Methods and systems for controlling trim rate of trimmable marine devices with respect to a marine vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12204345-B2
Application number	US-202217585273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A method of automatically controlling trim position of a marine drive with a control system on a marine vessel includes receiving a user-selected command to enter a launch control mode and then controlling a trim actuator to automatically position the marine drive in a tucked position, tucked position is between a vertical trim position and a minimum running trim position. Once a vessel condition of the marine vessel reaches a first threshold vessel condition the trim actuator is controlled to trim up the marine drive to a predetermined target trim position to generate wave behind the marine vessel.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of automatically controlling trim position of a propulsion device on a marine vessel, the method comprising:
receiving a command to enter a launch control mode;
in response to receiving the launch control mode command, controlling a trim actuator to automatically position the propulsion device in a predetermined tucked position prior to operating the propulsion device to output thrust to launch the marine vessel, wherein the predetermined tucked position is a minimum trim position;
while operating the propulsion device to output thrust, detecting a first vessel condition of the marine vessel has reached a first threshold vessel condition, wherein the first vessel condition is a measured vessel pitch and the first threshold vessel condition is threshold vessel pitch;
after detecting that the first threshold vessel condition is reached, determining a trim rate based on a second vessel condition; and
automatically controlling the trim actuator to trim up the propulsion device at the trim rate from the predetermined tucked position to a predetermined target trim position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined target trim position is between a vertical trim position and a maximum running trim position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the propulsion device is trimmed up to the predetermined target trim position to generate a wave behind the marine vessel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second vessel condition includes at least one of a powerhead rotational speed of the propulsion device on the marine vessel and a vessel speed of the marine vessel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vessel condition is a different vessel condition than the second vessel condition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold vessel pitch indicates that the marine vessel is on plane.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second vessel condition includes a powerhead rotational speed being an engine RPM or a motor RPM of the propulsion device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second vessel condition includes an engine load or a motor load of the propulsion device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the trim actuator to begin trimming up the propulsion device at the trim rate to the predetermined target trim position upon expiration of a predetermined time after the marine vessel has reached the first threshold vessel condition.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold vessel pitch is a decrease in pitch after a rapid increase in pitch.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting that a vessel acceleration event has ended when the measured vessel pitch is less than the threshold vessel pitch and/or a vessel acceleration is less than a threshold vessel acceleration and, thereafter, automatically determining the trim rate based on a vessel speed and a powerhead rotational speed.

12. A system for automatically controlling trim position of a propulsion device on a marine vessel, the system comprising:
a variable speed trim actuator configured to rotate the propulsion device about a trim axis at a variable trim rate to position the propulsion device at trim positions between a minimum running trim position and a maximum running trim position;
a control system configured to:
receive a command to enter a launch control mode;
in response to receiving the launch control mode command, control the trim actuator to position the propulsion device in a predetermined tucked position prior to operating the propulsion device to output thrust to launch the marine vessel, wherein the predetermined tucked position is the minimum trim position;
while operating the propulsion device to output thrust, detect that a first vessel condition has reached a first threshold vessel condition, wherein the first vessel condition is a measured vessel pitch and the first threshold vessel condition is threshold vessel pitch;
determine a trim rate based on a second vessel condition; and
after the marine vessel reaches the first threshold vessel condition, control the trim actuator to trim up the propulsion device at the trim rate from the predetermined tucked position to a predetermined target trim position.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second vessel condition includes at least one of a powerhead rotational speed of the propulsion device on the marine vessel and a vessel speed of the marine vessel.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first vessel condition is a different vessel condition than the second vessel condition.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the threshold vessel pitch indicates that the marine vessel is on plane.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control system is further configured to control the trim actuator to begin trimming up the propulsion device at the trim rate to the predetermined target trim position upon expiration of a predetermined time after the marine vessel has reached the first threshold vessel condition.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined target trim position is between a vertical trim position and a maximum running trim position.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the threshold vessel pitch is a decrease in pitch after a rapid increase in pitch.

19. The system of claim 12 , further comprising detecting that a vessel acceleration event has ended when the measured vessel pitch is less than the threshold vessel pitch and/or a vessel acceleration is less than a threshold vessel acceleration and, thereafter, automatically determining the trim rate based on a vessel speed and a powerhead rotational speed.

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Karnick Kyle F
• Przybyl Andrew J
• Anschuetz Steven M

Classifications

• G05D1/49

  Control of attitude, i.e. control of roll, pitch or yaw · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• B63H20/106

  Means enabling lifting of the propulsion element in a substantially vertical, linearly sliding movement · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0875 Primary

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title