Patent Application
20250236377
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-008741 filed on Jan. 24, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an automatic docking device and an automatic docking system for automatically docking a boat.
For example, in the case of maneuvering a boat provided with a boat propulsor that generates a propulsion force of a boat, a remote control device that remotely operates the boat propulsor (hereinafter, referred to as “remote control”), a steering actuator that changes a steering angle of the boat propulsor, and a steering operation device that remotely operates the steering actuator, a boat maneuverer changes an inclination angle of a remote control lever provided in the remote control device to increase or decrease a magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the boat propulsor, thereby increasing or decreasing a speed of the boat. In addition, the boat maneuverer selects a direction in which the remote control lever is tilted, so as to switch a front-rear direction of the propulsion force generated by the boat propulsor, thereby switching advancing and reversing of the boat. In addition, the boat maneuverer rotates a steering wheel provided in the steering operation device to change the steering angle of the boat propulsor, thereby turning the boat.
In general, maneuvering during docking of a boat is challenging and requires skill. In order to dock the boat, the boat maneuverer advances the boat toward a docking position, or turns the boat as appropriate, and quickly turns the boat in some cases. The boat maneuverer moves the boat carefully at a low speed while measuring a distance from the boat to the docking position, a distance between another docked boat and the boat, and the like. When the boat is at a low speed, the boat is greatly swept by wind. Therefore, the boat maneuverer maneuvers the boat while considering a direction and a strength of the wind, but it is necessary for the boat maneuverer to gain the experience so that the boat can be operated as intended.
There is a boat provided with a joystick boat maneuvering device in addition to a boat propulsor, a remote control device, a steering actuator, and a steering operation device. The joystick boat maneuvering device includes a joystick including an operation lever that can be tilted forward, rearward, to the left, to the right, to the left front, to the right front, to the left rear, to the right rear, or the like, and a control device that collectively controls, according to an inclination direction of the operation lever, presence or absence of generation of a propulsion force by the boat propulsor, a front-rear direction of the propulsion force generated by the boat propulsor, and a steering angle of the boat propulsor. The boat maneuverer can collectively operate the boat propulsor and the steering actuator only by tilting the operation lever, and advance, reverse, or turn the boat at a low speed. In addition, when two or more boat propulsors and two or more steering actuators respectively corresponding to the boat propulsors are provided in the boat, and the control device of the joystick boat maneuvering device has a configuration of being able to collectively control presence or absence of generation of a propulsion force by the boat propulsors, a front-rear direction of the propulsion force generated by the boat propulsors, and steering angles of the boat propulsors, the boat maneuverer can move the boat in a left lateral direction or a right lateral direction by tilting the lever of the joystick to the left or to the right. Use of the joystick boat maneuvering device facilitates the maneuvering during docking of the boat as compared with the case of using the remote control device and the steering wheel. However, when the wind is strong or the like, the boat may be greatly swept contrary to the expectation of the boat maneuverer, and even in the case where the joystick boat maneuvering device is used, experience of a certain degree is required to maneuver a boat during docking.
An automatic docking device for automatically docking a boat is known (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 7336565). The automatic docking device acquires a current position of the boat using a satellite positioning system, and automatically navigates the boat from the current position of the boat to a docking position designated by a user. With the automatic docking device, even when the boat is swept by wind, the current position of the boat at that time can be acquired, and a movement direction of the boat can be automatically corrected so that the boat moves toward the docking position. The boat maneuverer can easily dock the boat by using the automatic docking device. With the automatic docking device, it is possible to support a boat maneuverer who has less experience in boat maneuvering during docking.
An automatic docking device in the related art generally includes a determination unit that acquires a current position and a docking position of a boat and determines a direction in which the boat is moved, and a controller that controls a front-rear direction of a propulsion force generated by a boat propulsor, a steering angle of the boat propulsor, and the like such that the boat moves in the determined direction.
In the automatic docking device in the related art, in order to automatically dock a boat, the controller needs to control the movement of the boat with high accuracy. Therefore, at the time of introducing the automatic docking device in the related art into a boat, the controller needs to be set (or tuned) so as to match specifications of individual boats. Specifically, it is necessary to set, in the automatic docking device, a large number of pieces of information related to the specifications of the boat, such as the size of the boat, the number of boat propulsors provided in the boat, and an output of each boat propulsor. In addition, it is necessary to adjust many parameters in the automatic docking device in accordance with the boat.
