Patent ID: 8406944
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: B63H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for starting an engine of a marine vessel, the engine having gears and a shift actuator for operatively shifting the gears, the method comprising: providing a first position sensor disposed to operatively sense whether the engine is in a forward, neutral or reverse gear position, the first position sensor generating a signal representative of the gear position; disposing a second position sensor adjacent to a shift control which controls shift functions of the engine, the second position sensor generating a signal representative of the position of the shift control; providing processing means, the processing means including a control head processor, the control head processor receiving the signal of the second position sensor and determining the position of the shift control, the processing means including a servo controller processor, the servo controller processor receiving the signal of the first position sensor and determining the gear position, the processing means receiving the signals of the position sensors, determining the gear position and the position of the shift control, and enabling the engine to start upon determining that both the shift control and the engine are in neutral positions; and providing a start switch connected to the control head processor, the control head processor transmitting an engine start message when the start switch is actuated and the control head processor determines that the shift control is in neutral, the servo controller processor transmitting a start output when the servo controller processor receives the engine start message and determines that the engine is in the neutral gear position, the start output operatively causing the engine to start.