US 12,172,736 B1
Control system to keep a direction of travel of a boat centered axially on a defined path between two points
Arthur James Timothy, Amersham (GB)
Filed by Arthur James Timothy, Amersham (GB)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/677,799.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/299,571, filed on Jan. 14, 2022.
Int. Cl. B63B 49/00 (2006.01); B63B 79/10 (2020.01); B63H 25/04 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 79/10 (2020.01) [B63B 49/00 (2013.01); B63H 25/04 (2013.01); B63B 2213/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to generate a control signal in response to (a) an actual path of a boat determined in response to signals received from GNSS satellites and (b) a predetermined centerline path of said boat; and
an actuator configured to move a control surface mounted on a centerline of said boat in response to said control signal, wherein
(i) said processor is configured to calculate said control signal by comparing said actual path of said boat relative to said predetermined centerline path,
(ii) said control signal is calculated by said processor in real time as said actual path of said boat changes in response to a deviation from said predetermined centerline path caused by a force acting on said boat,
(iii) said boat is configured to (a) change direction by inducing yaw in response to moving a direction of a rudder and (b) change direction without inducing said yaw in response to microcorrections provided by said control surface,
(iv) moving said direction of said rudder is controlled separately from said microcorrections provided by said control surface, and
(v) said control surface provides said microcorrections to said actual path of said boat to center said actual path axially along said predetermined centerline path.