In the automatic docking device in the related art, the setting on the controller is complicated because there are many setting items and adjustment items of the parameters. Therefore, it is not easy to introduce an automatic docking device to a boat.
Aspect of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relates to provide an automatic docking device and an automatic docking system capable of facilitating introduction of an automatic docking device to a boat.
Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the features discussed above and/or other features not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the above features, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address features described above.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an automatic docking device for automatically docking a boat,
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an automatic docking system for automatically docking a boat, the automatic docking system including:
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
The boat propulsor is a device configured to generate a propulsion force of the boat. A type of the boat propulsor is not limited. The boat propulsor is configured to switch between generating a propulsion force and stopping generation of a propulsion force, based on control from the outside of the boat propulsor. In addition, it is preferable that the boat propulsor is configured to switch a front-rear direction of the propulsion force by the control from the outside of the boat propulsor.
The propulsion direction variable mechanism is a mechanism configured to change a left-right direction of the propulsion force generated by the boat propulsor. For example, in a case where the boat propulsor is an outboard motor, the propulsion direction variable mechanism is a steering actuator or the like configured to change a steering angle of the outboard motor. In a case where the boat propulsor is a pod drive, the propulsion direction variable mechanism is a mechanism configured to change an orientation of a drive unit provided with the propeller.
The joystick boat maneuvering device includes an operation lever, a manual operation processor, and a propulsion controller. The manual operation processor is configured to detect displacement of the operation lever in a case where the operation lever is operated, and is configured to output, to the propulsion controller, a lever operation signal corresponding to the detected displacement of the operation lever. The propulsion controller is configured to control the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism, based on the lever operation signal to move the boat.
The automatic docking device according to the present embodiment includes a current position detection unit, a docking position determination unit, and an automatic docking processor. The current position detection unit is configured to detect a current position of the boat. The docking position determination unit is configured to determine a docking position. The automatic docking processor is configured to output, to the propulsion controller of the joystick boat maneuvering device, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever required to move the boat from the current position of the boat detected by the current position detection unit to the docking position determined by the docking position determination unit, in a case where the operation lever is not operated and an instruction to automatically dock the boat is input.
With the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate introduction of the automatic docking device to a boat. That is, as described above, an automatic docking device in the related art includes a determination unit that determines a direction or the like in which a boat is moved, and a controller that controls a boat propulsor or the like such that the boat moves in the determined direction. In contrast, the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment includes a portion corresponding to the above-described determination unit, but does not include a portion corresponding to the above-described controller. Specifically, the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment includes a portion configured to detect the current position of the boat, to determine the docking position of the boat, and to determine the direction in which the boat is moved from the current position to the docking position, but does not include a portion configured to control the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism such that the boat moves in the determined direction. Control on the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism for moving the boat in the determined direction is performed by the propulsion controller of the joystick boat maneuvering device. Thus, in the automatic docking device in the related art, as described above, complicated work such as setting of the controller is necessary at the time of introducing the automatic docking device into the boat, whereas in the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment, the above-described setting can be made unnecessary or the above-described setting can be significantly simplified at the time of introducing the automatic docking device into the boat provided with the boat propulsor, the propulsion direction variable mechanism, and the joystick boat maneuvering device. Therefore, with the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the introduction of the automatic docking device into the boat.
In addition, the automatic docking processor of the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment is configured to output, to the propulsion controller of the joystick boat maneuvering device, the lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever required to move the boat from the current position to the docking position, in a case where the operation lever is not operated and an instruction to automatically dock the boat is input. The lever operation signal output from the automatic docking processor of the automatic docking device is the same as the lever operation signal output from the manual operation processor of the joystick boat maneuvering device. Thus, at the time of receiving the lever operation signal output from the automatic docking processor, the propulsion controller controls the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism in the same manner as at the time of receiving the lever operation signal output from the manual operation processor. With this configuration, the automatic docking device according to the present embodiment does not include a portion configured to control the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism such that the boat automatically moves toward the docking position, but the boat can be automatically moved to the docking position by utilizing the control on the boat propulsor and the propulsion force variable mechanism by the propulsion controller of the joystick boat maneuvering device.
