System and method for steering wheel correction on a marine vessel
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorSteven J. Gonring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling steering alignment in a marine vessel includes detecting a rotational position of a steering device and detecting a rotational addition of a steerable component, wherein the steerable component is couplable to a marine vessel and steerable to a plurality of positions so as to vary the direction of movement of the marine vessel. The rotational position of the steering device and the rotational position of the steerable component are then compared. The operation between the steering device and the steerable component is then automatically adjusted while the steering device is moved by a user until alignment between the steering device and the steerable component is reached.
Claims16
A method of controlling steering alignment in a marine vessel, the method comprising:
- detecting a rotational position of a steering device;
- detecting a rotational position of a steerable component, wherein the steerable component is couplable to the marine vessel and steerable to a plurality of positions so as to control a direction of movement of the marine vessel;
- comparing the rotational position of the steering device to the rotational position of the steerable component;
- detecting a misalignment between the steering device and the steerable component, wherein the misalignment is independent of a steering command by a user to vary the direction of movement of the marine vessel;
- and
- automatically adjusting relative operation between the steering device and the steerable component while the steering device is moved by the user to control the direction of movement of the marine vessel until alignment between the steering device and the steerable component is reached.
A method of controlling steering alignment in a marine vessel, the method comprising:
- detecting a rotational position of a steering device;
- detecting a rotational position of a steerable component, where in the steerable component is couplable to the marine vessel and steerable to a plurality of positions so as to vary a direction of movement of the marine vessel;
- comparing the rotational position of the steering device to the rotational position of the steerable component;
- detecting a misalignment between the steering device and the steerable component, wherein the misalignment is independent of a steering command by a user to vary the direction of movement of the marine vessel;
- calculating an aligned position of the steerable component that corresponds with the rotational position of the steering device;
- and
- automatically rotating the steerable component incrementally towards the aligned position, wherein the rotation of the steerable component is independent of a steering command by the user.
A system for controlling steering alignment in a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- a steering position sensor that senses a rotational position of a steering device;
- a component position sensor that senses a rotational position of a steerable component coupled to the marine vessel and steerable to a plurality of positions so as to vary a direction of movement of the marine vessel;
- a steering actuator communicatively connected to the steering device and the steerable component to actuate steering of the marine vessel;
- a controller communicatively connected to the steering actuator;
- and
- wherein the controller compares the rotational position of the steering device to the rotational position of the steerable component and controls the steering actuator to change a steering ratio between the steering device and the steerable component while the steering device is moved by a user to require relatively more movement of the steering device in one rotational direction than in an opposite rotational direction to adjust alignment between the steering device and the steerable component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.