Control units and joysticks for a marine vessel

Abstract

A joystick for controlling a marine vessel is described. The joystick may have first and second structures configured to move about two or more degrees of freedom. The structures may include one or more levers. Two levers may be mounted on a same structure. The joystick may provide one or more commands based on the position of the one or more levers. In some examples, a portion of the one or more levers may move such as by rotation. Some movement of the joystick can be prevented via a locking mechanism. The joystick may provide a joystick mode signal to identify the control mode of the joystick (e.g., based on whether locked or unlocked).

Description

[0001] CONTROL UNITS AND JOYSTICKS FOR A MARINE VESSEL

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 568,985, filed March 22, 2024, entitled “CANTILEVERED GIMBAL JOYSTICK,” and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 695,809, filed September 17, 2024, entitled “CONTROL UNIT AND LOCKING JOYSTICK FOR A MARINE VESSEL.” The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Marine vessels may include a propulsion and / or steering system that includes one or more propulsors / thrusters / rudders that control a marine vessel in the water. Nonlimiting examples of propulsors include propellers and waterjets. The marine vessel may have a control system that controls the one or more propulsors in response to commands received from an operator. Examples of commands include a translational thrust or movement command to translate (i.e., move) the vessel in a selected direction, and a rotational thrust or movement command to rotate the vessel. According to prior control techniques, a throttle lever or joystick controls the amount and direction of forward or reverse thrust, and a helm, tiller or wheel controls the direction and amount of turn to be imparted to the vessel. In some control systems, a first actuator or control input device, such as a joystick, may control translational movement of the marine vessel, and a second actuator or control input device (e.g., helm, tiller or wheel) controls rotational motion of the marine vessel. In response to the commands, the control system may control the one or more propulsors to achieve the desired movement of the marine vessel. The marine vessel can also be equipped with rudders and / or thrusters. Some examples of control techniques are described in U.S. Patent 7,222,577, and U.S. Published Patent Application 2022 / 1035196, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] Some embodiments relate to a joystick, having: a first structure having a lever configured to move about a first degree of freedom; and a second structure configured to rotate about a second degree of freedom, wherein the first structure is mounted on and optionally to a side of the second structure, wherein the first structure rotates about the second degree of freedom with the second structure, and wherein the joystick provides a first command based on a position of the lever about the first degree of freedom and a second command based on a position of the second structure about the second degree of freedom, wherein the first command is a translational movement command along a first axis, and the second command is a translational movement command along a second axis.

[0008] Some embodiments relate to a joystick for controlling a marine vessel, the joystick having: a control stick; and a locking mechanism configured to: when unlocked, allow motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes; and when locked, allow motion of the control stick along the first axis and prevent motion of the control stick along the second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls a thrust (or translation) vector or steering of the marine vessel.

[0009] Some embodiments relate to a method of controlling a marine vessel, the method including: receiving a joystick mode signal indicating a multi-axis joystick mode of a joystick or a steering only mode of the joystick; and controlling a propulsion and steering system of the marine vessel based on the joystick mode signal.

[0010] Some embodiments relate to a method for operating a joystick to control a marine vessel, the method including: locking the joystick in a manner that allows motion of a control stick of the joystick along a first axis and prevents motion of the control stick along a second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls steering of the marine vessel; and unlocking the joystick, thereby allowing motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes.

[0011] Some embodiments relate to a joystick for controlling a marine vessel, the joystick having: a control stick; and a locking mechanism configured to: when unlocked, allow motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes; and when locked, allow motion of the control stick along the first axis and prevent motion of the control stick along the second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls movement of the marine vessel different from forward / reverse movement.

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIGS. 1A-1F illustrate various views of a joystick assembly.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows an example of a joystick assembly, such as the joystick assembly of FIGS. 1A-1F.

[0015] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the joystick assembly of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 4A illustrates a throttle detent subassembly of the joystick assembly.

