Boat and control method for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11586206-B2
Application number	US-201616465643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A sensor detects a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship of the shore arrival location and a boat body and outputs environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship. A controller receives the environment information and generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to cause the boat body to move toward the shore arrival position set based on the environment information and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A boat comprising:
a boat body;
a propulsion device disposed in the boat body and that generates a propulsion force to move the boat body;
a sensor that detects a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship between the shore arrival location and the boat body, and that outputs environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship; and
a controller configured or programmed to receive the environment information and to generate an instruction signal to control the propulsion device so as to move the boat body toward a shore arrival position that is set based on the environment information, and then to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.

2. The boat according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to generate the instruction signal so as to produce a boat speed or a thrust in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location.

3. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display that displays an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location; and
a position input that accepts an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input to the position input, and to produce a boat speed or a thrust in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location.

4. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display that displays an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location;
a position input that accepts an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to:
reset, as a reset shore arrival position, a position spaced away by a predetermined distance from the shore arrival position that was set based on the input to the position input in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location; and
generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body to the reset shore arrival position.

5. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display that displays an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location;
a position input that accepts an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; and
a mode setter that accepts an input to turn on or off a pushing mode that controls the propulsion device so as to push the boat body to the shore arrival location; wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to:
generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input to the position input, and to stop at the shore arrival position when the pushing mode is turned off; and
generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body toward the shore arrival position and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location when the pushing mode is turned on.

6. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display that displays an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location;
a position input that accepts an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; and
a mode selector that accepts a selection of a fixed pier mode and a floating pier mode in a pushing mode that controls the propulsion device so as to push the boat body to the shore arrival location; wherein
the controller is configured or programmed to:
generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input to the position input and to produce a boat speed or a thrust in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location when the fixed pier mode is selected; and
reset, as a reset shore arrival position, a position spaced away by a predetermined distance from the shore arrival position that was set based on the input to the position input, in the direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location, and to generate the instruction signal so as to move the boat body to the reset shore arrival position when the floating pier mode is selected.

7. The boat according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to switch selection of the fixed pier mode, the floating pier mode, and the pushing mode to off based on the environment information.

8. A control method for a boat comprising:
detecting environment information indicating a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship between the shore arrival location and a boat body; and
generating an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to move the boat body toward a shore arrival position set that is based on the environment information, and then to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.

9. The control method for a boat according to claim 8 , wherein the instruction signal is generated so as to produce a boat speed or a thrust in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location.

10. The control method for a boat according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
displaying an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location; and
accepting an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; wherein the instruction signal is generated so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input, and to produce a boat speed or a thrust in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location.

11. The control method for a boat according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
displaying an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location; and
accepting an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; and
resetting, as a reset shore arrival position, a position spaced away by a predetermined distance from the shore arrival position that was set based on the input in a direction from the boat body toward the shore arrival location; wherein
the instruction signal is generated so as to move the boat body to the reset shore arrival position.

12. The control method for a boat according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
displaying an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location; and
accepting an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; and
accepting an input to turn on or off a pushing mode that controls the propulsion device so as to push the boat body to the shore arrival location; wherein
the instruction signal is generated so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input of the shore arrival location, and to stop at the shore arrival position when the pushing mode is turned off; and
the instruction signal is generated so as to move the boat body toward the shore arrival position and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location when the pushing mode is turned on.

13. The control method for a boat according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
displaying an environment map indicating the shape of the shore arrival location; and
accepting an input of the shore arrival position on the environment map; and
accepting a selection of a fixed pier mode and a floating pier mode in a pushing mode that controls the propulsion device so as to push the boat body to the shore arrival location; wherein
the instruction signal is generated so as to move the boat body to the shore arrival position that was set based on the input of the shore arrival loc

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Akuzawa Shu
• Aoki Hirotaka
• Ashida Yusuke

Classifications

• G05D1/02

  Control of position or course in two dimensions · CPC title

• G05D1/0206 Primary

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title

• B63B49/00

  Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) · CPC title

• B63H25/04 Primary

  automatic, e.g. reacting to compass · CPC title

• B63C1/04

  self docking · CPC title