Ship steering device, ship steering method, and program

Abstract

To provide a ship steering device capable of realizing the maneuvering according to an operator's intention.SOLUTION: The ship steering device for controlling one or more propellers of a ship according to an operation performed on an operator displaceable from a neutral position, has a control part for starting stop control to stop the ship at a prescribed stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propellers when a first operation is performed to move the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a ship control device.

Background Art

[0002] There is a technique for controlling a ship using a stick (joystick) that can be tilted in all directions. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a ship control device that can move a ship in the direction in which the stick is tilted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a conventional ship, when an operation to return the stick to the neutral position is performed, the propulsive force disappears, so the ship is greatly affected by inertia after the operation. For example, when an operator recognizes that "the neutral position means stop", the ship may continue to move contrary to the operator's intention of wanting to stop at the position when the stick is returned to the neutral position.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to realize ship control in accordance with the operator's intention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is A ship control device that controls one or more propulsion engines of a ship according to an operation performed on an operator displaceable from a neutral position, the control device having a control unit that starts stopping control to stop the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion engines when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed.

[0007] Also, one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is A ship control method executed by a ship control device connected to an operator, the method starting stopping control to stop the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion engines when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed.

[0008] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is A program for causing a ship control device to which an operator is connected to execute a ship control method, the ship control method including starting stopping control to stop the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of one or more propulsion engines when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed.

[0009] Also, as another aspect, there is a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the above program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, ship control can be realized in accordance with the intention of the operator to return the operator to the neutral position. It can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Previously, the operation of small ships was mostly carried out by a throttle and steering. However, as an interface device for ship operation, small ships having a stick-type controller that can be tilted in all directions have emerged. Such a controller (hereinafter, a joystick) can indicate the traveling direction and speed of the ship according to the direction and angle of tilting the stick, which is an operator. Therefore, it is useful in scenes where fine operations are required, such as when approaching the shore.

[0013] Joy sticks are widely used in game controllers and have the feature of enabling intuitive operation. However, when the operation target is a ship, it may give an uncomfortable feeling to an operator who is used to games or the like. For example, when it is desired to stop a moving ship, an operation of returning the stick from the forward direction to the neutral position is to be performed. In a conventional ship, when an operation of returning the stick to the neutral position is performed, the engine is stopped and the propulsion force is lost. However, even without the propulsion force of the engine, the ship is greatly affected by inertia. Therefore, even when the stick is returned to the neutral position, the hull cannot be stopped immediately. Furthermore, there may be a case where the hull is drifted in an unintended direction due to disturbances (wind or tide). For example, when an operator recognizes that "the neutral position means stop", contrary to the operator's intention of wanting to stop at the position of the ship when the stick is returned to the neutral position, the ship may continue to move forward.

[0014] In order to solve this problem, when the position of the stick changes from a position displaced from the neutral position (the stick is tilted) to the neutral position, it is necessary to intervene in the engine control and perform control to actively stop the ship at the stopping point intended by the operator.

[0015] A ship control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a ship control device that controls one or more propulsion engines of a ship in response to an operation performed on an operator that can be displaced from a neutral position, and when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed, a control unit that starts stopping control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion engines.

[0016] The operator that can be displaced from the neutral position is typically an input device that can indicate a direction and / or a propulsion force, or a speed by displacing the position of the operator (for example, a stick) from the neutral position, such as a joystick. The operator may be able to indicate both a direction and a propulsion force (or a speed), or may be able to indicate only a propulsion force (or a speed). The operator may be able to indicate both a direction and a propulsion force (or a speed), or may be able to indicate only a propulsion force (or a speed).

[0017] The first operation is, for example, an operation of moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position. In other words, it can be said that the first operation is an operation intended to stop the ship.

[0018] When the first operation is performed, the control unit starts stop control to stop the ship at a predetermined stop point. The predetermined stop point may be a point that does not give the operator a sense of discomfort, and does not necessarily have to be the point where the first operation is performed. For example, a point in front of the point where the first operation is performed may be set as the predetermined stop point. Also, the predetermined stop point does not have to be a point determined in advance (for example, by absolute coordinates or the like). The predetermined stop point may be determined dynamically, for example, at a timing after the first operation is performed. The stop control is control for controlling the propulsion device of the ship and actively directing the ship to a predetermined stop point. During the period of the stop control, for example, control for decelerating the ship by rotating the propulsion device in the reverse direction, control for operating the thruster to correct the bow direction, etc. are performed.

