A method of generating a topological map of a ship system and related apparatus

Abstract

This application provides a method, apparatus, outboard motor, ship, and storage medium for generating a topology diagram of a ship system. Multiple access devices in the ship system communicate via a communication bus of the ship system. The method includes: acquiring device identification information sent by each access device via the communication bus; determining description information of the ship system's topology based on the device identification information, the description information representing the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus; and sending the description information to a display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology diagram and displays it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of topology mapping technology for ship systems, and more particularly to a method, apparatus, outboard motor, ship, and storage medium for generating topology mapping of ship systems. Background Technology

[0002] A ship system topology diagram can show users which access devices are included in the ship system and the connection relationships between them. However, ship system topology diagrams usually need to be manually generated by users based on the composition of the ship system, which is inefficient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this application provides a method, apparatus, outboard motor, ship, and storage medium for generating a topology map of a ship system.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, a method for generating a topology map of a ship system is provided, wherein multiple access devices of the ship system communicate through a communication bus of the ship system; the method includes: obtaining device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus; and determining description information of the topology structure of the ship system based on the device identification information, wherein the description information is used to characterize the connection relationship between each of the access devices and the communication bus;

[0005] The description information is sent to a display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present application, an apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system is provided, wherein multiple access devices of the ship system communicate through a communication bus of the ship system. The apparatus includes: a first acquisition module configured to acquire device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus; and a first determination module configured to determine description information of the topology of the ship system based on the device identification information, wherein the description information is used to characterize the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus.

[0007] The first sending module is configured to send the description information to a display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, an outboard motor is provided, the outboard motor comprising: a propeller; a motor for driving the propeller to rotate; and a processor connected to the motor, the processor being configured to execute the method for generating a topology map of a ship system as described in any embodiment of this application.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a ship is provided, comprising: a hull; and an outboard motor as described in any embodiment of this application, wherein the outboard motor is mounted on the hull.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for generating a topology map of a ship system as described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0011] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application may include the following beneficial effects:

[0012] In this embodiment, device identification information sent by each access device via the communication bus is obtained, and a description of the ship system's topology is generated based on the obtained device identification information. This description information not only describes which access devices are in the ship system but also the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus. By sending this description information to a display device, the display device can convert the description information into a topology diagram and display it. This allows for the direct and automatic generation of the ship system's topology diagram, improving the efficiency of topology diagram generation and enhancing the ship's intelligence level.

[0013] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this application, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application;

[0015] Figure 1 This application is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between an outboard motor and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of three outboard motors according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of three outboard motors according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 12 It is a topology diagram of a ship system in related technologies;

[0027] Figure 13 This application illustrates a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 15 This is another topology diagram of a ship system illustrated in this application according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0030] Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 17 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of an outboard motor according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of a ship according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0042] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0043] A vessel typically comprises a hull, a propulsion system, and a control system. The propulsion system includes the outboard motor and the battery that powers it, while the control system includes a steering wheel, remote control, and controller. The outboard motor, as the name suggests, is the propulsion engine mounted on the outside of the hull (ship's side), also known as an outboard motor, and is usually suspended on the outside of the stern plate. A typical outboard motor includes a propeller, an electric motor that drives the propeller, and a processor connected to the motor. Outboard motors are highly integrated and easy to install and purchase, making them the preferred power source for personal recreational boats, and they are also widely used in fishing, commercial operations, and government law enforcement.

[0044] A ship system topology diagram can show users which access devices are included in the ship system and the connection relationships between them. However, ship system topology diagrams usually need to be manually generated by users based on the composition of the ship system, which is inefficient.

[0045] In response, this application proposes a method, apparatus, outboard motor, vessel, and storage medium for generating a topology diagram of a ship system, to solve the problem that the topology diagram of a ship system needs to be manually configured by the user.

[0046] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This application illustrates a flowchart of a method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment, comprising the following steps:

[0048] Step S101: Obtain device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus;

[0049] Step S102: Determine the description information of the topology of the ship system based on the equipment identification information;

[0050] Step S103: Send the description information to the display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it.

[0051] In this application, the access devices in the ship system include at least one of the following: outboard motor, battery, steering wheel, remote control, remote controller, and display. The number of each type of access device is greater than or equal to one, and the access devices can communicate with each other via a communication bus. The communication bus is used to connect different access devices. Each access device can send information to the communication bus based on a pre-set communication protocol, and can also retrieve information from the communication bus based on the same communication protocol.