[0016] FIG. 4B illustrates the lever mounting structure of FIGS. 1A-1F and throttle detent.

[0017] FIG. 4C illustrates a throttle lever subassembly comprising the lever and lever base of FIGS. 1A-1F.

[0018] FIG. 5A illustrates a rotary plate subassembly comprising the rotating part 4 of FIGS. 1A-1F.

[0019] FIG. 5B illustrates a mounting plate subassembly comprising the mounting plate of FIGS. 1A-1F.

[0020] FIG. 5C illustrates a steering sensor subassembly.

[0021] FIGS. 6A-6F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a second embodiment that is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and the joystick assembly further includes a second lever.

[0022] FIGS. 7A-7F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a third embodiment that is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, but with the lever mounted on the opposite side of the lever mounting structure.

[0023] FIGS. 8A-8F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a fourth embodiment that combines aspects of the first three embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 8G shows another example of a joystick similar to that of FIG. 1A, but with the addition of a locking mechanism as discussed above, and a more ergonomic shape of the lever. FIGS. 8G1 and 8G2 also show that optionally one or more input devices may be mounted on the lever to control, actuate, or enable different control features. FIG. 8H shows an example of how the joystick of FIGS. 1-8 may be used to control a marine vessel having dual waterjets. FIG. 81 shows components of the locking mechanism of the joystick, according to some embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a control system for controlling a marine vessel, according to some embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 10 shows several views of an example of a joystick having a control stick extending in the vertical direction.

[0027] FIG. 11 illustrates movements and commands that can be provided by the joystick in the steering only mode and in the multi-axis joystick mode.

[0028] FIG. 12 shows an optional modification to the operation of the steering only mode that allows for increasing the steering angle of a turn by rotating the joystick left or right. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The inventor has appreciated that prior actuators, including prior joysticks, may not be rugged enough to operate in extreme environments and / or may not be able to actuate or rotate sufficiently for the application. For example, if a joystick with a flexible (e.g., rubber) boot is used, it may be limited in motion; or if used in a hot, cold, or otherwise inhospitable environment, it is possible that the boot material can freeze, melt, and / or leak. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a more rugged joystick and / or a joystick with a wider range of motion. Additionally, or alternatively, it would be desirable to provide a joystick that can be mounted in a different manner than existing joysticks.

[0030] Described herein is a joystick that can provide commands based on movements along a plurality of degrees of freedom. In some embodiments, a lever may be mounted on a rotating part (e.g., a rotating lever housing). The lever may be able to rotate or move relative to the lever housing about a first degree of freedom. The lever may rotate about a second degree of freedom about the rotational axis of the rotating lever housing. As the rotating lever housing rotates, the lever mounted on the lever housing also rotates about the axis of rotation of the lever housing. The joystick senses the degree of movement or rotation of the lever about the first degree of freedom and produces a first command based upon the degree of movement or rotation of the lever. The first command may be a first translational movement command for the marine vessel along a first axis. The joystick senses the degree of rotation of the rotating lever housing along the second degree of freedom and produces a second command based on the degree of rotation of the rotating lever housing. The second command may be a second translational movement command for the marine vessel along a second axis that may be orthogonal to the first axis.

[0031] The components of the joystick that rotate in different directions may be stacked (e.g., in tandem), as opposed to nested with a common center (such as what may be found in a conventional joystick gimbal), to allow a wider range of motion. For example, the components that allow the joystick to rotate about one degree of freedom may be mounted alongside of the components that allow the joystick to rotate about a second degree of freedom, and the manner in which they are mounted may allow them to rotate independently without limiting the rotation of each other. In some embodiments, the joystick is configured to allow rotation about each axis of up to 360 degrees or more, such as 270 degrees or more, 180 degrees or more, or 90 degrees or more.

