Watercraft control system, watercraft control method, program, and vehicle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023227135-A1
Application number	US-202118008817-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2021
Priority date	Jun 10, 2020
Publication date	Jul 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A watercraft control system includes a watercraft and a communication device. The communication device includes a communication unit configured to transmit information indicating a location of the communication device to the watercraft. The watercraft includes a communication unit configured to receive the information indicating the location of the communication device and a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a difference between the location of the communication device and a location of the watercraft.

First claim

1 . A watercraft control system including a watercraft and a communication device,
wherein the communication device includes a communication device location detection unit configured to detect a location of the communication device; and a first communication unit, wherein the watercraft includes a watercraft location detection unit configured to detect a location of the watercraft; and a second communication unit, and wherein at least one of the watercraft and the communication device includes a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a difference between the location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit and the location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit.

2 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein the difference calculation unit calculates a difference between an identical location time-specific communication device location that is a location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit when an actual location of the watercraft is identical to an actual location of the communication device and an identical location time-specific watercraft location that is a location of the watercraft detected by watercraft location detection unit when the actual location of the watercraft is identical to the actual location of the communication device.

3 . The watercraft control system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the watercraft includes an overboard fall detection unit configured to detect the falling of an occupant of the watercraft overboard, and wherein the difference calculation unit calculates a difference between a non-overboard-fall time-specific communication device location that is a location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit when the overboard fall detection unit has not detected the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard and a non-overboard-fall time-specific watercraft location that is a location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit when the overboard fall detection unit has not detected the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard.

4 . The watercraft control system according to claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the watercraft and the communication device includes a detected location correction unit configured to correct at least one of the location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit and the location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit, and wherein the detected location correction unit corrects at least one of the location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit and the location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit on the basis of the difference between the identical location time-specific communication device location and the identical location time-specific watercraft location.

5 . The watercraft control system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the watercraft includes an overboard fall detection unit configured to detect the falling of an occupant of the watercraft overboard, wherein at least one of the watercraft and the communication device includes a storage unit configured to store a location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit and a location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit, and wherein, when the overboard fall detection unit has detected the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard, the difference calculation unit calculates a difference between the identical location time-specific communication device location stored in the storage unit and the identical location time-specific watercraft location stored in the storage unit, and the detected location correction unit corrects at least one of the location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit after the overboard fall detection unit detects the falling of the occupant of the watercraft and the location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit after the overboard fall detection unit detects the falling of the occupant of the watercraft on the basis of the difference between the identical location time-specific communication device location stored in the storage unit and the identical location time-specific watercraft location stored in the storage unit.

6 . The watercraft control system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the watercraft includes an actuator having a function of generating a propulsive force of the watercraft and a function of generating a turning moment in the watercraft; and a watercraft control device configured to operate the actuator, and wherein, after the overboard fall detection unit detects the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard, the detected location correction unit corrects at least one of the location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit and the location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit, and the watercraft control device operates the actuator on the basis of the location of the communication device and the location of the watercraft after a correction process of the detected location correction unit is performed.

7 . The watercraft control system according to claim 6 , wherein the watercraft control device operates the actuator so that a distance between the location of the communication device and the location of the watercraft after the correction process of the detected location correction unit is performed is less than that when the overboard fall detection unit has detected the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard.

8 . The watercraft control system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the watercraft includes a heading detection unit configured to detect heading of the watercraft, wherein the watercraft control device has an automatic maneuvering mode in which the actuator is operated on the basis of the location of the communication device and the location of the watercraft after the correction process of the detected location correction unit is performed when the overboard fall detection unit has detected the falling of the occupant of the watercraft overboard, and wherein the watercraft control device executes a control process of decreasing an angle difference between a heading angle of the watercraft and an azimuth angle of the communication device in the watercraft and a control process of decreasing a distance between the location of the communication device and the location of the watercraft after the correction process of the detected location correction unit is performed in the automatic maneuvering mode.

9 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the watercraft includes a disembarkation detection unit configured to detect disembarkation of an occupant of the watercraft, and wherein the difference calculation unit calculates a difference between a pre-disembarkation communication device location that is a location of the communication device detected by the communication device location detection unit before the disembarkation detection unit detects the disembarkation of the occupant of the watercraft and a pre-disembarkation watercraft location that is a location of the watercraft detected by the watercraft location detection unit before the disembarkation detection unit detects the disembarkation of the occupant of the watercraft.

10 . The watercraft co

Assignees

• Nhk Spring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirao Masato
• Akita Marino
• Oshima Takafumi

Classifications

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• G05D2109/34

  operating on the water surface · CPC title

• B63C9/0005 Primary

  by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat (alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08) · CPC title

• G05D1/0206

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title

• B63H21/21

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