Patent Application
20250171127
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-199127, filed Nov. 24, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention relates to display control methods for maneuvering function displays in marine vessels capable of executing various maneuvering functions and maneuvering systems of marine vessels.
In recent years, in a small marine vessel, functions (hereinafter, referred to as a “maneuvering function”) related to executable maneuvering, for example, a maneuvering mode, have increased. Correspondingly, a plurality of physical switches for executing various maneuvering functions are arranged on a console panel of a maneuvering seat. On the other hand, since a vessel steering mechanism, a remote controller, a joystick, and/or a multi function display (MFD) are disposed on the console panel, it has been difficult to secure a place for disposing a large number of physical switches on the console panel as the maneuvering function increases.
Therefore, there has been proposed a technique in which the MFD is configured by a display having a touch panel function in which a touch button as a software key corresponding to each maneuvering function is displayed on the MFD, and a desired function is executed by a vessel operator touching the touch button (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-66978). In this technique, a device operation screen displayed on the MFD is switched according to the operation of the vessel operator or the situation of the marine vessel, and the touch button corresponding to each maneuvering function is changed accordingly. In a case where a certain maneuvering function is not enabled, a touch button corresponding to the maneuvering function is displayed in a non-operation state.
However, in the technique described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-66978, even when the touch button corresponding to the maneuvering function that is not enabled is in the non-operation state, the touch button remains displayed, and the display position of the touch button does not change. Therefore, in a case where the touch button corresponding to the maneuvering function that is not enabled is present at a position where the vessel operator can easily operate, it is possible for the vessel operator to erroneously operate the touch button, for example. Thus, the technique described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-66978 has room for improvement from the viewpoint of usability.
Example embodiments of the present invention improve usability of maneuvering function displays in marine vessels.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a display control method of a plurality of maneuvering function displays to display maneuvering functions of a marine vessel includes switching between display and non-display of each of the plurality of maneuvering function displays or changing a display position of each of the plurality of maneuvering function displays based on at least one of a configuration of a maneuvering system of the marine vessel, a maneuvering status of the marine vessel, a purpose of use of the marine vessel, a current position of the marine vessel, or an execution record of the maneuvering function, wherein the plurality of maneuvering function displays include a first maneuvering function display to display the maneuvering function that is usable while the marine vessel is traveling, and a second maneuvering function display to display the maneuvering function that is usable while the marine vessel is not traveling.
According to this configuration, the display and non-display of each of the plurality of maneuvering function displays is switched or the display position of each of the plurality of maneuvering function displays is changed based on at least one of the configuration of the maneuvering system of the marine vessel, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel, the purpose of use of the marine vessel, the current position of the marine vessel, or the execution record of the maneuvering function. Accordingly, it is possible to hide the maneuvering function display that displays the maneuvering function that cannot be used or the maneuvering function that is less frequently used, or change the display position of the maneuvering function display so as to move away from the position where the vessel user can easily operate. As a result, it is possible to prevent the vessel user from erroneously touching the maneuvering function display that displays the maneuvering function that cannot be used or the maneuvering function that is less frequently used, and thus, it is possible to improve the usability of the maneuvering function display.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the example embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a first example embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the marine vessel 1, a cockpit 4 is provided on the bow side which is the front portion of the hull 2.
The steering mechanism 5 is a device for the vessel operator to determine the course of the marine vessel 1. The steering mechanism 5 includes a steering wheel 9 that can be rotated. The vessel operator turns the marine vessel 1 right and left by rotating the steering wheel 9 right and left.
The remote controller 6 includes a lever 10 corresponding to each outboard motor 3. By operating each lever 10, the vessel operator can switch the direction of thrust generated by the corresponding outboard motor 3 between the forward direction and the backward direction, and adjust the output of the corresponding outboard motor 3 to adjust the vessel speed. For example, when the lever 10 is tilted forward in the direction of the “F” position, the corresponding outboard motor 3 generates thrust in the forward direction. When the lever 10 is tilted backward in the direction of the “R” position, the corresponding outboard motor 3 generates thrust in the backward direction. Further, when the lever 10 is located at the “N” position which is located between the “F” position and the “R” position, the connection between the engine and the propeller in the outboard motor 3 is disconnected by a clutch so that the corresponding outboard motor 3 does not generate thrust.
