System and method for controlling position of a marine drive
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsTravis C. Malouf, Matthew W. Snyder, Jason S. Arbuckle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a marine drive on a marine vessel includes receiving a trim position instruction to adjust a trim position of the marine drive and determining an allowable steering angle range based on the trim positon instruction or adjusted trim positon of the marine drive. A trim actuator is controlled to adjust the trim position of the marine drive based on the trim position instruction and a steering actuator is controlled to automatically adjust steering positon of the marine drive to remain within the allowable steering range.
Claims20
A method of controlling a marine drive on a marine vessel, the method comprising:
- receiving a trim position instruction to adjust a trim position of the marine drive;
- determining an allowable steering angle range based on the trim position instruction and/or the adjusted trim position of the marine drive;
- and
- controlling a trim actuator to adjust the trim position of the marine drive based on the trim position instruction and controlling a steering actuator to automatically adjust a steering position of the marine drive to remain within the allowable steering angle range.
A system for controlling position of a marine drive on a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- a user input device operable by a user to input a trim position instruction to adjust a trim position of the marine drive;
- a trim actuator configured to adjust a trim position of the marine drive in response to the trim position instruction;
- a steering actuator configured to adjust a steering position of the marine drive;
- a controller configured to:
- receive the trim position instruction;
- determine an allowable steering angle range based on the trim position instruction;
- and
- control a trim actuator to adjust the trim position of the marine drive based on the trim position instruction and to automatically control a steering actuator to adjust a steering position of the marine drive to remain within the allowable steering angle range.
A propulsion system for a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- a plurality or marine drives configured to propel a marine vessel;
- a user input device operable by a user to input a trim position instruction to adjust a trim position of one or more of the marine drives;
- a trim actuator for each marine drive configured to adjust a trim position of the respective marine drive in response to the trim position instruction;
- a steering actuator for each marine drive configured to adjust a steering position of the respective marine drive;
- and
- a controller for each marine drive configured to control the trim position and the steering position of the respective marine drive so as to force the respective marine drive toward a centered steering position as the trim position increases toward a maximum trim position so as to avoid collision between adjacent marine drives when effectuating trim position adjustments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.