Marine propulsion system and method for wake control
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsAadish Dilip Naik, Brandon L. Tate, Trevor George
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling propulsion of a marine vessel includes receiving an instruction to engage a wake control mode and then automatically effectuating a steering change and/or a propulsion output change. A vessel orientation response to the steering change and/or the propulsion output change is measured and a determination of whether a wake zone requirement is met is made based on the orientation response. If the orientation requirement is met, a current propulsion output that meets the wake zone requirement is maintained. If the orientation requirement is not met, a further steering change and/or further propulsion output change is automatically effectuated until the wake zone requirement is met.
Claims22
A propulsion control system for a marine vessel comprising:
- a propulsion device;
- a steering actuator configured to steer the propulsion device about a steering axis;
- an orientation sensor configured to sense a heading of the marine vessel;
- one or more controllers configured to:
- receive an instruction to engage a wake control mode;
- automatically control the steering actuator to effectuate a first steering change in a first direction;
- monitor a heading change of the marine vessel sensed by the orientation sensor and detect whether a first threshold heading change occurs in response to the first steering change;
- determine whether a minimum steerage speed requirement is met based on whether the first threshold heading change occurs;
- and
- control a propulsion output of the propulsion device so that the minimum steerage speed requirement is met.
A method of controlling propulsion of a marine vessel, the method comprising:
- receiving an instruction to engage a wake control mode;
- automatically effectuating a steering change;
- measuring a vessel orientation response to the steering change;
- determining whether a wake zone requirement is met based on the vessel orientation response, including whether a threshold heading change occurs in response to the steering change;
- when the wake zone requirement is met, controlling at least one propulsion device to maintain a current propulsion output that meets the wake zone requirement;
- and
- when the wake zone requirement is not met, controlling at least one propulsion device to automatically effectuate further steering change until the wake zone requirement is met.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.