The joystick 7 can be tilted forward, backward, leftward, and rightward, and can be rotated around an axis. By operating the joystick 7, the vessel operator can move the marine vessel 1 along a course corresponding to the tilting direction of the joystick 7 with thrust corresponding to the tilt amount of the joystick 7.
The MFD 8 includes, for example, a color liquid crystal display (LCD) display, and functions to display various types of information and also functions as a touch panel that receives an input from the vessel operator. For example, the MFD 8 displays the rotation speed of the engine of each outboard motor 3 and the vessel speed of the marine vessel 1.
The GPS 13 determines the current position of the marine vessel 1 and transmits the current position of the marine vessel 1 to the BCU 12 as position information. The compass 14 determines the azimuth (direction of the bow) of the marine vessel 1 and transmits the azimuth of the marine vessel 1 to the BCU 12. The steering mechanism 5 receives the steering operation of the vessel operator and transmits a steering angle signal corresponding to the received operation to each remote control ECU 16. The switch 17 receives an instruction to turn on and start each outboard motor 3, and transmits a signal corresponding to the received instruction to the BCU 12 and each remote control ECU 16.
The BCU 12 determines the situation of the marine vessel 1 based on the signals transmitted from the respective components of the maneuvering system 11, determines the thrust to be generated by each outboard motor 3 and the acting direction of the thrust to be taken, and transmits a control signal to each remote control ECU 16. One remote control ECU 16 is provided corresponding to one outboard motor 3, and controls an engine and/or a steering mechanism (not illustrated) of the corresponding outboard motor 3 according to a signal transmitted from the BCU 12, the remote controller 6, the joystick 7, or the like, to adjust the thrust of the outboard motor 3 and the acting direction of the thrust. Therefore, in the maneuvering system 11, the vessel operator can control the vessel speed and/or the direction of the bow of the marine vessel 1 by operating the joystick 7 and/or the levers 10 of the remote controller 6.
In
In the present example embodiment, the maneuvering panel 15 is disposed in or on the steering mechanism 5 (operator). The maneuvering panel 15 is attached to the column portion so that the maneuvering panel 15 does not rotate even when the steering wheel 9 rotates about the steering shaft.
The maneuvering panel 15 includes, for example, an LCD display, functions as a touch panel that receives an input of a vessel operator, and displays touch buttons 20 to 26 (maneuvering function display) as software keys corresponding to each maneuvering mode. When the vessel operator touches the touch buttons 20 to 26, an instruction to execute the maneuvering mode corresponding to the touched touch button is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 15 to the BCU 12.
Each maneuvering mode corresponding to each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 will be described below.
A Course Hold button 20 corresponds to a course maintenance mode. The course maintenance mode is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is traveling. The course maintenance mode is a maneuvering mode in which the traveling marine vessel 1 is caused to maintain a predetermined course in consideration of the influence from a tidal stream or a wind flow on the marine vessel 1 even if there is the tidal stream or the wind flow.
A Track Point button 21 corresponds to a track point mode. The track point mode is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is traveling. The track point mode is a mode in which the marine vessel 1 moves along a preset movement route via a plurality of stay points. In order to execute the track point mode, the vessel operator sets a movement route and a plurality of stay points of the marine vessel 1 using the MFD 8 in advance. For example, the vessel operator directly touches a desired point (for example, on a map) displayed on the touch panel of the MFD 8 with a finger or the like, and sets each stay point as a destination from the current stay point. At this time, straight routes connecting the respective stay points are connected to set a movement route.
A Pattern Steer button 22 corresponds to a pattern maneuvering mode. The pattern maneuvering mode is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is traveling. The pattern maneuvering mode is a mode used when a school of fish is searched for using a fish finder after the marine vessel 1 arrives at a stay point where fishing is performed. In the pattern maneuvering mode, the marine vessel 1 moves along a preset movement route based on the current maneuvering location, and a zigzag route or a turning route is set as the movement route at this time.
A Joystick button 23 corresponds to a joystick mode. The joystick mode is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is not traveling. In the joystick mode, the outboard motor 3 operates mainly in accordance with the operation of the joystick 7. The Stay Point™ (registered trademark) corresponds to a Stay Point™ button 24. The Stay Point™ is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is not traveling. In the Stay Point™, the thrust of the outboard motor 3 and the acting direction of the thrust are integrally controlled so as to keep the marine vessel 1 at one point (i.e., a single location) and maintain the azimuth (direction of the bow) of the marine vessel 1 in a specific direction.
