Caterpillar Inc.

Brian Philip Neathery

Adnan Kadribasic

Cameron Scott Gandy

Merritt P Callaghan

Meghna Prasad

Keith R Folken

Hashim M Marzuq

Jonathan Steinbrink

Ben Pulley

Gino George

Ryan Herdian

Mark I Harrison

Thomas J Hale

Per Jonas Granath

Candace L Marquis

Karl Johan Emil Rosen

An advanced control station system for a marine vessel. The control station provides a motor-controlled lever head with the ability to control the amount of pressure required to move the lever head as well as the ability to set adjustable detents within the range of motion of the lever head. The advanced control station further provides for electronic communication between multiple stations controls so that the throttle and transmission settings from one control station can be synchronized during a control station transfer.

Marine control station

Joystick

A marine vessel includes a hull, an operator station having an operator interface configured to receive a mode input and a lever position input, a left propulsion system, a right propulsion system, and a control module. Each of the propulsion systems includes an engine, a transmission, a troll valve configured to adjust clutch slip, a shaft, a shaft speed sensor configured to detect the speed of rotation of the shaft, and a propeller. The control module is configured to receive the mode input and the lever position input from the operator interface, receive signals from the left shaft sensor indicating a left shaft speed, receive signals from the right shaft sensor indicating a right shaft speed, determine if the vessel is operating in a trolling state, and determine if a sync mode is active, based on the mode input. If the sync mode is active and the vessel is in a trolling state, the speed of the left shaft and the right shaft are synchronized.

Marine propulsion control system with synchronized troll and method of operation

Display screen or portion thereof with graphical user interface

A marine propulsion control system for use with a marine vessel, includes a port side engine in electronic communication with a port side engine controller and a starboard side engine in electronic communication with a starboard side engine controller. A control station includes a port lever configured to control a throttle of the port side engine, a starboard lever configured to control a throttle of the starboard side engine, and a user interface. A propulsion control processor is in electronic communication with the port side engine controller, the starboard side engine controller, and control station. In a synchronized operating mode, the propulsion control processor transmits a throttle instruction to the port side engine controller and the starboard side engine controller pursuant to a throttle position of a master lever corresponding to the first of the port lever and starboard lever to be actuated upon activation of the synchronized operating mode.

Propulsion control selection and synchronization system

A marine propulsion control system for use with a marine vessel includes an engine in electronic communication an engine controller, and a transmission having a gearbox and an oil pressure sensor in electronic communication with the engine controller and configured to measure a transmission oil pressure. The gearbox includes a feedback sensor configured to transmit a gear state. A propulsion device is rotatably connected to the gearbox, and a shaft fixedly attached to the propulsion device and rotatably coupled to the gearbox. The shaft includes a shaft rotation sensor configured to measure a rotational direction of the shaft. A propulsion control processor is in electronic communication with the engine controller, the shaft rotation sensor and the gearbox, and is configured to determine a current gear of the marine vessel based on the rotational direction of the shaft and one or more of the gear state and the transmission oil pressure.

Multi-layer gear determination system

Control system for controlling operations of a marine vessel having a first engine and a second engine is provided. Parity switches are operable to start/stop first and second engine. Each parity switch is actuated for first time to activate remote start/stop control of respective engine. Each switch is actuated for second time to switch respective engine to ON or OFF state. Operator console is communicatively coupled to parity switches to receive first and/or second user inputs. Propulsion control unit is communicably coupled to operator console via network communication channel, first engine control unit of first engine and second engine control unit of second engine. Propulsion control unit receives operational parameters for engines from engine control units and receives first and second user inputs from operator console. Propulsion control unit transmits engine operating signals for operating respective engines in response to first and/or second user input and based on operational parameters.

Control system and method for controlling marine vessels

A first method of protecting an engine and a transmission of a marine vessel during gear shifts and a second method of programming one or more Shift Protection Sequences (SPS) are disclosed. The first method includes receiving a Shift Request (SR) and activating a SPS from among a plurality of enabled SPS. The second method includes configuring a Shift Protection Type (SPT); enabling and configuring a plurality of required and SPS variables; and, optionally, enabling and configuring a plurality of optional SPS variables. The SPT may be a Basic Shift Protection (BSP), which includes time-based SPS; or the SPT may be an Advanced Shift Protection (ASP), which includes alternate time-based and operating-variable based SPS. The SPS of the ASP may be incrementally programmed and added to the BSP.

Modular shift protection algorithm for marine vessel

A system for activating a screen cleaning mode for a user interface associated with a work machine includes a display screen associated with the user interface, the display screen being configured to display a control panel including a plurality of control icons for controlling one or more operations of the work machine. The system also includes a controller communicably coupled to the display screen. The controller is configured to receive a user input for activating the screen cleaning mode. The controller is also configured to switch the control panel to an inactive state. The control panel is switched to the inactive state based on a masking of the plurality of control icons. The controller is further configured to display a clean-up panel on the display screen. The clean-up panel includes a screen clean timer and a deactivation icon for deactivating the screen cleaning mode.

System and method for activating screen cleaning mode for user interface

Control lever

A propulsion system for a marine vessel having a first driveline assembly having a first engine and a first motor-generator, a second driveline assembly having a second engine and second motor-generator, and a controller configured to operate of the assemblies in a split mode. The split mode includes the first driveline assembly being driven by the first engine without torque assistance from the first motor-generator and the second driveline assembly being driven by the second motor-generator without torque assistance from the second engine and includes the first motor generator providing electrical power to the marine vessel grid for consumption.

Growing community of inventors

Hockley, TX, United States of America

Brian Philip Neathery