Main switch apparatus of small watercraft

• US 7,044,814 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Watabe, Satoru, Takahashi, Keiji, Ozaki, Atsufumi, Kamio, Kunihiko, Araki, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A.
• Application Number:
  US11/060,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1, 701/110, 701/115, 340/5.65, 340/5.67, 340/426.13, 340/426.35
• US Class Current: 440/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/10 Power-driven personal watercraft, e.g. water scooters water jet propulsion B63H11/00; jet steering B63H25/46; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/228 Warning displays
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/00 Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A main switch apparatus of a small watercraft is provided. The main switch apparatus of a small watercraft having a main switch. The main switch apparatus includes a plurality of keys, each for operating the main switch, each assigned a different user ID information. The main switch apparatus may further include an ID information detector for detecting the user ID information assigned to one of the plurality of keys applied to the main switch, a controller for controlling the small watercraft, configured to be activated by each one of the plurality of keys, and a control pattern memory for storing a plurality of control patterns of the controller corresponding to the respective user ID information. The controller is typically configured to read out the control pattern stored in the control pattern memory corresponding to the user ID information detected by the user ID information detector and to execute a control of the watercraft based on the read out control pattern.

Claims

1. A main switch apparatus of a small watercraft comprising:

a main switch connected to a battery of the watercraft, the main switch being configured such that it selectively opens and closes a power supply line of the watercraft, an engine of the watercraft being able to start when the power supply line is closed, the main switch including an antenna which is configured to receive a radio transmission containing user ID information;

a plurality of keys, each for operating the main switch, each having a transponder configured to store user ID information that is individually assigned to each of the keys, the transponder being supplied with power from the battery through the main switch when the corresponding key is applied to the main switch and turns the main switch into an ON-state thereby enabling the transponder to transmit the radio transmission containing the user ID information stored therein;

an ID information detector for detecting the user ID information received by the antenna;

a controller for controlling the small watercraft; and

a control pattern memory for storing a plurality of control patterns of the controller, each control pattern corresponding to user ID information assigned to a respective key;

wherein the controller is configured to access the control pattern stored in the control pattern memory corresponding to the user ID information detected by the user ID information detector and to execute a control of the watercraft based on the accessed control pattern.

2. The main switch apparatus of the small watercraft of claim 1, wherein the control pattern includes a control of at least one of an ignition device and a fuel injection device of an engine of the watercraft.

3. The main switch apparatus of the small watercraft of claim 1, wherein the control pattern includes a control in which the information indicative of the control pattern being executed is displayed on an indicator of the watercraft.

4. A main switch apparatus of a small watercraft including a main switch, comprising:

a plurality of keys, each configured to operate the main switch, and each assigned different user ID information;

an ID information detector for detecting the user ID information assigned to one of the plurality of keys applied to the main switch;

a controller for controlling the small watercraft, configured to be activated by each one of the plurality of keys;

a control pattern memory for storing a plurality of control patterns of the controller, each control pattern corresponding to user ID information assigned to a respective key, wherein the controller is configured to access the control pattern stored in the control pattern memory corresponding to the user ID information detected by the user ID information detector and to execute a control of the watercraft based on the accessed control pattern;

an engine stop detector for detecting a stop of an engine of the watercraft;

a main switch ON-state detector for detecting an ON-state of the main switch; and

a key removal detector for detecting a removal of the key from the main switch;

wherein the control pattern includes a control in which the engine is made at least unable to be started based on the control pattern corresponding to the user ID information; and

wherein the controller is configured to read out the control pattern from the control pattern memory corresponding to the user ID information detected by the user ID information detector and to execute a control of the watercraft based on the read out control pattern when the stop of the engine is detected by the engine stop detector, when the ON-state of the main switch is detected by the main switch ON-state detector, and when the removal of the key from the main switch is detected by the key removal detector.

5. The main switch apparatus of the small watercraft of claim 4, further comprising:

a timer configured to count a predetermined time measured from when the stop of the engine is detected by the engine stop detector, when the ON-state of the main switch ON-state detector is detected by the main switch, and when the removal of the key from the main switch is detected by the key removal detector;

wherein the controller is configured to execute the control of the watercraft based on the read out control pattern after the timer counts the predetermined time.

6. The main switch apparatus of the small watercraft of claim 4, further comprising an alert controller configured to produce an output to an indicator of the watercraft to display information indicative of the control pattern, in which the engine is made at least unable to be started based on the control pattern corresponding to the user ID information detected by the ID information detector.

7. A main switch apparatus of a small watercraft, comprising:

a main switch being operable by a key, the main switch being configured so that when an inserted key is rotated in one direction to an ON-position the main switch is transitioned to an ON-state and when the inserted key is rotated in an opposite direction to an OFF-position the main switch is transitioned to an OFF-state, the key being removable from the main switch both when the main switch is in the ON-position and the OFF-position;

a controller for controlling the small watercraft;

an engine stop detector for detecting a stop of an engine of the watercraft;

a main switch ON-state detector for detecting the ON-state of the main switch; and

a key removal detector for detecting a removal of the key from the main switch

wherein the controller is configured to inhibit start of the engine when an engine stop is detected by the engine stop detector, and the ON-state of the main switch is detected by the main switch ON-state detector, and the removal of the key from the main switch is detected by the key removal detector.

8. The main switch apparatus of the small watercraft of claim 7, further comprising an alert controller configured to produce an output to an indicator of the watercraft to display information that indicates the start of the engine is inhibited by the controller.

9. A main switch apparatus of a small watercraft, comprising:

a main switch connected to a battery of the watercraft, the main switch including a key hole and being configured such that it selectively opens and closes a power supply line of the watercraft, an engine of the watercraft being startable when the main switch closes the power supply line;

a plurality of keys, each key being configured to operate the main switch, and each key being assigned different user ID information;

an ID information detector for detecting the user ID information assigned to one of the plurality of keys inserted into the key hole of the main switch, wherein the main switch is configured so that when an inserted key is rotated in one direction to an ON-position the main switch is transitioned to an ON-state and when the inserted key is rotated in an opposite direction to an OFF-position the main switch is transitioned to an OFF-state, the key being removable from the main switch both when the main switch is in the ON-position and the OFF-position;

a controller for controlling the small watercraft; and

a control pattern memory for storing a plurality of control patterns of the controller, each control pattern corresponding to user ID information assigned to a respective key;

wherein the controller is configured to access the control pattern stored in the control pattern memory corresponding to the user ID information detected by the user ID information detector and to execute a control of the watercraft based on the accessed control pattern.