[0052] In some embodiments, the communication bus can be a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a serial communication network that effectively supports distributed or real-time control. When a node on the CAN bus sends data, the CAN bus broadcasts the data sent by that node to all nodes in the network in the form of a message. Each node receives the data regardless of whether it is addressed to it.

[0053] In some embodiments, the communication bus can be an RS485 bus, using a single bus to connect all nodes in series, and employing balanced transmission and differential reception to achieve communication. Of course, any communication bus that meets the communication characteristics described in the above exemplary embodiments falls within the scope of this application, and is not limited thereto.

[0054] In this application, each access device has unique device identification information. The topology of the ship system can be identified based on the device identification information of each access device.

[0055] In some embodiments, the device identification information may include a device identification code, which can be used to identify the type of access device or the identity of a specific access device, wherein the identity is used to distinguish multiple access devices of the same type. By pre-recording and saving the correspondence between the encoding format and specific value of each access device and its device identification code, the type and identity of the access device can be determined by looking up the correspondence. For example, when the device identification code meets the encoding format of an outboard motor, the access device is an outboard motor; when the device identification code meets the encoding format of a remote control box, the access device is a remote control box. As another example, the access device includes two outboard motors, denoted as Outboard Motor I and Outboard Motor II. When the device identification code is the same as the preset code of Outboard Motor I, the access device is Outboard Motor I; when the device identification code is the same as the preset code of Outboard Motor II, the access device is Outboard Motor II.

[0056] In some embodiments, the topology description information of the ship system can be used to describe the types of access devices and the connection relationships between the access devices and the communication bus. For example, after identifying the types of all access devices connected to the communication bus based on the collected device identification information, the topology of the ship system can be used to reflect the access types of the access devices connected to the communication bus; or, for example, after identifying the specific identities of all access devices connected to the communication bus based on the collected device identification information, the topology of the ship system can be used to reflect the specific identity of each access device connected to the communication bus. Users can set the specific content of the description information according to their individual needs.

[0057] In this application, multiple outboard motors and multiple batteries are connected to ports provided by the power management module. Each outboard motor can be connected to one output port, and each battery can be connected to one input port. The correspondence between output and input ports is determined by the connection network built into the power management module, and the connection network is equipped with interfaces that can be connected or disconnected. The power management module can determine which outboard motor(s) each battery supplies power to by controlling the on / off state of the interfaces. The power management module is connected to the communication bus and can send interface signals to the communication bus for other devices to obtain. These interface signals include on and off signals. The connection relationship between multiple outboard motors and multiple batteries can be determined through multiple interface signals.

[0058] like Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. Based on the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment describes a process for determining descriptive information of the ship system's topology structure based on the device identification information, including the following steps:

[0059] Step S1021: Determine the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus based on the device identification information;

[0060] Step S1022: Obtain multiple interface signals between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries from the power management module;

[0061] Step S1023: Determine the connection relationship between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries based on the multiple interface signals.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the description information can also be used to describe the connection relationship between multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries. For example, if each outboard motor has a matching battery, the description information can describe the single connection relationship between each outboard motor and each matching battery; or if each battery can supply power to multiple outboard motors, the description information can describe the connection relationship between each battery and which specific outboard motors.

[0063] In this application, the topology diagram can be a description of the information displayed through a display device to present the topology of a ship system in a more user-friendly graphical interface.

[0064] In some embodiments, descriptive information can be displayed using a display device to show the topology of the ship system in the form of tiles and lines. For example, tiles of different shapes can represent different types of access devices, such as a circle representing a steering wheel, a rectangle representing an outboard motor, etc. Tiles of the same shape can be distinguished by color for different access devices of the same type, and the connection between access devices and the bus can be represented by straight lines connecting the tiles. Similarly, tiles of different colors can represent different types of access devices, such as green representing a steering wheel, blue representing an outboard motor, etc. Tiles of the same color can be distinguished by text labels for different access devices of the same type, and the connection between access devices and the bus can be represented by curved lines connecting the tiles. Furthermore, access devices can also be represented by two-dimensional patterns, such as a steering wheel pattern representing a steering wheel in an access device, and a battery pattern representing a battery in an access device. This allows users to intuitively understand the specific access devices included in the ship system and their connection relationships with the communication bus through the topology diagram.

[0065] In some embodiments, access devices can be represented by three-dimensional models. Different access devices correspond to different three-dimensional models. For example, each type of access device can be represented using a corresponding three-dimensional structure, and the same type of access device can be distinguished using different text labels. In a three-dimensional space, connecting different access devices to the communication bus with three-dimensional lines is equivalent to displaying a three-dimensional topology diagram. Users can intuitively understand the specific access devices included in the ship system and the connection relationship between the access devices and the communication bus, as well as understand the three-dimensional structure of the access devices, thus deepening their understanding of the access devices.