[0032] In some embodiments the joystick is configured such that the parts of the joystick that rotate relative to one another may be positioned close to one another. Such an arrangement may allow a higher resolution of visual indication of displacement. The proximity of a rotating component to another component that the rotating component rotates relative to allows for graduated markings to be on one or both such components, allowing improved visual indication of the amount of rotation. An indication of the amount of rotation allows an operator to know the command that has been input to a steering and / or control system of the marine vessel, facilitating more precise control over the marine vessel.

[0033] In some embodiments, the joystick may have a second lever mounted on the rotating part, and may be mounted on an opposite side of the rotating part from the first lever. The second lever may be able to rotate or move about a third degree of freedom. The second lever may move independently of the first lever. The joystick senses the degree of movement or rotation of the second lever about the third degree of freedom and produces a third command based upon the degree of movement or rotation of the second lever.

[0034] In some embodiments including one lever or a plurality of levers, one or more levers may be rotatable about another degree of freedom (e.g., twist direction of the lever). The joystick senses the degree of rotation of the lever about this degree of freedom and produces another command based upon the degree of movement or rotation.

[0035] A joystick as described herein can provide a number of advantages. The joystick may not require a protective boot, allow for a wider displacement range, and provide improved visual indication of displacement position. The joystick may be highly rugged, capable of withstanding extreme environments. Another advantage is the joystick can be operated with a single hand, allowing providing commands in a plurality of different degrees of freedom with one hand. Another advantage is the joystick can be mounted in a convenient location, either on an armrest of a chair, or on a console.

[0036] The commands produced by the joystick may be used in any of a variety of ways. The present application is not limited to the way in which the commands are used. In one example, the lever may operate similarly to a throttle lever, and may produce a forward / reverse thrust command. In some embodiments, the position of the rotating part about its axis of rotation may produce a port / starboard thrust command. However, these are examples, and the commands produced based on movement about the various degrees of freedom may be used in any number of ways, and may be different in different modes or in different applications. Other examples include a degree of freedom of the joystick providing, a yawing or steering command, etc. The inventor has further recognized and appreciated a need for a control system and control input device that controls the marine vessel differently in different modes. For example, the control system may have a control input device with a multi-axis joystick mode and a mode that controls steering and not forward / reverse movement or thrust (e.g., a steering only mode).

[0037] The multi-axis joystick mode may be useful to an operator particularly during docking, when fine control over both translational and rotational movements of the marine vessel is desired, though is not limited to such an application. In the multi-axis joystick mode, the joystick is allowed to move freely along two axes (forward / back and left / right) to control translational thrust to be applied to the marine vessel. The joystick handle or grip may also be rotatable (i.e., a control stick of the joystick is rotatable) to control steering of the marine vessel.

[0038] The steering only mode may allow the same joystick to be used to control steering of the marine vessel, such as would be done with a helm or tiller. In the steering only mode, the joystick is locked (e.g., by a locking mechanism) such that forward / back movement of the joystick is prevented, and the joystick is allowed to move left / right to control steering of the marine vessel. Optionally, the joystick handle may be rotatable, and in the steering-only mode, rotation of the joystick may assist in steering by increasing the turn angle to the left or right, which can provide a tighter turn.

[0039] FIGS. 1A-1F illustrate various views of a joystick assembly. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1F, a joystick 100 may comprise a first structure comprising a lever 1 extending from a lever base 2 that rotates relative to a second structure to which the lever 1 and lever base 2 may be coupled or mounted. The second structure may comprise a lever mounting structure 3 (e.g., housing 3 illustrated in FIG. 4B) mounted on a rotating part 4.

[0040] As shown in FIG. IB, the joystick 100 may rotate or move about a first degree of freedom 6 via the first structure comprising lever 1 and lever base 2 to obtain a motion or rotation about the “y” axis 9. In response to a position of the first structure (about the first degree of freedom), a first command is provided.

[0041] Also shown in FIG. IB, the joystick 100 may comprise a second structure mounted on a part 4 that can rotate about a second degree of freedom 7 to obtain a motion about the “x” axis 8. In response to a position of the second structure (about the second degree of freedom), a second command is provided.