In addition, an automatic docking system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a boat propulsor, a propulsion force variable mechanism, a joystick boat maneuvering device, and the automatic docking device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. With the automatic docking system according to the present embodiment, the automatic docking system can be constructed by adding the automatic docking device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure to a boat provided with the boat propulsor, the propulsion force variable mechanism, and a joystick boat maneuvering device 21. As described above, complicated setting can be made unnecessary or the setting can be significantly simplified at the time of adding the automatic docking device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure to a boat. Thus, with the automatic docking system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to facilitate construction of the automatic docking system.
Embodiments of an automatic docking device and an automatic docking system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
As illustrated in
The outboard motors 2 and 3 are devices configured to generate a propulsion force of the boat 1. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The steering actuator 8 is a device configured to change a steering angle of the outboard motor 2. The steering actuator 9 is a device configured to change a steering angle of the outboard motor 3. Each of the steering actuators 8 and 9 is configured to operate based on a control signal from the BCM 11. Although not illustrated, in the present embodiment, a hydraulic servo mechanism for operating the steering actuators 8 and 9 in accordance with the control signal from the BCM 11 is provided between the BCM 11 and the steering actuators 8 and 9. Each of the steering actuators 8 and 9 is a specific example of the “propulsion direction variable mechanism” that changes the left-right direction of the propulsion force generated by the outboard motor.
The BCM 11 is a module configured to control the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on operation signals or control signals output from the remote control device 12, the steering operation device 17, and the joystick boat maneuvering device 21. The BCM 11 includes a processor configured to perform arithmetic processing related to the control.
The remote control device 12 is a device configured to remotely control the two outboard motors 2 and 3. The remote control device 12 includes a remote control lever 13 for remotely operating the outboard motor 2, a remote control operation detection unit 14 for detecting an inclination direction and an inclination angle of the remote control lever 13, a remote control lever 15 for remotely operating the outboard motor 3, and a remote control operation detection unit 16 for detecting an inclination direction and an inclination angle of the remote control lever 15. As illustrated in
Control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 at the time of operating the remote control device 12 will be briefly described. In
In addition, in a case where the boat maneuverer tilts the remote control lever 13 forward to increase (or to reduce) the inclination angle of the remote control lever 13, the ECM 7 of the outboard motor 2 controls the throttle actuator 5 of the outboard motor 2 to increase (or to decrease) the opening degree of the throttle valve of the engine 4 of the outboard motor 2. Accordingly, the propulsion force for propelling the boat 1 forward, which is generated by the outboard motor 2, is increased (or decreased).
In addition, in a case where the boat maneuverer tilts the remote control lever 13 rearward, the ECM 7 of the outboard motor 2 controls the shift actuator 6 of the outboard motor 2 to transmit the rotation of the engine 4 of the outboard motor 2 to the propeller such that the propeller rotates counterclockwise, and controls the throttle actuator 5 of the outboard motor 2 to open the throttle valve of the engine 4 of the outboard motor 2. Accordingly, a propulsion force for propelling the boat 1 rearward is generated by the outboard motor 2.
In addition, in a case where the boat maneuverer places the remote control lever 13 at a neutral position, the ECM 7 of the outboard motor 2 controls the throttle actuator 5 of the outboard motor 2 to close the throttle valve of the engine 4 of the outboard motor 2, and controls the shift actuator 6 of the outboard motor 2 to prevent the rotation of the engine 4 of the outboard motor 2 from being transmitted to the propeller. Accordingly, the propulsion force of the boat 1 is not generated by the outboard motor 2. The engine 4 is configured to be in an idling state in a case where the throttle valve is closed and the rotation of the engine 4 is not transmitted to the propeller during operation.
The control on the outboard motor 3 at the time of operating the remote control lever 15 is the same as the control on the outboard motor 2 at the time of operating the remote control lever 13.
The steering operation device 17 is a device configured to remotely operate the two steering actuators 8 and 9. The steering operation device 17 includes a steering wheel 18 and a steering operation detection unit 19 configured to detect a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the steering wheel 18. As illustrated in
In
The joystick boat maneuvering device 21 is a device configured to perform collective remote control operation and control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 to move the boat 1 at a low speed. The joystick boat maneuvering device 21 will be described in detail later.
The automatic docking device 31 is a device for automatically docking the boat 1. The automatic docking device 31 will be described in detail later.
The GNSS device 35 is a device configured to receive radio waves transmitted from a GNSS satellite. The GNSS device 35 is used when the plotter 36 displays the current position of the boat 1 or when the current position detection unit 32 of the automatic docking device 31 detects the current position of the boat 1.
