Auto-steering system
AssigneeNippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMotoi Iyeta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rudder control circuit for an automatic steering system of the type which includes a known sensor circuit and a reference input circuit selectively connected thereto for easy zero-point calibration separate from the normal control operation is disclosed. The control circuit also includes a high impedance indicator circuit connected to the main feedback line of the control circuit for visual indication of rudder angles with minimized disturbance on the feedback control. The control circuit is further advantageously accompanied by a remote steering unit including a manually adjustable and automatically resettable manual steering circuit for easy steering by single operator.
Claims14
An improved auto-steering system for controlling the angular orientation of a rudder with respect to a neutral reference axis, said auto-steering system comprising:
- a control circuit for adjusting the angular orientation of said rudder as a function of input signals applied to an input terminal thereof;
- a sensor circuit including means for generating desired angular orientation input signals representative of a desired angular orientation of said rudder responsive to environmental factors influencing navigation;
- a reference input circuit which produces a predetermined reference input signal indicative of said neutral reference axis of said rudder;
- and
- a switching mechanism for selectively applying either said desired angular orientation input signals or said reference input signal to said input terminal of said control circuit in such a manner that said rudder is placed in said neutral reference axis when said reference input signal is applied to said input terminal of said control circuit by said switching mechanism for zero-point calibration.
An improved auto-steering system for controlling the angular orientation of a rudder with respect to a neutral reference axis, said auto-steering system comprising:
- a control circuit for adjusting the angular orientation of said rudder as a function of input signals applied to an input terminal thereof, said control circuit including a feedback path;
- a sensor circuit including means for generating desired angular orientation input signals representative of a desired angular orientation of said rudder responsive to environmental factors influencing navigation;
- a reference input signal which produces a predetermined reference input signal indicative of said neutral reference axis of said rudder;
- a switching mechanism for selectively applying either said desired angular orientation input signal or said predetermined reference input signal to said input terminal of said control circuit in such a manner that said rudder is placed in said neutral reference axis when said reference input signal is applied to said input terminal of said control circuit by said switching mechanism for zero-point calibration;
- and
- an indicator circuit having a high impedance input coupled to said feedback path of said control circuit and including a visual indicator of the actual orientation of said rudder, a second input terminal coupled to a variable resistor adapted for zero-point calibration of said indicator circuit and a variable resistor associated with said visual indicator for adjusting the moving ambit of an indicator hand of said visual indicator.
An improved auto-steering system for controlling the angular orientation of a rudder with respect to a neutral reference axis, said auto-steering system comprising:
- a control circuit for adjusting the angular orientation of said rudder as a function of input signals applied to an input terminal thereof;
- a sensor circuit including means for generating desired angular orientation input signals representative of a desired angular orientation of said rudder responsive to environmental factors influencing navigation;
- a reference input circuit which produces a predetermined reference input signal indicative of said neutral reference axis of said rudder;
- a switching mechanism for selectively applying either said desired angular orientation input signal or said predetermined reference input signal to said input terminal of said control circuit in such a manner that said rudder is placed in said neutral reference axis when said reference input signal is applied to said input terminal of said control circuit by said zero switching mechanism for zero-point calibration;
- and
- a main A-M switching mechanism inserted between said switching mechanism and said control circuit, said main A-M switching mechanism being adapted for switching between automatic and manual steerings for navigation, and
- a remote steering unit coupled to said main A-M switching mechanism, said remote control unit including a manual steering circuit and a subsidiary A-M switch which is operationally locked to said main A-M switching mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.