Method and system of governing a boat or the like having a single motor

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and system of governing a vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the present description and in the claims, the term vessel is to be understood in a broad sense to include any type of floating vehicle that can be governed according to the characteristics of the method and of the system object of the present description.

In the state of the art, systems are known of governing vessels that are provided with only two engines at the stern of the vessel, the engines allowing the adjustment of the number of revolutions and of the condition of forward gear, reverse gear and neutral in an independent way between them. In combination systems are also known of directional control of the vessel that can be constituted by engines that allow orienting, around a substantially vertical steering axis or having a directional component prevailing in vertical direction, the axis of rotation of the propeller that is substantially horizontal or presents a directional component prevailing in transversal direction to said steering axis, thus orienting the direction of thrust generated by the engine in directions having any angulation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel itself. Said engines are of the type denominated outboard and are fixed to the stern of the vessel by means of a support on which they are pivoted in a rotatable way at least around said substantially vertical steering axis, or are of the type denominated inboard-outboard in which a part of the engine is internal and fixed to the vessel and commands a transmission of actuation of a propeller that is carried by a leg positioned outside the vessel and present an actuation axis of the propeller orientable around a steering axis analogously to what defined above for said axes.

Alternatively the two engines can present propellers actuated by fixed rotation axes regarding the orientation of the same, while the steering action is exercised by a rudder blade provided for each propeller and in a position interfering with the flow of fluid generated by the same.

In these governing systems, besides the independent setting of the number of revolutions and/or of the gear direction and of the condition of neutral of the engines, it is also possible to operate a different steering for each engine or for each rudder blade. Thanks to the combination of pre-established angles of steering of the engines and/or of the blades of the rudders and of the number of revolutions of the same, as well as to the gear direction set for each engine or to the condition of neutral of the engines, it is possible to generate combinations of forces on the dynamic center of the vessel that, adding and subtracting at least in part among them, allow making the vessel itself move along different trajectories with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, such as: forward or backward direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, transversal translation along a direction perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel or along a direction having a pre-established angulation with respect to said longitudinal axis, that is a direction with at least a perpendicular component to said longitudinal axis and a parallel component to said longitudinal axis, an advancement forward or backward along a curved trajectory, that is that combines a variation of orientation of the longitudinal axis of the vessel with a translation in direction of said longitudinal axis and a rotation of said vessel around said dynamic center of application of the propulsion forces, without the vessel executing translations in any direction.

Document US3976023 describes an apparatus for maneuvering a vessel that allows performing, in a vessel provided with two propulsion groups or means of type Z, the control of the direction of the flow of fluid generated by the propeller, the independent control between them of the speed of rotation of the engines and the neutral setting independent for the two engines as well as the change of forward and reverse gear. The command takes place by means of a single handle or lever with functions entirely assimilable to those of a joystick and that is provided in the command station. Said lever is coupled to a transmitter suitable to emit electric signals in conformity with the movement of the lever to generate various actions of control of the settings of the directional members and/or of the number of revolutions of the engines and/or of the condition of forward gear, reverse gear or neutral of the engines, individually or in combination among them in such a way, that it is possible to maneuver the vessel according to a plurality of maneuvering schemes thanks to said single lever.

Document EP0358686 also describes a system of steering and maneuvering for vessels provided with two propulsion units steerable individually and arranged in the stern part of the vessel as well as distanced transversally from each other with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. These propulsion units can be of any type such as jet engines, outboard engines steerable independently from each other, inboard-outboard engines each with at least a leg provided outside and steerable independently, or propeller units with fixed transmission shaft and separate rudder. The system of steering and maneuvering comprises a selector of functions with the help of which the system can be switched between a normal steering mode, in which the propulsion units are kept substantially parallel during the steering, and at least one special maneuvering mode, in which the steering command is disconnected from the normal manouvering function and is set automatically, independently from the position of the manouvering command, with the two propulsion units at symmetric steering angles and in directions opposite to each other, so that the two propulsion units can generate a propulsion force with a resultant component that is directed substantially transversally to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and/or alternatively or in combination a turning movement of the vessel, while the two propulsion units are commanded so as to set opposite forward/reverse propulsive directions to each other. Through the automatic setting of the angular positions of the propulsion units in the special maneuvering mode, the helmsman can concentrate on relatively simple control functions, such as increasing or decreasing the speed of a turn or of the transversal movement, with the help of the control of the number of revolutions of the engine or of the power of the jet of fluid when it is jet engines. It has been found that such maneuvers can be executed in an extremely simple way, but at the same time exact and efficient, and since the normal navigation takes place in conventional way with the aid of the governing and power commands, the helmsman can quickly learn to master the system of governing in conformity with the invention. Besides modes of forward and backward advancement, the special maneuvering modes can comprise a mode of transversal movement and a mode of turning.

In the special maneuvering modes of turning or transversal movement of the vessel, the steering command is preferably used to adjust the turning angle of the propulsion units in such a way that the turning angles are modified symmetrically in opposite direction while maintaining the symmetry, so that the point of attack of the resultant force is moved along the longitudinal axis of the vessel or along a prolongation of this axis beyond the bow or the stern of the vessel. In the mode of transversal translation, the helmsman can then easily obtain either a compensating force of external forces acting on the hull such as those generated by the wind and/or by the current, or can combine the transversal translation with a turning movement. In the mode of rotation of the vessel, the displacement of the point of attack of the resultant of the forces generates an increase or a weakening of the torque. Also in this document is provided a table of the settings of the maneuvering commands such as steering angle of the engines or of the rudder, forward or reverse gear of the engines, condition of neutral of the engines, setting of the power, that is of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the engines, of the movement that the vessel executes thanks to the resultant of the propulsion forces acting on the same.

Document EP1195320B1 describes a control unit of a vessel that is provided with two engines each with an associated rudder and with a so-called bow-thruster and/or a so-called stern-thruster and in which the control member provides to control in combination said bow-thruster and/or stern-thruster and one or more propulsors and the associated rudder. The control provides to adjust in combination or alternatively both the number of revolutions of the propellers and the gear direction (forward and/or reverse) and also the condition of neutral of the engines, as well as the steering angle of the rudders in such a way as to generate resultant forces on the dynamic center of the vessel that allow providing different modes of displacement of the vessel itself.

As it appears evident, in order to be able to cover all the modes of displacement of the vessel both with reference to the normal governing operations during the cruise and with reference to special displacement modes such as those provided for example for docking maneuvers or similar, the state of the art provides the presence of at least two engines that are controllable independently from each other and of at least two directional members each respectively for an engine or of steerable engines or of jet engines with orientable jets. Other solutions provide in combination with the two engines also at least a so-called bow-thruster and/or a so-called stern-thruster.

The presence of a bow-thruster and/or stern-thruster in vessels is more and more frequent also for vessels of small dimensions or of reduced tonnage. These devices require a through channel, in particular transversal, provided in the hull of the vessel and therefore are provided already at the time of the production of the vessel. Less common are installations of bow-thruster in retrofitting since the intervention on the hull of the vessel is not always appreciated. There also exist bow-thruster applicable at the bow or at the stern of the vessel that present a structure similar to that of the outboard engines. Such devices, however, are not very widespread.

Therefore, currently it is frequent that a vessel presents in a native way a bow-thruster device and/or a stern-thruster device.

In particular, for vessels of small and medium dimensions, is provided a single engine of the type jet and/or outboard and/or inboard-outboard or inboard in combination with a rudder. This allows limiting the overall costs of the vessel and of the governing systems.

Document WO2006040785A1 describes an automatic control system of the maneuvering of motor vessels that allows, in a reliable and efficient way, to simplify the piloting of multi-motor vessels, in particular in maneuvers in restricted spaces such as, for example, but not exclusively, during phases of mooring, anchoring or refueling. In particular, the system automatically compensates the effects of currents, wind and other possible external disturbances on the motion of the vessel, executing the requested movement or maintaining the position and the bow orientation set by the pilot. In this document the multi-motor propulsive members and/or the directional control members, such as rudders or similar, are controlled in automatic way as a function of the command signals generated by a command member operated by the pilot and by means of the signals of sensors that detect the movement of the vessel and/or the action of external forces on the vessel, correcting command signals combined of the multi-motor propulsion units and/or of the directional members. Said signals are generated as a function of the command set by the user by means of at least a command member, such as for example a joystick, and calculate, on the basis of the desired conditions of displacement of the vessel, such as direction of translation and/or rotation and others set with said command member, the operative conditions to be set for the various propulsors and/or directional control members suitable to determine a resultant of the forces acting on a point of attack of the hull according to the direction and/or the speed of displacement of the vessel corresponding to that set with said command members, for example said joystick. In this document, the preferred embodiment comprises a multi-motor propulsion unit and provides besides a main engine of propulsion, at least one stern maneuvering engine, such as for example a nozzle of emission of a hydrojet rotatable with respect to a vertical axis, as well as a transversal maneuvering propeller at the bow, such as for example a so-called bow-thruster or similar.

It appears evident that the system according to said document requires the mandatory presence of a calculation algorithm of the actuation settings of the multi-motor propulsion unit and of a plurality of sensors that provide control signals of the movement imposed on the hull on the basis of the manual command by the pilot and of the settings of the various engines and/or directions of the propulsion forces exerted by the various propulsive members of the multi-motor propulsion unit calculated on the basis of said algorithm by a command unit.

