Automatic leveling boat lift motor controller

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for automatically leveling a boat lift. The systems, apparatuses, and methods include a level sensor for sensing a level of at least two portions of a boat lift and a user interface. The user interface is for coupling to the level sensor and for maintaining the boat lift at less than a predetermined slope.

1 . A boat lift leveling device, comprising:
 a level sensor for sensing a level of at least two portions of a boat lift; and   a user interface for coupling to the level sensor and for maintaining the boat lift at less than a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         2 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a logic controller to provide a first speed signal to a first boat lift motor connected to a first portion of the boat lift and a second speed signal to a second boat lift motor connected to a second portion of the boat lift and wherein the user interface is to vary the speed signal provided to at least one of the first boat lift motor and the second boat lift motor to maintain the first portion of the boat lift at less than the predetermined angle as compared to the second portion of the boat lift. 
     
     
         3 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a processor that executes instructions that cause the processor to receive a signal from the level sensor and send at least two motor control signals to at least two variable speed boat lift motor controllers to maintain the boat lift at less than the predetermined angle. 
     
     
         4 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor further executes instructions to control at least a third variable speed boat lift motor controller to maintain the boat lift at less than the predetermined angle. 
     
     
         5 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor further executes instructions that limit the two motor control signals to prevent the boat lift from exceeding an upper preset height limit, as sensed by the level sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 3 , wherein the processor further executes instructions that limit the two motor control signals to prevent the boat lift from descending below a lower preset height limit, as sensed by the level sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface further includes a first output on which a first speed control signal is to be incident and a second output on which a second speed control signal is to be incident, the first output to be coupled to a first variable speed motor drive and the second output to be coupled to a second variable speed motor drive. 
     
     
         8 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second variable speed motor drives are each for controlling one of a three phase alternating current motor, a direct current motor, and a variable frequency drive. 
     
     
         9 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a remote control user device coupled to the user interface to receive user commands and provide those user commands to the user interface. 
     
     
         10 . The boat lift leveling device of  claim 3 , further comprising a second level sensor, wherein:
 the first level sensor measures a height of a first of the at least two portions of the boat lift;   the second level sensor measures a height of a second of the at least two portions of the boat lift; and   the processor further executes instructions to determine the incline of the boat lift and level the boat lift if the incline is greater than a predetermined incline.   
     
     
         11 . A method of controlling a boat lift having at least two motors, comprising:
 receiving at least one signal indicative of the level of the boat lift at a processor from a level sensor;   controlling the speed of a first boat lift motor using the processor; and   controlling the speed of a second boat lift motor to maintain the level of the boat lift at not more than a predetermined slope using the processor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving a signal indicative of the level of the boat lift from a level sensor includes:
 receiving a first height signal for a first portion of the boat lift at the processor;   receiving a second height signal for a second portion of the boat lift at the processor; and   determining a slope between the first portion of the boat lift and the second portion of the boat lift at the processor.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising controlling the speed of at least a third boat lift motor to maintain the level of the boat lift at not more than a predetermined slope using the processor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising preventing the boat lift from exceeding an upper preset height limit. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising preventing the boat lift from descending below a lower preset height limit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the logic controller signals to the motor controller to decrease the speed of one of the first boat lift motor and the second boat lift motor to level the boat lift. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the logic controller signals to the motor controller to increase the speed of one of the first boat lift motor and the second boat lift motor to level the boat lift. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 converting the first height signal from a representation of a number of rotations of a first pipe drive shaft of a first cable winding device attached to the boat lift to a height of a portion of a boat lift cradle attached to the first cable winding device using the processor;   converting the second height signal from a representation of a number of rotations of a second pipe drive shaft of a second cable winding device attached to the boat lift to a height of a portion of a boat lift cradle attached to the second cable winding device using the processor;   determining slope of boat lift cradle from the first and second height signals; and   controlling the speed of the first and second boat lift motors based on that slope.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a leveling operational parameter from a user at a user interface;   transmitting the leveling operational parameter from the user interface to the processor;   determining a permissible boat lift cradle slope from the leveling operational parameter at the processor; and   controlling the speed of the first and second boat lift motors based on the slope of the boat lift cradle and the boat lift cradle slope.   
     
     
         20 . A boat lift, comprising:
 a boat lift cradle;   a first boat lift motor attached to a first portion of the boat lift cradle;   a second boat lift motor attached to a second portion of the boat lift cradle;   a first boat lift motor speed controller coupled to the first boat lift motor;   a second boat lift motor speed controller coupled to the second boat lift motor;   a level sensor sensing an angle from the first portion of the boat lift cradle to the second portion of the boat lift cradle; and   a user interface coupled to the first boat lift motor speed controller, the second boat lift motor speed controller, and the level sensor, the user interface controlling the speed of each of the first boat lift motor speed controller and the second boat lift motor speed controller to maintain the boat lift cradle at less than a predetermined angle.