[0042] The rotating part 4 may rotate about a mounting plate 5, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1F. The mounting plate 5 may be coupled to inner components of the joystick assembly. In some embodiments, the mounting plate 5 may be configured to be mounted such that the joystick extends horizontally towards an operator. That is, the mounting plate may be mounted to a vertical or semi- vertical surface (e.g., within 30 or 45 degrees of vertical) such as a console of the marine vessel, the vertical direction being parallel to the direction of gravity. In other embodiments, plate 5 may be streamlined and integrated into the arm of a chair such that an operator can manipulate the joystick while seated in the chair.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows an example of a joystick assembly, such as the joystick assembly of FIGS. 1A-1F including joystick 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 1 is coupled to and rotates relative to a lever mounting structure 3 that is mounted on a rotating part 4. Accordingly, when the rotating part rotates about degree of freedom 7, the components of joystick 100 mounted on the rotating part 4 also rotate about the axis of rotation of the rotating part. The rotating part 4 may comprise markings or notches indicating the degree of rotation, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In other embodiments, lever 1 may be mounted on the opposite side (e.g., left side) of mounting structure 3.

[0044] The joystick assembly may be made from materials capable of withstanding extreme stresses and / or temperatures.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the joystick assembly of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIGS. 4A-4C and FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate subassemblies and components of the system shown in FIG. 3.

[0046] FIG. 4A illustrates a throttle detent subassembly of the joystick assembly. FIG. 4A shows a first axis sensor 41 for sensing a position of the lever. FIG. 4B illustrates the lever mounting structure 3 of FIGS. 1A-1F and throttle detent. FIG. 4C illustrates a throttle lever subassembly comprising the lever 1 and lever base 2 of FIGS. 1A-1F. The throttle of the system may undergo a change in response to the thrust command.

[0047] FIG. 5A illustrates a rotary plate subassembly comprising the rotating part 4 of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 5B illustrates a mounting plate subassembly comprising the mounting plate 5 of FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 5C illustrates a second axis sensor subassembly. FIG. 5C shows a second axis sensor 51 for sensing a position of the rotating part 4.. The sensor subassembly of FIG. 5C may allow for the system to process the commands. The second axis subassembly may include sensors for sensing the position of the components of the joystick to produce commands to be provided to a control unit of the marine vessel.

[0048] FIGS. 6A-6F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a second embodiment that is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and the joystick assembly further includes a second lever lb. As with lever 1, second lever lb is mounted on and rotates relative to the mounting structure 3 by a second lever base 2b. In this example, second lever lb is mounted on the opposite side of the mounting structure 3 from lever 1. As with lever 1, lever lb is rotatable about the y axis (shown in FIG. 1). Lever lb may be independently rotatable from lever 1 (e.g., about the first degree of freedom or a third degree of freedom). The degree of rotation of lever lb may be sensed by the joystick as another command. Although lever lb is shown as being taller than lever 1, this is an example, and in other cases levers 1 and lb may have the same height, or lever lb may be shorter than lever 1. In this embodiment, the joystick may provide three different commands based on 1) rotation of the rotatable part 4, as in FIGS. 1-5, 2) movement of lever 1, as in FIGS. 1-5, as well as 3) movement of lever lb, respectively.

[0049] FIGS. 7A-7F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a third embodiment that is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, but with the lever 1c mounted on the opposite side of the lever mounting structure 3. In this embodiment, lever 1c has a top portion that is rotatable (e.g., twistable) about the z direction. The degree of rotation (or freedom) of lever 1c about the z direction may be sensed by the joystick as another command. In this embodiment, the joystick may provide three different commands based on 1) rotation of the rotatable part 4, as in FIGS. 1-5, 2) movement of lever 1c about the y axis, as in FIGS. 1-5, as well as 3) rotation of lever 1c about the z axis, respectively. In other embodiments, a lever 1c (rotatable about the z axis) may be mounted on the opposite side (e.g., right side) of the lever mounting structure 3, as the present application is not limited to the position of the levers.