A Drift Point™ button 25 corresponds to the Drift Point™ (registered trademark). The Drift Point™ is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is not traveling. In the Drift Point™, the thrust of the outboard motor 3 and the acting direction of the thrust are controlled so as to maintain the direction of the bow of the marine vessel 1 in a specific direction, but the marine vessel 1 does not stay at one stay point, and the marine vessel 1 moves while by the wind or water flow. A Fish Point™ button 26 corresponds to the Fish Point™ (registered trademark). The Fish Point™ is a maneuvering mode that is usable while the marine vessel 1 is not traveling. In the Fish Point™, the thrust of the outboard motor 3 and the acting direction of the thrust are controlled such that the marine vessel 1 stays at one stay point, but the direction of the bow of the marine vessel 1 changes due to the tidal stream or the wind flow.
Note that, in order to execute the Stay Point™, the marine vessel 1 needs to move in the lateral direction against the wind and the tidal stream. However, in a case where the marine vessel 1 includes only one outboard motor 3, the marine vessel 1 cannot move in the lateral direction. Therefore, the Stay Point™ involving the lateral movement cannot be executed.
In addition, “traveling” in the present example embodiment indicates a case where the vessel operator intends to move the marine vessel 1 with intention, that is, a case where any lever 10 of the remote controller 6 is moved to the “F” position or the “R” position. “Not traveling” indicates a case where the vessel operator does not intentionally move the marine vessel 1, that is, a case where both the levers 10 of the remote controller 6 are located at the “N” position and each outboard motor 3 of the marine vessel 1 does not generate thrust, or a case where fixed point holding functions such as Stay Point™, Fish Point™, and Drift Point™ are executed.
As described above, the course maintenance mode, the track point mode, and the pattern maneuvering mode are the maneuvering modes (hereinafter, abbreviated as “available modes while traveling”) that are usable while the marine vessel 1 is traveling. Therefore, each of the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22 is a touch button (first maneuvering function display) that displays available modes while traveling. In addition, the maneuvering modes (hereinafter, abbreviated as “available modes while not traveling”) that are usable while the marine vessel 1 is not traveling includes the joystick mode, the Stay Point™, the Drift Point™, and the Fish Point™. Thus, each of the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 is a touch button (second maneuvering function display) that displays the available mode while not traveling.
As described above, since the maneuvering mode that can be used is changed depending on whether the marine vessel 1 is traveling or not, an unavailable maneuvering mode occurs depending on the state of the marine vessel 1. In addition, an unavailable maneuvering mode also occurs in a case where there is only one outboard motor 3 included in the marine vessel 1. At this time, if the touch button corresponding to the unavailable maneuvering mode is continuously displayed or is displayed at a position easily visually recognized by the vessel operator, the vessel operator may erroneously operate the touch button.
Correspondingly, in the present example embodiment, the BCU 12 controls the maneuvering panel 15 based on the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode, and switches the display and non-display of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 or changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26. For example, the display position is changed such that the touch button corresponding to the maneuvering mode considered to be frequently used (that is, the possibility of use is high) is displayed at a position where the vessel operator can easily see the touch button and/or at a position where the vessel operator can easily operate the touch button as compared with the touch buttons corresponding to other maneuvering modes.
First, in a case where there is only one outboard motor 3 included in the marine vessel 1, the marine vessel 1 cannot move in the lateral direction as described above, and thus the Stay Point™ cannot be executed. Therefore, the BCU 12 does not display the Stay Point™ button 24 on the maneuvering panel 15. In this case, the Drift Point™ button 25 may be moved to a position closer to the hand of the vessel operator who grips the steering wheel 9 to increase the operability by the vessel operator (
In addition, in a case where the lever 10 of the remote controller 6 is tilted in the direction of the “F” position, since the marine vessel 1 is traveling, the BCU 12 does not display any of the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available mode while not traveling, on the maneuvering panel 15. In this case, the Track Point button 21 may be moved to a position closer to the hand of the vessel operator who grips the steering wheel 9 to increase the operability by the vessel operator (
In addition, in a case where the lever 10 of the remote controller 6 is located at the “N” position, since the marine vessel 1 is not traveling, the BCU 12 does not display any of the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling, on the maneuvering panel 15. In this case, to increase the operability by the vessel operator, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and/or the Fish Point™ button 26 may be moved to a position closer to the hand of the vessel operator gripping the steering wheel 9 (
In the marine vessel 1, when the maneuvering system 11 is activated, the BCU 12 may inquire of the vessel operator about the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1 by the MFD 8, for example, whether the marine vessel 1 is mainly used off-shore (in a distant sea region) or in-shore (in a coastal region).
