Patent ID: 7672759

Claim:
A method for indicating a status of a load of a sub-system in a marine vehicle, the load being controlled by a switch provided on a steering wheel of the marine vehicle, the method comprising: powering a switch controller via a transformer's secondary windings; providing said switch controller in said steering wheel for controlling communications between said steering wheel and said marine vehicle; providing a switch for said load on said steering wheel; providing a status indicator for said load on said steering wheel; detecting an activation of said switch by said switch controller; said switch controller transmitting a galvanically isolated command to said load in said marine vehicle in response to said activation; providing a load controller in said marine vehicle, said load controller controlling a power input to said switch controller, said load controller receiving said command and activating said load in response to said command; detecting a status of said load; pulsing a power input to said switch controller for a predetermined pulse duration corresponding to said detected status; said switch controller activating said status indicator to Indicate said detected status of said load.