US 10,594,510 B1Granted

Marine propulsion control system and method with automatic CAN addressing

AssigneeBrunswick Corporation

InventorsJason S. Arbuckle, Kent A. Prochazka, Thomas S. Kirchhoff

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Abstract

A controller associated with a propulsion device in a marine propulsion system stores computer-executable instructions to perform a method of automatically configuring at least one other controller associated with the propulsion device. The method includes storing a controller CAN address that identifies a propulsion device position of the propulsion device in the marine propulsion system, and then receiving an identification CAN message communicating an initial CAN address from the other controller via a dedicated CAN bus, wherein the initial CAN address contains initial propulsion device position information. The initial CAN address is compared to the controller CAN address to determine whether the initial propulsion device position information correctly identifies the propulsion device position and, if it does not, the controller sends a change CAN message via the dedicated CAN bus to change the initial CAN address of the other controller to a correct CAN address identifying the propulsion device position.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A controller associated with a propulsion device in a marine propulsion system, the controller having computer-executable instructions stored thereon executed by a processor to perform a method of automatically configuring at least one other controller associated with the propulsion device in a marine propulsion system, the method comprising:

storing a controller CAN address that identifies a propulsion device position of the propulsion device in the marine propulsion system;
receiving an identification CAN message communicating an initial CAN address from the other controller via a dedicated controller area network (CAN) bus, wherein the initial CAN address is a CAN address stored in memory of the other controller containing initial propulsion device position information;
comparing the initial CAN address to the controller CAN address to determine whether the initial propulsion device position information correctly identifies the propulsion device position;
identifying an incorrect address based on the comparison, where the initial CAN address does not correctly identify the propulsion device position;
and
upon identifying the incorrect address, sending a change address CAN message via the dedicated CAN bus from the controller to change the initial CAN address stored in memory of the other controller to a correct CAN address that identifies the propulsion device position.

3 more elements

A marine propulsion system comprising:

at least a first propulsion device at a first propulsion device position on a marine vessel;
a first engine controller (ECM) communicatively connected to the first propulsion device to effectuate control thereof, the first ECM having an initial ECM CAN address stored in memory;
a first helm controller (HCM) having a first HCM CAN address stored in memory, wherein the first HCM CAN address identifies the first propulsion device position;
a first dedicated controller area network (CAN) bus communicatively connecting the first ECM and the first HCM so as to communicate CAN messages therebetween;
wherein the first HCM is configured to:
receive an identification CAN message communicating an initial ECM CAN address from the first ECM via the first dedicated CAN bus;
compare the initial ECM CAN address to the first HCM CAN address to determine whether the initial ECM CAN address correctly identifies the first propulsion device position;
identify an incorrect ECM CAN address based on the comparison, where the initial ECM CAN address does not correctly identify the first propulsion device position;
and
send a change address CAN message via the first dedicated CAN bus from the first HCM to change the initial ECM CAN address stored in memory of the first ECM to a correct first ECM CAN address that identifies the first propulsion device position.

7 more elements

A method of configuring a marine propulsion system, the method comprising:

providing at least a first propulsion device at a first propulsion device position on a marine vessel;
providing a first engine controller (ECM) communicatively connected to the first propulsion device to effectuate control thereof, the first ECM having an initial ECM CAN address stored in memory;
providing a first helm controller (HCM) having a first HCM CAN address stored in memory, wherein the first HCM CAN address identifies the first propulsion device position;
providing a first dedicated controller area network (CAN) bus communicatively connecting the first ECM and the first HCM so as to communicate CAN messages therebetween;
at the first HCM:
receiving an identification CAN message communicating an initial ECM CAN address from the first ECM via the first dedicated CAN bus;
comparing the initial ECM CAN address to the first HCM CAN address to determine whether the initial ECM CAN address correctly identifies the first propulsion device position;
identifying an incorrect ECM CAN address based on the comparison, where the initial ECM CAN address does not correctly identify the first propulsion device position;
and
upon identifying the incorrect ECM CAN address, sending a change address CAN message via the first dedicated CAN bus from the first HCM to change the initial ECM CAN address stored in memory of the first ECM to a correct first ECM CAN address that identifies the first propulsion device position.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.