[0050] FIGS. 8A-8F show different views of a joystick assembly according to a fourth embodiment that combines aspects of the first three embodiments. The joystick assembly has both a lever 1c rotatable about the z direction as shown in FIG. 7, as well as a lever 1 as shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the joystick may provide four different commands based on 1) rotation of the rotatable part 4, as in FIGS. 1-5, 2) movement of lever 1c about the y axis, as in FIGS. 1-5, as well as 3) rotation of lever 1c about the z axis, and 4) movement of lever 1 about the y axis, respectively.

[0051] FIG. 8C also shows an example of a locking structure to lock rotation of rotatable part 3. In particular FIG. 8C shows a locking lever 81 that can be in an unlocked position, which allows the rotatable part (e.g., lever mounting structure 3) to rotate, and a locked position, which prevents the rotatable part (e.g., lever mounting structure 3) from rotating. Such a locking structure may be included in any of the embodiments described herein, and is not limited to the embodiment of FIG. 8. As described herein, a control system and control input device may control the marine vessel differently in different modes. In some embodiments, the control system may have a control input device with a multi-axis joystick mode which may include a steering only mode or any mode that limits the ability to command a thrust or rotation axis. A locking mechanism may enable one of these modes.

[0052] FIG. 8G shows another example of a joystick similar to that of FIG. 1A, but with the addition of a locking mechanism as discussed above, and a more ergonomic shape of the lever. FIGS. 8G1 and 8G2 also show that optionally one or more input devices 87, 88 such as a push button, potentiometer, or any analog or digital input device, may be mounted on the lever to control, actuate, or enable different control features (e.g., emergency stop or assisted turning).

[0053] FIG. 8H shows an example of how the joystick of FIGS. 1-8 may be used to control a marine vessel having dual waterjets. As discussed above, the joystick may provide compound translational and or rotational movement commands about a plurality of axes, such as the forward / reverse axis and the port / starboard axis. FIG. 8H illustrates how these commands can be translated by a control system of the marine vessel into commands for the waterjets, for different combined translation and steering. Such a control algorithm is described in further detail in U.S. Patent 7,601,040, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0054] FIG. 81 shows components of the locking mechanism of the joystick, according to some embodiments. In this example, the locking lever 81 is connected to a cam 82 that locks rotation of the joystick about the x axis. When the locking lever 81 is raised, as shown in FIG. 81, the cam 82 may be positioned within a slot 83 of a rotating baseplate 84 that rotates along with rotating part 4 to prevent rotation of the rotating baseplate 84 and rotating part 4 about the x axis. When the locking lever 81 is lowered, the cam 82 is positioned out of the slot 83, allowing free rotation of the rotating baseplate 84 and the rotating part 4. In some embodiments, rotation about the x axis may only be locked at the location of the slot. In other embodiments, the rotation may be locked at any angle. The joystick also includes a locking switch sensor 85 for detecting whether the joystick is locked (e.g., by the locking lever 81 being raised). The locking switch sensor 85 may be a hall effect sensor or any other suitable type of sensor.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a control system for controlling a marine vessel, according to some embodiments. In the example shown, on the left side, the port components are shown in the top of FIG. 9 while the starboard components are shown in the bottom of FIG. 9. In this example, the control system controls a propulsion and steering system having dual waterjets, as illustrated on the left side of FIG. 9 by the port and starboard steering nozzle transducers 38 and corresponding reversing buckets 39. A hydraulic system including steering control valves 35 and bucket control valves 36 actuates the steering nozzles and reversing buckets. However, this is an example, and the techniques described herein are not limited to the particulars of the waterjets or how they are actuated. The techniques described herein are not limited to waterjets, and may be used with other types of propulsion systems, such as with other types of steerable propulsors (e.g., steerable propellers). Signals 12 and 13 may be fed through branch signals using a cable connection.

