Patent Application
20220348289
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling deployable devices on a boat, particularly deployable devices movably attached to recreational boats used for water sports. This disclosure also relates to boats equipped with such systems and non-transitory machine-readable media with instructions stored thereon to implement the methods.
In addition to cruising, recreational boats may also be used for other activities on the water, including water sports such as water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, wake foiling, and the like. Recreational boats are often used to tow water sports participants during water skiing and wakeboarding, and to tow sports participants, at least at the beginning of a ride, during wake surfing and wake foiling. For wake surfing and wake foiling, the water sport participant is propelled by the wake produced by the recreational boat, so the participant may let go of the tow line after getting up to speed. Recreational boats may be equipped with devices that are used to help set the conditions of the water sport. These devices may be positioned to provide optimized wakes for a particular type of water sport. The wake also may be optimized for the preferences and skill level of the participant. More specifically, water skiers generally prefer a relatively smooth water surface, while wakeboarders and wake surfers desire bigger wakes with more defined shapes. The devices used for forming such wakes can be, for example, surf devices or trim tabs.
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling deployable devices on a boat, particularly deployable devices movably attached to recreational boats used for water sports.
In one aspect, the invention relates to a system, including a controller, for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The controller includes a memory having stored thereon executable instructions and a processor in communication with the memory. When executing the instructions, the processor is configured to receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The processor is also configured to obtain a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The processor is further configured to receive, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The processor is even further configured to drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a boat. The boat includes the system for controlling a deployable device on the boat as discussed above. The boat further includes the deployable device, the drive mechanism and the position sensor that communicate to the system for controlling a deployable device on the boat. The deployable device is movably attached to the boat to move between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The drive mechanism is connected to the deployable device and configured to move the deployable device. The position sensor is configured to measure the position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The method includes receiving a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, and the desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The method further includes obtaining a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position and driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The method even further includes receiving from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The method even further includes driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a non-transitory machine-readable media for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The non-transitory machine-readable media includes instructions stored thereon. The instructions are configured to, when executed, cause a processor to receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The instructions are further configured to cause the processor to obtain a controlling parameter for a drive mechanism based on the desired position and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The instructions are even further configured to cause the processor to obtain from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The instructions are even further configured to cause the processor to drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure.
The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale. Throughout the figures, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.
The term “exemplary” is used to mean “an example of” and, unless otherwise stated, does not imply an ideal or preferred example, implementation, or embodiment. The present invention may be embodied in a variety of different forms, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to any of the specific embodiments set forth below. The present invention may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems, and the embodiments described in this disclosure may take, for example, the form of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.
The exemplary implementations and/or embodiments described in this disclosure can be used to improve performance of a boat to provide a consistent and repeatable wake for water sports, achieving a better or optimal experience for boat operators and water sports performers alike.
The boat control system may carry out its control functionalities by communicating with the operator via a user interface. Through the user interface, the boat control system obtains input from and transmits output to the operator of a boat. In the embodiment shown in
The boat 100 shown in
The boat 100 is equipped with a tower 160 for towing a water sports participant. The tower 160 has a tow-line-attachment structure 162 at its upper portion to connect a tow-line for towing a water sports participant, such as a wakeboarder. The boat 100 also may include a capability to add ballast. Ballast may be used to increase the weight and displacement of the boat 100 and thus increase the size of the wake for water sports. Any suitable means to add ballast may be used, including ballast bags (sacks) or ballast tanks. The boat 100 shown in
To be used for water sports, the boat 100 may be equipped with various devices that interact with water flowing past the hull 110 to enhance or otherwise adjust the wake produced by the boat 100 for water sports. The devices may be deployed to a position to interact with the water and produce a desired size or shape of the wake based on the preferences and the level of skill of the water sports participant. Such devices are examples of deployable devices that may be controlled by the deployable device control system 700 according to various embodiments of this disclosure. Examples of the deployable devices shown in
As will be described in more detail below, each of the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 may be moved to a deployed position to interact with water flowing past the hull 110 of the boat 100 and form a desired wake water sports such as, wakeboarding, wake surfing, or wake foiling. Positioning the port surf device 152 and/or the starboard surf device 154 in the deployed position may adjust the size and/or shape of the wake. Suitable surf devices 152, 154 may include the port and starboard wake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,833,286, 9,802,684, and 10,358,189, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. However, other suitable surf devices may also be used as the deployable devices, in addition to or in lieu of the port surf device 152 and starboard surf device 154.
