# US 10,871,775 B2 · Control device for propelling system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,775 B2 - Document ID: US10871775B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/304,785 - Filed: 2017-03-31 - Published: 2020-01-23 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-31 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takashi Hashizume; Hiroshi Yamamoto; Akifumi Fujima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871775B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0206: {specially adapted to water vehicles} - B63B 49/00: Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - B63B 79/00: Monitoring properties or operating parameters of vessels in operation - B63H 25/02: Initiating means for steering {, for slowing down, otherwise than by use of propulsive elements, or for dynamic anchoring} - B63H 25/04: automatic, e.g. reacting to compass - Y02T 70/00: Maritime or waterways transport - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - 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) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A control device for a propelling system of a vessel that can support a safe sailing of the vessel while reducing the load, of a steersman by executing automatic sailing control on the vessel when the vessel enters or approaches a specific water area where the sailing is limited. When determining that a hull stays within the specific water area in a state where a revolution speed and a rotational direction of a propeller and a posture of an outboard engine are controlled based on a signal inputted from a controlling device, an ECU of the outboard engine switches the sailing of the hull to an automatic sailing where the revolution speed and rotational direction of the propeller and the posture of the outboard engine are controlled without the intervention of the controlling device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device for a propelling system of a vessel comprising: a manual sailing control unit configured to control a revolution speed of a propeller included in the propelling system, a posture of the propelling system and a rotational direction of the propeller based on a signal inputted from a controlling device for instructing the revolution speed, the posture and the rotational angle; a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire positional information of a hull to which the propelling system is attached; a determination unit configured to determine, based on the positional information and information on a specific water area where sailing is limited, whether the hull stays within the specific water area or there is a possibility that the hull enters the specific water area; and an automatic sailing control unit configured to automatically sail the hull by controlling the revolution speed, the posture and the rotational direction when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within the specific water area or there is the possibility that the hull enters the specific water area, wherein the control device is configured to shift from control executed by the manual sailing control unit to control executed by the automatic sailing control unit when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within the specific water area or there is the possibility that the hull enters the specific water area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within a speed limiting water area as the specific water area where the hull is instructed to sail at a first sailing speed or slower, the automatic sailing control unit controls the revolution speed such that a sailing speed of the hull becomes equal to or slower than the first sailing speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within a shallow water area or a water area with sunken rocks as the specific water area, the automatic sailing control unit controls a trim angle of the propelling system as the posture in such a direction that the propelling system moves away from the hull. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within a shallow water area, a water area with sunken rocks or a sailing prohibiting water area as the specific water area, the automatic sailing control unit controls a direction of the propelling system as the posture such that the hull sails out of the specific water area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility that the hull enters a shallow water area, a water area with sunken rocks or a sailing prohibiting water area as the specific water area, the automatic sailing control unit controls a direction of the propelling system as the posture such that the hull does not enter the specific water area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit configured to execute notification when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within the specific water area or there is a possibility that the hull enters the specific water area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit displays a positional relationship between the position of the hull and the specific water area on a display unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 7, wherein the notification unit displays details of automatic sailing, controlled by the automatic sailing control unit, of the hull on the display unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit displays details of automatic sailing, controlled by the automatic sailing control unit, of the hull on the display unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit notifies that the control device has shifted from the control executed by the manual sailing control unit to the control executed by the automatic sailing control unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 10, wherein the control device is configured to nullify the control executed by the manual sailing control unit and shift to the control executed by the automatic sailing control unit without intervention of the manual sailing control unit, when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within the specific water area or there is the possibility that the hull enters the specific water area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The control device for the propelling system according to claim 1, wherein, when the determination unit determines that the hull stays within the specific water area or there is the possibility that the hull enters the specific water area, the control device is configured to nullify the control executed by the manual sailing control unit and shift to the control executed by the automatic sailing control unit without intervention of the manual sailing control unit.