Engine control system for watercraft

• US 20030054704A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kanno, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 6,890,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 440/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/22 the propulsion power units being controlled from exterior of engine room, e.g. from navigation bridge; Arrangements of order telegraphs
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position

Abstract

An engine control system for a watercraft includes a throttle valve or other engine output adjustment device. A control device controls the a state of the adjustment device (e.g., controls the position of the throttle valve). A controller is located remotely from the engine and provides the control device with an initial control amount to apply to the adjustment device. The control device determines an amount of engine load, preferably based upon signals from an adjustment device sensor (e.g., a throttle position sensor) that detects the state of the adjustment device (e.g., the position of the throttle valve) and an engine speed sensor. The control device stores a control map that has control amounts versus the initial control amounts and the engine load. The control device selects one of the control amounts using one of the initial control amounts and one of the engine loads.

Claims

1. A control system of an engine for a watercraft comprising an adjustment mechanism that changes an output of the engine, a control device that controls a state of the adjustment mechanism, an operating unit that provides the control device with an initial control amount for the adjustment mechanism, a first sensor that detects the state of the adjustment mechanism to produce a first signal, and a second sensor that detects the output of the engine to produce a second signal, the control device responsive to the first and second signals to determine an amount of engine load and to modify the initial control amount based upon the amount of engine load.

2. The control system as set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a third sensor that detects a shock that occurs when the watercraft is abruptly decelerated, the third sensor producing a third signal indicative of the shock, the control device responsive to the third signal to modify the initial control amount when a magnitude of the third signal is greater than a preset magnitude.

3. The control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the control device modifies the initial control amount so that the output of the engine decreases when the magnitude of the third signal is greater than the preset magnitude.

4. The control system as set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a third sensor that detects an inclination of the watercraft relative to a vertical plane, the third sensor producing a third signal indicative of the inclination, the control device responsive to the third signal to modify the initial control amount when a magnitude of the third signal is greater than a preset magnitude.

5. The control system as set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a third sensor that detects a velocity of the watercraft, the control device calculating a target velocity of the watercraft based upon the initial control amount and the amount of engine load, the control device additionally modifying the initial control amount when the detected velocity of the watercraft differs from the target velocity thereof.

6. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control device modifies the initial control amount only when the magnitude of the second signal is greater than a preset magnitude.

7. The control system as set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a local area network that interconnects the control device and the operating unit.

8. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control device determines the amount of engine load by calculating an amount by which the output of the engine is reduced from a primary output of the engine, wherein the primary output of the engine varies in proportion to the initial control amount of the adjustment mechanism.

9. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a throttle valve in the engine, the state of the adjustment mechanism corresponds to a position of the throttle valve, and the first sensor detects the position of the throttle valve to produce the first signal.

10. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output of engine includes an engine speed, and the second sensor detects the engine speed to produce the second signal.

11. A control system of an engine for a watercraft comprising an adjustment mechanism that changes an output of the engine, a control device that controls a state of the adjustment mechanism, an operating unit that provides the control device with an initial control amount to apply to the adjustment mechanism, a first sensor that detects the state of the adjustment mechanism to produce a first signal, and a second sensor that detects the output of the engine to produce a second signal, the control device determining an amount of engine load based upon the first and second signals, the control device storing a control map comprising a plurality of control amounts corresponding to a plurality of the initial control amounts and to a plurality of the amounts of engine load, the control device selecting one of the control amounts using one of the initial control amounts provided by the operating unit and one of the amounts of engine load determined based upon the first and second signals.

12. The control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the control device stores a change pattern of each one of the amounts of engine load for a unit of time, the control amounts correspond to the change patterns, the control device monitors an actual change pattern the unit of time, and the control device determines one of the stored change patterns which matches with the current change pattern to select the one of the control amounts.

13. The control system as set forth in claim 11, additionally comprising a third sensor that detects a velocity of the watercraft, the control device calculating a target velocity of the watercraft based upon the initial control amount and the amount of engine load, the control device modifying the control amount when the detected velocity of the watercraft differs from the target velocity.

14. The control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the control device replaces the control amount stored in the control map with the control amount that has been modified.

15. A control method of an engine for a watercraft comprising determining an initial control amount of an adjustment mechanism that changes an output of the engine, sensing a state of the adjustment mechanism, sensing the output of the engine, determining an amount of engine load based upon the sensed state of the adjustment mechanism and the sensed output of the engine, and modifying the initial control amount based upon the determined amount of engine load.

16. The control method as set forth in claim 15, additionally comprising sensing a shock that occurs when the watercraft is abruptly decelerated, determining whether the sensed shock is greater than a preset shock, and modifying the initial control amount when the sensed shock is greater than the preset shock.

17. The control method as set forth in claim 15, additionally comprising sensing an inclination of the watercraft relative to a vertical plane, determining whether the sensed inclination is greater than a preset inclination, and modifying the initial control amount when the sensed inclination is greater than the preset inclination.

18. The control method as set forth in claim 15, additionally comprising sensing a velocity of the watercraft, calculating a target velocity of the watercraft based upon the initial control amount and the amount of engine load, and further modifying the initial control amount when the detected velocity of the watercraft differs from the target velocity.

19. A control method of an engine for a watercraft comprising determining an initial control amount of an adjustment mechanism that changes an output of the engine, sensing a state of the adjustment mechanism, sensing the output of the engine, determining an amount of engine load based upon the sensed state of the adjustment mechanism and the sensed output of the engine, and using the determined initial control amount and the determined amount of engine load to select a control amount from a control map, the control map comprising a plurality of the control amounts corresponding to a plurality of the initial control amounts and to a plurality of the amounts of engine load.

20. The control method as set forth in claim 19, additionally comprising sensing a velocity of the watercraft, calculating a target velocity of the watercraft based upon the initial control amount and the amount of engine load, and modifying the control amount when the detected velocity of the watercraft differs from the target velocity.

21. The control method as set forth in claim 19, additionally comprising replacing the control amount originally stored in the control map with the control amount that has been modified.