METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A WATERJET-DRIVEN MARINE VESSEL
A method for controlling a marine vessel having a first steering nozzle, a reversing deflector and at least one of a bow thruster and a second steering nozzle is disclosed. The method comprises any of the acts of inducing a net transverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to a transverse thrust component signal, without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel, or inducing a net forward-reverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to a forward-reverse thrust component signal without substantially inducing any transverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel, or inducing a net rotational thrust to the marine vessel in response to the rotational thrust component signal without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or transverse thrust to the marine vessel.
1 . A marine vessel control apparatus, comprising:
a control stick having at least a first and a second degree of freedom; and
a lockout device that prevents output of a control signal corresponding to at least one degree of freedom.
2 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lockout device comprises a locking element which selectively restricts at least the first degree of freedom while allowing movement in at least the second degree of freedom
3 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lockout device comprises an electrical interlock which prevents output of the control signal.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel control apparatus comprises a two-axis control stick.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a first axis of the two-axis control stick controls lateral motion of the marine vessel and a second axis of the two-axis control stick controls fore-and-aft motion of the marine vessel
6 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first degree of freedom comprises a degree of freedom along a forward-aft direction.
7 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first degree of freedom comprises a degree of freedom along a port-to-starboard direction.
8 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control stick comprises a rotational degree of freedom that rotates the control stick about an axis of the control stick.
9 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electro-mechanical transducer that converts motion in the first degree of freedom into corresponding electrical vessel control signals.
10 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electro-mechanical transducer comprises a potentiometer.
11 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locking element comprises a moveable member attached to a first portion of the marine vessel control apparatus and adapted for insertion into a second portion of the marine vessel control apparatus.
12 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interlock comprises an electrical switch disposed in a vessel control signal path.
13 . The marine vessel control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interlock comprises an electrical switch disposed in an actuator control signal path.