As illustrated in
In
Although not illustrated in
The joystick boat maneuvering device 21 is a device configured to perform collective remote control operation and control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 to move the boat 1 at a low speed. The joystick boat maneuvering device 21 includes a joystick 22 and the propulsion controller 26.
The joystick 22 is a device configured to perform collective remote control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9. The joystick 22 includes an operation lever 23 and a manual operation processor 24. As illustrated in
In the upper right of
As illustrated in
In a case where the operation lever 23 is operated, the manual operation processor 24 detects the displacement of the operation lever 23 and outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the detected displacement of the operation lever 23. The manual operation processor 24 includes, for example, a potentiometer that detects the displacement of the operation lever 23.
The propulsion controller 26 is configured to collectively control the two outboard motors 2 and 3 and the two steering actuators 8 and 9, based on the lever operation signal to move the boat. More specifically, the propulsion controller 26 is configured to collectively control, based on the lever operation signal, the presence or absence of generation of the propulsion force by the outboard motor 2, the front-rear direction of the propulsion force generated by the outboard motor 2, the steering angle of the outboard motor 2, the presence or absence of generation of the propulsion force by the outboard motor 3, the front-rear direction of the propulsion force generated by the outboard motor 3, and the steering angle of the outboard motor 3, so as to move the boat 1 forward, rearward, to the left, to the right, to the left front, to the left rear, to the right front, or to the right rear at a low speed, turn the boat 1 to the left or the right at a low speed, or rotate the boat 1 to the left or the right at a constant position at a low speed.
In
The operation lever 23 of the joystick 22 can be tilted in all directions in a horizontal direction. Therefore, a range of the direction in which the operation lever 23 may be inclined is a range of 360 degrees around a base end of the operation lever 23. The range of the direction in which the operation lever 23 may be inclined with respect to the joystick 22 is divided into a zone F, a zone B, a zone L, and a zone R every 90 degrees as illustrated in an upper portion in
Specific operations of the manual operation processor 24 and the propulsion controller 26 when the operation lever 23 is displaced in the joystick boat maneuvering device 21 are as follows, for example.
(1) As illustrated in
(2) As illustrated in
(3) As illustrated in
(4) As illustrated in
(5) As illustrated in
(6) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right front in the zone F, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SFR indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right front in the zone F. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SFR, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the left front, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the left front, the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are equal to each other, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves forwards while turning to the right at a low speed.
(7) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the left rear in the zone B, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SBL indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the left rear in the zone B. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SBL, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the left rear, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the left rear, the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are equal to each other, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves backwards while turning to the left at a low speed.
(8) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right rear in the zone B, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SBR indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right rear in the zone B. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SBR, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the right rear, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the right rear, the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are equal to each other, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves backwards while turning to the right at a low speed.
(9) As illustrated in
(10) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the left rear in the zone L, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SLB indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the left rear in the zone L. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SLB, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the left rear, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the left front, the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is larger than the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves to the left rear at a low speed.
(11) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right front in the zone R, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SRF indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right front in the zone R. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SRF, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the right front, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the right rear, the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is larger than the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves to the right front at a low speed.
(12) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right rear in the zone R, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal SRB indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted to the right rear in the zone R. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal SRB, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the right front, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the right rear, the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is larger than the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves to the right rear at a low speed.
(13) As illustrated in
(14) Although not illustrated, in a case where the operation lever 23 rotates to the right, the manual operation processor 24 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal STR indicating that the operation lever 23 rotates to the right. The propulsion controller 26 controls, based on the lever operation signal STR, the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 2 is the front, the direction of the propulsion force applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motor 3 is the rear, the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are equal to each other, and the magnitudes of the propulsion forces applied to the boat 1 by the outboard motors 2 and 3 are magnitudes such that the boat 1 moves at a low speed. Accordingly, the boat 1 rotates to the right at a low speed at a constant position.
The propulsion controller 26 includes a storage unit 27, and the storage unit 27 stores, in advance, control content data describing a relation among the plurality of lever operation signals described above and control contents of the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9. In a case where the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 are controlled based on the lever operation signals, the propulsion controller 26 refers to the control content data stored in the storage unit 27 to determine the control contents of the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9. The control content data is created in consideration of specifications of the boat 1, specifically, the size of the boat 1, the number of outboard motors provided in the boat 1, outputs of the respective outboard motors 2 and 3, specifications of the steering actuators 8 and 9, and the like.