[0019] If the propulsion device is stopped when the first operation is performed, the ship will drift due to inertia or disturbance, and the ship cannot be stopped at the point intended by the operator. On the other hand, according to the ship operation device according to the present disclosure, when the first operation is performed, it becomes possible to stop the ship at the point intended by the operator.

[0020] Note that the predetermined stop point can be set as the point where the speed of the ship drops below a predetermined value after moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position. Since it takes a certain amount of time for the ship to actually stop after starting the control of the propulsion unit to stop the ship, even if the speed is reduced by the propulsion unit, the point where the ship stops will be ahead of the point where the first operation was performed. Therefore, if the point where the first operation was performed is set as the stopping point, the ship has to be moved backward significantly, which will give the operator a sense of discomfort. Thus, by setting the point where the ship decelerates and falls below a predetermined speed as the stopping point, the sense of discomfort can be reduced.

[0021] Further, during the stopping control, the control unit may perform first control to decelerate the speed of the ship to the predetermined value, and when the speed of the ship falls below the predetermined value by the first control, shift to second control to guide the ship to the predetermined stopping point. According to such a configuration, since the ship is decelerated to a predetermined speed and then the guidance to the predetermined stopping point is started, the sense of discomfort given to the operator can be reduced.

[0022] Further, during the stopping control, the control unit may periodically calculate the propulsion force of one or more propulsion units of the ship that should be generated for the ship to stop at the predetermined stopping point. By periodically calculating the propulsion force of one or more propulsion units, the ship can be guided to a predetermined stopping point.

[0023] Further, after the ship stops at the predetermined stopping point, the control unit may perform holding control to hold the coordinates of the ship. Holding control is control to keep the ship at a predetermined point (for example, a predetermined latitude and longitude) by generating a propulsion force to counter disturbances such as wind and tide.

[0024] Further, the stopping control may include control to decelerate the ship at a predetermined deceleration. The predetermined deceleration may be dynamically determined based on the state of the ship and navigation, or may be specified in advance by the operator.

[0025] Further, the predetermined deceleration may be determined based on the state of the operator before the operator moves to the neutral position. Further, the predetermined deceleration may be determined based on the displacement amount of the first position from the neutral position.

[0026] For example, the deceleration may be determined according to the position (direction or tilt angle) of the operator before reaching the neutral position.

[0027] Further, the predetermined deceleration may be determined based on the operating speed of the first operation. For example, the faster the speed when moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position, the more likely it is presumed that the operator is trying to stop the ship more nimbly, so the deceleration may be increased.

[0028] Further, the operation area of the operator is divided into a plurality of areas in the azimuth direction, and when the ship stopping control is not being performed, the control unit may switch the direction of generation of the propulsive force with respect to the hull based on the area where the operator is located.

[0029] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure only to those, unless otherwise specified.

[0030] (First Embodiment) [Outline of Ship] FIG. 1 is a top view of a ship 1 as seen from above. As shown in FIG. 1, two engines, which are propulsion engines, are attached to the rear of the hull 1A. In the present embodiment, the engine attached to the left side is referred to as the left engine 410, and the engine attached to the right side is referred to as the right engine 420. The two engines are attached at symmetric positions with respect to the center line of the ship 1.

[0031] In addition, a bow thruster 310, which is one of the propulsion devices, is attached to the bow of the hull 1A. The bow thruster 310 is a propulsion device for obtaining propulsion force in the left - right direction. The bow thruster 310 is arranged in a horizontal hole provided near the bow under the water surface. Note that the bow thruster 310 may be an engine (internal combustion engine) or an electric motor. Similarly, the left engine 410 and the right engine 420 are engines (internal combustion engines) in this embodiment, but they may be replaced with electric motors. In the description of the embodiment, the bow thruster 310, the left engine 410, and the right engine 420 may be collectively referred to as "engines".

[0032] The ship 1 has a cockpit 1B, and the cockpit 1B is equipped with a joystick 110, a thruster lever 130, and a throttle lever 140 as interfaces for ship operation.

[0033] Figure 2 is an external view of the joystick 110, the thruster lever 130, and the throttle lever 140. The throttle lever 140 is a set of levers for instructing the propulsion force and propulsion direction of the left and right engines. The thruster lever 130 is a lever for instructing the propulsion force and propulsion direction of the bow thruster. These two are used to directly control each engine, and the propulsion force can be specified by the angle at which the lever is tilted. That is, the propulsion force and propulsion direction indicated by the throttle lever 140 are directly transmitted to the left and right engines, and the propulsion force and propulsion direction indicated by the thruster lever 130 are directly transmitted to the bow thruster. The joystick 110 is an operator that can be tilted in all directions for integrally controlling the movement of the ship. When the ship is operated using the joystick 110, the propulsion force and propulsion direction of each engine are calculated by a ship operation controller 100 described later according to the input.