In the embodiment shown in
The discussion of the port surf device 152 above also applies to the starboard surf device 154. In some embodiments, the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 are mirror images of each other. But in other embodiments, the configurations and arrangements of the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 may differ from each other, such as by having different numbers and arrangements of the upturned surfaces 320, 330 and downturned surfaces 340, 350, for example.
In the embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the center tab 156 is a generally rectangular trim tab that is pivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The center tab 156 may include a plate-like member and pivot about a pivot axis to move between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. Similar to the pivot axis of the surf device 152, the pivot axis of the center tab 156 may be any suitable pivotable connection affixed to the transom 114 of the boat 100. Similar to the surf device 152, the center tab 156 also may be movably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The geometry and configuration of the center tab 156 is not limited to the device shown in
As noted above, the deployable devices and, more specifically in this embodiment, the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156, may be movable by a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism can be any suitable drive mechanism, including for example, an actuator, particularly a linear actuator. The linear actuator may be, for example, an electric linear actuator or an electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA). A suitable electric linear actuator may be one from Lenco Marine of Stuart, Fla., and a suitable electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) may be one available from Parker Hannifin of Marysville, Ohio. Other examples of suitable actuators include, for example, gas assist pneumatic actuators, electrical motors, and so on. The drive mechanism is operable under the control of the deployable device control system according to various embodiments of the disclosure to move its connected deployable device to a desired position.
In the embodiment shown in
One end of the linear actuator 158 is connected to the transom 114 of the boat 100 and the other end is connected to the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 (see also
In non-deployed positions, the surf device 152 is positioned to not interact with water as it flows past the hull 110 and recovers behind the transom 114 while the boat 100 moves through the water. The recovering water generally travels at an upward angle relative to a surface of static water. In order to not interact with the recovering water, the surf device 152 may be positioned at the fully non-deployed position with an upward angle α relative to the surface of static water. In this discussion, the deployed and non-deployed angles are taken from relative to static water. These angles may also be taken from other suitable reference surfaces, such as the bottom of the transom 114, or a generally horizontal reference surface on the boat 100. A generally horizontal reference surface may include, for example, a floor of the boat 100 in the cockpit, or an upper surface of the swim platform.
The upward angle α may be smaller or bigger based on different configurations of the boat 100, such as displacement, speed of the boat 100, and the like. The maximum value of the upward angle α is the fully non-deployed position of the surf device 152 shown in
When the boat 100 is used for water sports, such as wake surfing or wake foiling, and the like, the surf device 152 is moved to a deployed position to interact with the recovering water and form a desired wake for the surfer or foiler. An example of a deployed position is shown in
The surf device 152 may be moved by the linear actuator 158 to a plurality of different deployed positions for different sizes and shapes of the wake. As noted above, these different positions, and resultant sizes and shapes of the wake, may be based on the preferences of the water sports participant. In each of the different deployed positions, the surf device 152 may be pivoted downwardly at a different downward angle β relative to the surface of the static water. Because the value of the downward angle also indicates the degree of deployment of the surf device 152, the downward angle is also called a deployment angle. Deployment angle (or downward angle β) may also be taken relative to the fully non-deployed position instead of the surface of the static water (or other generally horizontal surface of the boat 100).
In some embodiments, the deployment angle β may be directly proportional to the size of the wake. The larger the deployment angle β, the bigger the wake produced by the surf device 152. The maximum value of the deployment angle β indicates the lowest point that the trailing edge of the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 can reach in the vertical direction, relative to the bottom of the transom 114 or the fully non-deployed position. This maximum value of the deployment angle β is indicated as ζ in
In addition to expressing the different deployed positions of the surf device 152 with a deployment angle β, a percentage of deployment also may be used to express different deployed positions. The fully non-deployed position (which is a fully retracted position) is 0% deployment. The fully deployed position is 100% deployment.
