereo; and
upon receipt of the man overboard event at the digital switching node, operating the at least one digital switching node to activate at least one search assistance function, including at least one of turning on the searchlight, turning on the underwater light, controlling one or more lights to generate an SOS alert, dropping the anchor, reducing a volume of the stereo, and turning off the stereo.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising detecting that a gear system of a propulsion device is shifted out of a neutral position prior to operating the wireless lanyard system to receive the radio signals from the at least one fob such that no man overboard event is generated when the gear system of the propulsion device is in the neutral position or the propulsion device is off.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving the man overboard event via the vessel network at an engine controller associated with the at at least one propulsion device and then automatically controlling the at least one propulsion device to stop propelling the marine vessel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fob includes an operator fob and at least one passenger fob; and
wherein the search assistance functions activated depend on whether the missing fob includes the operator fob or the passenger fob.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein, if the missing fob is the operator fob, the search assistance functions include at least one of controlling the one or more lights to generate the SOS alert, dropping the anchor, and automatically controlling a propulsion device to stop propelling the marine vessel; and
wherein, if the missing fob is the passenger fob, the search assistance functions include at least one of turning on the at least one searchlight, turning on the at least one underwater light, reducing the volume of the stereo, and turning off the stereo.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining that no fob is detected on the marine vessel, and wherein the search assista

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp
• Fell Marine Inc

Inventors

• Gonring Steven J
• Ross Walter B
• Eriksen Fredrik
• Røine Christian Frost

Classifications

• G01S1/7038

  Signal details · CPC title

• G01S2201/08

  Marine or water borne applications · CPC title

• B63H2021/216

  using electric control means · CPC title

• B63B79/40 Primary

  for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules · CPC title

• B63B45/02

  the devices being intended to illuminate the way ahead or other areas of environments · CPC title