[0034]

[0035] [Hardware Configuration] The configuration of the device that constitutes the ship according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the hardware configuration of the ship 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0036] The ship 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to include a steering controller 100, a joystick 110, a GPS module 120, a thruster lever 130, a throttle lever 140, a switching controller 200, a thruster controller 300, and an engine controller 400. In addition, the ship 1 is configured to have the aforementioned bow thruster 310, left engine 410, and right engine 420 as propulsion devices.

[0037] As described with reference to FIG. 2, the joystick 110 is an input device having an operator (stick) that can be tilted in all directions. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the angles that can be input by the operator (stick). The operator can be tilted in all directions, and thereby, a value (azimuth angle) α (0 degrees or more and less than 360 degrees) indicating the azimuth can be obtained. The azimuth angle is represented by a numerical value with the bow direction being 0 degrees, for example. In addition, the joystick 110 can obtain a value (tilt angle) β indicating the depth of the tilt of the operator. Furthermore, the joystick 110 is configured such that the head can rotate around the axis of the operator. Thereby, a value (rotation angle) θ representing the amount of rotation can be obtained.

[0038] The GPS module 120 is a unit for obtaining the position information of the ship 1. The GPS module 120 includes a GPS antenna and a positioning module for positioning the position information. The GPS antenna is an antenna that receives a positioning signal transmitted from a positioning satellite (also referred to as a GNSS satellite). The positioning module is a module that calculates the position information based on the signal received by the GPS antenna.

[0039] The thruster lever 130 is a lever for indicating the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of the bow thruster. The thruster lever 130 has, for example, a mechanism that can tilt in the left - right direction and can indicate the propulsion force steplessly.

[0040] The throttle lever 140 is a set of levers for indicating the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of the left and right engines. The throttle lever 140 consists of a left lever and a right lever. In the throttle lever 140, by moving each of the left lever and the right lever forward and backward steplessly, the operator can indicate the propulsion force of each engine. Also, each lever has a forward region and a backward region, and by moving the lever to each region, the propulsion direction of the engine can be indicated.

[0041] The ship 1 according to this embodiment can be steered in a manual control mode and an automatic control mode. The manual control mode is a mode in which the operator directly indicates the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine using the throttle lever 140 and the thruster lever 1 30. When in the manual control mode, the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine are determined by the positions of the throttle lever 140 and the thruster lever 130.

[0042] The automatic control mode is a mode in which the ship control controller 100 calculates the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine. In this embodiment, the automatic control mode is further classified into, for example, a mode (joystick mode) that calculates the required propulsion force (and propulsion direction) for each engine based on the input from the joystick 110, and a mode (autonomous navigation mode) that automatically calculates the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine based on the position information acquired by GPS. Note that "automatic control" refers to obtaining the required propulsion force (and propulsion direction) for each engine by calculation, and does not necessarily mean autonomous navigation. That is, the mode of steering by a joystick is also classified as the automatic control mode.

[0043] The switching controller 200 is a unit that switches between the manual control mode and the automatic control mode described above. When the manual control mode is specified, the thruster lever 130 and the thruster controller 300 are connected, enabling direct control of the output of the bow thruster 310. Also, the throttle lever 140 and the engine controller 400 are connected, enabling direct control of the output of each engine. When the automatic control mode is specified, the navigation controller 100 is connected to the thruster controller 300 and the engine controller 400, so that the calculation results by the navigation controller 100 are reflected in each engine.

[0044] As described above, the navigation controller 100 is a unit that calculates the required propulsion force (and propulsion direction) for each engine in the automatic control mode. Based on the information input from the joystick 110 and the GPS module 120, the navigation controller 100 calculates the required propulsion force (and propulsion direction) for each engine and commands the thruster controller 300 and the engine controller 400 with the results. The navigation controller 100 is also called the maneuver ECU.

[0045] The thruster controller 300 is a unit for controlling the bow thruster 310. The thruster controller 300 receives, for example, data specifying the propulsion force and propulsion direction of the bow thruster, and based on this, controls fuel injection, gear engagement, voltage, current, etc. of the bow thruster 310. The engine controller 400 is a unit for controlling the left and right engines. The engine controller 400 receives, for example, data specifying the propulsion force and propulsion direction of the left and right engines, and based on this, controls fuel injection, gear engagement, voltage, current, etc. of the left engine 410 and the right engine 420.