To cope with this, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is mainly to be used off-shore by the input to the MFD 8, the period of time during which the marine vessel 1 travels becomes longer, and thus, it is considered that the available modes while traveling is mainly used. Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling.
Specifically, since the vessel operator who grips the wheel portion 18 of the steering wheel 9 views the maneuvering panel 15 from above, the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are considered to be frequently used, are displayed above the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26. However, for example, the Joystick button 23 may be displayed on the upper portion of the display of the maneuvering panel 15 depending on the size of the display region of the maneuvering panel 15. In this case, the Track Point button 21 may be moved to a position closer to the hand of the vessel operator who grips the steering wheel 9 to increase the operability by the vessel operator (
The touch button located at a position easily seen by the vessel operator may be, for example, a touch button located at a position close to the vessel operator in the display on the maneuvering panel 15 or the like. More specifically, the touch button located at a position easily viewable by the vessel operator viewing the maneuvering panel 15 from above may be a touch button located at a position close to the vessel operator, that is, for example, at an upper position in the display of the maneuvering panel 15 or the like. These descriptions may be similarly applied to each case described below.
On the other hand, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is mainly to be used in-shore by the input to the MFD 8, it is considered that the available modes while not traveling are mainly used because the period of time during which the marine vessel 1 is not traveling becomes longer. Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling. Specifically, the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 are displayed above the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22 (
Furthermore, when the maneuvering system 11 is activated in the marine vessel 1, the BCU 12 may inquire of the vessel operator whether the marine vessel 1 is used for fishing by the MFD 8.
To cope with this, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is to be used for fishing by the input to the MFD 8, it is considered that the period of time during which the marine vessel 1 is not traveling becomes longer. Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20, and the Track Point button 21, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling. Note that the Pattern Steer button 22 is a touch button that displays an available mode while traveling. However, in a case where a vessel operator or a passenger goes fishing, the Pattern Steer button 22 is also displayed at a position that is easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20 and the Track Point button 21 because the pattern maneuvering mode may also be used.
Specifically, the Pattern Steer button 22, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 are displayed above the Course Hold button 20 and the Track Point button 21 (
In addition, when the maneuvering system 11 is activated in the marine vessel 1, the BCU 12 may inquire of the vessel operator whether the marine vessel 1 is used for cruising by the MFD 8. To cope with this, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is to be used for cruising by the input to the MFD 8, it is considered that the period of time during which the marine vessel 1 is traveling becomes longer. Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling (
Further, the BCU 12 changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the execution record of each maneuvering mode. For example, in a case where the marine vessel 1 is mainly used in-shore and the execution frequency of the joystick mode, the Stay Point™, the Drift Point™, and the Fish Point™ is higher than the execution frequency of the pattern maneuvering mode, the course maintenance mode, and the track point mode, the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 are displayed above the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22 (
The BCU 12 changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1 (for example, the maneuvering pattern and the maneuvering time). For example, in a case where the marine vessel 1 is stopped after traveling to the last stay point in the track point mode or in a case where the marine vessel 1 is stopped after cruising for a predetermined period of time, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the vessel operator or the passenger will fish after the marine vessel 1 is stopped.
Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20 and the Track Point button 21, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling. In addition, the Pattern Steer button 22, which displays the pattern maneuvering mode that may be used in a case where the vessel operator or the passenger performs fishing although it is an available mode while traveling, is also displayed at a position that is easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20 and the Track Point button 21 (
In addition, the BCU 12 changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the maneuvering place of the marine vessel 1. For example, in a case where the vessel operator moves the lever 10 of the remote controller 6 to the “N” position after the marine vessel 1 has moved to the vicinity of a pier, for example, the center of gravity of the marine vessel 1 has moved to within 100 m from the pier, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the marine vessel 1 is operated using the joystick 7 in order to dock the marine vessel 1 at the pier.
