Patent ID: 11884375
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A marine propulsion control system for use with a marine vessel, the marine propulsion control system comprising:
an engine in electronic communication with an engine controller;
a transmission including a gearbox and an oil pressure sensor configured to measure a transmission oil pressure, the oil pressure sensor in electronic communication with the engine controller, the gearbox including a feedback sensor configured to transmit a gear state;
a propulsion device rotatably connected to the gearbox;
a shaft fixedly attached to the propulsion device and rotatably coupled to the gearbox, the shaft including a shaft rotation sensor configured to measure a rotational direction of the shaft; and
a propulsion control processor in electronic communication with the engine controller, the shaft rotation sensor and the gearbox, the propulsion control processor configured to determine a current gear of the marine vessel is neutral when the transmission oil pressure is below a predetermined transmission disengaged pressure threshold, and determine a current gear of the marine vessel is forward or reverse based on the transmission oil pressure being above a predetermined transmission engaged pressure threshold and one of the gear state or the rotational direction of the shaft.