Multiple Autopilot Heading Control for Marine Vessels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current marine vessel autopilot systems face challenges in accurately navigating to desired locations and maintaining headings while accounting for external forces like winds, waves, and currents, which can cause the vessel to drift, requiring complex steering adjustments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with multiple autopilots, including an outboard and trolling motor autopilot, connected to GPS and sensors, which receives user inputs for desired locations and headings, and generates instructions to dynamically control the vessel's heading and bearing, allowing for simultaneous operation of motors to maintain course and compensate for external forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single autopilot is used to control the watercraft, then the system is simple, but the vessel drifts under external forces like winds, waves, and currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single autopilot function into multiple independent autopilots (first autopilot, second autopilot, etc.), each controlling different motors or aspects of vessel control. This segmentation allows each autopilot to handle specific control tasks while working together to maintain overall navigation accuracy and compensate for external forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple autopilots into a coordinated system where they work together to control the watercraft. The autopilots share common inputs (desired location, bearing, heading) and coordinates their control actions to achieve improved navigation reliability while managing the complexity through integrated operation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple autopilots are used to compensate for external forces, then navigation accuracy improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where each autopilot receives information about the watercraft's actual position, bearing, and heading, compares it with desired values, and adjusts control commands accordingly. This feedback loop enables precise heading control while managing system complexity through standardized feedback processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic coordination between multiple autopilots, allowing them to adjust their control actions in real-time based on changing external conditions. The system dynamically allocates control tasks among autopilots and adjusts their operational parameters to maintain precision while adapting to varying operational demands.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations described herein are directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: receive a selection of a desired location or desired bearing for a watercraft, receive a desired heading for the watercraft, determine a first set of instructions for a first autopilot corresponding to the desired location or desired bearing and the desired heading, determine a second set of instructions for a second autopilot corresponding to the desired location or desired bearing and the desired heading, transmit the first set of instructions to the first autopilot and the second set of instructions to the second autopilot. The first set of instructions and the second set of instructions cause the first autopilot and the second autopilot to navigate the watercraft to the desired location or on the desired bearing while maintaining the desired heading.