[0046] The bow thruster 310 is a propulsion device attached to the bow of the hull 1A. By generating a propulsion force in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the hull 1A, a force can be applied to the bow in the left - right direction. The left engine 410 is a propulsion device attached to the left side of the center line of the hull 1A. The right engine 420 is a propulsion device attached to the right side of the center line of the hull 1A. The left and right engines are attached at symmetric positions with respect to the center line of the hull 1A, sandwiching the center line of the hull 1A. The left and right engines can generate a propulsion force in a direction parallel to the center line of the hull 1A, but do not have the function of tilting the direction in which the propulsion force is generated with respect to the hull, that is, the steering function.

[0047] [Detailed Configuration of Steering Controller] Next, the configuration of the steering controller 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the steering controller 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the steering controller 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0048] The steering controller 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. By executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet predetermined purposes, as described later, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASICs, FPGAs, etc.

[0049] The steering controller 100 is configured to include a control unit 101 and a storage unit 102. The control unit 101 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the ship controller 100 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 101 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. Further, the control unit 101 may be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like.

[0050] The control unit 101 is composed of three software modules: a first navigation control unit 1011, a stopping control unit 1012, and a second navigation control unit 1013. Each software module may be realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12 described later by the control unit 101 (such as a CPU).

[0051] First, the first navigation control unit 1011 will be described. The first navigation control unit 1011 controls the propulsion force (and propulsion direction) of each engine based on the input content from the joystick 110. Specifically, the first navigation control unit 1011 calculates the propulsion force (hereinafter referred to as the propulsion force vector) required for the ship's navigation based on the three types of angles described with reference to FIG. 4. The propulsion force vector calculated here is defined with respect to the hull. Further, the first navigation control unit 1011 determines the propulsion force (and propulsion direction) that each engine should output based on the calculated propulsion force vector, and issues a control command to each engine.

[0052] Here, the relationship between the input to the joystick 110 and the propulsion force vector will be described with reference to FIG. 6A. As described above, the azimuth angle α obtained by the joystick 110 is a value of 0 degrees or more and less than 360 degrees. In this embodiment, this is divided into four zones every 90 degrees, and for each zone, the first navigation control unit 1011 determines the direction of generation of the propulsion force with respect to the hull.

[0053] The forward zone is a zone for advancing the ship. When the operator is in the forward zone, a forward propulsion force vector with respect to the hull is calculated. The rear zone is a zone for reversing the ship. When the operator is in the rear zone, a backward propulsion force vector is calculated with respect to the hull. The right zone is a zone for moving the ship parallel to the right. When the operator is in the right zone, a rightward propulsion force vector is calculated with respect to the hull. The left zone is a zone for moving the ship parallel to the left. When the operator is in the left zone, a leftward propulsion force vector is calculated with respect to the hull. Note that the propulsion force vector in the present embodiment represents the propulsion force applied to the hull, which is obtained by the reaction force of the water flow generated by the engine. The magnitude of the propulsion force vector increases in proportion to the tilt angle β of the operator.

[0054] Next, it will be described with reference to FIG. 6B. The left rotation zone is a zone for turning the ship to the left. When the head of the operator is rotated to the left, it becomes the left rotation zone. When the operator is in the left rotation zone, two propulsion force vectors are generated with respect to the hull. That is, a propulsion force vector in the left direction is generated near the bow, and a propulsion force vector in the right direction is generated near the stern. The right rotation zone is a zone for turning the ship to the right. When the head of the operator is rotated to the right, it becomes the right rotation zone. When the operator is in the right rotation zone, two propulsion force vectors are generated with respect to the hull. That is, a propulsion force vector in the right direction is generated near the bow, and a propulsion force vector in the left direction is generated near the stern. The magnitude of the propulsion force vector increases in proportion to the rotation angle θ of the operator.

[0055] Next, a method for obtaining the propulsion force (and propulsion direction) of each engine from the propulsion force vector determined as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0056] When the propulsion force vector is forward, that is, when the ship is moving forward, both the left engine and the right engine generate a propulsion force backward (FIG. 7(A)). When the propulsion vector is rearward, i.e., when the ship is moving backward, both the left engine and the right engine generate propulsion force forward (Fig. 7(B)). When the propulsion vector is forward or rearward, the propulsion force of the bow thruster becomes zero.