[0066] In this application, the ship system may include a single outboard motor or multiple outboard motors. Each outboard motor is equipped with a processor. Each outboard motor can acquire and process information sent by other access devices via a communication bus, and can also send information to other access devices. When the ship system includes multiple outboard motors, the outboard motor acting as the master in the ship system is responsible for acquiring the required data from other outboard motors and combining it with its own data to perform calculations and processing according to the target task to obtain the result, while the outboard motors acting as slaves need to provide their own data to the master.

[0067] In some embodiments, the processor integrated into the outboard motor can be one or more electronic control units (ECUs). The ECU consists of a microcontroller (MCU), memory (ROM, RAM), input / output interface (I / O), analog-to-digital converter (A / D), and large-scale integrated circuits such as shaping and driving. The ECU has calculation and control functions. Of course, any processor that can perform the above functions is within the scope of protection of this application, and this application does not limit it here.

[0068] In some embodiments, if the ship system includes a single outboard motor, the outboard motor acquires the device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus and performs subsequent processing on the device identification information.

[0069] In other embodiments, if the ship system includes multiple outboard motors, the outboard motor acting as the host among the multiple outboard motors can obtain the device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus and perform subsequent processing on the device identification information.

[0070] In this application, after multiple outboard motors are connected to the ship's system, an election strategy can be used to select one outboard motor as the master, while the remaining outboard motors are regarded as slaves.

[0071] In some embodiments, the election strategy may be to designate the outboard motor that connects to the communication bus first as the master, which can save time in selecting the master.

[0072] In some embodiments, the election strategy may utilize the device identification code in the device identification information. After all outboard motors are connected to the communication bus, each outboard motor can obtain the device identification codes of other outboard motors through the communication bus and compare them with its own device identification code. The outboard motor with the smallest device identification code is then identified as the master. In this way, even if the power supply is cut off and communication is restored, the same outboard motor can still be selected as the master according to this election strategy, without the time-consuming behavior of data retransmission or data re-collection caused by changing the master, which wastes user time and affects the user experience.

[0073] like Figure 4As shown, Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. Based on the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment further includes the following steps:

[0074] Step S104: Obtain the host positioning data and host orientation data of the host;

[0075] Step S105: Obtain the slave device's positioning data;

[0076] Step S106: Based on the host positioning data, the slave positioning data, and the host orientation data, determine the relative positional relationship of the multiple outboard motors on the ship, and send the relative positional relationship to the display device.

[0077] In some embodiments, the host positioning data and the slave positioning data can be the latitude and longitude data corresponding to the host and the slave, respectively. The relative positional relationship between the host and slave can be determined using these latitude and longitude data. For example, when the latitudes are the same, using the longitude of the host as the central reference value, the relative positional relationship between the host and slave can be determined by comparing their longitudes. Alternatively, if the host and slave are located at different degrees of east longitude, the position of the slave relative to the host can be determined by comparing their degrees.

[0078] In this application, the orientation of the outboard motor is typically aligned with the direction of propulsion, which in turn aligns with the direction the ship travels from stern to bow. For example, an outboard motor uses the rotation of its propeller blades in the water to convert engine power into propulsion, thus driving the ship. Therefore, the orientation of the outboard motor, the direction of propulsion, and the direction the ship travels from stern to bow should all be consistent. Consequently, the main engine orientation data can be used to indicate the direction of propulsion from the outboard motor, thereby indirectly determining the direction the ship travels from stern to bow.

[0079] In some embodiments, the orientation of the main engine is used as the positive center reference line. Based on this reference and combined with the slave engine's position relative to the main engine obtained in the preceding embodiments, the left-right position of the slave engine relative to the main engine can be determined under the main engine's orientation. Since the main engine's orientation is consistent with the direction of the ship from stern to bow, it is equivalent to obtaining the left-right position of the slave engine relative to the main engine on the ship, with the direction from stern to bow as the reference. For example, ... Figure 5 as well as Figure 6As shown, the ship system includes three outboard motors. With the orientation of the main engine as the positive center reference line, it can be determined from the position of the main engine that slave motor I is located to the left of the main engine and slave motor II is located to the right of the main engine. Similarly, since the direction from the stern to the bow of the ship is consistent with the orientation of the outboard motors, when the user stands at the stern of the ship and looks towards the bow, slave motor I is located to the left of the main engine and slave motor II is located to the right of the main engine.