Therefore, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23 at a position where the vessel operator can easily see. In addition, at this time, it is considered that there is a higher possibility of using an available mode while not traveling than an available mode while traveling. Thus, in addition to the Joystick button 23, the BCU 12 displays the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while not traveling considered to be frequently used, at positions that are easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22, which are touch buttons to display the available modes while traveling (
Further, the switch 17 receives an instruction to turn on or start each outboard motor 3. Since there is a high possibility that the vessel operator moves the marine vessel 1 from the pier using the joystick 7 until a predetermined period of time elapses after the outboard motor 3 is powered on or started, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23 at a position where the vessel operator can easily see (
In addition, the BCU 12 changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the execution record of each maneuvering mode and/or the maneuvering status when each maneuvering mode is executed. For example, it is assumed that a specific maneuvering mode (for example, joystick mode, Stay Point, Drift Point, or Fish Point™) is often executed after the marine vessel 1 moves to the last stay point and stops in the track point mode or after the marine vessel 1 cruises for a predetermined period of time and stops. Following this, after the marine vessel 1 moves to the last stay point in the track point mode again and stops or the marine vessel 1 cruises for a predetermined period of time and stops again, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 at positions easier for the vessel operator to see than the Pattern Steer button 22, the Course Hold button 20, and the Track Point button 21 (
In addition, the BCU 12 changes the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the execution record of each maneuvering mode and/or the place where each maneuvering mode is executed. For example, it is assumed that the marine vessel 1 often executes the Drift Point™ in order to fish in a specific sea region where a tidal stream flows. To cope with this, after the case where the marine vessel 1 has moved to the specific sea region occurs again, the BCU 12 displays the Drift Point™ button 25 at a position where the vessel operator can easily see it. At this time, it is considered that the possibility of using an available mode while not traveling is higher than an available mode while traveling. Therefore, in addition to the Drift Point™ button 25, the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, and the Fish Point™ button 26 are also displayed at positions easier for the vessel operator to see than the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, and the Pattern Steer button 22 (
According to the present example embodiment, the display and non-display of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 or the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 is switched in the maneuvering panel 15 based on the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode. Specifically, the touch button corresponding to an unavailable maneuvering mode is not displayed, or the touch button corresponding to a maneuvering mode considered to be frequently used is displayed at a position where the vessel operator can easily see the touch button. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the vessel operator erroneously operates the touch button corresponding to an unavailable maneuvering mode or the touch button corresponding to a maneuvering mode considered to be less frequently used. As a result, the usability of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 can be improved.
In addition, in the present example embodiment, display and non-display of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 displayed on the maneuvering panel 15 are only switched, or the display position is only changed. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of arrangement patterns of physical switches according to the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode. That is, it is not necessary to prepare an operation panel or the like in which a plurality of physical switches are arranged, which is also advantageous in terms of cost.
In the present example embodiment, the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, the Pattern Steer button 22, the Joystick button 23, the Stay Point™ button 24, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 are displayed on the maneuvering panel 15. However, the touch buttons displayed on the maneuvering panel 15 are not limited thereto, and touch buttons corresponding to other maneuvering modes may be displayed.
In the present example embodiment, display and non-display of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 are switched. However, in addition to or instead of this, the size of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 may be changed. For example, in a case where there is only one outboard motor 3 included in the marine vessel 1, the display region of the maneuvering panel 15 has a margin because the Stay Point™ button 24 is not displayed on the maneuvering panel 15. Therefore, the Course Hold button 20, the Track Point button 21, the Pattern Steer button 22, the Joystick button 23, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 may be displayed in an enlarged manner by taking advantage of the margin (
Further, in the present example embodiment, the display positions of the touch buttons 20 to 26 are changed by switching the display positions of the touch buttons 20 to 26 as illustrated in
Further, the size of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 may be changed as well as each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 may be moved to a position where each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 is not displayed. For example, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is mainly to be used in-shore by the input to the MFD 8, it is considered that the Course Hold button 20 and the Track Point button 21 are not used, and the Stay Point™ button 24 and the Joystick button 23 become to be used more frequently. Therefore, in this case, the Course Hold button 20 and/or the Track Point button 21 may not be displayed, and furthermore, the Pattern Steer button 22, the Drift Point™ button 25, and the Fish Point™ button 26 may be moved to positions where the respective touch buttons are not displayed (from the respective positions shown in
Further, in the present example embodiment, the maneuvering panel 15 is disposed in the steering mechanism 5. However, as illustrated in
Note that, also in the case of adopting the configurations illustrated in
Next, a second example embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the second example embodiment is different from the first example embodiment only in the maneuvering panel, the overlapping configurations and operations will not be described. Hereinafter, configurations and effects different from those of the first example embodiment will be described.