Document EP4378817A1 describes a computer-implemented method for maneuvering a vessel provided with a single propulsion unit and which method comprises the following steps:

obtaining, by a processing device of a computer system, net momentum direction data indicative of a target movement, rotatory, horizontal of the hull;

activating, by the processing device, a series of thrust pulses by the propulsion unit, which series of thrust pulses comprises a plurality of primary pulses and a plurality of secondary pulses directed differently from the primary pulses and in which the primary pulses and the secondary pulses are directed in such a way as to provide a respective longitudinal thrust component parallel to a longitudinal axis of the hull, in which the primary pulses are directed in such a way that the longitudinal thrust components of the primary pulses act in the opposite direction with respect to the direction of the longitudinal thrust components of the secondary pulses, and in which the primary pulses and the secondary pulses are further directed in such a way as to jointly provide a net angular momentum on the hull associated to the net momentum direction data. Also in this case, the method and the system for the implementation thereof provides that the direction and/or the intensity of the primary and secondary pulses are calculated on the basis of an algorithm that defines the components of these pulses and calculates the resultants thereof on a precise point of attack of the hull.

The above-described document provides that in the presence of a single engine, this one is orientable around a vertical axis in such a way as to make perform to the propeller shaft a rotation of 360° around said vertical axis. Such configuration is provided to compensate for the absence of a transversal thrust unit such as for example a so-called bow-thruster and/or a stern-thruster, or similar.

The known methods and the known implementation systems of the state of the art present a high degree of structural complexity and are therefore unsuitable for use in small and/or medium-sized vessels. In fact, as it results clearly from the described documents, the system for the implementation of the known methods of the state of the art requires a considerable quantity of operative units that need an adequate feeding energy and wirings for the connection to a central control unit.

Furthermore, the command signals are generated by the control unit on the basis of algorithms built on a theoretical analysis, especially of the common points of attack of the forces to the hull of the vessel that are often affected by inaccuracies. Therefore, the automatic command signals are generally affected by errors and require complex automatic feedback systems to compensate errors of non-systematic type and hardly predictable.

Especially the complexity of the system indicated above and the precise definition of the point of attack of the forces to the hull makes the application of these systems difficult to small or medium-sized vessels and in particular an installation in the form of upgrade or retrofitting of the vessel.

In small and medium-sized vessels, for example, for the dynamic response of the vessel to the propulsion pulses and/or for the position of the common point of attack of the propulsion forces, the distribution of the loads determined by variable conditions such as the number of passengers and their position relative to the hull are relevant. From the point of view of installation, the necessity to provide a more or less high number of sensors to detect the feedback on the movement of the hull and correct the command signals requires the installation of many communication cables and also in some cases the fact that it is necessary to drill walls of the hull in different points of the same.

Currently, therefore, navigation control devices of the type described in the documents above cited, are very rarely installed on small and medium-sized vessels for the reasons above exposed.

There therefore exists, in the state of the art, an unsatisfied need concerning navigation control methods and systems that allow providing control modes analogous to those provided in larger vessels, at least with reference to some of the control functionalities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is aimed at vessels especially of small and medium size that provide a single steerable engine or an engine with a non-steerable propeller shaft in combination with a single rudder, optionally and preferably in combination with a maneuvering unit that generates a thrust in a transversal direction to the longitudinal axis of the hull, in order to allow the control of the movement of the vessel in particular in a transversal translation direction and/or of partial or complete rotation and without or with combined transversal and/or longitudinal translation of the hull. However, especially with regard to maneuvering modes, it would be advantageous to be able to maneuver the vessel provided with a single steerable engine and/or with a single rudder in combination with at least one bow-thruster so that it can perform transversal translations and/or relatively tight rotations.

As already remarked with reference to the state of the art, transversal translations especially are useful in docking maneuvers and/or in counteracting drift generated by currents and/or by the wind or by other external agents and in maintaining the orientation and the position of the vessel in the absence of anchoring.

The present invention aims to realize a method and a system for governing vessels that makes it possible to overcome the limits of the current methods, making possible the execution of special maneuvering movements, such as transversal translation and/or rotation even for vessels provided with a single steerable engine and/or a single rudder in combination with at least one bow-thruster.

The invention achieves the above purposes with a method for governing a vessel comprising at least one bow-thruster, provided at least in correspondence with the bow area of the vessel;

a single steerable engine and/or an engine with axis oriented in a fixed manner and with at least one rudder;

one or more organs for setting the conditions of movement of the vessel, the organ(s) comprising an input element of setting signals movable according to predetermined paths and which setting signals corresponding to movements of only translation and/or alternatively of only rotation and/or of combinations of a rotation and a translation of the vessel and also to variations of the speed of movement of the vessel;

a control unit which receives said movement setting signals and which is configured to generate correlated control signals of said bow-thruster and/or said engine so that the thrust impulses exerted on the vessel by said bow-thruster and/or said engine generate a resultant impulse that moves the vessel correspondingly to the movement conditions set with said input device;

this method providing, for the execution of a transversal translation maneuver, the so-called “lateral drift”, the generation of control signals that determine the activation of the bow-thruster with a predetermined number of revolutions and a predetermined direction of rotation and at the same time the activation of said engine with a predetermined number of revolutions and a predetermined setting of forward or reverse gear, while said engine and/or said rudder are steered alternatively and in rapid succession in one direction and in the opposite direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel with a predetermined steering angle and/or the gear direction, i.e., the gear direction set on the engine is alternatively inverted between forward and reverse gear and/or said number of revolutions of the bow-thruster engine and/or of the engine are varied in a synchronized manner correspondingly to the variation of the steering angle and/or of the gear direction, said rapid succession being defined by the duration of each steering position of the engine and/or of the rudder respectively in said first direction and in said second direction and/or of said gear setting of the engine in forward or reverse gear and/or by the switching frequency between the two steering directions and/or the two gear directions, being in the order of magnitude of the response time of the movement of the vessel between the instant of setting the steering direction and/or of the gear and the corresponding actual displacement of the vessel caused by the thrust of the engine in the corresponding steering direction and/or in the corresponding gear condition and determined by the inertia of movement of the vessel;

said method providing steps of definition of correlation functions between said setting signals and control signals for the separated and/or combined activation of said bow-thruster and of said steerable engine or of said combination of non-steerable engine and steerable rudder, which comprise:

the activation of the setting device correspondingly to a specific target displacement of the vessel, that is to said transversal translation displacement and/or of the speed of displacement,

the verification by the pilot of the actual direction and/or speed of displacement of the vessel caused by said activation of the setting device;

the manual variation of the correlation functions of the control signals generated by the control unit as a function of the setting signals generated by the activation of the setting device for the execution of the specific displacement until the actual displacement direction and the actual displacement speed of the vessel come to correspond, within predetermined tolerances, with that defined by means of said activation of the setting device;

the storage of said correlation functions in a memory of the control unit.

In particular, for the transversal translation displacement, the present invention is based on the fact that the vessel has a certain delay between the generation of the propulsion thrust and the displacement of the vessel itself due to said thrust. This is not only due to the inertia of movement of the vessel itself, which is mainly a function of its mass, but also to the fact that the propulsion force is transmitted by a fluid. This effect causes a delay in the response to the solicitation by the engine which allows the components of the forces involved to interfere and compensate each other or to add up to each other, so that when the vessel executes the movement caused by the propulsion force, the components of the forces involved that are opposing each other have already compensated each other so that the displacement of the vessel in directions of said components is not executed by it and the vessel moves substantially according to the resultant of the components of the forces involved.

The two opposite steering directions of the engine and/or of the rudder can be realized so that the steering angle is different or identical for said two opposite steering directions.

In one embodiment, the steering angle of the engine and/or of the rudder in at least one of the two opposite steering directions corresponds to the maximum possible steering angle.

Alternatively or in combination, it is also possible to provide to activate the engine with a different number of revolutions for each of the two steering positions of the engine and/or of the rudder.

Even if in a preferred embodiment the number of revolutions of the bow-thruster is kept fixed, alternatively and in combination with one or more of the variants described above, it is possible to provide a variation of the number of revolutions of the bow-thruster so as to vary the force generated by the same on the vessel and this preferably in a synchronized manner according to a predetermined function with the alternation between the two steering positions and/or between the two gear settings and/or with respect to the variations of the number of revolutions of the engine when such action is provided.

By varying alternatively or in combination the two steering angles in said two opposite steering directions, the gear direction of the engine and the number of revolutions, i.e. the power of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster, it is possible to obtain different directions of transversal translation of the vessel and also to combine a rotation of the vessel around a dynamic center of application of the propulsion forces acting on the hull of the same. This therefore makes it possible to obtain displacements of the vessel substantially according to a large part of the displacements provided in the state of the art with two engines and optionally also with a bow-thruster and/or with a stern-thruster.

The displacement of the vessel according to a transversal direction to the hull and with an orientation of the transversal direction purely perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hull or with an orientation of the transversal translation direction according to directions that present at least one directional component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hull are particularly important because they allow to execute maneuvering movements of the vessel during docking phases for mooring or for approaching other vessels or landing points, and also for the compensation of external forces to the vessel that cause involuntary translations of the same, as in the case of wind and/or currents.

Moreover, the translation movement also allows maintaining the vessel in a fixed position when it is not anchored or secured to a dock or similar.

In one embodiment, the command of alternative variation of the above-mentioned parameters, that is of the steering direction between two opposite steering directions and/or between the two gear conditions, that is forward gear and reverse gear, and/or between the different settings of the power delivered by the engine, that is of the number of revolutions in the case of propeller engines, can also be carried out manually directly by the person who governs the vessel, for example using traditional control devices, such as levers, tillers or steering wheels present in the control stations of vessels.

