Watercraft control system and watercraft control method
A watercraft control system comprises a digital controller that controls outboard propulsion units to produce a predetermined lateral thrust to hold a watercraft against a docking structure during a dock holding mode, sets at least one of a target position and a target heading based on at least one of a current position and a current heading during the dock holding mode, and performs a correction operation to restore at least one of the target position and the target heading by generating at least one of a forward-rear thrust using the outboard propulsion units upon determining a deviation of the current position from the target position and a moment using the outboard propulsion units upon determining the current heading has deviated from the target heading while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode.
1 . A watercraft control system comprising:
a plurality of outboard propulsion units;
a user interface configured to output a dock holding command to initiate a dock holding mode;
a position sensor configured to determine at least one of a current position and a current heading of a watercraft; and
a digital processor configured to
receive the dock holding command to initiate the dock holding mode in response to the user interface outputting the dock holding command to initiate the dock holding mode, control the outboard propulsion units to produce a predetermined lateral thrust to hold the watercraft against a docking structure during the dock holding mode,
set a target position to the current position detected by the position sensor when the dock holding command is received from a user, or set a target heading to the current heading detected by the position sensor when the dock holding command is received from the user, and perform a correction operation to restore at least one of the target position and the target heading by generating at least one of a forward-rear thrust using the outboard propulsion units upon determining a deviation of the current position from the target position and a moment using the outboard propulsion units upon determining the current heading has deviated from the target heading while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode,
the digital processor being further configured to update at least one of the target heading, the target position and the predetermined lateral thrust, while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode.
2 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to perform the correction operation upon determining the deviation from the target position being greater than a predetermined amount with respect to the current position.
3 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to increase the forward-rear thrust as a difference between the current position and the target position increases.
4 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to perform a longitudinal correction operation by at least one of changing the forward-rear thrust and performing a steering operation of the outboard propulsion units.
5 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to perform the correction operation upon determining a deviation from the target heading being greater than a predetermined amount in the heading.
6 . The watercraft control system according to claim 5 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to increase the moment as a difference between the current heading and the target heading increases.
7 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to perform a heading correction operation by at least one of changing the forward-rear thrust and performing a steering operation of the outboard propulsion units.
8 . The watercraft control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to terminate the dock holding mode upon receiving a termination command from the user interface.
9 . A watercraft comprising the watercraft control system according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
a watercraft body provided with the outboard propulsion units, the user interface, the position sensor and the digital processor.
10 . A watercraft control system comprising:
a plurality of outboard propulsion units;
a user interface configured to output a dock holding command, the user interface including a joystick;
a position sensor configured to determine at least one of a current position and a current heading of a watercraft; and
a digital processor configured to receive the dock holding command, the digital processor configured to
start a dock holding mode upon receiving the dock holding command,
control the outboard propulsion units to produce a predetermined lateral thrust to hold the watercraft against a docking structure during the dock holding mode,
set at least one of a target position and a target heading based on at least one of the current position detected by the position sensor and the current heading detected by the position sensor during the dock holding mode, and
perform a correction operation to restore at least one of the target position and the target heading by generating at least one of a forward-rear thrust using the outboard propulsion units upon determining a deviation of the current position from the target position and a moment using the outboard propulsion units upon determining the current heading has deviated from the target heading while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode,
the digital processor being further configured to update, based on a user input operation using the joystick, at least one of the target heading, the target position and the predetermined lateral thrust, while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode.
11 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to update the target heading in response to the joystick being twisted during the dock holding mode.
12 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to increase or decrease a moment generated towards the target heading in response to the joystick being twisted during the dock holding mode.
13 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to update the target position in response to the joystick being moved in a longitudinal direction during the dock holding mode.
14 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to increase or decrease the forward-rear thrust in response to the joystick being moved in a longitudinal direction during the dock holding mode.
15 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to update the predetermined lateral thrust in response to the joystick being moved in a lateral direction during the dock holding mode.
16 . The watercraft control system according to claim 12 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to increase the moment generated towards the target heading in response to the joystick being twisted in a first direction during the dock holding mode, and decrease the moment generated towards the target heading in response to the joystick being twisted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction during the dock holding mode.
17 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to generate a forward thrust toward the target position in response to the joystick being moved in a forward direction during the dock holding mode, and generate a rearward thrust toward the target position in response to the joystick being moved in a rearward direction during the dock holding mode.
18 . The watercraft control system according to claim 10 , wherein
the digital processor is further configured to generate a starboard lateral thrust toward the target position in response to the joystick being moved in a starboard side direction during the dock holding mode, and generate a port lateral thrust toward the target position in response to the joystick being moved in a port side direction during the dock holding mode.
19 . A watercraft control method comprising:
receiving a dock holding command to initiate a dock holding mode using a digital processor in response to a user interface outputting the docking holding command;
controlling a plurality of outboard propulsion units using the digital processor to produce a predetermined lateral thrust to hold a watercraft against a docking structure during the dock holding mode;
setting, using the digital processor, a target position to a current position detected by a position sensor when the dock holding command is received from a user, or set a target heading to a current heading detected by the position sensor when the dock holding command is received from the user;
performing correction operation using the digital processor to restore at least one of the target position and the target heading by generating at least one of a forward-rear thrust using the outboard propulsion units upon determining a deviation of the current position from the target position and a moment using the outboard propulsion units upon determining the current heading has deviated from the target heading while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode; and
updating, using the digital processor, at least one of the target heading, the target position and the predetermined lateral thrust, while generating the predetermined lateral thrust during the dock holding mode.