Automated trim tab adjustment system method and apparatus
OwnerBob Brooks, Jim Mateerinventors
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Abstract
A trim tab control system adapted to adjust trim tabs to optimize the velocity of a water vessel. The trim tab control system is adapted to have a tilt sensor and a velocity sensor in communication with the microcontroller where the microcontroller records the position of the trim tabs based on trim tab adjustments that the trim tab control system initiates, as well as trim tab adjustments initiated by the helmsman of the water vessel.
Claims42
A trim tab control system adapted to control left and right trim tabs on a water vessel, the trim tabs adapted to actuate up or down and the water vessel having a longitudinal and lateral axis and a helm with a trim tab control module, the trim tab control system comprising:
- a) a microcontroller having a plurality of data input lines and output lines,
- b) a control circuit adapted to actuate the left or right trim tabs, the control circuit in communication with at least one of the output lines of the microprocessor,
- c) a tilt sensor adapted to determine the amount of tilt about a longitudinal axis of the water vessel,
- d) a velocity sensor comprising a GPS unit adapted to transmit signals to a data input line of the microcontroller representing a measured velocity of the water vessel,
- e) whereas the microcontroller having logic to condition the signal received from the velocity sensor to determine an actionable velocity value is compared to a previously recorded actionable velocity value, where if the actionable velocity value is greater than the previously recorded actionable velocity value, the trim tabs are actuated in the same direction as the previously set direction;
- alternatively, if the actionable velocity value is less than the previously recorded actionable velocity value, the trim tabs actuate in the opposite direction than the previous trim tab adjustment direction, where the position of the trim tabs are monitored by the microcontroller from the power line which activates the trim tabs when the trim tabs are repositioned at the trim tab control module.
A method of adjusting port and starboard trim tabs of a water vessel, the method comprising:
- integrating a trim tab control system to a water vessel where the trim tab control system is in communication with power lines that control the movement of the left and right trim tabs,
- a) employing a microcontroller having a plurality of data input lines and data output lines,
- b) employing a velocity sensor employing a GPS system adapted to sense a measured velocity of the water vessel and transmit a signal representing the measured velocity to the microprocessor,
- c) reading the signal representing the measured velocity of the water vessel in the microcontroller and engaging in a conditioning step where the signal representing the measured velocity is used to determine if the signal is sufficiently distinct from time adjacent signals for further calculation,
- d) utilizing an actionable data value where the actionable data value represents a determined velocity of the water vessel where the data value is compared to a previously recorded actionable data value such that if the data value represents a greater velocity than the previous data value the trim tabs are actuated in a same direction as the previous trim tab adjustment, and if the actionable data value is less than the previously recorded actionable data value, the trim tabs are adjusted in an opposite direction as the previous trim tab adjustment.
A method of controlling port and starboard trim tabs on a boat having a longitudinal axis and further having a manual trim tab control interface having manual control lines interfacing with trim tab actuators where the control lines control upward and downward movement of each trim tab, the method comprising:
- a) integrating a trim tab controller having trim tab control lines to the manual control lines of the boat that are in communication with the manual control interface and having the trim tab control lines provide independent control of the trim tabs,
- b) providing a GPS sensor adapted to take GPS readings,
- c) conditioning the GPS readings to form actionable velocity data values of the boat,
- d) adjusting the trim tabs based upon the actionable velocity data values whereby an increase in velocity repositions the trim tabs in the same direction as the last trim tab adjustment and a decrease of the actionable velocity values repositions the trim tabs in the opposite direction as the last trim tab adjustment,
- e) providing a tilt sensor to monitor the rotational position of the boat about the longitudinal axis whereby if the boat rotates about the longitudinal axis and a list develops, a trim tab is repositioned to correct the list,
- f) repositioning the trim tabs after a predetermined time interval following the last trim tab repositioning to ensure the boat is traveling at a more optimal velocity.
A control system adapted to adjust port and starboard trim tabs on a boat having trim tab data lines in communication with an actuating system to control the port and starboard trim tabs that are in communication with a manual trim tab interface, the control system comprising:
- a) a plurality of control data lines in electrical communication with the trim tab data lines to provide independent control of the actuating system that is adapted to control the port and starboard trim tabs,
- b) a GPS sensor adapted to receive GPS signals,
- c) a microprocessor connected to the control data lines and adapted to supply voltage thereto, the microprocessor adapted to receive signals from the GPS sensor and condition raw GPS data from the GPS sensor whereby the raw GPS data is averaged from time adjacent raw GPS data points and smaller velocity changes occurring over a greater time increment and relatively greater velocity changes over smaller time increments is the criteria for the raw GPS data to produce actionable data points,
- d) whereas the microprocessor determines whether the boat is at a proper minimum velocity to warrant altering the tab position and the microcontroller compares an actionable data point compared to a previously recorded actionable data point and the trim tabs are manipulated to maximize the velocity of the boat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.