In a preferred embodiment, however, the present invention provides to use as device of generation of movement settings a single device which is constituted by a joystick comprising a lever tiltable laterally in any radial direction with respect to a central position also defined neutral position, in which the lever is perfectly perpendicular and in which the direction of inclination constitutes the input of the direction of the translation movement of the vessel and the angle of inclination with respect to the position in which the axis of the lever is perfectly vertical constitutes the input related to the speed that the vessel assumes during the movement in said translation direction, furthermore, the inclination of the lever with respect to the vertical orientation can occur according to two opposite directions along an identical radial direction and which define also a command of variation of the gear direction of at least the engine and/or of the bow-thruster, i.e. the direction of rotation of a propeller of said engine and/or of said bow-thruster.

In this embodiment, therefore, the movement of the control lever with respect to the neutral position in which it is perfectly vertical and the angle of inclination generate setting signals of the displacement of the vessel that contain command information related to the steering angles and to the settings of the gear direction and to the delivered power, and said setting impulses are decoded and read in the control unit which in turn generates selective control signals for one or more of the following actuators, such as steering actuators, actuators of switching of the gear direction and/or of the neutral condition, actuators of control of the engine power, such as variation of the number of revolutions of the propeller, and said control signals are uniquely correlated to the displacement direction of the vessel and to the power and/or displacement speed of the same set through the joystick lever as a function of the inclination direction of the joystick lever and/or of the inclination angle of the joystick lever relative to the vertical resting position.

In one embodiment, in combination with the generation of setting signals of the translation direction and of the speed or of the delivered power in said translation direction, the joystick lever may comprise additional degrees of freedom such as, for example, a rotational movement around its own axis in the two rotation directions. In this case, these setting signals of the displacement of the vessel may be correlated to control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine thanks to which the vessel is rotated around a vertical axis.

The above-mentioned movements of the joystick lever may also be combined with each other, allowing the control unit to generate control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine, whose combination exerts a combined displacement action of the vessel, for example of roto-translational type in addition to purely rotational or translational displacement.

Other degrees of freedom of the joystick may be provided as well as command buttons provided in the support base of the joystick lever and/or on the joystick lever which, for example, allow modifying operating conditions of the bow-thruster and/or settings of governing modes between a cruising mode and a maneuvering mode.

These settings relating to cruising modes and maneuvering modes may be configured and stored in a control program executed by the control unit and may comprise limitations and exclusions of predetermined combinations of settings that are not recommended or even dangerous in cruising and/or maneuvering mode.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is provided in combination with a control software which comprises a plurality of predetermined routine programs in which the control instructions of the steering actuators and/or of the actuators of the setting of the gear direction for the engine and/or for the bow-thruster and/or of the power delivered by the engine and/or by the bow-thruster are integrated and encoded in order to obtain the displacement of the vessel corresponding to the joystick position parameters relative to the different degrees of freedom of displacement provided for the lever and/or to the switching of one or more buttons optionally provided on the joystick.

In particular, when the joystick lever is moved to obtain a transversal translation of the vessel in a predetermined direction, such position of the joystick lever activates the execution of a routine, already programmed, by the control unit, which routine already comprises the commands of alternative variation of the steering direction between said two opposite steering directions and/or of the alternation between the gear directions and/or the neutral condition and/or the settings of range of variation of the power of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster, remaining variable for example the steering angles in one or both the opposite steering directions and/or the power delivered by the engine and/or by the bow-thruster.

In this way, the steering actuators are automatically commanded in order to alternate the steering direction of the engine and/or of the engines between said two opposite directions with a predetermined base frequency and within a predetermined range of frequencies as well as for a predetermined range of holding times of the corresponding steering direction and/or to alternate the settings of the gear direction between said two opposite gear directions with a predetermined base frequency within a range of admissible predetermined frequencies as well as for a predetermined range of admissible holding times of the corresponding gear direction of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster, while other functional parameters are variable as a function of the parameters that describe the position of the joystick and which are corresponding to variations of the switching frequency between the two opposite steering directions and/or between the two opposite gear directions within said admissible ranges and/or to the variations of the power delivered by the engine and/or by the bow-thruster.

The parameters relating to said admissible ranges of variation are set at the time of installation of the control unit and may also be modified in order to be further adapted to the specific characteristics of the vessel and of the engine provided for the same.

The admissible ranges may also be automatically modifiable on the basis of variation commands which provide a variation of the set variation range, for example due to the choice of a steering mode such as the cruising mode or the maneuvering mode and/or due to particular atmospheric and marine conditions, such as for example the wind conditions and/or the sea wave motion conditions.

According to one embodiment, the control software executed by the control unit comprises one or more correlation functions of control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine, especially with respect to the direction of the corresponding propulsive thrust, i.e. of the gear direction or of rotation of the propellers, of the power of the thrust, i.e. of the number of revolutions of said propellers and of the steering angle and according to the method of the present invention said correlation functions may be constituted either by linear functions or by non-linear functions, for example combinations of exponential functions which are parameterized and whose variables are constituted by variables that characterize the setting signals of the displacement of the vessel generated by the setting device, said functions being variable solely with reference to the parametrization parameters of said functions and said parameters being defined by performing the setup steps defined above and consisting of:

actuating the setting device correspondingly to a specific target displacement of the vessel, that is, to said transversal translation displacement and/or of the displacement speed,

verification by the pilot of the actual displacement direction and/or displacement speed of the vessel caused by said actuation of the setting device;

manual variation of the correlation functions of the control signals generated by the control unit as a function of the setting signals generated by the actuation of the setting device for the execution of the specific displacement until the actual displacement direction and the actual displacement speed of the vessel correspond, within predetermined tolerances, with that defined by said actuation of the setting device;

storing said correlation functions in a memory of the control unit.

According to an embodiment of the method, which may be provided in any combination with one or more of the embodiments and characteristics of the method described above, the correlation functions may be configured so as to automatically generate control signals of the bow-thruster and of the engine which provide the alternative variations of the steering direction and/or of the rotation direction of the propellers and/or of the neutral condition in order to carry out transversal translation displacements of the vessel, the parameters of the correlation functions further comprising parameters related to the setting of the switching frequency of the direction and of the steering angle and/or of the rotation direction of the propellers and of the number of revolutions of said propellers or of the neutral driving condition and/or of the setting of the holding duration between the different steering directions and/or the two different steering angles and/or the two different rotation directions of the propellers and/or the number of revolutions of the propellers and which parameters are manually settable by the user as a function of the verification by the pilot of the actual displacement direction and/or displacement speed of the vessel caused by said actuation of the setting device.

It is possible to provide further non-essential improvements of the method and of the system according to the present invention. In one embodiment the method may optionally provide to detect automatically by means of sensors one or more of the different parameters provided in the following list:

position coordinates of the vessel relative to a GPS system or similar and/or relative to surveys of the morphology of the coast or of stationary installations or other references that can be considered stationary and that can be captured in the frames of a video camera;

distance of the vessel from one or more stationary references and/or presence of said references and/or floating obstacles such as buoys, debris or the like;

variations of the acceleration of the vessel both with respect to the intensity and with respect to the direction;

orientation of the bow of the vessel with respect to the terrestrial magnetic field, i.e. compass angle;

direction and speed of the wind;

direction and speed of the current;

variations of trim of the vessel, such as inclinations thereof.

As regards the detection of the different parameters, the sensors are known.

The position of the vessel can be determined by means of GPS sensors.

The position may also be determined by triangulation relative to different geographical references framed in the frames of at least one on-board camera and whose position coordinates are known and/or whose shape is detected with a predetermined frequency, the variations thereof being determined in the succession of frames and from these variations being extracted the speed and the direction of relative displacement of the vessel.

The distance from stationary references external to the vessel can be detected either by means of said triangulations or by means of distance sensors.

Camera systems may also be configured to detect the presence of stationary and non-stationary floating obstacles such as buoys, floating debris or the like.

In addition or alternatively to the camera systems, the vessel may also be provided with remote sensing systems of the LIDAR type or the like.

With regard to the accelerations undergone by the vessel, combinations of accelerometers are known in the state of the art which detect accelerations of a body in three-dimensional or two-dimensional space. Such accelerometers may also be used to acquire temporal trends of the three-dimensional accelerations of the vessel and determine therefrom the condition of the sea wave motion.

The compass angle is measured by one or more on-board compasses, while the wind direction and speed are detectable by means of an anemometer respectively.

The trim of the vessel is measurable by means of combinations of inclinometers.

The speed and the direction of the current can be calculated on the basis of the measurement parameters relative to the position and/or relative to the accelerations of the vessel.

In one embodiment, all or at least some of these parameters may be detected and the results of the measurements and/or the parameters extracted from these measurements may be displayed for the person governing the vessel.

In one embodiment, the above-mentioned measurement parameters or parameters obtained from the processing of those measured are automatically processed by the control unit which executes a software of automatic temporary correction of the correlation functions between setting signals of the displacement of the vessel and control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine, or temporary correction signals of the sole control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine.

Said software of automatic generation of said temporary correction signals comprising the instructions to automatically generate correction signals either direct or through temporary correction of the correlation functions of the control signals of steering actuators of the engine and/or of the rudder and/or of setting of the gear direction of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster or of neutral and/or of the power of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster so as to generate resultant propulsive forces of the vessel to compensate involuntary displacements thereof and/or to control the displacements of the vessel in the execution of maneuvers such as docking or the like in a manner corresponding to the environmental conditions and to the relative position of the vessel with respect to a target position which may be for example the docking at a mooring and/or anchoring site and/or also at a further craft.