To form a repeatable surfing wake, it's important to drive the rod 360 of the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to a desired position as accurately as possible. This is because a small change in the deployment angle or percentage of deployment of the surf device 152 may have a significant impact on the characteristic of the wake. For example, a change in the deployment angle as little as 5% can have a noticeable impact on the characteristic of the wake. In an example where the maximum value of the deployment angle β (angle ζ in
From these examples, it can be seen that a high degree of accuracy in the positioning and control of the drive mechanism, such as the linear actuator 158, is advantageous. Doing so allows the user to obtain repeatable waves for a consistent or improved user experience. Preferably, the drive mechanism, such as the linear actuator 158, is controlled to an accuracy of +/−1% or less of the above percentage of deployment or deployment angle to provide for an optimized user experience. In this regard, a position sensor, such as a position sensor 370 shown in
As shown in
The deployable device control system 700 and, more specifically, the controller 710 is communicatively and operably coupled to a drive mechanism 730 of a deployable device 740 to control the movement of the deployable device 740. The deployable device 740 may be the deployable devices discussed above, such as the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156. As noted above, the deployable device control system 700 and methods discussed herein may be applied to any other deployable devices, including other trim devices and other deployable devices used for water sports such as other surf devices. In addition to the devices discussed above, other trim devices that may include the trim devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,914,503, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The controller 710 interacts with drive mechanism 730, such as the linear actuator 158 shown in
The controller 710 also is communicatively coupled to a position sensor 370 shown in
One method for controlling the drive mechanism 730 and thus the deployment of the deployable device such as the surf device 152, is to control a parameter of the drive mechanism. For example, when the drive mechanism includes a motor, more particularly an electrical motor in the linear actuator 158, the duration of time that an electrical current is supplied to the motor can be used as a parameter to control the linear actuator 158. A curve may be developed for a desired position of the surf device 152, as a function of the time an electrical current is supplied to the motor of the linear actuator 158. The memory 712 may store the current position of the surf device 152. When a change is desired, such as when the controller 710 receives via the input device 720 a command indicating that the operator wants to have a different wake characteristic by positioning the surf device 152 to another position (position input), the controller 710 may move the surf device 152 to the new desired position. The controller 710 may move the surf device 152 by controlling the duration of time that current is applied to the motor of the linear actuator 158 based on the developed function. Additionally or alternatively, a look-up table corresponding to the curve may be developed and stored in the memory 712 of the controller 710. Then to control the deployment of the surf device 152, the controller 710 may retrieve the stored data, such as the duration of time, rather than generate a data based on the function.
In another embodiment, the controlling parameter may be the current supplied to the electrical motor of the linear actuator 158, such as the amperage or the voltage of the electrical current used to drive the motor of the linear actuator 158. For example, the amperage or voltage of the current could be adjustable and used as a controlling parameter. In some embodiments, the duration of time for the current to be applied to the motor of the linear actuator 158 is a constant value when using amperage or voltage as the controlling parameter. Other forms of adjustments or suitable combinations of the controlling parameters illustrated herein are also applicable based on the specific application environment. Furthermore, the selected controlling parameter may be used to develop a curve or a look-up table to be stored in the memory 712 and used by the controller 710 to control the movement of the linear actuator 158.
Using only a controlling parameter, such as time, however, may not achieve the desired accuracy for the movement of the drive mechanism 730 as discussed above. For example, a slip of the clutch system of the linear actuator 158, or a slower movement of the rod of the linear actuator 158 when a load is applied to the surf device 152, may result in the surf device 152 being moved to a position other than the desired position. Under such circumstances, controlling the movement of the linear actuator 158 merely based on the controlling parameter would result in degraded accuracy. This is not desired because it may reduce the repeatability of the desired wake due to the uncertainty in the position of the surf device 152.
Another method for controlling the drive mechanism and thus the deployment of the deployable device is to use a position sensor 370 to measure the position of the surf device and/or the drive mechanism directly. For example, the position sensor 370 may generate an output, such as volts corresponding to the position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152. Then, the controller 710 of the deployable device control system 700 may use the output of the position sensor 370 as a reference to move the surf device 152 to a desired position. However, in the maritime environment, the position sensor 370 could be damaged or otherwise become inoperable in some circumstances. For example, it is not uncommon for a boat 100 to strike an object in the water, such as an object under the water or floating in the water in a manner that is hard to see. Such events could damage the position sensor 370 and cause it to become inoperable. If the control of the deployment of the surf device 152 is based on the position sensor 370 alone, inoperability of the position sensor 370 may not only result in an undesired accuracy of the deployment, but also a safety or stability issue for the boat 100. This is because surf devices, such as those described herein, can impact the dynamics and the lift of the boat 100. When travelling at lower speeds, for example between 9 mph and 12 mph, the surf devices are typically asymmetrically deployed for surfing and the boat is stable at such speeds. The loss or damage of the position sensor may result in inaccuracy and the inability to retract or deploy the surf devices. When a boat travels at higher speeds, the surf devices may be deployed for leveling the boat, i.e., being used as a trim tab to adjust the boat roll, and the surf devices are able to create large amounts of lift on the boat. In such case, the loss or damage of a position sensor may prevent the boat from retracting the surf devices and result in the instability in the boat. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, a method for controlling the drive mechanism 730 for the deployment of the deployable devices may use both the controlling parameter of the drive mechanism 730 and the output of the position sensor 370. Therefore, the potential instability of a boat could be avoided, or at least be alleviated.
