Combination pursuit and compensatory display system

An automated system for assisting a human operator to control the helm angle of a ship control system comprising:

• computing means to repetitively calculate an optimum value of said helm angle;
• sensor means to provide said computing means with the data needed to calculate said helm angle, said sensor means including means for measuring the ship speed and the ship's actual heading, means for acquiring and storing the ordered value of ship heading and means for said operator to enter instructions and numerical constants into said computing means;
• a control means adjustable by said operator to maintain direct and continuous control over said helm angle;
• and
• a display means which continuously presents to said operator the optimum value of said helm angle most recently calculated by said computing means and which also presents the value of said helm angle determined by said control means.

An apparatus for assisting a human operator to control the helm angle of a ship control system comprising:

• computing means for repetitively calculating optimum values of said helm angle;
• sensor means for providing said computing means with the data needed to calculate said helm angle;
• said sensor means including means for measuring the ship's speed, and ship's actual heading, means for said operator to enter instructions and numerical constants into said computing means;
• a control means adjustable by said operator to maintain direct and continuous control over said helm angle, said control means including a ship helm wheel which provides values of ordered rudder angle;
• a display means which continuously presents to said operator the optimum value of said helm angle most recently calculated by said computing means, the value of said ordered rudder angle provided by said helm wheel, and the direction in which said helm wheel should be moved to cause the ordered rudder angle to equal the calculated optimum helm angle.

A system for assisting a helmsman steering a ship comprising:

• a helm wheel which is positioned by the helmsman and which provides an ordered rudder angle to a rudder actuator system;
• a computer which repetitively calculates an optimum helm angle for the ship;
• a plurality of sensors to provide said computer with data needed to calculate said optimum helm angle, said sensors including a gyrocompass, an underwater speed meter, and an ordered heading entry switch;
• a display device which shows the helmsman both the value of optimum helm angle most recently calculated by said computer and the value of ordered rudder angle provided by said helm wheel to said rudder actuator system.

A system for assisting a human operator to adjust, in an optimal manner, the ordered value of an output parameter of a ship motion control device, comprising:

• computing means for repetitively calculating an optimum ordered value of a ship motion control device output parameter;
• sensor means for providing the computing means with the data needed to calculate the optimum ordered value;
• control means adjustable by the operator for directly and continuously setting an ordered value of the output parameter;
• display means for continuously presenting to the operator the most recently calculated optimum ordered value of the output parameter, the ordered value of the output parameter set by the operator using the control means, and the direction and significance of the error between the optimum ordered value and the set ordered value.