In
The maneuvering panel 27 is a horizontally long rectangular panel, and includes a plurality of push buttons 28 arranged side by side in the vertical direction in a left side portion and a right side portion in the maneuvering panel 27. Each push button 28 is a physical switch for the vessel operator to perform an input operation by pushing down with a finger. In addition, the maneuvering panel 27 includes a display 29 at the center thereof. The display 29 includes, for example, an LCD display, and displays a plurality of function display icons 30 to 36 (maneuvering function display) so as to be adjacent to and correspond to the respective push buttons 28.
The function display icons 30 to 36 include a character string indicating a maneuvering mode executed when each adjacent push button 28 is pressed down. For example, a Course Hold icon 30 corresponds to the course maintenance mode, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Course Hold icon 30 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the course maintenance mode is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12. A Track Point icon 31 corresponds to a track point mode, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Track Point icon 31 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the track point mode is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12. A Pattern Steer icon 32 corresponds to a pattern maneuvering mode, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Pattern Steer icon 32 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the pattern maneuvering mode is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12.
In addition, a Joystick icon 33 corresponds to the joystick mode, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Joystick icon 33 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the joystick mode is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12. A Stay Point™ icon 34 corresponds to the stay point, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Stay Point™ icon 34 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the stay point is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12. A Drift Point™ icon 35 corresponds to the drift point, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Drift Point™ icon 35 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the Drift Point™ is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12. A Fish Point™ icon 36 corresponds to the Fish Point™, and when the push button 28 adjacent to the Fish Point™ icon 36 is pressed down, an instruction to execute the Fish Point™ is transmitted from the maneuvering panel 27 to the BCU 12.
The display position of the function display icons 30 to 36 on the display 29 can be changed. As the display positions of the function display icons 30 to 36 are changed, the correspondence between the push button 28 and the maneuvering mode to be executed is also changed. For example, the Fish Point™ icon 36 may move from next to the push button 28 at the lowermost on the left side to next to the push button 28 at the uppermost on the right side. In this case, before the movement of the Fish Point™ icon 36, the Fish Point™ is executed when the push button 28 at the lowermost on the left side is pressed down, but after the movement of the Fish Point™ icon 36, the Fish Point™ is not executed even when the push button 28 at the lowermost on the left side is pressed down. Instead, after the movement of the Fish Point™ icon 36, when the push button 28 at the lowermost on the left side is pushed down, the maneuvering mode indicated by the function display icon adjacent to the pushed push button 28 at the lowermost on the left side at that time is executed. After the movement of the Fish Point™ icon 36, the push button 28 at the uppermost on the right side is pressed down to execute the Fish Point™.
In the present example embodiment, the Course Hold icon 30, the Track Point icon 31, and the Pattern Steer icon 32 are function display icons (first maneuvering function display) indicating available modes while traveling. The Joystick icon 33, the Stay Point™ icon 34, the Drift Point™ icon 35, and the Fish Point™ icon 36 are function display icons (second maneuvering function display) indicating the available modes while not traveling.
In addition, in the present example embodiment, the BCU 12 controls the display 29 of the maneuvering panel 27 based on the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode, and switches the display and non-display of each of the function display icons 30 to 36 or changes the display position of each of the function display icons 30 to 36.
