US-12617503-B1 - Method and system for monitoring wind and current around a marine vessel

Abstract

A method of monitoring an environment around a marine vessel includes receiving a plurality of air speed measurements and/or a plurality of water speed measurements measured by at least one environmental speed sensor on the marine vessel when the marine vessel is heading in a plurality of different heading directions. A plurality of wind velocities and/or a plurality of current velocities are determined based on the plurality of air speed measurements and/or the plurality of water speed measurements and the vessel speed over ground and the vessel heading direction at the time of obtaining each respective air speed measurement and/or water speed measurement. A wind vector and/or a current vector are then calculated for an area traveled by the vessel based on the plurality of wind velocities and/or the plurality of current velocities.

Inventors

• Jared D. Kalnins

Assignees

• BRUNSWICK CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231018

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A system for monitoring an environment around a marine vessel, the system comprising: at least one environmental speed sensor configured to measure at least one of an air speed or a water speed around the marine vessel; a vessel sensing system configured to measure a speed over ground of the marine vessel and a heading direction of the marine vessel; a control system configured to: receive a plurality of air speed measurements and/or a plurality of water speed measurements measured by the at least one environmental speed sensor when the marine vessel is heading in a plurality of different heading directions; determine a plurality of wind velocities and/or a plurality of current velocities based on the plurality of air speed measurements and/or the plurality of water speed measurements and the speed over ground and the heading direction at the time of obtaining each respective air speed measurement and/or water speed measurement; and calculate a wind vector and/or a current vector for an area traveled by the marine vessel based on the plurality of wind velocities and/or the plurality of current velocities.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine a propulsion system parameter, a propulsion output requirement, and/or control propulsion based on the wind vector and/or a current vector.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a visual representation of the wind vector and/or a representation of the current vector and to display the visual representation on the display.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to: receive a first air speed and/or a first water speed measured by the environmental speed sensor and a first speed over ground of the marine vessel when the marine vessel is at a first location traveling in a first heading direction; determine a first wind velocity relative to the first heading direction based on the first air speed and the first speed over ground and/or determine a first current velocity relative to the first heading direction based on the first water speed and the first speed over ground; detect a threshold change in heading direction of the marine vessel to a second heading direction; measure a second air speed and/or a second water speed with the environmental speed sensor on the marine vessel and measure a second speed over ground of the marine vessel when the marine vessel is at a second location traveling in the second heading direction; determine a second wind velocity based on the second air speed and the second speed over ground and/or determine a second current velocity based on the second water speed and the second speed over ground; and calculate the wind vector for the area based on the first wind velocity and the second wind velocity and/or calculate the current vector for the area based on the first current velocity and the second current velocity, wherein the area includes at least the first location and the second location.
5. 5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising at least two air speed sensors at different locations on the marine vessel, each generating air speed measurements, and wherein the control system is further configured determine the first air speed and the second air speed based on multiple air speed measurements from each of the at least two air speed sensors.
6. 6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the control system is further configured to identify that the second heading direction is maintained for a threshold time or a threshold distance before receiving the second air speed and/or the second water speed.
7. 7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one air speed sensor and at least one water speed sensor, and wherein the control system is configured to calculate the wind vector based on the plurality of air speed measurements from the air speed sensor and to calculate the current vector based on the plurality of water speed measurements from the water speed sensor.
8. 8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to calculate a second wind vector and/or a second current vector for a second area traveled by the marine vessel based on a second plurality of wind velocities and/or a second plurality of current velocities.
9. 9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a map of wind vectors and/or current vectors in each of the area and at least the second area.
10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a visual representation of the map of wind vectors and/or current vectors and to display the visual representation on the display.
11. 11 . A method of monitoring an environment around a marine vessel, the method comprising: measuring a first air speed and/or a first water speed with at least one environmental speed sensor on the marine vessel; measuring a first speed over ground of the marine vessel with a vessel speed sensor when the marine vessel is at a first location traveling in a first heading direction; determining by a processor a first wind velocity relative to the first heading direction based on the first air speed and the first speed over ground and/or determining a first current velocity relative to the first heading direction based on the first water speed and the first speed over ground; detecting by the processor a threshold change in heading direction of the marine vessel to a second heading direction; measuring a second air speed and/or a second water speed with the environmental speed sensor on the marine vessel and measuring a second speed over ground of the marine vessel with the vessel speed sensor when the marine vessel is at a second location traveling in the second heading direction; determining by the processor a second wind velocity based on the second air speed and the second speed over ground and/or determining a second current velocity based on the second water speed and the second speed over ground; and calculating by the processor a wind vector for a first area based on the first wind velocity and the second wind velocity and/or calculating a current vector for the first area based on the first current velocity and the second current velocity, wherein the first area includes at least the first location and the second location.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising maintaining the second heading direction for a threshold time or a threshold distance before measuring the second air speed and/or the second water speed.
