Method and system for controlling a marine drive during panic shift

1. A method for controlling a marine engine system, the method comprising:

receiving an operator demand to change an engine speed of the marine engine system;

detecting a panic shift command based on the operator demand;

determining a minimum speed demand value, wherein the minimum speed demand value is a minimum setpoint for the engine speed;

determining a hold period for the minimum speed demand value; and

setting a speed command to the marine engine system at or above the minimum speed demand value for at least the hold period following detection of the panic shift command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon detection of the panic shift command, determining a current engine speed and then determining the minimum speed demand value and the hold period based on the current engine speed.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon detection of the panic shift command, determining a current engine speed and then determining the minimum speed demand value based on the current engine speed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of determining the minimum speed demand value includes accessing a lookup table containing minimum speed demand values ordinated based on engine speed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the minimum speed demand values are offset amounts above an idle setpoint for the engine.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hold period is a predetermined fixed value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speed command is set at the minimum speed demand value upon detecting the panic shift command and is maintained at the minimum speed demand value for the hold period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of setting the speed command includes setting the speed command based on the operator demand until the operator demand decreases below the minimum speed demand value, and then maintaining the speed command at the minimum speed demand value for a remainder of the hold period.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sensing a lever position over time of a remote control, wherein the operator demand is based on the lever position; and

wherein the panic shift command is detected based on the lever position over time.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a filtered lever position based on the lever position over time;

wherein the step of detecting the panic shift command includes determining that a most recent lever position is less than the filtered lever position by more than a demand rate threshold amount.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the demand rate threshold amount based on a current engine speed.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving gear command to control a gear position of the marine engine system; and

determining that the gear command changes from a forward gear command to a reverse gear command within a threshold time period prior to maintaining the speed command at or above the minimum speed demand value for the hold period.

13. A marine propulsion system comprising:

a marine engine system;

a remote control for controlling propulsion of a marine vessel by the marine engine system;

a control module configured to:

receive an operator demand based on a lever position of the remote control to change an engine speed of the marine engine system;

detect a panic shift command based on the operator demand;

determine a minimum speed demand value, wherein the minimum speed demand value is a minimum setpoint for the engine speed;

determine a hold period for the minimum speed demand value; and

setting a speed command to the marine engine system at or above the minimum speed demand value for at least the hold period following detection of the panic shift command.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control module is further configured to, upon detection of the panic shift command, determine a current engine speed and then determine the minimum speed demand value and the hold period based on the current engine speed.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control module is further configured to, upon detection of the panic shift command, determine a current engine speed and then determine the minimum speed demand value based on the current engine speed.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the minimum speed demand value is determined by accessing a lookup table containing minimum speed demand values ordinated based on engine speed.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the minimum speed demand values in the lookup table are offset amounts above an idle setpoint for the engine.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control module is further configured to, upon detection of the panic shift command, determine a current engine speed and then determine the hold period based on the current engine speed.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control module is further configured to sense the lever position over time and determine a filtered lever position based on the lever position over time, wherein the step of detecting the panic shift command includes determining that a most recent lever position is less than the filtered lever position by more than a demand rate threshold amount.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the control module is further configured to determine the demand rate threshold amount based on a current engine speed.