The automatic docking device 31 is a device for automatically docking the boat 1. The automatic docking device 31 is configured to perform automatic docking processing of automatically docking the boat 1. As illustrated in
The current position detection unit 32 is configured to detect the current position of the boat 1. The docking position determination unit 33 is configured to determine the docking position of the boat 1. In a case where none of the operation lever 23 of the joystick 22, the remote control levers 13 and 15 of the remote control device 12, and the steering wheel 18 of the steering operation device 17 is operated and an instruction to automatically dock the boat 1 is input, the automatic docking processor 34 determines a route along which the boat 1 is moved from the current position of the boat 1 detected by the current position detection unit 32 to the docking position determined by the docking position determination unit 33, and outputs, to the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21, a lever operation signal corresponding to a displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 along the route. In a case where the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, or the steering wheel 18 is operated while the lever operation signal is output from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26, the automatic docking processor 34 stops outputting the lever operation signal from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26.
The automatic docking processing is started when the boat maneuverer inputs an instruction to automatically dock the boat 1. For example, application software for cooperating the plotter 36 and the automatic docking device 31 is installed in the plotter 36. In a case where the boat maneuverer presses an operation switch 37 provided in the plotter 36 to activate the application software, a screen of the plotter 36 displays an electronic chart, the current position of the boat 1, and an automatic docking start button 38 for inputting the instruction to automatically dock the boat 1 (see
In the automatic docking processing, first, the current position detection unit 32 detects the current position and heading of the boat 1, based on radio waves transmitted from the GNSS satellite and received by the GNSS device 35 (step S2).
Subsequently, the docking position determination unit 33 determines the docking position of the boat 1 (step S3). For example, the application software for cooperating the plotter 36 and the automatic docking device 31 has a function of sending information on the docking position designated by the boat maneuverer to the automatic docking device 31 from the plotter 36. Before touching the automatic docking start button 38, the boat maneuverer touches the screen of the plotter 36 to designate the docking position. At this time, the information on the docking position designated by the boat maneuverer or the like is sent from the plotter 36 to the automatic docking device 31 and stored in the storage unit included in the automatic docking device 31. The docking position determination unit 33 determines the docking position of the boat 1, based on the information on the docking position stored in the storage unit of the automatic docking device 31 in this manner.
Subsequently, the automatic docking processor 34 determines a route along which the boat 1 is moved from the current position of the boat 1 detected by the current position detection unit 32 to the docking position determined by the docking position determination unit 33 (step S4). In order to determine the route, the automatic docking processor 34 detects, by the imaging device 39 or the radar 40, an obstacle (for example, breakwater, floating body, rock, or another boat that is anchored) around the boat 1, and determines a route along which the boat 1 can be safely moved from the current position to the docking position in a short time while avoiding contact with the obstacle.
Subsequently, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 along the route while detecting the current position and the heading of the boat 1 based on the radio waves received from the GNSS device 35 (step S5). Specifically, in step S5, the automatic docking processor 34 performs the following processing.
(1) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to advance the boat 1 at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to advance the boat 1 at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SFC. That is, the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to advance the boat 1 at a low speed is that the operation lever 23 is tilted forward. In a case where the boat maneuverer tilts the operation lever 23 forward, the manual operation processor 24 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, the lever operation signal SFC indicating that the operation lever 23 is tilted forward. Thus, the lever operation signal SFC corresponds to the lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to advance the boat 1 at a low speed. Therefore, in order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to advance the boat 1 at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs the lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SFC to the propulsion controller 26. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 advances at a low speed.
(2) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SBC. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 reverses at a low speed.
(3) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to laterally move the boat 1 to the left at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to laterally move the boat 1 to the left at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SLC. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 laterally moves to the left at a low speed.
(4) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to laterally move the boat 1 to the right at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to laterally move the boat 1 to the right at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SRC. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 laterally moves to the right at a low speed.
(5) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to advance the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the left, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 forward at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the left, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SFL. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 advances at a low speed while turning to the left.
(6) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to advance the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the right, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to advance the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the right, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SFR. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 advances at a low speed while turning to the right.
(7) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the left, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 require to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the left, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SBL. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 reverses at a low speed while turning to the left.
(8) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the right, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to reverse the boat 1 at a low speed while turning the boat 1 to the right, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SBR. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 reverses at a low speed while turning to the right.