[0056] Regardless of the implementation of the propulsion and steering system, control unit 20 controls actuation of the propulsion and steering system based on commands received through one or more control input devices, such as joystick 23, control lever(s) 22, a lever mode toggle switch 25, and / or a potentiometer 26. Signals 10, 11, 16 and 17 may be fed through branch signals. In some embodiments, examples of joystick 23 are shown in FIGS. 1-8. In other embodiments, joystick 23 and the manner in which it controls the marine vessel is described further with respect to FIGS. 10-12. The joystick 23 may include a locking switch sensor for sensing the mode of the joystick. The joystick 23 may include sensor(s) for detecting the degree of rotation about one or more axes in the context of FIGS. 1-8. The joystick may include sensor(s) for sensing movement about the x-axis and the y-axis and / or rotation of the joystick, in the context of the joystick shown in FIGS. 11-12. The signals from joystick 23 may be provided to the control unit 20 for the marine vessel through any suitable medium, such as cable 29, as shown in FIG. 9. Control lever(s) may control the amount of thrust produced by the steerable propulsors. The lever mode toggle switch 25 controls the mode of operation of the control lever(s) 22, and can be set to either combined or separate, for either a combined mode of operation of controls levers where one lever controls both buckets and the other lever controls both engines, or a separate mode to control the thrust produced by each steerable propulsor (port and starboard) separately. Potentiometer 26 may control the degree of toeing-out or toeing-in of the steerable propulsors to apply an additional trimming force and / or to allow the reversing buckets to be used while minimizing or reducing the unwanted trimming forces imparted to the vessel by the reversing buckets. Toeing-out and / or toeing-in of the steerable propulsors may be performed using techniques described in U.S. Patent 8,126,602, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The control unit 20 includes suitable hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, for mapping the received commands from the one or more control input devices into actuator control signals to control the propulsion and steering system. The control unit 20 may include one or more processors for processing the received commands and one or more memories for storing a mapping of input commands into actuator control signals. A display panel 27 may display corresponding information. A waterjet / engine backup panel 24 may also be included.

[0057] In some embodiments, the parts of the control system may include one or more of the following: a control unit, a control lever, a steer joystick, a waterjet / engine backup panel, a lever mode select toggle switch, a potentiometer, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, one or two mini feedback assemblies, one or two feedback assemblies, a Pl cable harness, a P2 cable harness, one or two dual feedback cable harnesses, an LCD cable harness, a WJ backup cable harness, one to three power cables, one or two CAN Y- connectors, and one or two CAN termination resistors.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows several views of an example of a joystick 23 having a control stick extending in the vertical direction. The operation of such a joystick and the manner by which it may control a marine vessel will be described further with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The joystick may be locked and unlocked by any suitable mechanism, such as the illustrated switch. In some embodiments, the joystick is locked and unlocked by locking or unlocking a gimbal (e.g., a gimbal as described herein). One way of locking the joystick to prevent motion along one axis is described in U.S. Patent 8,858,278 (which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety), for example, which describes that by actuating a first part of a locking device (e.g., cam or plunger), mounted on a support member, the first part of the locking device may engage with the corresponding second part of the locking device (e.g., locking drum or rotor) so that the joystick is prevented from moving along an axis. FIG. 10 also shows a y-axis sensor 101 for sensing movement of the joystick about the y-axis, an x-axis sensor 102 for sensing movement of the joystick about the x-axis, and a locking switch sensor 103 for sensing whether the joystick is set to be locked or unlocked (e.g., by the locking lever 81). The locking switch sensor 103 may produce the joystick mode signal indicating whether the joystick is locked or unlocked, which may be provided to the control unit 20 for the marine vessel as discussed above.