According to one embodiment, the automatic mode of setting may be activatable and de-activatable by command by the person governing the vessel and/or it may be activatable and de-activatable as a function of the fact that the control device, for example the joystick, remains in the neutral position or whether it is actuated by moving the lever according to one of the degrees of freedom thereof and/or whether a control device of those traditionally provided such as levers of variation of the power delivered by the engine and/or the manual steering device and/or the control device of the bow-thruster is actuated. In all cases in which there is no actuation of one of said control devices, the automatic mode may remain active, while it is automatically deactivated passing to the manual mode according to one or more of the embodiments described above when at least one of said control devices is actuated.

With reference to a further variant embodiment, alternatively or in combination with a bow-thruster, the vessel may be provided with a stern-thruster, being for said stern-thruster provided the same identical characteristics of the method and of the relative system and in the same combinations and sub-combinations with each other, as those described above for the variant comprising only said bow-thruster.

According to a possible embodiment of the method, during the execution of the combination of steps of definition of the correlation functions between the setting signals of the displacement of the vessel generated by the control device and the control signals for the separate and/or combined actuation of said bow-thruster and of said steerable engine or of said combination of non-steerable engine and steerable rudder, which comprise:

actuation of the setting device correspondingly to a specific target displacement of the vessel, i.e. to said transversal translation displacement and/or of the displacement speed,

verification by the pilot of the actual displacement direction and/or displacement speed of the vessel caused by said actuation of the setting device,

the manual variation of the correlation functions of the control signals generated by the control unit as a function of the setting signals generated by the actuation of the setting device for the execution of the specific displacement until the actual displacement direction and the actual displacement speed of the vessel correspond, within predetermined tolerances, with that defined by said actuation of the setting device,

storing of said correlation functions in a memory of the control unit,

the method provides a setup interface of said correlation functions comprising at least one input channel of a setup parameter or of a combination of setup parameters of said correlation functions or a plurality of channels for respectively each of one or more setup parameters, which channels are activatable and associated with an input device of a value of the corresponding parameter or of the values of the combination of parameters, the one or more correlation functions being modified as a function of said input values,

said method providing a validation command of said values by the pilot and the storage of the correlation functions modified with said values of the validated parameter or parameters by means of said validation command.

In one embodiment, the said correlation function(s) may be in analytical form, the control signals being recalculated as a function of the setting signals, or said correlation functions are pre-calculated in tabular form, the setting signals being represented by sampled values which are uniquely correlated to corresponding sampled values of the correlation functions and/or of the control signals.

The invention also relates to a governing system of a vessel for the implementation of the method according to one or more of the embodiments and variants described above.

In one embodiment, said system is provided in combination with a vessel or the like comprising at least one bow-thruster, provided at least in correspondence with the bow area of the vessel, and a single steerable engine and/or an engine with axis oriented in a fixed way and with at least one rudder, which system comprises:

a steering actuator which commands the steering mechanism of an engine and/or of a rudder;

and/or a gear switching actuator of the engine forward/reverse gear which commands the switching mechanism of the engine forward/reverse gear such as the rotation direction of the propeller and/or the direction of a jet of propulsion of a jet engine;

and/or a power control actuator of the power delivered by the engine and which commands the regulation mechanism of said power delivered by the engine;

optionally a gear switching actuator of the rotation direction of the bow-thruster and/or a power control actuator of the power delivered by the bow-thruster;

setting members of a target displacement of the vessel comprising:

members of regulation of the steering direction of said engine and/or of said rudder;

and/or members of switching control of the forward/reverse gear and/or of setting of the neutral condition of the engine;

and/or members of variation of the power delivered by the engine;

optionally switching members of the forward/reverse gear and/or members of variation of the power delivered by the bow-thruster;

a control unit in which a control program is loaded comprising instructions of processing of signals generated by said setting members and generating corresponding control signals of one or more of said actuators;

said setting members being constituted by a single unified control device which comprises a control organ that is movable according to different degrees of freedom relatively to a neutral position, i.e. inactive of control, each one corresponding to a displacement direction of the vessel with a power of execution of said displacement, and which unified control device generates control signals in which are encoded the control information of said one or more actuators, such as a joystick or the like;

said control program comprising the instructions for the execution of the method steps according to any of the above-described embodiments.

In a preferred embodiment, the control device may be actuated to set a transversal displacement direction of the vessel having at least one directional component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel or that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, the execution of a routine of the control program executed by the control unit being activated by said control organ, which routine comprises the instructions to command at least the steering actuators of the engine and/or of the rudder to assume alternatively two opposite steering directions, with respectively a predetermined steering angle and with a switching frequency and/or with a dwell time in said predetermined steering directions.

According to an additional feature, said routine comprises in combination the instructions to command, in any combination with each other and with the steering actuators, as well as according to a predetermined synchronization function, also the gear-switching actuators of the forward/reverse gear and/or of the neutral condition to alternatively shift respectively the drive of the engine and/or optionally of the bow-thruster between the two opposite forward and reverse gear and/or neutral with a predetermined frequency and/or with a predetermined duration in one of said forward/reverse gear and/or neutral condition;

and/or the power control actuators of the power delivered by the engine and optionally the power control actuators of the power delivered by the bow-thruster to alternatively shift or vary the power delivered by the engine and/or optionally by the bow-thruster with a predetermined frequency and/or with a predetermined duration in one of the conditions of variation of the power and within a predetermined range and according to a predetermined variation function.

According to an additional feature, at least one man-machine communication interface is connected to the control unit, comprising organs of input and/or loading of commands and/or settings, such as for example a keyboard, and organs of display and/or signaling of the set conditions.

Still according to an optional feature of the system, which can be provided in combination with one or more of the previous features, the system comprises one or more detection sensors manually or automatically activatable for the measurement or the detection of one or more of the different parameters and which sensors are of the type provided in the following list:

detection sensors of the coordinates of position of the vessel relatively to a GPS system or the like and/or relatively to topographic surveys, such as for example the detection of the morphology of the coast or of stationary installations or other references that can be considered stationary and which can be captured in the frames of a video camera;

sensors of measurement of the distance of the vessel from one or more stationary references;

sensors of acceleration of the vessel in one or more directions in space, both relatively to the intensity and both relatively to the direction;

one or more magnetic and/or gyroscopic compasses;

sensors of the direction and of the speed of the wind;

sensors of the direction and of the speed of the current;

sensors of the variations of the trim of the vessel, such as inclinations of the same;

said control unit being provided with at least one or more inputs for said one or more sensors and in said control unit being loaded programs which contain the instructions to manage the functionalities of said one or more sensors and/or to receive the signals generated by said sensors;

in said control unit being loaded or loadable and said control unit executing a program of temporary correction of the control signals of the bow-thruster and/or of the propulsion engine which comprises the instructions for the processing of the measurement signals of said one or more sensors and for the generation of correction signals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforesaid and other features and advantages of the present invention will result more clearly from the following description of some embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the forces acting on a hypothetical center of application of the forces Cf of the hull of the vessel with reference to two variants, one of which is provided with a steerable outboard engine and the other of an inboard engine with shaft having a fixed orientation and in combination with at least one rudder blade.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a system configured to actuate the method according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a possible embodiment of execution of the governing method according to the present invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show two schematic, non-limiting examples of an input interface of the values of the variable parameters of correlation functions between setting signals of the target displacement and control signals of the actuators and which interface is of the virtual type and displayed on a so-called touch screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a vessel 1 comprises as propulsor a single outboard engine 2 which is secured in central position of the transom 101 in steerable way, that is in such a way for which the rotation shaft of the propeller 201 is steerable according to different directions in a substantially horizontal plane, that is transversal to the plane of the transom and/or to the steering axis.

A substantially equivalent embodiment is constituted by an engine of the inboard-outboard type, in which the engine is provided stationary inside the vessel 1, while the engine shaft extends thanks to a transmission in a foot external to the vessel which contains the driving shaft of the propeller and which is connected to the engine shaft by means of a joint that allows the oscillation of said propeller shaft analogous to that of the rotation shaft of the propeller of the outboard engine.

In combination with the outboard engine 2, the vessel further comprises a so-called bow-thruster indicated with 6 and which is generally constituted by a transversal channel that crosses the hull from side to side and inside of which is mounted rotatable around a propeller shaft which is coaxial with the axis of the channel that crosses said hull.

The combination of the forces exerted on the center of application of the forces CF of the vessel by the propulsion flows generated by the propellers 401 of the engine 1 and of the bow-thruster 6, and which can present directions of said flow contrary to each other and/or orientations of the propulsion flow corresponding to pre-established steering angles and/or intensities such as speeds and/or flow rates of said flows determined by the speed of rotation (number of revolutions) of the propellers, determines a resultant force which causes the displacement of the vessel according to different directions and/or with different orientations of the longitudinal axis of the hull and/or of the direction of displacement of the hull relatively to the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the hull.

By center of application of the forces it is meant a point of the vessel, generally provided in a theoretical and pre-established position, between the stern and the bow and coinciding with the median longitudinal axis of the hull of the vessel and on which point it is possible to consider that act all the thrust forces exerted on the hull of the vessel determining the displacement of the same according to different directions, that is courses, and/or according to different directions relatively to the orientation of said median longitudinal axis of the hull.

The illustrated example shows a particular application of the governing method of the vessel which allows executing a lateral translation displacement of the vessel in a transversal direction to the median longitudinal axis of the hull. In a particular embodiment said displacement takes place in a substantially perpendicular direction to said median longitudinal axis of the hull.

