초록 ▼

The system herein disclosed automatically detects whether an engine control unit instance number of a multi-engine marine vessel needs changing. Each engine control unit is electronically paired with a respective servo controller. A vessel controller is in communication with the servo controllers. T

The system herein disclosed automatically detects whether an engine control unit instance number of a multi-engine marine vessel needs changing. Each engine control unit is electronically paired with a respective servo controller. A vessel controller is in communication with the servo controllers. The vessel controller commands in turn each servo controller to switch on its paired engine control unit, read the instance number of its paired engine control unit, switch off its paired engine control unit, and convey the instance number back to the vessel controller. The vessel controller then compares the instance numbers of the engine control units. If at least two instance numbers of the engine control units are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller ascertains that at least one of the instance numbers of the engine control units needs to be changed and assigns a new instance number to one of the engine control units.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for automatically instancing marine engines of a marine vessel, the system comprising: a plurality of servo controllers;a plurality of engine control units;the plurality of engine control units, each having an address and being electronically paired with a respective one of the servo con

1. A system for automatically instancing marine engines of a marine vessel, the system comprising: a plurality of servo controllers;a plurality of engine control units;the plurality of engine control units, each having an address and being electronically paired with a respective one of the servo controllers; anda vessel controller in communication with the servo controllers;the servo controllers, the engine control units and the vessel controller connected to and communicating with one another via a network, the vessel controller commanding the servo controllers to switch off the engine control units, the vessel controller then commanding in turn each of the servo controllers to switch on its paired one of the engine control units, read the address of its paired one of the engine control units, switch off its paired one of the engine control units, and convey the address back to the vessel controller, and the vessel controller then comparing the addresses of the engine control units;whereby if at least two of the addresses of the engine control units are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller ascertains that at least one of the addresses of the engine control units needs to be changed. 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the addresses is an instance number. 3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein if at least two engine control units have duplicate addresses, the vessel controller assigns a new address to one of the at least two engine control units having duplicate addresses. 4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vessel controller has command means for commanding each of the servo controllers to switch off the engine control units and for commanding in turn each of the servo controllers to switch on its paired one of the engine control units, read the address of its paired one of the engine control units, switch off its paired one of the engine control units, and convey the address back to the vessel controller and the vessel controller has comparing means for comparing the addresses of the engine control units. 5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vessel controller further has assigning means for assigning a new address to an engine controller unit, and if at least two engine control units have duplicate addresses, the assigning means assigns the new address to one of the engine control units having duplicate addresses. 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the engine control units broadcasts an electrical signal representing its address, and each of the servo controllers has a transceiver for receiving commands from the vessel controller, for receiving the electrical signal representing the address of its paired one of the engine control units and for conveying a signal representing the address of its paired one of the engine control units to the vessel controller. 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further including a plurality of switches, a switch respectively interposed between each of the servo controllers and its paired engine control unit, the servo controllers capable of switching on or off the engine control units via actuation of the switches. 8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vessel controller is capable of identifying the address of each of the engine control units by commanding in turn each of the servo controllers to activate its respective switch and switch on its paired one of the engine control units thereby, to receive via its transceiver the electrical signal representing the address of its paired one of the engine control units and to convey via its transceiver the signal representing the address of its paired one of the engine control units to the vessel controller. 9. The system as claimed in claim 3, further including a plurality of engines paired with respective ones of the engine control units, and wherein the system is an electronic shift and throttle system and the vessel controller is a control head of the marine vessel. 10. The system as claimed in claim 3, further including a CAN hub, the servo controllers, the engine control units and the vessel controller connecting to the CAN hub, the vessel controller being electrically coupled to the servo controllers via the CAN hub. 11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the servo controllers each further include a connecting plug for plugging into its paired one of the engine control units, the engine control units being electronically paired with respective ones of the servo controllers. 12. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vessel controller includes a host processor, the vessel controller hosting control software for the host processor, the control software controlling the vessel controller, and the vessel controller having memory for storing the at least one new address. 13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the servo controllers have addresses unique relative to each other and the vessel controller ascertains the identity and arrangement of each of the servo controllers via the addresses of the servo controllers. 14. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including a plurality of interchangeable data holders, the data holders being paired with respective servo controllers, each of the data holders containing an address for electronically identifying the servo controller to which it is connected, the vessel controller ascertaining the identity and arrangement of each of the servo controllers via the data holders. 15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the servo controllers has a socket, the data holders are instance plugs, and the addresses of the instance plugs are instance numbers, and wherein the instance plugs are selectively connectable via the sockets to respective servo controllers. 16. A system for operatively assigning identities to a plurality of engines of a marine vessel, the system comprising: a plurality of servo controllers;a plurality of engine control units each associated with a respective one of the engines and being electronically paired with a respective one of the servo controllers; anda vessel controller in communication with the servo controllers;the servo controllers, the engine control units and the vessel controller connected to and communicating with one another via a network, the vessel controller commanding the servo controllers to switch off the engine control units, commanding in turn each of the servo controllers to switch on its paired one of the engine control units, assign a set address to its paired one of the engine control units and switch off its paired one of the engine control units, each of the set addresses corresponding to a unique identity, whereby the engines are associated with the set addresses identifiable to the vessel controller. 17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the vessel controller includes a host processor, the vessel controller hosting control software for the host processor, the control software controlling the vessel controller, and the vessel controller having memory for storing the set addresses associated with each of the engines, respectively. 18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the system includes up to five servo controllers and five engine control units, and the system requires 500 milliseconds or less in order to detect whether one or more of the addresses of the engine control units needs to be changed. 19. A method of automatically detecting whether at least one instance number associated with at least one of a plurality of engine control units of a marine vessel needs to be changed, the marine vessel having a vessel controller, the engine control units each having an instance number, the method comprising: the vessel controller causing the engine control units to switch off;the vessel controller causing one of the engine control units to switch on, causing the instance number of the one of the engine control units to be read, causing the one of the engine control units to switch off and causing the instance number so read to be conveyed to the vessel controller;the vessel controller causing an other of the engine control units to switch on, causing the instance number of the other of the engine control units to be read, causing the other of the engine control units to switch off and causing the instance number of the other of the engine control units to be conveyed to the vessel controller;the vessel controller comparing the instance numbers of the engine control units,whereby if at least two of the instance numbers of the engine control units are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller ascertains that at least one of the instance numbers of the engine control units needs to be changed. 20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein if at least two of the instance numbers are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller causing one of the engine control units having a duplicate instance number to be assigned at least one new instance number. 21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of the engine control units being paired with servo controllers; wherein the vessel controller being electronically coupled to the servo controllers in a manner predetermined by the vessel controller; the method further comprising, within the vessel controller causing steps: the vessel controller commanding the servo controllers to switch off the engine control units;the vessel controller commanding in turn each of the servo controllers to switch on its paired one of the engine control units, read the instance number of its paired one of the engine control units, switch off its paired one of the engine control units, and convey the instance number back to the vessel controller. 22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein if at least two of the instance numbers are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller commanding a servo controller associated with one of the engine control units having a duplicate instance number to assign at least one new instance number to its peered engine control unit. 23. The method as claimed in claim 22, the method including automatically detecting and assigning of a new instance number in six seconds or less for a system comprising two servo controllers and two engine control units. 24. The method as claimed in claim 22, the method including automatically detecting and assigning of a new instance number in nine seconds or less for a system comprising three servo controllers and three engine control units.