US2025236378A1PendingUtilityA1

Boat control system and boat

60
Assignee: YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTDPriority: Jan 19, 2024Filed: Jan 10, 2025Published: Jul 24, 2025
Est. expiryJan 19, 2044(~17.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Yuji Ikegaya
B63H 25/02B63H 20/12B63H 2020/003B63H 2025/026B63H 25/42
60
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Claims

Abstract

A boat control system includes a plurality of boat propulsion devices each being steerable by 180 degrees or more about a steering axis, a controller configured or programmed to control a thrust and a steering angle of each of the plurality of boat propulsion devices, an operator to accept an operation request to move a boat body and output an operation signal to the controller, and a sensor to detect a turning of the boat body and output a detection signal to the controller. The controller is configured or programmed to perform, when the sensor detects a turning of the boat body in a status where the operator is not accepting an operation request to turn the boat body, a steering angle change process to change the steering angle of at least one of the plurality of boat propulsion devices to cancel the turning of the boat body.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A boat control system for controlling a boat including a boat body, the boat control system comprising:
 a plurality of boat propulsion devices each being steerable by 180 degrees or more about a steering axis;   a controller configured or programmed to control a thrust and a steering angle of each of the plurality of boat propulsion devices;   an operator to accept an operation request to move the boat body and output an operation signal to the controller; and   a sensor to detect a turning of the boat body and output a detection signal to the controller; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to perform, when the sensor detects a turning of the boat body in a status where the operator is not accepting an operation request to turn the boat body, a steering angle change process to change the steering angle of at least one of the plurality of boat propulsion devices to cancel the turning of the boat body.   
     
     
         2 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the operator includes:
 a joystick; and   a mode switch to accept an operation request to switch on and off a joystick mode in which the joystick is able to accept an operation request to move the boat body; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to perform the steering angle change process when the mode switch accepts an operation request to switch the joystick mode from off to on.   
     
     
         3 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the steering angle change process while performing a holding control to hold the boat body in a specific orientation. 
     
     
         4 . The boat control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform the steering angle change process while performing a holding control to hold the boat body in a specific orientation. 
     
     
         5 . The boat control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to:
 store an initial azimuth which is an orientation of the boat body when the holding control is started; and   terminate the steering angle change process when the sensor detects that the boat body has returned to the initial azimuth after the steering angle change process has started.   
     
     
         6 . The boat control system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to:
 store an initial azimuth which is an orientation of the boat body when the holding control is started; and   terminate the steering angle change process when the sensor detects that the boat body has returned to the initial azimuth after the steering angle change process has started.   
     
     
         7 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to terminate the steering angle change process when the sensor detects that the boat body has stopped turning. 
     
     
         8 . The boat control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to terminate the steering angle change process when the sensor detects that the boat body has stopped turning. 
     
     
         9 . The boat control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to terminate the steering angle change process when the sensor detects that the boat body has stopped turning. 
     
     
         10 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control a magnitude of the thrust of the plurality of boat propulsion devices to remain constant during the steering angle change process. 
     
     
         11 . The boat control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control a magnitude of the thrust of the plurality of boat propulsion devices to remain constant during the steering angle change process. 
     
     
         12 . The boat control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control a magnitude of the thrust of the plurality of boat propulsion devices to remain constant during the steering angle change process. 
     
     
         13 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein, during the steering angle change process, the controller is configured or programmed to change the steering angle so that the steering angle does not exceed a predetermined maximum change amount. 
     
     
         14 . The boat control system according to  claim 2 , wherein, during the steering angle change process, the controller is configured or programmed to change the steering angle so that the steering angle does not exceed a predetermined maximum change amount. 
     
     
         15 . The boat control system according to  claim 3 , wherein, during the steering angle change process, the controller is configured or programmed to change the steering angle so that the steering angle does not exceed a predetermined maximum change amount. 
     
     
         16 . The boat control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of boat propulsion devices include:
 a first boat propulsion device;   a second boat propulsion device; and   a third boat propulsion device between the first boat propulsion device and the second boat propulsion device; wherein   the steering angle change process changes the steering angle of at least one of the first boat propulsion device and the second boat propulsion device.   
     
     
         17 . The boat control system according to  claim 16 , wherein, during the steering angle change process, the controller is configured or programmed to steer the third boat propulsion device in a direction in which the boat body is turning. 
     
     
         18 . A boat comprising:
 the boat control system according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         19 . A boat comprising:
 the boat control system according to  claim 2 .   
     
     
         20 . A boat comprising:
 the boat control system according to  claim 3 .

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