IP Library › Granted Patent US 12668346

Granted Patent B1

US 12668346 · App. 17/102,467 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Propulsion system of marine vessel and marine propulsion method of marine vessel

Inventor: Yuji Ikegaya (Shizuoka, JP)

Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA

B63H25/04 B63H20/12 G05D1/0206 B63H2020/003 B63H2025/022 B63H2025/024 B63H2025/045

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12668346
App. No.: 17/102,467
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B1

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Abstract

A propulsion system for a marine vessel includes a controller configured or programmed to perform a control to automatically steer the marine vessel, and to control a propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel based on an orientation of the marine vessel with respect to a target position and a current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position.

Claims (47)

1 . A propulsion system for a marine vessel, the propulsion system comprising:

a propulsion device; and

a controller configured or programmed to acquire a target position of the marine vessel, a current position of the marine vessel, and an orientation of the marine vessel, and to perform a control to automatically steer the marine vessel based on the target position, the current position of the marine vessel, and the orientation of the marine vessel that have been acquired; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position and the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position;

in response to the marine vessel approaching the target position, the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel with respect to the target position, that is a final position of the marine vessel at which there is no object, as a distance between the target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold in a case that the orientation of the marine vessel is approaching toward the target position;

the controller is configured or programmed to set the first distance threshold to a larger value as a current speed of the marine vessel increases;

as the distance between the target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes less than or equal to the first distance threshold, the controller is configured or programmed to control the marine vessel to reach the target position at a speed of zero by sequentially: (a) slowing down the marine vessel while navigating the marine vessel in a semi-planing condition in which only a bow is lifted by water resistance, (b) maintaining the marine vessel at a constant speed, (c) slowing down the marine vessel, and then (d) stopping the marine vessel; and

the controller is configured or programmed to, during the control to decelerate the marine vessel and the target position is changed to a new target position, control the propulsion device to not accelerate the marine vessel as a distance between the new target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes greater than the first distance threshold, and is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as the distance between the new target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes equal to or less than the first distance threshold.

2 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel based on the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as a relative angle of the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to a direction from the marine vessel toward the target position becomes within an angle threshold range.

3 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position and the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as a plurality of via-points through which the marine vessel travels are acquired and the marine vessel has traveled through all of the plurality of via-points.

4 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, during the control to decelerate the marine vessel, control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel by a first deceleration degree as the distance becomes equal to or less than the first distance threshold and greater than a second distance threshold that is less than the first distance threshold, and to decelerate the marine vessel by a second deceleration degree that is larger than the first deceleration degree as the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance threshold.

5 . The propulsion system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to maintain the constant speed of the marine vessel as the distance becomes equal to or less than a third distance threshold that is less than the second distance threshold and greater than a fourth distance threshold that is less than the third distance threshold, and to decelerate the marine vessel and cause the marine vessel to reach the target position as the distance becomes equal to or less than the fourth distance threshold.

6 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to perform a control to acquire a current speed of the marine vessel and acquire the first distance threshold, which is a distance threshold to start the control to decelerate the marine vessel, based on a map in which information about the first distance threshold and information about a speed of the marine vessel are associated with each other, and the current speed of the marine vessel.

7 . The propulsion system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a course determiner to determine the plurality of via-points and the target position; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to, during the control to decelerate the marine vessel, control the course determiner to cancel at least one of the plurality of via-points or the target position, or continue the control to decelerate the marine vessel even as at least one of the plurality of via-points or the target position is changed by the course determiner.

8 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a shift actuator to change a shift position of the propulsion device; and

an operation lever to operate the shift actuator and change a propulsive force of the propulsion device; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to perform a fixed point holding control to hold a position of the marine vessel at the target position based on the shift position being moved from a forward movement position to a neutral position by the operation lever during the control to decelerate the marine vessel.

9 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a shift actuator to change a shift position of the propulsion device; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to control the shift actuator to change the shift position from a forward movement position to a neutral position as the marine vessel reaches the target position.

10 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an operation lever to change a propulsive force of the propulsion device; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to perform the control to start a deceleration mode to decelerate the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position and the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position, and cancel the deceleration mode based on an operation performed on the operation lever by an operator during the control to decelerate the marine vessel in the deceleration mode.

11 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a steering wheel to steer the marine vessel; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to switch, based on an operation performed on the steering wheel by an operator, a control to automatically steer the marine vessel to a control based on the operation on the steering wheel during the control to decelerate the marine vessel.

12 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel as the target position is not acquired.

13 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensor to detect at least one of the current position of the marine vessel or the orientation of the marine vessel; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to control the propulsion device to decelerate the marine vessel as information about an abnormality of the sensor is acquired.

14 . The propulsion system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display provided on the marine vessel; wherein

15 . A propulsion control method for a marine vessel comprising:

acquiring a target position of the marine vessel, a current position of the marine vessel, and an orientation of the marine vessel;

automatically steering the marine vessel based on the target position of the marine vessel, the current position of the marine vessel, and the orientation of the marine vessel that have been acquired;

in response to the marine vessel approaching the target position, decelerating the marine vessel with respect to the target position and the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position, that is a final position of the marine vessel at which there is no object, as a distance between the target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold in a case that the orientation of the marine vessel is approaching toward the target position;

setting the first distance threshold to a larger value as a current speed of the marine vessel increases;

as the distance between the target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes less than or equal to the first distance threshold, controlling the marine vessel to reach the target position at a speed of zero by sequentially: (a) slowing down the marine vessel while navigating the marine vessel in a semi-planing condition in which only a bow is lifted by water resistance, (b) maintaining the marine vessel at a constant speed, (c) slowing down the marine vessel, and then (d) stopping the marine vessel; and

during the decelerating of the marine vessel and the target position is changed to a new target position, not accelerating the marine vessel as a distance between the new target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes greater than the first distance threshold, and decelerating the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as the distance between the new target position and the current position of the marine vessel becomes equal to or less than the first distance threshold.

16 . The propulsion control method according to claim 15 , wherein the decelerating of the marine vessel includes decelerating the marine vessel based on the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as a relative angle of the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to a direction from the marine vessel toward the target position becomes within an angle threshold range.

17 . The propulsion control method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

acquiring a plurality of via-points through which the marine vessel travels; wherein

the decelerating of the marine vessel includes decelerating the marine vessel based on the orientation of the marine vessel with respect to the target position and the current position of the marine vessel with respect to the target position as the marine vessel has traveled through all of the plurality of via-points.