Event sensor

摘要

An automatic timing measurement system provides a measure of time of passage of a watercraft through a prescribed course. Inertial or other estimates augmented by GPS speed/position measurements are used to track the position of a the watercraft. Position estimates are used to allow the locations of prescribed courses to be mapped and memorized. The passage of a watercraft through mapped courses may be detected for the purpose of measuring and reporting time of passage of the watercraft past key points in the course, and for modifying the behavior of the speed control portion of the apparatus if necessary. A measure of accuracy of driver steering can be provided along with the ability to automatically steer the watercraft through the course. GPS speed control is augmented with a secondary velocity measurement device that measures speed over water resulting in an optional user selectable real-time compensation for water current.

主权项

1. A system for detecting a water course, comprising:
a timing device; a position observer subsystem; a computing device in communication with the position observer subsystem and the timing device; and a non-volatile storage coupled to the computing device and storing locational information describing a plurality of different water courses that each include an entrance point and a centerline; wherein the computing device is configured, subsequent to the storing of the locational information in the non-volatile storage, to:
receive an observed position and an observed velocity of a watercraft from the position observer subsystem;compare the observed position and the observed velocity with the locational information describing the plurality of different water courses to determine a detected water course from the plurality of different water courses that is closest to the observed position, that the observed position is outside of the detected water course, and that the watercraft is approaching the entrance of the detected water course from a direction that is along the centerline of the water course; anddetermine that the watercraft has crossed the entrance of the detected water course and, in response, automatically start a course timing algorithm and time the watercraft through the detected water course using the timing device.