Joystick device for a vehicle
A joystick device is operable to provide speed, direction and steering commands for controlling a marine vessel. A marine propulsion control system controls a set of propulsion units carried by a hull of a marine vessel, wherein the marine propulsion control system is adapted to receive an input command from such a joystick device.
1 . A joystick device operable to control a vehicle, the joystick device having a movable steering member extending on an axis and adapted to be tilted from a neutral position in at least two directions including a forward and a backward direction, wherein the joystick device comprises a control unit, the control unit comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control unit to:
define a forward gear engagement position between the neutral position and a maximum forward end position,
monitor a position of the movable steering member,
generate control commands to increase and then maintain an increased forward speed of the vehicle if the movable steering member is moved from the forward gear engagement position towards the maximum forward end position, and
detect a mechanical spring-back of the movable steering member from a position towards the maximum forward end position to the forward gear engagement position, wherein the control unit is configured to maintain the increased forward speed upon detection of said spring-back, wherein
the movable steering member is configured to be self-centered to the forward gear engagement position by a biasing force acting on the movable steering member when the movable steering member is positioned between the forward gear engagement position and the maximum forward end position.
2 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit is further adapted to generate control commands to decrease and then maintain a decreased forward speed of the vehicle if the movable steering member is moved from the forward gear engagement position towards the neutral position.
3 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the joystick device is further provided with a backward gear engagement position defined between the neutral position and a maximum backward end position,
the movable steering member is configured to be self-centered to the backward gear engagement position after positioning the movable steering member at the backward gear engagement position, and
the control unit is further adapted to generate control commands to increase and then maintain an increased backward speed of the vehicle if the movable steering member is moved from the backward gear engagement position towards the maximum backward end position.
4 . The joystick device according to claim 3 , wherein:
the control unit is further adapted to generate control commands to decrease and then maintain a decreased backward speed of the vehicle if the movable steering member is moved from the backward gear engagement position towards the neutral position.
5 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein the control commands are configured to control at least one of a vehicle speed, a rotational speed (rpm) of a propulsion unit comprised with the vehicle, or a torque of the propulsion unit comprised with the vehicle.
6 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein forward speed is increased dependent on an amount of an angular forward movement of the movable steering member.
7 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein forward speed is increased with a fixed amount when the movable steering member is moved forwards.
8 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , wherein the joystick device is adapted to selectively operate in one of a driving mode and a docking mode, wherein the forward gear engagement position is only available when the joystick device is operated in the driving mode.
9 . The joystick device according to claim 8 , further comprising an actuator for moving the movable steering member to the forward gear engagement position to arrange the joystick device in the driving mode.
10 . The joystick device according to claim 9 , wherein the joystick device is arranged in the docking mode by manually moving the movable steering member to the neutral position.
11 . The joystick device according to claim 8 , wherein the movable steering member is rotatable around the axis, when in the docking mode, for providing rotational commands for controlling the vehicle.
12 . The joystick device according to claim 8 , wherein the docking mode is a low-speed driving mode and the driving mode is a high-speed driving mode, a speed of the vehicle in the low-speed driving mode is lower as compared to the speed of the vehicle in the high-speed driving mode.
13 . The joystick device according to claim 1 , further comprising feedback means adapted to create a haptic effect perceivable at the movable steering member.
14 . A marine vessel, comprising:
a set of propulsion units carried by a hull of the marine vessel, and
a joystick device according to claim 1 .
15 . The marine vessel according to claim 14 , wherein the set of propulsion units comprises at least a first and a second propulsion unit.