[0080] It should be noted that "left" and "right" here refer to directions relative to the direction from the stern to the bow of the ship. For example, taking the location of the main engine as the center point and the direction from the stern to the bow as the reference direction, if we consider this center point as the starting point of a vector and the direction from the stern to the bow as the direction of the vector, then the area falling within this vector, rotating clockwise from the starting point by 0 to 180 degrees, is determined as right, and the direction falling within this vector, rotating counterclockwise from the starting point by 0 to 180 degrees, is determined as left.

[0081] In this application, the obtained relative positional relationships can be combined with the topology diagram of the ship system to display multiple outboard motors, so that users can know the location distribution of the outboard motors on the ship through the topology diagram of the ship system, which is useful for outboard motor-related operations, such as maintenance, replacement, etc. of a certain outboard motor.

[0082] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This application illustrates another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. It describes a process for determining the relative positions of multiple outboard motors on a ship based on the main engine positioning data, the slave engine positioning data, and the main engine orientation data, including the following steps:

[0083] Step S1061: Determine the orientation of the host based on the host's acceleration data;

[0084] Step S1062: Determine the stern-to-bow orientation of the vessel based on the orientation of the main engine;

[0085] Step S1063: Determine the relative positional relationship of the multiple outboard motors on the ship based on the main engine positioning data, the slave engine positioning data, and the orientation from the stern to the bow of the ship.

[0086] In some embodiments, the main engine orientation data may include the main engine's acceleration data or angular velocity data. Since the main engine's orientation is consistent with the direction of its propulsion, and the direction of the main engine's propulsion is equivalent to the direction of its acceleration, the acceleration data in the main engine orientation data can be used to determine the main engine's orientation, and thus determine the ship's orientation from stern to bow. For example, when the acceleration data shows a positive acceleration value in the due north direction, the main engine's orientation is due north. Since the direction of the main engine's propulsion is parallel to the ship's orientation from stern to bow, the current orientation of the ship from stern to bow is due north.

[0087] like Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This application illustrates another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment, describing a process for determining the orientation of the main engine based on its acceleration data, including the following steps:

[0088] Step S10611: Obtain host acceleration data collected by the host acceleration detection unit of the host;

[0089] Step S10612: Determine the orientation of the host based on the host acceleration data.

[0090] In some embodiments, the host acceleration detection unit may be an accelerometer.

[0091] In some embodiments, the host acceleration detection unit may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Of course, any device capable of obtaining acceleration data as described above is within the scope of protection of this application, and this application does not limit it here.

[0092] In some embodiments, the host's acceleration data can be preferentially collected by the host's built-in host acceleration detection unit and then directly acquired by the host's processor. Therefore, the host's processor does not need to perform additional communication to obtain data from other devices as the host's acceleration data, which can improve the efficiency of the host's processor in determining the host's orientation.

[0093] like Figure 9 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. This embodiment, based on the foregoing embodiments, describes a process for determining the orientation of the main engine based on the main engine acceleration data, including the following steps:

[0094] Step S10612A: When the host acceleration data is available, determine the orientation of the host based on the host acceleration data;

[0095] Step S10612B: When the host acceleration data is unavailable, acquire the slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit of the slave device, and determine the orientation of the host device based on the slave acceleration data.

[0096] In some embodiments, the slave acceleration detection unit may be an accelerometer.

[0097] In some embodiments, the slave acceleration detection unit may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Of course, any device capable of obtaining acceleration data as described above is within the scope of protection of this application, and this application does not limit it here.

[0098] In some embodiments, the host processor may determine whether the host acceleration data is available based on at least one of the data format, numerical range, and communication status between the host acceleration detection unit and the host processor. For example, in the example of determining the usability of host acceleration data based on its data format, if the host acceleration data meets the preset data format, then the host acceleration data is considered usable; if the host acceleration data is garbled or intermittent, then the host acceleration data is considered unusable. As another example, in the example of determining the usability of host acceleration data based on its numerical range, if the host acceleration data meets the preset numerical range, then the host acceleration data is considered usable; if the host acceleration data exceeds the upper or lower limit of the range, then the host acceleration data is considered unusable. As yet another example, in the example of determining the usability of host acceleration data based on the communication status between the host acceleration detection unit and the host's processor, if the communication status between the host acceleration detection unit and the host's processor is normal, then the host acceleration data is considered usable; if the communication status between the host acceleration detection unit and the host's processor is abnormal, then host acceleration data cannot be obtained, and the obtained host acceleration data may be empty, thus the host acceleration data is considered unusable. When the host acceleration data is unavailable, the host and slave engines are usually oriented in the same direction. The host processor can obtain the slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit as backup data and determine the host orientation based on the slave acceleration data. This can avoid the inability to determine the host orientation when the host acceleration data is unavailable, thus affecting the display of the relative position of the outboard motor on the ship in the topology diagram.

