Small watercraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889359-B2
Application number	US-201916273195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A small watercraft includes an input, a second storage, and a controller. The input receives an operation to switch the small watercraft into one of a plurality of control states, and includes a first storage that stores first control information indicating the one of the plurality of control states associated with the operation received by the input. The second storage stores second control information indicating one of the plurality of control states. The controller is able to write to one of the first and second storages. The input is supplied with electric power by supplying the controller with the electric power. When the one of the plurality of control states indicated by the first control information is different from the one of the plurality of control states indicated by the second control information, the controller causes one of the first control information and the second control information stored in the one of the first and second storages to match the other of the first control information and the second control information stored in the other of the first and second storages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A watercraft comprising:
an input that receives an operation to switch the watercraft into one of a plurality of control states, the input including a first storage that stores first control information that indicates the one of the plurality of control states associated with the operation received by the input;
a second storage that stores second control information that indicates one of the plurality of control states; and
a controller configured or programmed to write to one of the first and second storages; wherein
the input is supplied with electric power that is supplied to the controller; and
when the one of the plurality of control states indicated by the first control information is different from the one of the plurality of control states indicated by the second control information, the controller is configured or programmed to cause the one of the first control information and the second control information stored in the one of the first and second storages to match the other of the first control information and the second control information stored in the other of the first and second storages.

2. The watercraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an engine; wherein
the first control information indicates one of a locked state and an unlocked state of the engine; and
the second control information indicates one of the locked state and the unlocked state of the engine.

3. The watercraft according to claim 2 , wherein the controller includes an ECU that controls the engine and that is connected to the second storage; and
when the controller starts the engine and the second control information indicates the unlocked state, the controller is configured or programmed to stop the engine and change the second control information stored in the second storage into the first control information when the first control information indicates the locked state.

4. The watercraft according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to take a longer period of time after activation thereof to obtain the first control information from the input than to start the engine.

5. The watercraft according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a battery; and
a main relay connected to the battery, the input, and the controller; wherein
the controller supplies the electric power to the input from the battery through the main relay.

6. The watercraft according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller includes an ECU that controls the engine and that is connected to the second storage; and
when the controller starts the engine and the second control information indicates the unlocked state, the controller is configured or programmed to keep the second control information stored in the second storage unchanged when the first control information indicates the unlocked state.

7. The watercraft according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller includes an ECU that controls the engine and that is connected to the second storage; and
the controller is configured or programmed to change the second control information stored in the second storage into the first control information when the first control information indicates the unlocked state but the second control information indicates the locked state.

8. The watercraft according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to change the second control information stored in the second storage into the first control information without starting the engine.

9. The watercraft according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller includes an ECU that controls the engine and that is connected to the second storage; and
the controller is configured or programmed to keep the second control information stored in the second storage unchanged when the first control information indicates the locked state and the second control information indicates the locked state.

10. The watercraft according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to keep the second control information stored in the second storage unchanged without starting the engine.

11. The watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein the input includes a touchscreen display.

12. The watercraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an engine; wherein
the first control information indicates any one of a plurality of operating modes of the engine; and
the second control information indicates any one of the plurality of operating modes of the engine.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwaki Ryutaro
• Ozawa Shigeyuki
• Suzuki Masaru
• Igarashi Shingo
• Kinomoto Naoki

Classifications

• B63H21/21 Primary

  Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels · CPC title

• B63H2021/216

  using electric control means · CPC title

• B63B34/10

  Power-driven personal watercraft, e.g. water scooters (water jet propulsion B63H11/00; jet steering B63H25/46); Accessories therefor · CPC title

• B63H21/24

  the vessels being small craft, e.g. racing boats · CPC title

• G06F15/0283

  for data storage and retrieval · CPC title