Automatic watercraft maneuvering system and watercraft control method

Abstract

An automatic watercraft maneuvering system includes a propulsion device to propel a watercraft, a steering to change a course of the watercraft, a display to provide visual notification of a state of the watercraft, and a controller configured or programmed to execute an automatic watercraft maneuvering control to control the propulsion device and the steering in order to perform automatic watercraft maneuvering from a departure location to a destination location and control the display according to a state of the automatic watercraft maneuvering control. The controller is configured or programmed to control the display such that a plurality of states including a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is being executed and a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable are distinguished and displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic watercraft maneuvering system comprising:
 a propulsion device to propel a watercraft;   a steering to change a course of the watercraft;   a display to provide visual notification of a state of the watercraft; and   a controller configured or programmed to execute an automatic watercraft maneuvering control to control the propulsion device and the steering in order to perform automatic watercraft maneuvering from a departure location to a destination location and to control the display according to a state of the automatic watercraft maneuvering control; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to control the display such that a plurality of states including a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is being executed and a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable are distinguished and displayed.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable includes one or more of a failure of the propulsion device, a failure of the steering, or a failure of a sensor used in the automatic watercraft maneuvering control. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, when the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable, execute a watercraft stop control to stop the watercraft, and control the display to display that the watercraft is in a stopped state. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an anchoring device; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to execute an at-anchor control to control the anchoring device to stop the watercraft in the watercraft stop control.   
     
     
         5 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to execute a fixed-point maintaining control to maintain a position of the watercraft by controlling the propulsion device and the steering in the watercraft stop control. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication terminal to communicate with a remote watercraft maneuvering base to remotely operate the propulsion device and the steering; wherein   the controller is configured or programmed to execute a remote control to notify the remote watercraft maneuvering base of state information of the automatic watercraft maneuvering system using the communication terminal, and to control the propulsion device and the steering based on a remote operation signal received from the remote watercraft maneuvering base via the communication terminal; and   the controller is configured or programmed to control the display to display that the watercraft is being remotely maneuvered through communication with the remote watercraft maneuvering base during execution of the remote control.   
     
     
         7 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 6 , wherein the state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable includes a state in which communication with the remote watercraft maneuvering base using the communication terminal cannot be established. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the display includes a light display and/or a day-shapes notice display. 
     
     
         9 . A watercraft comprising:
 a hull; and   the automatic watercraft maneuvering system according to  claim 1  on the hull.   
     
     
         10 . A watercraft control method of controlling, with a controller, a propulsion device to propel a watercraft, a steering to change a course of the watercraft, and a display to provide visual notification of a state of the watercraft, the watercraft control method comprising:
 executing an automatic maneuvering control with the controller to control the propulsion device and the steering from a departure location to a destination location; and   controlling the display with the controller to display a plurality of states including a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is being executed and a state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable.   
     
     
         11 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable includes one or more of a failure of the propulsion device, a failure of the steering, or a failure of a sensor used in the automatic watercraft maneuvering control. 
     
     
         12 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 executing a watercraft stop control with the controller to stop the watercraft when the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable; wherein   the controlling the display includes a watercraft stop display of displaying that the watercraft is in a stopped state when the watercraft stop control is executed.   
     
     
         13 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 12 , wherein the watercraft stop control includes performing an at-anchor control with the controller to control an anchoring device to anchor the watercraft. 
     
     
         14 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 12 , wherein the watercraft stop control includes performing a fixed-point maintaining control with the controller to maintain a position of the watercraft by controlling the propulsion device and the steering. 
     
     
         15 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 controlling a communication terminal with the controller to communicate with a remote watercraft maneuvering base to remotely operate the propulsion device and the steering;   executing a remote control with the controller to notify the remote watercraft maneuvering base of state information of the watercraft using the communication terminal, and controlling the propulsion device and the steering based on a remote operation signal received from the remote watercraft maneuvering base via the communication terminal; and   the controlling the display includes a remote watercraft maneuvering display to control the display with the controller to display that the watercraft is being remotely maneuvered through communication with the remote watercraft maneuvering base during execution of the remote control.   
     
     
         16 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 15 , wherein the state in which the automatic watercraft maneuvering control is not executable includes a state in which communication with the remote watercraft maneuvering base using the communication terminal cannot be established. 
     
     
         17 . The watercraft control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the display includes a light display and/or a day-shapes notice display.