[0099] like Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10This is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application, wherein steps S10611 and S10612 can be replaced by steps S10613 and S10614.

[0100] Step S10613: The slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit of the slave device and sent to the master device is used as the acceleration data of the master device;

[0101] Step S10614: Determine the orientation of the host based on the acceleration data of the host.

[0102] In some embodiments, considering the different needs of users regarding the acquisition rate or range of acceleration data, the acceleration detection units of the master and slave devices are configured differently. For example, if the user sets the data acquisition rate of the master acceleration detection unit to be higher than that of the slave acceleration detection unit, and the acquisition rate requirement is low, the user can configure the master processor to prioritize acquiring slave acceleration data from the slave acceleration detection unit as the master's acceleration data (in this case, the master acceleration detection unit may not operate to reduce power consumption). As another example, if the user sets the range of acceleration data acquired by the master acceleration detection unit to be wider than that of the slave acceleration detection unit, and the range of acceleration data requirement is not significant, the user can configure the master processor to prioritize acquiring slave acceleration data from the slave acceleration detection unit as the master's acceleration data (in this case, the master acceleration detection unit may not operate to reduce power consumption).

[0103] In some embodiments, the topology diagram of the ship system can be formed from a top-down view of the ship. The display direction of the topology diagram from bottom to top can be the direction from the stern to the bow of the ship. In addition to displaying the number of outboard motors, the topology diagram further displays the position distribution of the outboard motors on the ship based on the left and right position information of the slave motors relative to the master motor. This makes it easy for users on the ship to identify the position of the outboard motors based on the topology diagram, which facilitates the user's identification of the position of the outboard motors on the ship and the corresponding control and detection needs.

[0104] like Figure 11 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. This embodiment, based on the foregoing embodiments, further includes the following steps:

[0105] Step S107: Obtain the model information of the multiple outboard motors and send the model information to the display device.

[0106] In this application, the model information of each outboard motor is unique.

[0107] In some embodiments, the topology diagram can display each outboard motor with icons and its corresponding model number, facilitating user matching of the model information on the topology diagram with the corresponding outboard motor on the actual vessel. For example, if a vessel system includes three outboard motors, model numbers 1, 2, and 3, then the relevant topology diagram would be as follows: Figure 12 As shown, only the number of outboard motors can be displayed, not the relative positions between multiple outboard motors. However, in this embodiment, as shown... Figure 13 As shown, by obtaining the model information of the outboard motor, the outboard motor can be marked on the topology diagram. In combination with the topology diagram of the ship system in the aforementioned embodiment, it can be formed from the ship's top view. In this way, the topology diagram can show the relative positions of multiple outboard motors on the ship with the direction from the stern to the bow as the reference.

[0108] like Figure 14 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. This embodiment, based on the foregoing embodiments, further includes the following steps:

[0109] Step S108: Obtain the status information reported by the access device through the communication bus, and send the status information to the display device for display.

[0110] In some embodiments, status information may include at least one of the following: remaining battery power, cumulative usage time, real-time temperature, and whether the function is available. For example, when the access device is an outboard motor, the status information may include the cumulative usage time, real-time temperature, and whether the function is available; the cumulative usage time tells the user the cumulative operating time of the outboard motor, allowing the user to perform regular maintenance or replacement based on the average lifespan of the outboard motor; the real-time temperature tells the user the operating temperature value of the outboard motor, allowing for adjustments to its use based on the normal operating temperature range; and whether the function is available tells the user whether the outboard motor is in a normally active state. As another example, when the access device is a wireless remote control box, the status information may include the remaining battery power and whether the function is available; the remaining battery power tells the user the level of pre-stored battery consumption of the wireless remote control box, helping the user determine whether charging is needed; and whether the function is available tells the user whether the wireless remote control box is in a normally active state.

[0111] In some embodiments, status information can be displayed on the display device simultaneously with the topology map. For example, the status information of each access device can be displayed in the vicinity of the area representing the access device in the topology map; or, for another example, the status information of each access device can be displayed in the area representing the access device in the topology map.