(9) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to move the boat 1 to the left front at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 to the left front at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SLF. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 moves to the left front at a low speed.
(10) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to move the boat 1 to the left rear at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 to the left rear at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SLB. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 moves to the left rear at a low speed.
(11) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to move the boat 1 to the right front at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 to the right front at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SRF. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 moves to the right front at a low speed.
(12) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to move the boat 1 to the right rear at a low speed, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 to the right rear at a low speed, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal SRB. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 moves to the right rear at a low speed.
(13) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to rotate the boat 1 to the left at a low speed at a constant position, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to rotate the boat 1 to the left at a low speed at the constant position, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal STL. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 rotates to the left at a low speed at the constant position.
(14) In order to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position, in a case where it is necessary to rotate the boat 1 to the right at a low speed at a constant position, the automatic docking processor 34 outputs, to the propulsion controller 26, a lever operation signal corresponding to the displacement of the operation lever 23 required to rotate the boat 1 to the right at a low speed at the constant position, specifically, a lever operation signal same as the lever operation signal STR. The propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 based on the lever operation signal, so that the boat 1 rotates to the right at a low speed at the constant position.
Subsequently, the automatic docking processor 34 determines whether any of the operation lever 23 of the joystick 22, the remote control levers 13 and 15 of the remote control device 12, and the steering wheel 18 of the steering operation device 17 is operated (step S6). In a case where none of the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, and the steering wheel 18 is operated (step S6: NO), the automatic docking processor 34 subsequently determines whether the boat 1 reaches the docking position determined in step S3 (step S7). In a case where the boat 1 does not reach the docking position determined in step S3 (step S7: NO), the processing returns to step S5.
In a case where none of the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, and the steering wheel 18 is operated before the boat 1 reaches the docking position determined in step S3, the processing of step S5 by the automatic docking processor 34 is repeatedly performed at a predetermined short time interval. Accordingly, the boat 1 moves along the route determined in step S4. In addition, in a case where the boat 1 is moving in this manner, in a case where the boat 1 is swept by air and moves to a position away from the route, the boat 1 moves from the position toward the route and returns to the route by the processing of step S5 by the automatic docking processor 34.
In a case where any of the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, and the steering wheel 18 is operated (step S6: YES) in a case where the boat 1 is moving by the processing of the automatic docking processor 34 as described above, the automatic docking processor 34 immediately stops the output of the lever operation signal from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26, and immediately ends the automatic docking processing. For example, in a case where another boat approaches the boat 1 while the boat 1 is moving along the route by the automatic docking processing, in a case where the boat maneuverer operates the operation lever 23 in order to avoid contact between the boat 1 and the other boat, the output of the lever operation signal from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26 is immediately stopped, and immediately thereafter, a lever operation signal according to the operation on the operation lever 23 by the boat maneuverer is output from the manual operation processor 24 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21 to the propulsion controller 26. Accordingly, the boat 1 is moved by the operation on the operation lever 23 by the boat maneuverer.
In a case where the boat 1 reaches the docking position determined in step S3 (step S7: YES), the automatic docking processing ends.
As described above, the automatic docking device 31 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the current position detection unit 32 configured to detect a current position of the boat 1, the docking position determination unit 33 configured to determine a docking position, and the automatic docking processor 34 configured to output, to the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21, a lever operation signal corresponding to a displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 from the current position of the boat 1 detected by the current position detection unit 32 to the docking position determined by the docking position determination unit 33, in a case where none of the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, and the steering wheel 18 is operated and an instruction to automatically dock the boat 1 is input. With the automatic docking device 31 having such a configuration, it is possible to facilitate introduction of the automatic docking device into a boat. That is, as described above, an automatic docking device in the related art includes a determination unit that determines a direction or the like in which a boat is moved, and a controller that controls a boat propulsor or the like such that the boat moves in the determined direction. In contrast, the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment includes a portion corresponding to the determination unit, but does not include a portion corresponding to the controller. Specifically, the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment detects a current position of the boat 1, determines a docking position of the boat 1, and includes a portion that determines a direction in which the boat 1 is moved from the current position to the docking position, but does not include a portion that controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the boat 1 moves in the determined direction. Control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 for moving the boat 1 in the determined direction is performed by the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21. Thus, in the automatic docking device in the related art, as described above, complicated work such as setting of a controller is necessary at the time of introducing the automatic docking device into a boat, whereas in the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment, the above-described setting can be made unnecessary or the above-described setting can be significantly simplified at the time of introducing the automatic docking device into a boat provided with a boat propulsor, a propulsion direction variable mechanism, and a joystick boat maneuvering device. Therefore, with the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the introduction of the automatic docking device into a boat.