As shown and as known, the bow-thruster 6 exerts a torque of rotation on the center Cf of application of the forces, which torque presents a component ∥t parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and a component in transversal sense I-t.

Wanting to obtain a translation according to a direction substantially perfectly perpendicular to the median longitudinal axis of the vessel, it is necessary to compensate the component of the torque exerted by the bow-thruster which determines the rotation, so as to maintain active for the displacement of the vessel only the component It transversal to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

To this purpose the present invention provides to steer, in alternative way and with a pre-established frequency, the engine 1 between two opposite steering angles which can also correspond to the two maximum steering angles towards left and towards right or to an angle lower than the maximum steering angle.

This is indicated with the double arrow ST of FIG. 1.

The steering angles in the two opposite directions can be symmetric with each other, that is identical relatively to the median longitudinal axis of the hull, or also different from each other.

Moreover, also the frequency of oscillation between the two opposite steering positions can vary within a pre-established range of values.

In addition to the above, it is possible that the number of revolutions of the propeller 401 of the engine is varied between two different values in the two different steering positions and/or that also the direction of rotation of the propeller is inverted in one of said steering positions relatively to the other of said two steering positions.

The variation of the number of revolutions of the propeller and/or the setting of a direction of rotation or of the opposite one of the bow-thruster 6 can also be provided in combination with one or more of the variants above described and/or this also according to a pre-established function of synchronization with the steering angle.

With ssx and sdx there are indicated the thrusts of propulsion generated by the engine in the two extreme steering positions respectively to the left and to the right; with |sx and |dx are indicated the components of these thrust forces parallel to the median longitudinal axis of the vessel and acting on the center of application Cf, while with I-sx and I-dx are indicated the components of said two thrust forces ssx and sdx which are perpendicular to the median longitudinal axis of the vessel.

In FIG. 1 the condition is shown, in which the direction of rotation of the propeller 201 of the engine 2 is identical in both opposite steering directions. It appears that the components |sx and ∥dx are opposite to the component ∥t, while at least the component |dx is concordant to the component ∥t and the propulsive effect in direction of the same is added. The component |sx instead is opposed to the direction of the components ∥dx and ∥t, so that the force exerted by the same is subtracted from that of the sum of the components ∥dx and ∥t. As resultant there is a force which acts with a certain intensity in perpendicular direction to the median longitudinal axis of the vessel determining a transversal translation in perpendicular direction to said longitudinal axis.

It is possible to modify the number of revolutions of the propeller 201 of the engine 2 in one of the two opposite steering positions, or alternatively or in combination to modify the number of revolutions of the propeller of the bow-thruster 6 in one of the two steering positions in order to increase the parallel and perpendicular components of the thrust of the engine towards left or towards right relatively to the parallel and perpendicular components relative to the opposite steering direction, with the result of not fully compensating the parallel and/or perpendicular components to the longitudinal axis of the vessel of the resultant force applied to the center Cf, thereby determining a translation not perfectly perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the vessel forward and/or backward and/or a rotation around the center of application of the forces of the vessel due to a torque applied by the bow-thruster 6 to said center of application Cf.

By varying the direction of rotation of the propeller 201 of the engine 1, as shown by the arrows RT, either between one of the two opposite steering directions of the engine and/or during a pre-established dwell period of the engine 2 in one or both steering positions, it is possible to further modify the trajectories of displacement of the vessel in space and/or the angle comprised between said displacement trajectories and the longitudinal axis of the vessel itself and/or by combining translation displacements with rotation displacements of the vessel itself.

With regard to the frequency of commutation of the steering position of the engine between the two extreme positions opposite to each other and/or the dwell of the engine in each of said two steering positions, these can be variable within pre-established ranges which can be defined by the limits imposed by the electronic/mechanical actuation system provided and also by the inertia of motion of the hull which contributes to generate the conditions for which the motion components different from each other compensate during the stationary condition of the vessel due to said inertia of motion.

Said frequency and said dwell times, that is said pre-established ranges of variation of the same, can easily be defined during an experimental setup phase that must be carried out for each different model of vessel.

It is possible to provide, in combination and/or alternatively to the frequency of commutation of the steering directions and/or to the dwell times of the engine in each of them, as well as to the predefined variation ranges for such parameters, also pre-established values and/or variation ranges of the steering angles of the engine 2 relative to said two extreme steering positions and/or pre-established values of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster and/or of the direction of rotation of the propeller of the engine and/or of the propeller of the bow-thruster in said two extreme steering positions.

According to yet another possible embodiment provided in combination with one or more of the previous embodiments and/or variants, all the settings and/or the ranges of variation of one or more of the aforesaid parameters alternatively with each other or in combination of two or more of them can be set to different values for different control conditions of the vessel, such as for example governing conditions and/or cruising conditions and/or maintaining of a position, and these values can also be modified as a function of parameters that define the atmospheric conditions, such as presence of wind and of the sea such as wave motion or presence of currents.

With regard to the steps of the method, this provides that at least in a maneuvering condition, as defined above, the control signals of the propulsion engine and/or of the bow-thruster relatively to the direction of rotation of the propellers and/or to the speed of rotation of the same or to the setting of the neutral condition, and the control signals of the steering actuators of the outboard engine, are generated by a control unit as a function of setting signals of a target displacement, that is desired, of the vessel, which setting signals are generated by an integrated control member, such as for example a joystick or the like.

In this case, the joystick comprises a lever which is inclinable in any radial direction relative to the axis of the lever in a “neutral” position in which said axis assumes a pre-established orientation, for example vertical. The radial direction of inclination defines the direction of translation and thus the steering angle of the engine and/or the direction of rotation of the propeller of said propulsion engine and/or of the bow-thruster. The inclination angle of the axis of the lever relative to the vertical position sets a rotation speed of the propellers of the engine and/or of the bow-thruster and thus the intensity of the propulsive thrust on the vessel by the bow-thruster and/or by the propulsion engine.

The setting signals of the target displacement of the vessel are converted into the corresponding control signals of actuators associated with the engine and with the bow-thruster, which are configured to act on the direction and the steering angle of the engine, on the commutation between forward gear, reverse gear, and neutral and thus on the setting of the direction of rotation of the propellers, on the setting of a speed of rotation of the propeller of the propulsion engine and/or of the bow-thruster. In the present invention, this processing takes place by means of univocal correlation functions between said setting signals and the corresponding control signals of said actuators.

The correlation functions are fixed and pre-set and are parametric functions, that is comprising setup parameters of said functions which are manually modifiable by the pilot in an initial setup phase, which provides the following steps:

the actuation of the setting member correspondingly to a specific target displacement of the vessel, that is to said transversal translation displacement and/or of the speed of displacement,

the verification by the pilot of the effective direction and/or speed of displacement of the vessel caused by said actuation of the setting member;

the manual variation of the correlation functions of the control signals generated by the control unit as a function of the setting signals generated by the actuation of the setting member for the execution of the specific displacement, that is of the variable parameters provided in said correlation functions and until the effective direction of displacement and the effective speed of displacement of the vessel comes to correspond, within pre-established tolerances, with that defined by means of said actuation of the setting member;

the storing of said correlation functions in a memory of the control unit.

In particular, as provided by the present method, the execution by the vessel of a lateral and in particular transversal translation of the vessel, so-called “lateral drift”, is obtained by actuating the bow-thruster with a pre-established number of revolutions and a pre-established direction of rotation and simultaneously actuating said one engine with a pre-established number of revolutions and a pre-established setting of forward or reverse gear, while said engine and/or said rudder are steered alternatively and in rapid succession in one direction and in the opposite direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, with a pre-established steering angle and/or the gear direction, that is the gear direction set on the engine and/or on the bow-thruster is alternatively inverted between forward gear and reverse gear. Said rapid succession is defined by the duration of each steering position of the engine and/or of the rudder respectively in said first direction and in said second direction and/or of said gear setting of the engine in forward gear or in reverse gear and/or by the frequency of commutation between the two steering directions and/or the two driving directions, being in the order of magnitude of the response time duration of the movement of the vessel between the instant of setting of the steering direction and/or of the gear and corresponding effective displacement of the vessel caused by the thrust of the engine in the corresponding steering direction and/or in the corresponding driving condition and determined due to the inertia of motion of the vessel.

In this case, the correlation functions provide variable settable parameters that also influence said switching frequency and/or the duration of maintenance of each of the operating conditions of the engine and/or of the bow thruster relating to the steering direction and to the steering angle, to the rotation direction of the propellers and to the rotation speed of the same, comprising the correlation functions between the setting signal of said lateral translation displacement by the control member, for example said joystick, also the commands of execution of the switching of the operating conditions of the propulsion engine and/or of the bow thruster between said alternative steering directions and/or steering angles and/or rotation directions of the propellers and/or number of revolutions of the propellers.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, at least for the activities of governing of the vessel during the maneuvers it is preferred to use said combined control member, such as said joystick or the like.

However, the vessel can at the same time present also the traditional control elements such as for example a steering control member, one or more control levers intended respectively for the switching between forward gear, reverse gear or neutral and therefore acting on the rotation direction of the propellers and on the regulation of the rotation speed of said propellers and therefore on the regulation of the thrust generated by the same and/or activation and control members of the operating conditions of a bow thruster.

In this case, it is possible to provide a selector switch of different navigation conditions with which it is possible to switch the control system of the vessel between an operating condition of maneuvering, the first of which provides the use of the single control member such as said joystick in combination with the execution of the steps of the method according to the present invention, while the second provides the governing of the vessel with the traditional independent control members of steering and of setting of the forward gear, reverse gear or neutral, of setting of the number of revolutions as well as of activation and control of the bow thruster.