[0112] In some embodiments, a function entry point can be provided on the display area of ​​the topology map corresponding to different access devices to trigger the display of the status information of that access device. For example, such as Figure 15 As shown, a small icon can be set on the display area of ​​a certain access device. When the user triggers the small icon, the status information can be displayed in the form of a pop-up window. For example, the status information of the display area of ​​a certain access device can be displayed in the corresponding display area after the user triggers it. The carriers for the user to trigger the action include keyboard, mobile phone touch screen and mouse.

[0113] In some embodiments, the display device may be a display of the ship system, and the description information may be sent to the display via the ship system's communication bus and the topology diagram may be displayed on the display.

[0114] In some embodiments, the display device can be a user terminal, and the outboard motor can also integrate a wireless communication module. The description information can be uploaded to a cloud server via the wireless communication module, and then the cloud server can forward the description information to the user terminal and display the topology map on the user terminal. For example, if the user terminal is a mobile phone, the topology map can be displayed through a mobile app; or if the user terminal is a computer, the topology map can be displayed through a computer webpage.

[0115] In this application, the access devices of the ship system can be changed. Users can add or remove access devices according to their own needs, which will result in the need to update the topology diagram of the ship system.

[0116] like Figure 16 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, step S101 can be replaced with step S109, based on the aforementioned embodiment.

[0117] Step S109: Periodically acquire device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus.

[0118] It also includes the following steps:

[0119] Step S110: If the obtained device identification information changes, update the description information.

[0120] In some embodiments, a single outboard motor or the main unit of multiple outboard motors can be configured to periodically update the acquired device identification information at fixed time intervals. For example, the device identification information of each access device can be reacquired every 5 seconds.

[0121] like Figure 17The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating another method for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. This embodiment, based on the foregoing embodiments, describes a process for updating the description information if the acquired device identification information changes, including the following steps:

[0122] Step S110A: If the first device identification information obtained at the first moment is not obtained at the second moment, remove the first device identification information from the description information. The first moment is before the second moment.

[0123] Step S110B: If the second device identification information obtained at the second time moment is not obtained at the first time moment, add the second device identification information to the description information. The first time moment is before the second time moment.

[0124] In some embodiments, if a single outboard motor or a host in multiple outboard motors obtains the device identification information of an access device, and is unable to obtain the device identification information of that access device through the communication bus for one or more consecutive cycles, the device identification information will be automatically removed from the original description information. In the topology diagram, the display of that access device will also be removed or disabled accordingly.

[0125] In some embodiments, if the device identification information of a certain access device obtained by a single outboard motor or the host of multiple outboard motors at a certain moment is device identification information that has not been obtained at previous moments, then the device identification information will be automatically added to the existing description information, and the access device will also be added to the display in the topology diagram accordingly.

[0126] In addition, this application also provides an apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system.

[0127] like Figure 18 As shown, Figure 18 This application illustrates a schematic diagram of an apparatus 1800 for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. Multiple access devices of the ship system communicate via the ship system's communication bus. The apparatus 1800 includes the following modules: a first acquisition module 1810 configured to acquire device identification information sent by each access device via the communication bus; a first determination module 1820 configured to determine description information of the ship system's topology based on the device identification information; and a first sending module 1830 configured to send the description information to a display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it.

[0128] In some embodiments, the access device includes at least one of the following: outboard motor, battery, steering wheel, remote control, remote controller, and display.

[0129] In some embodiments, the access device includes multiple outboard motors and multiple batteries, with a power management module connected between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries. The first determining module 1820 is specifically configured to: determine the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus based on the device identification information; obtain multiple interface signals between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries from the power management module; and determine the connection relationship between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries based on the multiple interface signals.

[0130] In some embodiments, the access device includes an outboard motor; when the number of outboard motors is greater than 1, the acquisition of device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus is performed by the outboard motor acting as the host among the multiple outboard motors.

[0131] like Figure 19 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another apparatus 1800 for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. Based on the aforementioned embodiments, this embodiment further includes the following modules: a second acquisition module 1840, configured to acquire host positioning data and host orientation data of the host machine, and acquire slave machine positioning data of the slave machine; a second determination module 1850, configured to determine the relative positional relationship of the multiple outboard motors on the ship based on the host machine positioning data, the slave machine positioning data, and the host machine orientation data; and a second transmission module 1860, which transmits the relative positional relationship to the display device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the host is the outboard motor that first connects to the communication bus; or, the device identification information of the outboard motor includes a device identification code, and the host is the outboard motor with the smallest device identification code among the multiple outboard motors.

