REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE, REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE SIDE ECU AND WATERCRAFT

• US 20070232162A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Okuyama, Takashi, Ichikawa, Noriyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 440/84
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/00 Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/213 Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers
• 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

Abstract

A remote control device for controlling a watercraft propulsion device of a watercraft having an engine that generates propulsive power can have a plurality of remote control device side ECUs. All of the plurality of remote control device side ECUs can have the same construction. Each remote control device side ECU can have an ECU discriminating terminal section, an ECU determining section configured to determine a role of the respective remote control device side ECU based upon a signal provided from the ECU discriminating terminal section, and an exclusive use section configured to operate based upon a signal provided from the ECU determining section to execute a function corresponding to the role that is specifically assigned.

Claims

1. A remote control device for controlling a watercraft propulsion device having at least one engine that generates propulsive power, comprising a plurality of remote control device side ECUs, each remote control device side ECU having an ECU discriminating terminal section, an ECU determining section configured to determine a role of the respective remote control device side ECU based upon a signal provided from the ECU discriminating terminal section, and an exclusive use section configured to operate based upon a signal provided from the ECU determining section to execute a function corresponding to the role that is specifically assigned.

2. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein each remote control device side ECU has a plurality of the ECU discriminating terminal sections, each ECU discriminating terminal section being connected to or disconnected from a power source or a ground such that connecting conditions of the respective ECU discriminating sections of each remote control device side ECU differ from connecting conditions of every other remote control device side ECU, whereby the ECU determining section determines the role of the particular remote control device side ECU based upon the connecting conditions.

3. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote control device side ECUs correspond to a plurality of the propulsion devices.

4. The remote control device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of remote control device side ECUs correspond to a plurality of the propulsion devices.

5. The remote control device of claim 1, configured to control a watercraft having a plurality of cockpits, each cockpit having a respective remote control device side ECU.

6. The remote control device of claim 2, configured to control a watercraft having a plurality of cockpits, each cockpit having a respective remote control device side ECU.

7. The remote control device of claim 3, configured to control a watercraft having a plurality of cockpits, each cockpit having a respective remote control device side ECU.

8. The remote control device of claim 4, configured to control a watercraft having a plurality of cockpits, each cockpit having a respective remote control device side ECU.

9. The remote control device of claim 2, wherein the ECU determining sections determine the role of the respective remote control device side ECUs based upon combinations of a plurality of signals which differ from each other and which are provided from the plurality of the ECU discriminating terminal sections.

10. The remote control device of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of remote control device side ECUs have the same construction.

12. The remote control device of claim 1, in combination with a watercraft.

13. The remote control device of claim 5, in combination with a watercraft.

11. A remote control device side ECU, comprising an ECU discriminating terminal section, an ECU determining section configured to determine a role of the remote control device side ECU based upon a signal provided from the ECU discriminating terminal section, and an exclusive use section configured to operate based upon a signal provided from the ECU determining section to execute a function corresponding to the role that is specifically assigned.

14. A remote control device for controlling a watercraft propulsion device, comprising a plurality of remote control device side ECUs having substantially the same construction, each remote control device side ECU being capable of performing multiple roles and having means for determining which of the roles is to be performed by that remote control device side ECU.

15. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein the means for determining comprises an ECU discriminating terminal section and an ECU determining section configured to determine the role to be performed based upon a signal provided from the ECU discriminating terminal section and output a signal indicating the role to be performed.

16. The remote control device of claim 15, wherein the means for determining comprises a plurality of the ECU discriminating terminal sections configured to be connected to or disconnected from a power source or the ground.

17. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein each remote control device side ECU is capable of performing roles corresponding to a plurality of the propulsion devices.

18. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein each remote control device side ECU is capable of performing roles corresponding to a plurality of cockpits.

19. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein the means for determining determines the role of the remote control device side ECU based upon a combination of a plurality of signals.

20. The remote control device of claim 14, in combination with a watercraft propulsion device.

21. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein all of the plurality of remote control device side ECUs have the same construction.