The method according to the present invention results particularly advantageous, for example, during a mooring maneuver of the vessel, such as the approach to a quay, the feedback on the movement of the vessel relative to the target position is directly detectable by sight and therefore the person governing the vessel can carry out the corrections possibly required to the various operating parameters.

A unified or combined target movement setting member, for example of the type named joystick, is known since a long time in the field of vessel, boats and ships governing and is described for example in document U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,023 published in 1976 and in subsequent documents that describe variants of the basic concept of the joystick from time to time improved based on the new mechanical and electronic technologies available for the improvements of the joysticks such as for example documents GB2178143, JPH01285486, WO2017136955, US7267068, EP0778196 and others.

In this embodiment, the output(s) of the joystick for a combined control signal and/or for a plurality of separate control signals are connected to an electronic control unit comprising a processing unit in which is loaded or loadable and from which is executed or executable a program of interpretation containing the instructions that make said processing unit able to the interpretation of the setting information contained in the combined control signal or in said plurality of control signals and a control program that contains the instructions that make said processing unit able to generate control signals of the motorized actuators of actuation of said steering units of the engine and/or of the rudder, of said units of regulation of the number of revolutions of the propeller, of said switching units of the engine between forward gear, reverse gear and neutral and of said activation units of the bow thruster as well as of regulation of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the bow thruster and/or of the rotation direction of the same.

With reference to the embodiment above described, said interpretation and control programs can integrate, for example in the form of control routines pre-programmed and activated, correlation functions of the control signal or signals generated by the joystick with control functions of the engine and/or of the rudder and/or of the bow thruster, such as for example, one or more of the following functionalities, alternatively and/or in combination between them:

the control routines of automatic control of the alternative movement of steering of the engine and/or of the rudder;

the steering angles in each of said two extreme positions of steering;

the switching frequency of the steering position and/or the dwell times in each of said two steering positions;

the possible variation of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the engine and/or of the bow thruster;

the switching between forward gear, reverse gear and neutral of the engine and/or of the bow thruster;

the selection of a synchronization function between a plurality of different predefined synchronization functions between the alternative movement of steering between the two extreme positions, said variations of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the engine and/or of the bow thruster and the switching between forward gear, reverse gear and neutral of the engine and/or of the bow thruster.

Regarding the variable parameters of configuration of the correlation functions it is possible to provide different ranges of variation of the values of one or more of said parameters or different combinations of predetermined values of said parameters that are selectable by the pilot during the configuration phase of the correlation functions.

In a possible embodiment, the setting ranges of the values of the different parameters can present extensions and maximum and minimum values that are different as a function of different typical conditions of governing of the vessel, such as in mooring condition and/or in cruise condition and/or governing of the vessel both in mooring condition and in cruise condition with different weather and sea conditions such as, for example, the speed and the direction of the wind and/or the different sea state conditions, i.e. wave conditions and/or sea currents.

In one embodiment the selection between said different variation ranges and/or between said different combinations of predetermined values can take place manually thanks to selection members and/or also automatically thanks to a combination of sensors that allow detecting automatically said governing conditions.

Even if not strictly necessary for the present invention, in an improvement of the invention, it is possible to connect to the central control unit at least one sensor or a combination of two or more different sensors that detect physical quantities inherent to the movement conditions of the vessel and/or to the weather and sea conditions in which the vessel is found and/or to the position conditions and/or of switching state of the actuators of actuation of said steering units of the engine and/or of the rudder, of said units of regulation of the number of revolutions of the propeller, of said switching units of the engine between forward gear, reverse gear and neutral and of said activation units of the bow thruster as well as of regulation of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the bow thruster and/or of the rotation direction of the same. Said one or more different sensors destined to measure and/or detect different physical parameters can be provided in any combination and sub-combination among them and can be selected for example from the following list:

sensors of the position coordinates of the vessel relative for example to sensors of GPS signals or similar;

position detectors by triangulation of stationary coastal references such as lighthouses or similar;

detectors of the position by image processing of recognition of the morphology of the coast in the frames of one or more video cameras;

sensors of the acceleration of the vessel both relative to the intensity and relative to the direction;

terrestrial magnetic field, also named compass angle;

sensors of the direction and speed of the wind;

sensors of the direction and speed of the current;

sensors of the variations of vessel trim, such as inclinations of the same.

In addition to the combination of one or more of said sensors it is also possible to integrate as a function of the position of the vessel detected by said sensors parametric information deriving from nautical maps and/or of the weather and sea conditions and/or of the typical currents present in correspondence of the position of the vessel.

Still according to one embodiment said combination of one or more sensors and/or of the information acquired by nautical maps, and/or maps of the weather and sea conditions and/or maps of the currents can comprise sensors of the dynamics of motion of the vessel constituted by one or more autonomous devices of measurement of the linear acceleration, of the angular acceleration and/or of the magnetic orientation named inertial measurement units Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). These inertial measurement units present the characteristic of operating in absence of external measurement signals or sources and are of current production, commonly used in different sectors and available in multiple product lines such as, for example, iNEMOtm made available by ST Microelectronics.

The signals received from said combination of sensors connected to the central control unit allow selecting different operating modes.

In a manual mode that provides the manual actuation of a joystick for the governing of the vessel, the signals of the combination of said one or more sensors can be processed to temporarily modify by means of correction signals the control signals of the actuators directly and/or by temporary and automatic variation of the values of said initial configuration parameters of the correlation functions of the program executed by the control unit of the governing system as defined above and both in the range of said values defined at the installation of the governing system and as a function of the setting signals generated by the joystick.

It is possible that this temporary and automatic variation of the configuration parameters of the correlation functions is communicated to the person governing the vessel by means of visualization of the data in alphanumeric and/or graphic form on a monitor, together with the combination of parameters measured by said sensors and/or from the images of the cameras and/or other detection systems such as LIDAR or similar and/or from one or more of the position maps and/or maps of the weather and sea conditions and/or maps relating to the currents.

In this embodiment it is possible to allow the user to modify the temporary corrections of said parameters determined automatically by the control unit as a function of the signals of said sensors.

The user can select between various display modes in which the screen of the monitor is divided into at least two areas or in a plurality of areas in each of which is displayed a different representation of the data in alphanumeric and/or graphic form on a monitor, together with the combination of parameters measured by said sensors and/or from the images of the cameras and/or other detection systems such as LIDAR or similar and/or from one or more of the position maps and/or maps of the weather and sea conditions and/or maps relating to the currents or in at least one of said areas of the screen can be displayed in succession the images relating to the combinations of said data and/or of said maps and/or of said images. In this embodiment it is possible to allow the user to modify the settings determined automatically by the control unit.

A fully automatic mode provides that the user sets a control condition, such as mooring navigation or cruise navigation or maintenance of the vessel in a predetermined position and with the bow oriented in a predetermined direction, that is with the median longitudinal axis of the vessel oriented according to a predetermined compass angle and/or the advancement of the vessel along a predetermined trajectory having a predetermined linear or curved shape and a predetermined direction and with the bow oriented in a predetermined direction, while the control unit actuates the steering actuators and/or of switching of the gear direction and of neutral condition and/or the variation members of the number of revolutions as a function of the signals acquired from said combination of one or more sensors and/or from the data obtained from the nautical maps, weather and sea maps and of the currents and/or from the processing of images of one or more cameras and/or other detection systems such as LIDAR or similar in such a way as to govern the vessel as set by the user.

In the maneuvering condition and in particular of mooring to a stationary reference, such as for example in the case of a docking, when one or more cameras are provided that frame stationary references, the images of said one or more cameras can be processed for the determination of the position of the vessel relative to the stationary reference, for example the quay of docking and/or of other obstacles present stationary or floating, and thanks to this information, the control unit provides to calculate control signals that cause of displacement correction maneuvers and/or of stable maintenance of the vessel in a predetermined position in particular thanks to the governing method above described and that allows the translations of the vessel according to any direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the same, in particular translations in transverse direction to said longitudinal axis.

According to a possible variant, when more cameras and/or other detection systems are provided such as for example LIDAR systems it is also possible to generate a plan view from above.

Still according to a possible variant that can be provided in any combination with one or more of the previous embodiments it is possible that the vessel is provided along its perimeter with a plurality of proximity sensors that detect the distance from obstacles near to the same.

According to a further characteristic, the fully automatic mode can be automatically switched into manual mode according to one or more of the embodiments above described when the joystick or optionally any other manual control member is actuated.

It is possible to provide sensors of presence of signals generated by manual setting members, which activate and deactivate the function of automatic governing according to one or more of the variants described and activate the manual function of the governing system when the presence of a setting signal coming from at least one or more of said manual setting members of the displacement of the vessel is detected. In combination and advantageously it is possible to provide a monitoring function that detects the presence of said one or more setting signals in a predetermined time window that begins at the act of the automatic switching between automatic mode and manual mode and that in absence of further setting signals at the end of said time window reactivates automatically the automatic control mode.

With reference to FIG. 2, this shows an embodiment in which the axis of the propeller is not orientable, that is steerable, while the steering of the vessel takes place by means of a rudder 5 that interferes with the propulsion flow generated by the propeller 401 of the inboard engine 4.