[0133] In some embodiments, the host orientation data includes the host's acceleration data, and the second determining module 1850 is further configured to: determine the host's orientation based on the host's acceleration data; determine the stern-to-bow orientation of the vessel based on the host's orientation; and determine the relative positional relationship of the plurality of outboard motors on the vessel based on the host positioning data, the slave positioning data, and the stern-to-bow orientation of the vessel.

[0134] In some embodiments, the second determining module 1850 is further configured to: acquire host acceleration data collected by the host acceleration detection unit of the host, and determine the orientation of the host based on the host acceleration data.

[0135] In some embodiments, the second determining module 1850 is further configured to: when the host acceleration data is available, determine the orientation of the host based on the host acceleration data; when the host acceleration data is unavailable, acquire slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit of the slave device, and determine the orientation of the host based on the slave acceleration data.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second determining module 1850 is further configured to: use the slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit of the slave device and sent to the host as the acceleration data of the host, and determine the orientation of the host based on the acceleration data of the host.

[0137] In some embodiments, the topology diagram of the ship system is used to characterize the connection relationships of various devices in the ship system and the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the ship from a top-down view of the ship.

[0138] like Figure 20 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another apparatus 1800 for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. Based on the aforementioned embodiments, this embodiment further includes the following modules: a third acquisition module 1870, configured to acquire model information of the plurality of outboard motors; and a third sending module 1880, configured to send the model information to the display device.

[0139] In some embodiments, the topology diagram of the ship system is also used to display the models of the plurality of outboard motors.

[0140] like Figure 21 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another apparatus 1800 for generating a topology map of a ship system according to an exemplary embodiment. Based on the aforementioned embodiments, this embodiment further includes the following modules: a fourth acquisition module 1890, configured to acquire status information reported by the access device through the communication bus; and a fourth sending module 18100, configured to send the status information to the display device for display.

[0141] In some embodiments, the status information and the topology map are displayed simultaneously on the display device; or, the display device includes a function entry point, and the status information is displayed on the display device after the function entry point is selected.

[0142] In some embodiments, the display device is a display of the ship system; the first transmitting module 1830 is further configured to transmit the description information to the display of the ship system via the communication bus.

[0143] In some embodiments, the display device is a user terminal; the first sending module 1830 is further configured to: upload the description information to a cloud server via a wireless communication module, so that the cloud server forwards the description information to the user terminal.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first acquisition module 1810 is further configured to: periodically acquire device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus; such as Figure 22 As shown, the aforementioned device 1800 further includes the following module: a first update module 18110, configured to update the description information if the acquired device identification information changes.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first update module 18110 is further configured to: if the first device identification information obtained at the first time is not obtained at the second time, remove the first device identification information from the description information, wherein the first time is before the second time; or, if the second device identification information obtained at the second time is not obtained at the first time, add the second device identification information to the description information, wherein the first time is before the second time.

[0146] Additionally, this application also provides an outboard motor. An exemplary embodiment of this application illustrates an outboard motor 1900, such as... Figure 23 As shown, the outboard motor 1900 includes: a propeller 1910, a motor 1920 for driving the propeller 1910 to rotate, and a processor 1930 connected to the motor 1920. The specific implementation process of the function and role of the processor 1930 can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] Additionally, this application also provides a vessel. This application illustrates a vessel 2000 according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figure 24 As shown, the vessel 2000 includes a hull 2010, and the outboard motor 1900 described in the above embodiments of this application is mounted on the hull 2010. The specific implementation process of the function and role of the processor 1930 in the outboard motor 1900 is detailed in the corresponding steps of the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] In addition, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0149] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0150] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this application according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0151] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this application. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0152] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention filed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not claimed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0153] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