[0059] FIG. 11 illustrates movements and commands that can be provided by the joystick in the steering only mode and in the multi-axis joystick mode. As illustrated on the right side of FIG. 3, which shows top views of the joystick in the two modes, a switch on the joystick may be actuated (e.g., by a user manually or automatically via a controller) to place the joystick in the steering only or the multi-axis joystick mode. As illustrated in the top panel of FIG. 11, in the steering only mode, the joystick is locked such that forward / back movement of the joystick is prevented, and the joystick is allowed to move left / right to control steering of the marine vessel. As illustrated in the bottom panel of FIG. 11, in the multi-axis joystick mode, the joystick is allowed to move freely along two degrees of freedom (forward / back and left / right) to control translational thrust to be applied to the marine vessel and may be rotatable to control steering (e.g., a rotational steering command). Otherwise, steering may be controlled by a separate device not incorporated into the joystick. As mentioned above, the control unit 20 (FIG. 9) receives the commands from the control input devices including a joystick and maps the commands into corresponding actuator control signals. The joystick may provide a joystick mode signal to identify the control mode of the joystick (e.g., based on whether locked or unlocked) to the control unit 20. The joystick mode signal may be based on a status of the locking mechanism of the joystick. Alternatively, the modes could be controlled by a switch that sends out an electrical signal to the control unit 20 and does not lock-out the y-axis. In this case, the joystick is still allowed to move along the y-axis in steering only mode, but the y-axis signal is ignored by the control system. Such a switch may be located on the joystick or elsewhere. Techniques for performing such a mapping for the multi-axis joystick mode are described in U.S. Patent 8,858,278 and U.S. Patent 8,678,869, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. When the joystick switch is set in the steering only mode, the control unit interprets movement of the joystick to the side as a steering command such as would be provided by a helm or tiller, and controls the propulsion and steering system in a suitable manner, such as those known in the art for steering waterjets, for example. In the multi-axis joystick mode the function of the lever(s) 22 is not needed and may be disregarded. Alternatively, in the multi-axis joystick mode the lever(s) 22 may be used for idle control or other functions. In some embodiments, controlling the propulsion and steering system of the marine vessel may include enabling one or more commands.

[0060] FIG. 12 shows an optional modification to the operation of the steering only mode that allows for increasing the steering angle of a turn by rotating the joystick left or right. If such an operation is enabled, in response to twisting of the joystick in the same direction as it is translated, the control unit 20 may implement techniques for increasing the turning force of the turn, such as those described in U.S. Patent 8,126,602, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, particularly those portions describing a “bucket assisted turn” by which a reversing bucket is at least partially dropped into the water on the side toward which the turn is made to make a tighter turn. The degree to which the bucket is dropped may be controlled by the degree of rotation of the joystick.

[0061] References herein to a “translational movement command” and the like may refer to thrust commands or movement commands to propel the marine vessel in a translational direction of the marine vessel (e.g., ahead, astern, port, and / or starboard, or a combination thereof).

[0062] As used herein, axes may be orthogonal or substantially orthogonal, with substantially orthogonal being + / - 10 degrees of orthogonal.

[0063] Modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art and are meant to be encompassed by the scope of the present description.

[0064] Various aspects of the apparatus and techniques described herein may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing description and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.

[0065] The processors described in the above-described embodiments can be implemented in any of numerous ways. It should be appreciated that software code can be executed on any suitable processor (e.g., a microprocessor) or collection of processors. It should be appreciated that any component or collection of components that perform the functions described above can be generically considered as one or more controllers that control the above-discussed functions. The one or more controllers can be implemented in numerous ways, such as with dedicated hardware, or with general purpose hardware (e.g., one or more processors) that is programmed using microcode or software to perform the functions recited above. The terms “computer program” and “software” are used herein in a generic sense to reference any type of computer code (e.g., application software, firmware, microcode, or any other form of computer instruction) that can be employed to program one or more processors to implement aspects of the techniques discussed herein.