13. 13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising periodically measuring speed over ground and air speed and/or water speed while the marine vessel is traveling in the first heading direction and determining the first wind velocity relative to the first heading direction based on a plurality of air speed and speed over ground measurements made while the marine vessel is traveling in the first heading direction and/or determining by the processor the first current velocity relative to the first heading direction based on a plurality of water speed and speed over ground measurements made while the marine vessel is traveling in the first heading direction.
14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first location is within a threshold distance of a start location of a trip.
15. 15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first area includes at least a third location where a third wind velocity and/or a third current velocity are determined.
16. 16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising measuring air speed and water speed at a plurality of other locations in addition to the first location and the second location and generating a map of wind vectors and/or current vectors in each of the first area and a plurality of other areas defined based on the plurality of other locations.
17. 17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating by the processor the wind vector for the first area based on the first wind velocity and the second wind velocity and calculating the current vector for the first area based on the first current velocity and the second current velocity.
18. 18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating by the processor the wind vector and/or the current vector to a navigation controller for determining a propulsion output requirement by at least one marine drive.
19. 19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating by the processor the wind vector and/or the current vector to a controller for determining an energy output requirement for at least one marine drive on the marine vessel.
20. 20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying a representation of the wind vector and/or a representation of the current vector on a display.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/421,730, filed Nov. 2, 2022 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/421,726, filed on Nov. 2, 2022, the contents of which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for monitoring an environment around the vessel, and more particularly to monitoring wind and current vectors around the marine vessel. BACKGROUND The following U.S. patents and applications provide background information and are incorporated herein by reference, in entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,919 discloses a process is provided by which the operator of a marine vessel can invoke the operation of a computer program that investigates various alternatives that can improve the range of the marine vessel. The distance between the current location of the marine vessel and a desired waypoint is determined and compared to a range of the marine vessel which is determined as a function of available fuel, vessel speed, fuel usage rate, and engine speed. The computer program investigates the results that would be achieved, theoretically, from a change in engine speed. Both increases and decreases in engine speed are reviewed and additional theoretical ranges are calculated as a function of those new engine speeds. The operator of the marine vessel is informed when an advantageous change in engine speed is determined. U.S. Pat. No. 10,198,005 discloses a method for controlling movement of a marine vessel that includes controlling a propulsion device to automatically maneuver the vessel along a track including a series of waypoints, and determining whether the next waypoint is a stopover waypoint at or near which the vessel is to electronically anchor. If the next waypoint is the stopover waypoint, a control module calculates a distance between the vessel and the stopover waypoint. In response to the calculated distance being less than or equal to a threshold distance, the propulsion device's thrust is decreased. In response to sensing that the vessel thereafter slows to a first threshold speed, the vessel's speed is further reduced. In response to sensing that the vessel thereafter slows to a second, lower threshold speed or passes the stopover waypoint, the propulsion device is controlled to maintain the vessel at an anchor point that is at or near the stopover waypoint. U.S. Pat. No. 10,845,812 discloses a system for controlling movement of a marine vessel near an object. The system includes a control module in signal communication with a marine propulsion system, a manually operable input device providing a signal representing a requested translation of the marine vessel, and a sensor providing a first distance between the vessel and a first point on the object and a second distance between the vessel and a second point on the object. The control module determines an actual angle between the vessel and the object based on the first distance and the second distance. In response to the signal representing the requested translation, the control module stores the actual angle between the vessel and the object as an initial angle and controls the marine propulsion system to produce thrust that will carry out the requested translation and that will maintain the initial angle. U.S. Publication No. 2023/0219675 discloses a method of controlling an electric marine propulsion system to propel a marine vessel that includes receiving a user-set time, determining a time remaining based on the user-set time, and identifying a battery charge level of a power storage system on the marine vessel. A required battery power is then determined based on the time remaining and the battery charge level, and then an output limit is determined based on the required battery power to enable propelling the marine vessel for the user-set time without recharging the power storage system. The propulsion system is automatically controlled so as not to exceed the output limit. U.S. Publication No. 2023/0219676 discloses a method of controlling an electric marine propulsion system configured to propel a marine vessel that includes receiving a user-set distance, identifying a battery charge level of a power storage system on a marine vessel and identifying an energy utilization value. An output limit is then determined based on a remaining distance, the battery charge level, and the energy utilization value. The propulsion system is then automatically controlled so as to not exceed the output limit, enabling the marine vessel to travel the user-set distance without recharging the power storage system. U.S. application Ser. No. 18/314,048 discloses a propulsion system for a marine vessel that includes a plurality of marine drives configured to effectuate propulsion on the marine vessel and a control system. The control system is configured to determine a disturbance vector represent