It is worth remarking that although in the text of the claims and in the examples reference is often made to a steerable propulsion engine, such example is considered to logically comprise a configuration of the vessel that comprises an engine with a rotation axis of a propeller oriented parallel and/or coincident with the longitudinal axis of the vessel and that is fixed, that is not orientable according to any other direction, while the steering of the vessel is determined by at least one rudder positioned in the propulsion flow generated by the propeller of the engine. Therefore when in the present description and in the claims reference is made to the steering of the propulsion engine, such term is to be interpreted extensively as steerable engine or non-steerable engine in combination with at least one diverter of the flow generated by the propeller, that is a rudder blade rotatable around a rotation axis having at least one vertical directional component.

In the case of the example that presents the rudder, the method according to the present invention provides that the rudder itself executes the alternative movement according to the arrow ST between the two opposite positions of steering. For this embodiment apply mutatis mutandis the same characteristics and/or the same embodiments and/or variants described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Even if not illustrated in detail it is possible that the propulsion is not of the propeller type, but one embodiment can provide a jet propulsion having a single outlet mouth of the propulsion jet. This can also apply for the bow thruster.

Again according to a possible embodiment, and as illustrated with dashed lines, in combination with the engine 2 or 4 and with the bow thruster 6 it is also possible to provide a further so-called stern thruster indicated with 6′.

The combination of the further stern thruster 6′with the engine 2 or 4, with the rudder 5 and with the bow thruster 6 can take place following the same operating modes of activation and/or regulation of the rotation direction and/or of the number of revolutions of the propeller provided and described for the bow thruster 6, being applicable to the combination of the further stern thruster with the engine 2 or 4 and with the bow thruster 6 the same control modes for the manual and/or automatic variants of the system.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment, not limiting, of a possible system of actuation of the method according to the present invention that allows both the manual functionality and the automatic functionality and the actuation of any of the above listed governing conditions of the vessel.

In the example of FIG. 3, the vessel governing system, in particular of small or medium dimensions object of the present invention comprises a direction setting system, a speed variation setting system of at least one propulsion engine 2 or 4 that can be realized according to one of the variants provided in FIG. 1 or 2 and a control unit 8 that comprises a central processing unit for the management of the setting signals generated by one or more manual control members 301, 302, 303.

In an optional improvement the setting signals generated by said manual control members 301, 302, 303 can be combined with correction signals obtained from one or more sensors of which subsequently will be indicated some examples.

In particular the setting system comprises at least one directional control member 301, such as for example a wheel, a helm wheel or a tiller, a member 302 of variation of the number of revolutions of the propeller 201, 401 of the engine 2 or 4 and/or of the propeller of the bow thruster 6 and/or of the stern thruster 6′when provided, such as, for example, a lever and the functions of said members 301 and 302 can be combined, in whole or in part, in other control members such as for example a joystick 303 and/or an advanced interface such as for example a device with graphic interface and touch screen 312.

The reference number 312 indicates both a possible touchscreen device that integrates both a data or command input interface, and a display screen. Alternatively the interface 312 indicates for example a data or command input device of the type named touchpad in combination with at least one independent display screen.

In the case of devices with graphic interface, such as for example the touchscreen but also in the case of other implementation forms, which could be software programs in execution on handheld devices, a graphic processing unit 311 cooperating with the control system is provided in order to provide the operator with visual and/or acoustic indications and/or verbal warnings, on the real time position of the vessel in navigation, stationing and also during the docking operations. The directional control member 301 generates the setting signals that activate the central control unit 8 to the generation of control signals of the steering actuators 340 aimed to set the orientation of a steerable engine 2 or of a rudder 5 in combination with a non-steerable engine 4, as described above in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The setting or variation member of the number of revolutions of the propeller of the steerable engine 2 or of that stationary 4 and/or of the propeller of the bow thruster and/or of the stern thruster activates said central control unit 8 to the generation of control signals of the actuators of regulation and/or of variation of said number of revolutions for the engine 2 or 4 and/or for the bow thruster 6 and/or for the stern thruster 6′.

In the members 302 of setting and/or of variation of the number of revolutions or in combination with the same can also be provided commands of switching of the rotation direction of the propeller of the engine 2 or 4 and/or of the bow thruster 6 and/or of the stern thruster 6′ and/or of insertion/disinsertion of the neutral condition of the said one or more propellers.

The setting members 301 and 302 can operate in combination or in alternative to the members 303 and 312 and thus allow generating setting signals of a target displacement of the vessel as a function of which the control unit 8 generates the control signals of the actuators that manage the steering of the vessel, the activation/deactivation of the propulsion engine and/or of the bow thruster engine, the regulation of the emission direction of the flow generated by the said one or more propellers and/or the number of revolutions of the same, that is the power of the corresponding fluid jet according to what described with reference to one or more of the previous embodiments and/or variants and/or characteristics of the invention.

In one possible embodiment, the steering of the engine 4 or of the rudder 5 can take place by using devices comprising at least one steering actuator with hydraulic cylinders with single or double action or similar apparatuses actuated by a pressurized fluid within a hydraulic circuit; said steering actuator is by its intrinsic nature composed of one or more movable parts whose actuation entails, for example through one or more mechanical leverage systems, a controlled action on the orientation of the engine and/or of the rudder. Optionally in combination it can be provided a dynamic detection system of the roto-translation 309 in the form, for example, of one or a set of inertial platforms 310 that are positioned solidly to the movable members of the steering actuator allowing to detect the position change and provide data that can support the functioning of the control algorithm executed by the processing unit of the control unit 8 generating temporary correction signals of the control signals supplied by said control unit.

The use of the inertial platforms 310 or more generally of the dynamic detection system of the roto-translation 309 must not however be seen in exclusive combination with the steering actuators but these platforms can also be positioned in other points of the vessel such as, by way of example, in the bow and/or in the stern of the vessel.

As anticipated, the control of the vessel control system object of the invention is executed by the processing unit that executes an algorithm of generation of control signals of the actuators of actuation of vessel control units present. Such control signals are generated by an algorithm executed by said processing unit of the control unit 8, as a function of the setting signals of the target displacement of the vessel generated by one or more of the setting members provided and of which above have been described by way of example one or more possible embodiments.

As shown by dashed lines with dots, an improvement can optionally also provide connection interfaces of the control unit 8 to one or more sensors such as anemometers 313, position sensors such as for example GPS or GLONASS systems 314, or similar, position sensors by triangulation of radio signals of stationary coastal references and/or proximity, magnetic and similar sensors indicated overall by the icon 315, transceiver systems 316 and/or systems of acquisition and processing of video images 317, and in combination with which is provided a secondary unit of processing of the acquired images for advanced detection, in real time, of the context in which the vessel is navigating and to the variation of this in image frames such as for example motion detection units, pattern recognition, thermal and/or infrared vision as well as the use of radio-controlled cameras and equipped on drone associated to the vessel.

In one embodiment, the camera systems can be configured to detect the presence of floating obstacles stationary and non-stationary such as for example buoys, floating debris or similar and also the distance of the vessel from the same.

In addition or in alternative to the camera systems the vessel can also be provided with remote detection systems of the LIDAR type or similar.

As said, the processing unit of the setting signals of a target displacement of the vessel is also responsible for the execution of the algorithm of generation of control signals.

The present invention provides that this algorithm generates a control signal or a combination of control signals of one or more of the actuators described above and comprising said steering actuators of the engine and/or of the rudder, of setting of the rotation direction of the propeller that is of the direction of the flow generated by the same and respectively of the propulsion engine and/or of the bow thruster and of the power of the flow generated by one or both of said propellers, that is the number of revolutions of these propellers. The control signal or the combination of control signals of said actuators being correlated to the setting signals of the displacement of the vessel defined by said setting members.

It is possible to provide different types of algorithms that ensure a univocal correlation between said setting signals of the target displacement of the vessel and the control signals of said one or more actuators.

In one possible embodiment the algorithm of generation of the control signals of the actuators comprises one or more correlation functions between the setting signals of the target displacement of the vessel and the control signals of one or more of the actuators described above, which correlation functions are configured to generate one or a combination of two or more control signals of one or more actuators that cause displacements of the vessel corresponding to those defined with said setting signals of the target displacement of the vessel.

Said correlation functions can be in tabular form or can be constituted by one, or a combination of linear or non-linear analytical functions, which functions comprise variable and settable parameters.

At first installation the algorithm of processing of the setting signals is not configured with respect to said parameters of the correlation functions. The variation of the parameters of the correlation functions is executed in an initialization or setup phase of said algorithm that provides the steps of:

manual actuation of the generation members of setting signals of a target displacement of the vessel by a pilot;

verification, at least visual, of the actual displacement executed by the vessel;

variation of the values of said one or more parameters of the correlation functions in such a way that the actual displacement of the vessel corresponds, at least within a certain tolerance, to the target displacement set by means of said manual actuation;

validation of the values of said one or more parameters for which the condition of correspondence between target displacement set and actual displacement of the vessel has been obtained;

storage of the correlation functions with said validated values of said parameters.

The procedure of empirical definition, i.e. experimental, of the values of the parameters of the correlation functions that provide an actual displacement of the vessel corresponding, at least within the aforesaid tolerances, to the target displacement set, can also take place by means of execution of a succession of iterative steps of variation of the value of one or more parameters and of verification of the actual displacement of the vessel obtained with the use of the correlation functions in which said values are loaded.

According to one improvement embodiment, the control unit 8 can be provided in combination with a setting program of said control algorithm, which setting program is provided in combination with input members of variable data for at least some or all of said parameters and/or for combinations of two or more of said parameters.

Said input members can be provided in combination with a corresponding quantitative indication scale of the value of the corresponding parameter.