For example, in a case where the marine vessel 1 includes only one outboard motor 3, the BCU 12 does not display the Stay Point™ icon 34 on the display 29 (
Further, in a case where the vessel operator replies that the marine vessel 1 is to be used for fishing by the input to the MFD 8, the Stay Point™ icon 34, the Drift Point™ icon 35, and the Fish Point™ icon 36, which are function display icons to display the available modes while not traveling, and the Pattern Steer icon 32 to display the pattern maneuvering mode that may be used for fishing even in an available mode while traveling, are displayed above the Course Hold icon 30 and the Track Point icon 31 (
In addition, in a case where the vessel operator moves the lever 10 of the remote controller 6 to the “N” position after the marine vessel 1 has moved to the vicinity of a pier, for example, the center of gravity of the marine vessel 1 has become within 100 m from the pier, the BCU 12 displays the Joystick icon 33 at the uppermost position, which is an easily viewable position for the vessel operator. In addition, at this time, it is considered that there is a higher possibility of using an available mode while not traveling than an available mode while traveling. Therefore, in addition to the Joystick icon 33, the BCU 12 displays the Stay Point™ icon 34, the Drift Point™ icon 35, and the Fish Point™ icon 36 above the Course Hold icon 30, the Track Point icon 31, and the Pattern Steer icon 32 (
According to the present example embodiment, the display and non-display of each of the function display icons 30 to 36 or the display position of each of the function display icons 30 to 36 is switched in the maneuvering panel 27 based on the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode. Specifically, the function display icons corresponding to unavailable maneuvering modes are not displayed, or function display icons corresponding to maneuvering modes considered to be frequently used is displayed at a position where the vessel operator can easily see the function display icon. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the vessel operator erroneously operates the push button 28 adjacent to the function display icon corresponding to the unavailable maneuvering mode or the push button 28 adjacent to the function display icon corresponding to the maneuvering mode considered to be less frequently used. As a result, usability of the maneuvering panel 27 can be improved.
In the present example embodiment, each of the function display icons 30 to 36 includes a character string indicating the corresponding maneuvering mode. However, each of the function display icons 30 to 36 may not include a character string, and may be configured by an illustration indicating a corresponding maneuvering mode. In the present example embodiment, the maneuvering panel 27 is disposed in the steering mechanism 5. However, the maneuvering panel 27 may be disposed on the remote controller 6 or may be disposed on the joystick 7.
Further, the push buttons 28 and the function display icons 30 to 36 may be arranged separately.
The display positions of the function display icons 30 to 36 on the touch panel of the MFD 8 can be changed. When the display positions of the function display icons 30 to 36 are changed, the maneuvering mode executed when a certain push button 28 is pushed down is also changed. Specifically, the maneuvering mode executed by pressing a certain push button 28 is changed from the maneuvering mode indicated by the function display icon whose position corresponds to the position of the push button 28 before the display position is changed to the maneuvering mode indicated by the function display icon whose position corresponds to the position of the push button 28 after the change.
In this manner, even in a case where the push buttons 28 and the function display icons 30 to 36 are separately arranged, the BCU 12 controls the touch panel of the MFD 8 to switch between display and non-display of the function display icons 30 to 36 or change the display positions of the function display icons 30 to 36 based on the configuration of the maneuvering system 11, the maneuvering status of the marine vessel 1, the purpose of use of the marine vessel 1, the current position of the marine vessel 1, and/or the execution record of each maneuvering mode.
For example, in a case where the lever 10 of the remote controller 6 is located at the “N” position, the BCU 12 displays none of the Pattern Steer icon 32, the Course Hold icon 30, and the Track Point icon 31 on the touch panel of the MFD 8. In this case, the Joystick icon 33, the Stay Point™ icon 34, and/or the Fish Point™ icon 36 may be moved upward to increase the visibility by the vessel operator (
Hitherto, the description has been provided about the example embodiments according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above example embodiments, and various variations and changes may be made within the scope of the invention.
For example, the execution record of each maneuvering mode may be shared by a plurality of marine vessels 1. Specifically, the BCU 12 of a certain marine vessel 1 stores an execution record of each maneuvering mode in a server via a network. Then, when the other marine vessels 1 start traveling, the BCU 12 of the other marine vessels 1 may refer to the execution record of each maneuvering mode stored in the server, and switch between display and non-display of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 or change the display position of each of the touch buttons 20 to 26 based on the reference result.
Further, the present invention may be implemented by the BCU 12 executing a program by reading the program for implementing the functions of the above-described example embodiments from a memory or the like included in the BCU 12. Alternatively, the present invention may be realized by supplying a program for realizing the functions of the above-described example embodiments to the maneuvering system 11 via a network or a storage medium and executing the supplied program by the BCU 12. Furthermore, the present invention may also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions of the BCU 12.
While example embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-199127 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |
