# US 10,118,684 B2 · Vessel propulsion device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,684 B2 - Document ID: US10118684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/657,391 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2018-02-08 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-03 - Assignees: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takaaki Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118684B2 ## CPC - B63H 23/24: electric {(dynamo-electric machines H02K)} - B60K 6/48: Parallel type - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 20/20: Control strategies involving selection of hybrid configuration, e.g. selection between series or parallel configuration - B63H 21/21: Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels - F02D 29/06: peculiar to engines driving electric generators - F02D 41/0205: {using an auxiliary engine speed control (engine speed control per se F02D31/00)} - F02D 41/021: {Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine (conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18)} - B60W 2510/244: Charge state - B60W 2710/0644: Engine speed - B63H 21/20: the vessels being powered by combinations of different types of propulsion units - B63H 2021/216: {using electric control means} - F02D 2200/503: Battery correction, i.e. corrections as a function of the state of the battery, its output or its type - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 70/50: Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to the propulsion system - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vessel propulsion device transmits a drive force of an engine to a propulsive force generator. The vessel propulsion device includes a generator that is driven by the engine, a power shutoff detector that detects a power shutoff state in which the drive force of the engine is not transmitted to the propulsive force generator, and a controller configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector detects the power shutoff state, select one of a plurality of charging modes to charge a battery connected to the generator and control a target speed of the engine based on a selected one of the charging modes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vessel propulsion device that transmits a drive force of an engine to a propulsive force generator, the vessel propulsion device comprising: a generator that is driven by the engine; a power shutoff detector that detects a power shutoff state in which the drive force of the engine is not transmitted to the propulsive force generator; and a controller configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector detects the power shutoff state, allow selection of one of a plurality of charging modes to charge a battery connected to the generator and to control a target speed of the engine based on a selected one of the plurality of charging modes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes have different electricity generating efficiencies. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes have different capacities of power generated by the generator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to select one of the plurality of charging modes based on a remaining level of the battery or an amount of load connected to the battery. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes include a first charging mode in which the generator generates electricity at a first power rate and a second charging mode in which the generator generates electricity at a second power rate higher than the first power rate; and the controller is configured or programmed to select the second charging mode when the remaining level of the battery is lower than a first level threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes include a third charging mode in which the generator generates electricity at a third power rate and a fourth charging mode in which the generator generates electricity at a fourth power rate higher than the third power rate; and the controller is configured or programmed to select the fourth charging mode when an amount of load connected to the battery is equal to or higher than a load threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging modes include a fifth charging mode and a sixth charging mode; and the controller is configured or programmed to, when the remaining level of the battery becomes equal to or higher than a second level threshold value during operation in the fifth charging mode, cause a transition to the sixth charging mode having a target speed lower than a target speed in the fifth charging mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, further comprising a mode selector operated by a user to select one of the plurality of charging modes; wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the target speed according to a charging mode selected by the mode selector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 8, further comprising a propulsion operator, separate from the mode selector, operated by the user to adjust either one or both of an output power of the engine and a propulsive force of the vessel propulsion device; wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector detects the power shutoff state, allow selection of one of the plurality of charging modes by the mode selector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, in the power shutoff state, change an amount of air intake by the engine to achieve the target speed corresponding to the selected charging mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the engine includes a plurality of cylinders; and the controller is configured or programmed to, in at least one of the plurality of charging modes, stop an operation of at least one of the plurality of cylinders. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a normal mode including a first idling speed as the target speed, and the controller is configured or programmed to, in at least one of the plurality of charging modes, set a second idling speed that is higher than the first idling speed as the target speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector no longer detects the power shutoff state during operation in one of the plurality of charging modes, select the normal mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector detects the power shutoff state during operation in the normal mode, return to a most recently set one of the plurality of charging modes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to, when the power shutoff detector no longer detects the power shutoff state, temporarily set a target speed lower than the first idling speed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The vessel propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to disable at least one of the plurality of charging modes according to either one or both of a remaining level of the battery and an amount of load connected to the battery.