In the automatic docking processing, the automatic docking processor 34 of the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment outputs, to the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21, a lever operation signal corresponding to a displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 from the current position to the docking position. A structure, a specification, or a rule of the lever operation signal output from the automatic docking processor 34 of the automatic docking device 31 is the same as a structure, a specification, or a rule of the lever operation signal output from the manual operation processor 24 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21. Thus, at the time of receiving the lever operation signal output from the automatic docking processor 34, the propulsion controller 26 controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 in the same manner as at the time of receiving the lever operation signal output from the manual operation processor 24. With this configuration, the automatic docking device 31 does not include a portion that controls the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 such that the boat 1 automatically moves toward the docking position, but the boat 1 can be automatically moved to the docking position by utilizing the control on the outboard motors 2 and 3 and the steering actuators 8 and 9 by the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21.
In addition, the automatic docking processor 34 of the automatic docking device 31 according to the present embodiment determines a route along which the boat 1 is moved from the current position of the boat 1 detected by the current position detection unit 32 to the docking position determined by the docking position determination unit 33 without the boat 1 coming into contact with an obstacle detected by the imaging device 39 or the radar 40, and outputs, to the propulsion controller 26 of the joystick boat maneuvering device 21, a lever operation signal corresponding to a displacement of the operation lever 23 required to move the boat 1 along the route. Accordingly, the boat 1 can be safely moved from the current position to the docking position.
When the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, or the steering wheel 18 is operated while the lever operation signal is output from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26, the automatic docking processor 34 of the automatic docking device 31 stops outputting the lever operation signal from the automatic docking processor 34 to the propulsion controller 26. Accordingly, even when the boat 1 is automatically moved to the docking position by the automatic docking processing, the boat maneuverer can immediately stop the boat 1 or immediately change the movement direction of the boat 1 by manually operating the operation lever 23, the remote control levers 13 and 15, or the steering wheel 18. Accordingly, for example, when another boat suddenly approaches the boat 1, contact between the boat 1 and the other boat can be avoided, and safety of navigation at the time of docking can be secured.
In addition, the automatic docking system 50 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the outboard motors 2 and 3, the steering actuators 8 and 9, the joystick boat maneuvering device 21, and the automatic docking device 31. With the automatic docking system 50 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to construct the automatic docking system 50 by adding the automatic docking device 31 to the boat 1 provided with the outboard motors 2 and 3, the steering actuators 8 and 9, and the joystick boat maneuvering device 21. As described above, in order to add the automatic docking device 31 to the boat 1, complicated setting can be made unnecessary, or the setting can be simplified. Thus, with the automatic docking system 50 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to facilitate construction of the automatic docking system.
In the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which the automatic docking device 31 is applied to the boat 1 provided with the two outboard motors 2 and 3, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The automatic docking device according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a boat provided with an outboard motor, a steering actuator, and a joystick boat maneuvering device including a propulsion controller that controls the outboard motor and the steering actuator. In addition, the automatic docking device according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a boat provided with three or more outboard motors, three or more steering actuators, and a joystick boat maneuvering device including a propulsion controller that controls the outboard motors and the steering actuators. In addition, a boat propulsor controlled by the propulsion controller of the joystick boat maneuvering device may be, for example, a boat propulsor other than the outboard motor, such as a pod drive or a thruster. A power source of the boat propulsor is not limited to an engine, and may be a motor (electric motor). The present disclosure can be applied to various boats.
In the above embodiment, the joystick 22 including the operation lever 23 that can be tilted in all directions in a horizontal direction has been described as an example, but the present disclosure can also be applied to a boat provided with the joystick 22 including an operation lever that can be tilted, for example, only in a front-rear direction, only in a left-right direction, or only in front-rear and left-right directions. In the above embodiment, the joystick 22 including the operation lever 23 capable of rotating about an axis of the operation lever has been described as an example, but the present disclosure can also be applied to a boat provided with a joystick including an operation lever that cannot be rotated around an axis of the operation lever.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-008741 | Jan 2024 | JP | national |