[0154] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for generating a topology diagram of a ship system, characterized in that, Multiple access devices of the ship system communicate through the ship system's communication bus; the method includes: Obtain device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus; The description information of the topology of the ship system is determined based on the device identification information, and the description information is used to characterize the connection relationship between each of the access devices and the communication bus. The description information is sent to the display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it; The access device includes multiple outboard motors, each outboard motor comprising a master unit and slave units. The method further includes: Obtain the host's location data and host orientation data; Obtain the slave device's location data; Based on the host positioning data, the slave positioning data, and the host orientation data, the relative positional relationship of the multiple outboard motors on the ship is determined, and the relative positional relationship is sent to the display device; the relative positional relationship is used to display the multiple outboard motors in the topology diagram of the ship system; the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors displayed in the topology diagram are the same as the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the ship.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The access device also includes at least one of the following: battery, steering wheel, remote control, remote control, and display.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The access device also includes multiple batteries, and a power management module is connected between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries. The step of determining the topology description information of the ship system based on the device identification information includes: The connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus is determined based on the device identification information; The power management module obtains multiple interface signals between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries. The connection relationship between the multiple outboard motors and the multiple batteries is determined based on the multiple interface signals.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus is performed by the outboard motor that acts as the host among the multiple outboard motors.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The host is the outboard motor that is first connected to the communication bus; or, The equipment identification information of the outboard motor includes an equipment identification code, and the host is the outboard motor with the smallest equipment identification code among the multiple outboard motors.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The host orientation data includes the host's acceleration data. Determining the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the vessel based on the host positioning data, the slave positioning data, and the host orientation data includes: The orientation of the host is determined based on the host's acceleration data; The stern-to-bow orientation of the vessel is determined based on the orientation of the main engine. The relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the vessel are determined based on the main engine positioning data, the slave engine positioning data, and the stern-to-bow orientation of the vessel.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the orientation of the host based on the host's acceleration data includes: The host acceleration data collected by the host acceleration detection unit is obtained, and the orientation of the host is determined based on the host acceleration data.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Determining the orientation of the host based on the host acceleration data includes: When the host acceleration data is available, the orientation of the host is determined based on the host acceleration data; When the host acceleration data is unavailable, the slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit of the slave device is acquired, and the orientation of the host device is determined based on the slave acceleration data.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the orientation of the host based on the host's acceleration data includes: The slave acceleration data collected by the slave acceleration detection unit and sent to the master is used as the acceleration data of the master. The orientation of the master is determined based on the acceleration data of the master.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The topology diagram of the ship system is used to characterize the connection relationship of various devices in the ship system and the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the ship from a top-down view of the ship.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The model information of the multiple outboard motors is obtained and sent to the display device; the model information is used to display the model of the multiple outboard motors in the topology diagram of the ship system.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The topology diagram of the ship system is also used to display the models of the multiple outboard motors.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The status information reported by the access device through the communication bus is obtained, and the status information is sent to the display device for display.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The status information and the topology map are simultaneously displayed on the display device; or, The display device includes a function entry point, and the status information is displayed on the display device after the function entry point is selected.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display device is the display of the ship system; sending the description information to the display device includes: The description information is transmitted to the ship system's display via the communication bus; or, The display device is a user terminal; sending the description information to the display device includes: The description information is uploaded to the cloud server via a wireless communication module, so that the cloud server forwards the description information to the user terminal.

16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus includes: Periodically acquire device identification information sent by each access device through the communication bus; The method further includes: If the acquired device identification information changes, the description information is updated.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, If the acquired device identification information changes, updating the description information includes: If the first device identification information obtained at the first moment is not obtained at the second moment, the first device identification information is removed from the description information. The first moment is before the second moment. or, If the second device identification information obtained at the second time moment is not obtained at the first time moment, the second device identification information is added to the description information. The first time moment is before the second time moment.

18. An apparatus for generating a topology map of a ship system, wherein multiple access devices of the ship system communicate through a communication bus of the ship system, the apparatus comprising: The first acquisition module is configured to acquire device identification information sent by each of the access devices through the communication bus; The first determining module is configured to determine the topology description information of the ship system based on the device identification information, wherein the description information is used to characterize the connection relationship between each access device and the communication bus. The first sending module is configured to send the description information to a display device so that the display device converts the description information into a topology map and displays it. The access device includes multiple outboard motors, each comprising a master unit and slave units. The device also includes the following modules: The second acquisition module (1840) is configured to acquire host positioning data and host orientation data of the host, and acquire slave positioning data of the slave device; The second determining module (1850) is configured to determine the relative positional relationship of the multiple outboard motors on the ship based on the host positioning data, the slave positioning data and the host orientation data; The second sending module (1860) sends the relative position relationship to the display device; the relative position relationship is used to display the multiple outboard motors in the topology diagram of the ship system; the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors displayed in the topology diagram are the same as the relative positions of the multiple outboard motors on the ship.

19. An outboard motor, characterized in that, The outboard motor includes: a propeller; a motor for driving the propeller to rotate; and a processor connected to the motor, the processor being used to execute the method for generating a topology map of a ship system as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

20. A vessel comprising: The hull; and the outboard motor of claim 19, wherein the outboard motor is mounted on the hull.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method for generating a topology map of a ship system as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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