초록 ▼

An operator control system for a boat, where an outboard motor includes a throttle actuator that controls throttle opening of the engine, a shift actuator that controls a shift position to be put into one of neutral, drive, and reverse positions, and an engine control unit that controls the engine.

An operator control system for a boat, where an outboard motor includes a throttle actuator that controls throttle opening of the engine, a shift actuator that controls a shift position to be put into one of neutral, drive, and reverse positions, and an engine control unit that controls the engine. An operation input portion, to control propulsion of the outboard motor and an operation quantity computation portion, that computes control command values including a start and a stop, the throttle opening, and the shift position of the outboard motor by detecting a steering state of a boat driver at the steering seat, are mounted on an operator station. The operation quantity computation portion transmits the control command values to the outboard motor via a communication portion, and the outboard motor performs control of the start and the stop, the throttle opening, and the shift position of the engine according to the control command values received.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A control system for a boat equipped with at least one outboard motor and at least one operator station to control a hull, the at least one outboard motor having an engine, a throttle actuator that controls throttle opening for the engine, a shift actuator that controls a shi

What is claimed is: 1. A control system for a boat equipped with at least one outboard motor and at least one operator station to control a hull, the at least one outboard motor having an engine, a throttle actuator that controls throttle opening for the engine, a shift actuator that controls a shift position to be put into one of neutral, drive, and reverse positions, and an engine control unit that controls the engine, the control system comprising: an operation input portion to control propulsion of the at least one outboard motor; and an operation quantity computation portion that computes control command values including a start and a stop, the throttle opening, and the shift position of the at least one outboard motor by detecting a steering state of the hull based on a steering input from an operator of the operator station, wherein, both the operation input portion and the operation quantity computation portion being mounted on the operator station, wherein, the operation quantity computation portion transmits the control command values to the at least one outboard motor via a communication portion, and the at least one outboard motor is controlled based on the control command values received for the start and the stop, the throttle opening, and the shift position of the engine, wherein, the at least one outboard motor is distinct from and physically distanced from the operator station, wherein a number of outboard motors, a number of operation quantity computation portions, and an installment location of the engine control unit attached to the boat are registered in the engine control unit as registered information and in the operation quantity computation portion by a remotely located diagnostic unit via the communication portion, wherein the engine control unit and the operation quantity computation portion store the registered information into internal non-volatile memories, and operate according to the stored registered information after a start-up, where the start-up occurs when a power supply is switched ON, and wherein: at least two operator stations are provided, where one operator station is used as a main operator station and a second operator station is used as a sub operator station; the operation quantity computation portion is mounted on the main and sub operator stations; the operation quantity computation portion mounted on the sub operator station detects the steering state of the hull based on the steering input from the operator and transmits the detected steering state to the operation quantity computation portion mounted on the main operator station via the communication portion without computing control command values; and the operation quantity computation portion mounted on the main operator station computes control command values from steering states received from all operator stations to directly control the at least one outboard motor. 2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: the operation quantity computation portion of the main operator station, through the registration information received by the diagnostic unit, confirms whether the engine control unit is operating normally at the start-up when the power supply is switched ON, and when one engine control unit and any other operation quantity computation portion fails to reply, the operation quantity computation portion mounted on the main operator station determines a system abnormal state and transmits a warning of an abnormal state to the boat driver. 3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: the engine control unit has an abnormality detection portion that detects a data abnormality in the communication portion, thus indicating an abnormal state, when data transmission and reception in the communication portion are disabled; the engine control unit operates in the presence of the abnormal state, using control command values last received during normal communication and determines a failure of the communication portion when the abnormal state has continued for a specific time, and performs a control to gradually lower an engine rotating speed by gradually decreasing current throttle opening to an idle position from a point in time at which the failure was determined; and the shift position is held in a neutral state when the throttle opening is in the idle position. 4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein: the throttle opening is maintained in the idle position even when the communication portion is restored to a normal state during a failure determination and the data transmission and reception are enabled. 5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein: the engine control unit receives an engine operating state and constantly monitors whether the engine is operating according to the control command values, and upon detection of an operating state different from an operating state of the control command values, the engine control unit determines an abnormal state, and wherein, in the abnormal state, the engine control unit stops the engine by transmitting a stop command to the at least one outboard motor for which the abnormality is detected, and transmits a warning of an abnormal state to the boat driver. 6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the main operator station is located on a deck other than a deck on which the sub operator station is located.