[0066] Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

[0067] Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A joystick, comprising: a first structure having a lever configured to move about a first degree of freedom; and a second structure configured to rotate about a second degree of freedom, wherein the first structure is mounted to one side of the second structure, wherein the first structure rotates about the second degree of freedom with the second structure, and wherein the joystick provides a first command based on a position of the lever about the first degree of freedom and a second command based on a position of the second structure about the second degree of freedom, wherein the first command is a translational movement command along a first axis, and the second command is a translational movement command along a second axis.

2. The joystick of claim 1, further comprising a second lever mounted on the second structure, the second lever being configured to rotate about a third degree of freedom, wherein the joystick provides a third command based on a position of the second lever about the third degree of freedom.

3. The joystick of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the lever or second lever is rotatable about another degree of freedom, and the joystick provides another command based on rotation of the at least a portion of the lever or second lever about the another degree of freedom.

4. The joystick of any preceding claim, further comprising a locking structure configured to lock rotation of the second structure about the second degree of freedom when the locking structure is locked, and to allow rotation of the second structure about the second degree of freedom when the locking structure is unlocked.

5. The joystick of claim 1, wherein the second structure is mounted to a fixed structure at only one point.

6. The joystick of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially orthogonal to each other.

7. The joystick of claim 1, wherein the first command controls forward-reverse movement of a marine vessel and the second command controls port- starboard movement of the marine vessel.

8. A joystick for controlling a marine vessel, the joystick comprising: a control stick; and a locking mechanism configured to: when unlocked, allow motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes; and when locked, allow motion of the control stick along the first axis and prevent motion of the control stick along the second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls steering of the marine vessel.

9. The joystick of claim 8, wherein the control stick is rotatable.

10. The joystick of claim 9, wherein when the locking mechanism is locked rotation of the control stick controls increasing a turn angle.

11. A control unit for a marine vessel, comprising: at least one processor configured to receive a joystick mode signal indicating a multi-axis joystick mode of a joystick or a mode for controlling steering of the marine vessel, and configured to control a propulsion and steering system of the marine vessel based on the joystick mode signal.

12. The control unit of claim 11, wherein when the joystick mode signal indicates the mode for controlling steering of the joystick, the at least one processor controls steering of the marine vessel based on a steering command from the joystick.

13. The control unit of claim 11 or claim 12, wherein when the joystick mode signal indicates the multi-axis joystick mode of the joystick, the at least one processor controlsthe marine vessel in response to translational movement commands along first and second axes and a steering command.

14. The control unit of claim 11, wherein the joystick mode signal is based in part on whether a locking mechanism of the joystick is engaged.

15. A method of controlling a marine vessel, the method comprising: receiving a joystick mode signal indicating a multi-axis joystick mode of a joystick or a mode for controlling steering of the marine vessel; and controlling a propulsion and steering system of the marine vessel based on the joystick mode signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the joystick mode signal is based on a status of a locking mechanism of the joystick.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the propulsion and steering system of the marine vessel comprises enabling one or more commands.

18. A method for operating a joystick to control a marine vessel, the method comprising: locking the joystick in a manner that allows motion of a control stick of the joystick along a first axis and prevents motion of the control stick along a second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls steering of the marine vessel; and unlocking the joystick, thereby allowing motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the joystick is configured to provide a joystick mode signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein motion of the control stick along the second axis controls forward / reverse movement of the marine vessel.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein locking the joystick comprises actuating a switch on the joystick.

22. A joystick for controlling a marine vessel, the joystick comprising: a control stick; and a locking mechanism configured to: when unlocked, allow motion of the control stick along at least first and second axes; and when locked, allow motion of the control stick along the first axis and prevent motion of the control stick along the second axis, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls movement of the marine vessel different from forward / reverse movement.

23. The joystick of claim 22, wherein motion of the control stick along the first axis controls steering of the marine vessel.

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