Watercraft maneuvering system and watercraft including the watercraft maneuvering system

Abstract

A watercraft maneuvering system includes a steering including a steering actuator and operable to change a steering angle to change a course of a watercraft, a steering angle sensor to detect the steering angle, and a steering controller configured or programmed to control the steering actuator according to an output signal of the steering angle sensor. The steering controller includes a calibration mode in which output signal values of the steering angle sensor respectively corresponding to opposite limits of the steering range of the steering are stored, and is configured or programmed to perform an automatic steering control operation to drive the steering actuator to operate the steering to a predetermined steering angle after storing the output signal values of the steering angle sensor respectively corresponding to the opposite limits of the steering range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A watercraft maneuvering system comprising:
 a steering including a steering actuator and operable to change a steering angle to change a course of a watercraft;   a steering angle sensor to detect the steering angle; and   a steering controller configured or programmed to control the steering actuator according to an output signal of the steering angle sensor; wherein   the steering controller includes a calibration mode in which output signal values of the steering angle sensor respectively corresponding to opposite limits of a steering range of the steering are stored, and is configured or programmed to perform an automatic steering control operation to drive the steering actuator to operate the steering to a predetermined steering angle after storing the output signal values of the steering angle sensor respectively corresponding to the opposite limits of the steering range.   
     
     
         2 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a steering operator to be operated by a user to steer the watercraft; and   an operation sensor to detect an operation of the steering operator; wherein   the steering controller is configured or programmed to adjust a steering angle of the steering to one of the opposite limits of the steering range and then to the other of the opposite limits by driving the steering actuator according to an output signal of the operation sensor during the calibration mode, and to drive the steering actuator irrespective of the output signal of the operation sensor during the automatic steering control operation.   
     
     
         3 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the steering controller is configured or programmed to store one of the output signal values of the steering angle sensor when it is detected that the steering angle of the steering reaches one of the opposite limits of the steering range, and to store another output signal value of the steering angle sensor when it is detected that the steering angle of the steering reaches the other of the opposite limits of the steering range. 
     
     
         4 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a notifier to issue a notification when the steering controller has determined that the steering angle of the steering reaches the one of the opposite limits of the steering range during the calibration mode and to issue a notification when the steering controller has determined that the steering angle of the steering reaches the other of the opposite limits of the steering range during the calibration mode; and   an input interface to be operated by a user to input a command in response to each of the notifications; wherein   the steering controller is configured or programmed to store the output signal values of the steering angle sensor when the command is inputted via the input interface in response to each of the notifications during the calibration mode.   
     
     
         5 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein a range of a target steering angle to be used when the steering controller controls the steering actuator is a steering angle range within the steering range between the one of the opposite limits and the other of the opposite limits. 
     
     
         6 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined steering angle is within the range of the target steering angle. 
     
     
         7 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the steering actuator includes a hydraulic actuator including a hydraulic cylinder and an electric pump to supply a hydraulic oil into the hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         8 . The watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the steering is operable to steer an outboard motor attached to a hull of the watercraft. 
     
     
         9 . A watercraft maneuvering system comprising:
 a steering including a steering actuator and operable to change a steering angle to change a course of a watercraft; and   a steering controller configured or programmed to control the steering actuator according to an output signal of a steering angle sensor; wherein   the steering controller is configured or programmed to perform an automatic steering control operation to drive the steering actuator to operate the steering to a predetermined steering angle at an end of a calibration mode that calibrates the output signal of the steering angle sensor.   
     
     
         10 . A watercraft comprising:
 a hull; and   the watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1  provided on the hull.   
     
     
         11 . A watercraft comprising:
 a hull; and   the watercraft maneuvering system according to claim  9  provided on the hull.