Systems and methods for redundant drive-by-wire control of marine engines
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F02D-041/26
F02D-028/00
출원번호
US-0935044
(2013-07-03)
등록번호
US-9103287
(2015-08-11)
발명자
/ 주소
Arbuckle, Jason S.
Snyder, Matthew W.
Boatman, John R.
Dengel, Michael P.
출원인 / 주소
Brunswick Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Andrus Intellectual Property Law, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
6인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
Drive-by-wire control systems and methods for a marine engine utilize an input device that is manually positionable to provide operator inputs to an engine control unit (ECU) located with the marine engine. The ECU has a main processor that receives the inputs and controls speed of the marine engine
Drive-by-wire control systems and methods for a marine engine utilize an input device that is manually positionable to provide operator inputs to an engine control unit (ECU) located with the marine engine. The ECU has a main processor that receives the inputs and controls speed of the marine engine based upon the inputs and a watchdog processor that receives the inputs and monitors operations of the main processor based upon the inputs. The operations of the main processor are communicated to the watchdog processor via a communication link. The main processor causes the watchdog processor to sample the inputs from the input device at the same time as the main processor via a sampling link that is separate and distinct from the communication link. The main processor periodically compares samples of the inputs that are simultaneously taken by the main processor and watchdog processor and limits the speed of the engine when the samples differ from each other by more than a predetermined amount.
대표청구항▼
1. A drive-by-wire control system for a marine engine, the control system comprising: an input device that is manually positionable to provide operator inputs to an engine control unit (ECU) located with the marine engine, the ECU having a main processor that receives the inputs and controls speed o
1. A drive-by-wire control system for a marine engine, the control system comprising: an input device that is manually positionable to provide operator inputs to an engine control unit (ECU) located with the marine engine, the ECU having a main processor that receives the inputs and controls speed of the marine engine based upon the inputs and a watchdog processor that receives the inputs and monitors operations of the main processor based upon the inputs;a communication link by which the operations of the main processor and watchdog processor are communicated to each other; anda sampling link that is separate and distinct from the communication link, and via which the main processor commands the watchdog processor to sample the inputs from the input device at the same time as the main processor;wherein the main processor periodically compares samples of the inputs that are simultaneously taken by the main processor and watchdog processor and limits the speed of the engine when the samples differ from each other by more than a predetermined amount. 2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the samples are stored in a memory. 3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the watchdog processor periodically compares the samples. 4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the input device comprises a throttle lever and further comprising a sensor that outputs analog voltages based upon positions of the throttle lever. 5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein movement of the throttle lever causes movement of a mechanical cable, and wherein the sensor outputs the voltages based upon the movement of the mechanical cable. 6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a linear position sensor and a rotational position sensor. 7. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the main processor comprises a main analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts, wherein the watchdog microprocessor comprises a watchdog analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts. 8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the watchdog processor monitors operations of the main analog-to-digital converter by determining whether the main processor decreases speed of the engine when the samples differ from each other by more than the predetermined amount. 9. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the main microprocessor controls position of a throttle to change speed of the engine, and wherein watchdog processor monitors the position of the throttle to determine speed of the engine. 10. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the watchdog processor resets the main processor when the samples differ from each other by more than the predetermined amount and the main processor does not limit the speed of the engine. 11. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication link is a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus. 12. A drive-by-wire control system for a marine engine, the control system comprising: a throttle lever that is manually positionable to control throttle of the marine engine;a sensor that outputs analog voltages based upon positions of the throttle lever;an engine control unit (ECU) that is located with the marine engine, the ECU having a main processor and a watchdog processor, wherein the main processor comprises a main analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts, wherein the watchdog processor comprises a watchdog analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts;wherein the main processor controls speed of the marine engine based upon the analog-to-digital counts and wherein the watchdog processor monitors operations of the main processor based upon the analog-to-digital counts;a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus by which the operations of the main processor are communicated to the watchdog processor; anda sampling link that is separate and distinct from the SPI bus, and via which the main processor causes the watchdog processor to sample the analog-to-digital counts at the same time as the main processor;wherein the main processor monitors operations of the main analog-to-digital converter by periodically comparing samples of the analog-to-digital counts that are simultaneously taken by the main and watchdog processors. 13. The control system according to claim 12, wherein the watchdog processor periodically compares the samples of the analog-to-digital counts, wherein the main processor limits speed of the engine when the samples of the inputs are different by a predetermined amount, and comprising a reset link, and wherein the watchdog processor resets the main processor via the reset link when the samples of the inputs are different by a predetermined amount and the main processor does not limit the speed of the engine. 14. A method of operating a drive-by-wire control system for a marine engine, the method comprising: providing throttle inputs to an engine control unit (ECU) located with the marine engine, wherein the ECU has a main processor that receives the inputs and controls speed of the marine engine based upon the inputs, a watchdog processor that receives the inputs and monitors operations of the main processor based upon the inputs, and a communication link by which the operations of the main processor are communicated to the watchdog processor; sampling the inputs at the same time with the main processor and watchdog processor, wherein said sampling is facilitated by a sampling link that is separate and distinct from the communication link;controlling with the main processor, the speed of the engine based upon the inputs;periodically comparing samples of the inputs that are simultaneously taken by the main processor and watchdog processor; andlimiting, with the main processor, the speed of the engine when the samples differ from each other by more than a predetermined amount. 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising storing the samples in a memory associated with the main processor. 16. The method according to claim 14, comprising providing the throttle inputs to the ECU by manually positioning a throttle lever. 17. The method according to claim 16, comprising outputting analog voltages to the ECU based upon positions of the throttle lever. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the main processor comprises a main analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts, wherein the watchdog microprocessor comprises a watchdog analog-to-digital converter that converts the voltages to analog-to-digital counts and comprising monitoring operations of the watchdog and main analog-to-digital converters by comparing samples of the analog-to-digital counts that are simultaneously taken by the main processor and watchdog processor. 19. The method according to claim 14, comprising controlling, with the main microprocessor, position of a throttle to change speed of the engine, and wherein watchdog processor monitors position of a throttle to determine speed of the engine. 20. The method according to claim 19, comprising resetting, with the watchdog processor, the main processor when the samples of the inputs are different by a predetermined amount and the main processor does not limit the speed of the engine.
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