At step S801, the controller 710 receives a command, for example, a position input from the side display 202. The command (position input) indicates that the deployable device 740, such as the surf device 152, is desired to be moved to a position by the operator of the boat 100 or a water sports participant. This command may be a particular configuration set by the operator in real-time (e.g., a position input for a particular percentage deployment). This command also may be one of predefined configurations, which are stored in the memory 712 as profiles and retrieved by the controller 710 upon a selection by the operator via the side display 202. Such predefined configurations may be, for example, wake surfing profiles for a particular type of wake or for a specific user (water sports participant). As discussed above, the desired position may be one of the multiple non-deployed positions including the fully non-deployed position, or one of the multiple deployed positions including the fully deployed position. In other words, the desired position may be the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, or any position therebetween.
At step S802, the controller 710 obtains the controlling parameter corresponding to the desired position. This controlling parameter may be used to control the drive mechanism 730, such as the linear actuator 158. The controlling parameter is derived or calculated based on the desired position indicated in the command (position input) received in step S801. As discussed above, the controlling parameter may be a duration (e.g., the period of time) that an electrical current is supplied to the motor of the linear actuator 158, and/or amperage or voltage of the electrical current supplied to the linear actuator 158. Other calculated or derived suitable parameter that allows the controller to control the movement of the drive mechanism to a desired position, which is not a direct output of a position sensor, also may be used as the controlling parameter herein. In some embodiments, the controlling parameter may be generated by the controller 710 on the basis of the developed function as discussed above, or retrieved from a look-up table stored in the memory 712 directly.
At step S803, the controller 710 drives the drive mechanism 730, e.g., the linear actuator 158, based on the obtained controlling parameter. The linear actuator 158 in turn moves the surf device 152 to the desired position, by moving its rod 360 to an appropriate stroke length. For example, the surf device 152 may be moved from the fully non-deployed position (the fully retracted position) to 50% deployed position, based on the value of the controlling parameter (e.g., the period of time) stored in the memory 712 that corresponds to the 50% deployed position.
At step S804, subsequent to driving the drive mechanism based on the controlling parameter, the controller 710 receives an output corresponding to a real-time position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152 from a position sensor, such as the position sensor 370 shown in
At step S805, the controller 710 drives the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to its final position based on the output received from the position sensor 370 at step S804. The output of the position sensor 370 is the real-time position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152 after a moving based on the controlling parameter. In this embodiment, a small feedback loop kicks in, where the position sensor 370 is used to dial in the final location of the surf device 152 within a specified accuracy, such as +/−1% as mentioned above. In this way, the output of the position sensor 370 is used for carrying out a fine adjustment for the position of the surf device 152. As such, the desired position of the surf device 152 can be controlled more accurately with appropriate redundancies built into the system, particularly for the maritime environment. Using an output from a position sensor allows a higher accuracy and repeatability in the position of the deployable device 740 as compared to controlling the position of the deployable device 740 based on the controlling parameter alone.
In an embodiment, considering the significance of the surf device position in making surf wakes, the deployable device control system 700 may additionally include an overrun logic. The overrun logic may be used when the desired position of the surf device 152 is the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, with additional steps to carry out. Specifically, as discussed above, the controller 710 receives a command indicating that the surf device 152 is desired to be moved to the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position. Then the controller 710 obtains the corresponding controlling parameter, and drives the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to the desired position, either the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, based on the controlling parameter. The controller 710 subsequently drives the linear actuator 158, for an additional period of time. For example, the electrical current applied to the linear actuator 158 may be supplied for an additional period of time, such as a second, and the like. This may help ensure that the surf device 152 is in its fully retracted or fully deployed position to be used as a suitable reference point when the surf device 152 is required to move to a new position later. The controller 710 may perform this subsequent step, i.e., driving the linear actuator 158 for the additional period of time, before or after the surf device 152 is moved to its final position (before either step S804 or S805, or after step S805).
Although this invention has been described with respect to certain specific exemplary embodiments, many additional modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. It is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supportable by this application and the equivalents thereof, rather than by the foregoing description.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/183,381, filed May 3, 2021, and titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING DEPLOYABLE DEVICES ON A BOAT,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63183381 | May 2021 | US |
