Autopilot employing improved hall-effect direction sensor

Ships – Steering mechanism – Remote control steering excluding manual operation

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

2351502, 244 77E, 318588, 318647, B63H 2502

Patent

active

039466914

ABSTRACT:
An improved marine compass employs a Hall-effect device which provides an output signal related to the relative rotation of the compass card therein. When the Hall-effect device is mounted on a course dial whose position with respect to the compass' lubber line indicates a desired course, the output signal may be used as an input to an autopilot system. The system includes a DC constant current supply for the Hall-effect device, and an integrated circuit operational amplifier for amplifying said output signal to provide an angle signal having a usable level. A differentiator including a second IC operational amplifier provides a rate signal from the angle signal. A rudder signal is provided by a rudder position sensor employing a second Hall-effect device and a third IC operational amplifier. The angle and rate signals are combined and supplied with the rudder signal to a variable-threshold differential amplifier which in turn provides a control signal to a steering servomotor to modify the rudder position so as to return the vessel to its desired course. To allow high rates of rudder positioning without overshoot, a null damper circuit varies the threshold of the differential amplifier to pulse modulate the control signal at small values thereof. By replacing the marine compass with a manual control employing a Hall-effect device, the system operates as a remote steering system.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2870979 (1959-01-01), Tribken et al.
patent: 3140436 (1964-07-01), Hatch
patent: 3199630 (1965-08-01), Engel et al.
patent: 3280781 (1966-10-01), Koerner
patent: 3425648 (1969-02-01), Wipff et al.
patent: 3622898 (1971-11-01), Salmon
patent: 3657629 (1972-04-01), Lloyd
patent: 3696282 (1972-10-01), Hirokawa et al.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Autopilot employing improved hall-effect direction sensor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Autopilot employing improved hall-effect direction sensor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Autopilot employing improved hall-effect direction sensor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-514191

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.