In one improvement embodiment, the setting program of the value of said parameters provides instructions that when executed by the control unit display on the screen 312 a virtual interface of parameter setting comprising a cursor for each parameter or for a predetermined combination of parameters, which virtual cursor is movable in the displayed graphic interface along a value scale that extends parallel to the displacement stroke of the corresponding cursor.

Movement of the virtual cursor in the displayed image of the virtual graphic interface of setting can take place by means of a device of the point-and-click type, such as a mouse or similar, or the display is a screen of the touchscreen type and the movement can take place by touching the cursors with the hand.

In one advantageous embodiment, since a displacement of the vessel along a specific trajectory can take place by combining different operating conditions of the steerable engine or of the engine with fixed axis in combination with a steerable rudder and also in both cases of the bow thruster, and since the individual parameters of the correlation functions or of combinations of correlation functions may not have a direct relation with the type of variation of the actual displacement caused, the cursors of variation of the values of said parameters are configured so as to vary in combination with each other the values of two or more parameters, the combined variation of which two or more parameters has a precise effect on the variation of the displacement of the vessel. In this case each cursor can be indicated and/or named with a logo or with a term that describes its effect on the displacement of the vessel.

In said case in which a cursor regulates the value of two or more parameters it is also possible to provide adjustment members of a setting function of the ratio between the values of said two or more parameters.

The setting step can therefore also concern the configuration of variable parameters of this ratio setting function.

When one or more sensors are provided according to one or more typologies of said sensors and of the physical quantities measured by these, the control unit can also execute a software of generation of temporary correction signals of the correlation functions and therefore of the control signals generated by the same or directly of the control signals. Said implementation, which it may also be varied during operation for example by means of software update, can provide different functioning scenarios.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of the method according to the present invention in particular for the transversal translation of the vessel both in approach phase such as approaching a quay or other vessels and for the maintaining of a predetermined position in absence of a physical anchoring to the seabed and/or also in presence of said physical anchoring in order to counteract actions of displacement of the vessel imposed by the sea state and/or by the currents and/or by the wind.

Starting from a situation in which the configuration phases of the algorithm of generation of the control signals have been executed applying the steps of the present method according to one or more of the previous embodiments, the control system is activated in stand-by condition, awaiting actions from the operator (blocks A and B). As shown at step C it is possible the selection of the mode here defined “APPROACH” which is provided among various possible navigation options (block C).

Optionally it can be provided to execute a preliminary verification on the state of the steering control members, switching forward gear, reverse gear and neutral and number of revolutions both for a steerable engine 2 and for a combination of engine 4 and rudder 5 and both for a bow thruster 6 and/or an optional stern thruster 6′, in order to read the position of wheel and/or throttle lever and/or joystick and/or other members used by the pilot (block D); if it is determined that the operator does not require action on the control members (block E) it proceeds to the verification of the intention to terminate the operations (block X) with consequent deactivation of the steering members and/or of variation of the gear direction and neutral and/or of the number of revolutions both for a steerable engine 2 and for a combination of engine 4 and rudder 5 and both for a bow thruster 6 and/or an optional stern thruster 6′and presentation to the user of acoustic and/or visual signals by way of the Human-Machine interface (blocks Y and Z).

In the case in which the control of the vessel is exclusively manual, the pilot provides to actuate the above indicated one or more members of setting of the target displacement of the vessel that in this case has been selected as an approaching displacement. On the basis of the setting signals generated at step F, the algorithm begins the execution of the steps of generation of the control signal or signals as indicated at step G.

Steps H and I are optional and are therefore represented with dashed lines. These are steps that are executed when the vessel is optionally provided with one or more sensors and in this case for example cameras in combination with image processing units and/or position sensors and/or distance sensors and also inertial sensors.

In this case the algorithm of the control unit 8 can execute the steps of generation of correction signals of the displacement of the vessel as described above. In combination the control unit can generate graphic and/or acoustic warnings.

In particular, when sensors are provided suitable to provide information as in steps H and I, in addition and alternatively to the automatic generation of the correction signals, it is possible to provide a manual mode in which, the control unit 8 generates only warnings to the pilot who executes the variations of the displacement of the vessel actuating one or more of the setting members as indicated at step J.

In one embodiment which can be provided in combination with one or more whichever of the embodiments and of the above described alternative embodiments, said units can be actuated by movable actuators which can be of any type such as mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, electromechanical, electrohydraulic, magnetic or similar, and said actuators can be equipped on one of their movable parts of the actuation system with one or more IMU having the function of detecting the translational and/or rotational motions and/or the orientation of the members to which they are coupled; the reading of this information (block K) can be part, but not essentially for the invention, of the input signals being part of the vessel control method also by way of comparison between said information coming from the IMU and the movement desired by the operator and/or commanded automatically by the control unit by means of the control members (block L).

From the comparison between the set motion and the resulting motion consequent to the actuation of the propulsion and/or steering members (block M) the algorithm will define the effectiveness of the control signals previously calculated and, in the case in which an insufficient level of action is determined, that is if the translation or rotation of the vessel or the maintaining of a preset position or orientation were not considered consistent with what expected by the operator, a series of verifications and/or adjustments will be executed (block N), possibly reiterated and/or optionally also according to self-learning logics, aimed at improving the precision of the control algorithm; in the case in which the verifications at blocks L and M demonstrate the correct action of the control systems it would proceed to reiterate the control algorithm until the moment of the end of operations (block X) set by the operator.

The figure and the flow diagram reported as an execution example show for simplicity only one among the multiple examples of embodiments which can be reduced or extended eventually providing additional sensors and/or operative sequences and it is considered that such possible alternative implementations are sufficiently described by combining the specific embodiment described above by way of example with the average skill of the skilled person operating in the field.

In particular, the control algorithm can comprise correlation functions that define the generation of temporal sequences of control signals of the actuators being among the settable parameters provided parameters that define the duration of the individual control signals and/or the switching frequency between the control signals of said sequence.

Said sequences can provide the repetition of control signals of actuation and alternative deactivation of respective actuators as provided according to the method steps for the execution of the lateral or transversal drift displacement of the vessel. The setting of these parameters that regulate the number, the frequency and the duration of the iterations of control signals for the sequential and repetitive control of one or more actuators can also be included as variable and settable parameters with the steps of the method previously described and by means of the variants of the setting interfaces.

For example, following the setting of target movement of translation of the vessel for a approach maneuver, thanks to the mere indication of the translation direction by means of the tilt in one direction of the lever of a joystick, the setting signals generated by said positioning of the joystick lever are processed on the basis of the correlation functions into control signals of the actuators that cause the alternating movement of steering of the engine and/or of a rudder between two extreme positions of steering opposite to each other with pre-established parameters or pre-established ranges of said parameters relating to the steering angles in the respective extreme positions, to the switching frequency between said two steering positions and/or to the duration of the dwell respectively in said steering positions and/or relating to the gear direction or neutral condition and/or to the number of revolutions of the engine and/or of the bow thruster and/or of the optional stern thruster.

As provided by the method according to the present invention said parameters or said ranges can be manually modified by the pilot or optionally automatically corrected by the control unit on the basis of the status signals of the combination of one or more sensors according to one or more of the possible variants described above and of the comparison with a setting of the displacement condition of the vessel and/or of maintaining of a position set by the pilot himself.

Although in the described and illustrated examples, the stern thruster is always considered as an additional optional device that is added to the bow thruster, one embodiment of the invention instead provides that in place of the bow thruster only said stern thruster is provided, the presence of a bow thruster being considered optional with respect to the stern thruster. For the stern thruster in substitution of the bow thruster apply “mutatis mutandis” all the characteristics and/or embodiments and/or alternative embodiments described above with reference to the execution examples that provide the presence of the sole bow thruster.

With reference to FIG. 5, this shows a schematic example of a virtual interface of manual input of the values of the configuration parameters of the correlation functions according to an example of the present invention.

The interface is constituted by a touch screen 312 in which are represented different virtual cursors 500 translatable along a measuring scale 510.

In this embodiment the displacement takes place by means of the fingers of the hand.

The example refers to a situation in which the cursor regulates at least one parameter of a correlation function or a combination of parameters of one or of two or more correlation functions coded in the control algorithm and which parameter or which combination of parameters of said single correlation function or of two or more correlation functions exerts a thrust on the vessel such as to cause respectively a rotation to the right or to the left, a lateral translation to the right or to the left and/or a translation forward or backward as indicated by the graphic icons 520 and also by the alphanumeric indications 530. A rotatable cursor 540 allows selecting possible combinations of navigation conditions, such as maneuvering or docking, maintaining of a position or touristic cruise and/or fast cruise and other possible options. These selections operate on the minimum and maximum values of variation of the parameters settable by means of the cursors. A button 550 allows transmitting to the control unit a validation command of the settings of the parameter values and to store them.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a variant, in which the individual cursors operate on individual parameters or combinations of parameters as indicated by the variables P1 to P6. In this case the variation of one parameter does not have an effect directly correlated with a specific type of displacement of the vessel, but contributes to a specific type of displacement in combination with one or more of the further parameters.

Using a touch screen it is also possible to switch the setting interface between the two options and also between further possible options.

For example, when as in FIG. 5, a cursor 500 causes the variation of the values of a combination of parameters, it is possible to provide a switching of the interface onto a setting interface of the ratios between the values of the individual parameters that could be similar to that of FIG. 6 considering in this case that P1 to P6 are the parameters of the combination.

The input interface is generated by the control unit that executes a software comprising the instructions for the generation of said interface.