[0057] When the propulsion vector is leftward, i.e., when the ship is moving parallel to the left, the left engine generates propulsion force rearward, and the right engine generates propulsion force forward. Also, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the right (Fig. 7(C)). When the bow thruster has a propulsion force to the right, the hull will turn to the left. However, by propelling the left engine rearward and the right engine forward respectively, this can be cancelled out, and the hull can be translated parallel to the left direction.

[0058] When the propulsion vector is rightward, i.e., when the ship is moving parallel to the right, the left engine generates propulsion force forward, and the right engine generates propulsion force rearward. Also, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the left (Fig. 7(D)). When the bow thruster has a propulsion force to the left, the hull will turn to the right. However, by propelling the left engine forward and the right engine rearward respectively, this can be cancelled out, and the hull can be translated parallel to the right direction.

[0059] When the propulsion vector is a left rotation, i.e., when turning the ship to the left, the left engine generates propulsion force forward, and the right engine generates propulsion force rearward. Also, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the right (Fig. 7(E)). Thereby, the hull can be turned to the left. When the propulsion vector is a right rotation, i.e., when turning the ship to the right, the left engine generates propulsion force rearward, and the right engine generates propulsion force forward. Also, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the left (Fig. 7(F)). Thereby, the hull can be turned to the right. In any case, the magnitude of the propulsion force of each engine is proportional to the magnitude of the propulsion force vector.

[0060] The first navigation control unit 1011 calculates the propulsion force vector F of the hull using the propulsion force calculation model 102A. FIG. 8(A) is a diagram for explaining the propulsion force calculation model 102A. The propulsion force calculation model 102A is a model that takes the three types of angles (α, β, θ) of the operator described above as inputs and outputs the propulsion force vector F of the hull. In this embodiment, the propulsion force As shown in FIG. 6A, the propulsion force calculation model 102A is configured to be able to determine the propulsion force vector for each zone where the operator is located. The propulsion force calculation model 102A is stored in the storage unit 102 described later.

[0061] The first navigation control unit 1011 can reflect the instructions given from the joystick 110 during navigation to each engine by the above-described processing.

[0062] Next, the stop control unit 1012 will be described. When an operation is performed to move the operator of the joystick 110 from a position displaced from the neutral position (the first position, that is, the state where the operator is tilted) to the neutral position, the stop control unit 1012 performs stop control to stop the hull at a predetermined stop point. The neutral position is a state where the operator is not tilted. The operation of moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position is referred to as the first operation.

[0063] Here, the stop control will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the stop control in this embodiment. In the initial state, it is assumed that the operator moves the operating element of the joystick to the first position, and the ship 1 is moving at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined direction by the propulsion force of each engine. Here, it is assumed that at the timing of the reference numeral 901 in the figure, the operator moves the operating element of the joystick from the first position to the neutral position. Here, if the stop control is not performed, when the position of the operating element of the joystick is set to the neutral position, the propulsion force of all the engines is controlled to 0. In this case, the ship 1 does not stop on the spot but continues to move forward by inertia. In the present embodiment, at this timing, the stop control unit 1012 starts the stop control.

[0064] During the stop control, the stop control unit 1012 calculates a propulsion force vector to decelerate the ship 1 at a predetermined deceleration and controls each engine. The reference numeral 902 represents the ship 1 that is decelerating at a predetermined deceleration. When the speed of the ship 1 falls below a predetermined threshold (reference numeral 903), the stop control unit 1012 acquires the coordinates (for example, latitude and longitude) of the location from the GPS module 120 and sets it as the stop location. In addition to the coordinates, the bow direction is associated with the stop location. The stop control unit 1012 calculates a propulsion force vector to guide the ship 1 while decelerating it to the set stop location and controls each engine. Specifically, the coordinates (and bow direction) of the stop location are compared with the current coordinates (and bow direction), a propulsion force vector for matching the two is calculated, and each engine is controlled based on this. As a result, at the set coordinates, the ship 1 stops facing the set bow direction.

[0065] During navigation, the first navigation control unit 1011 calculates the propulsion force vector F of the hull using the propulsion force calculation model 102A, but during the stop control, the stop control unit 1012 calculates the propulsion force vector F of the hull using the propulsion force calculation model 102B. FIG. 8(B) is a diagram for explaining the propulsion force calculation model 102B. When performing the stop control, the stop control unit 1012 calculates the deviation between the stop location and the current position of the ship 1 (denoted as position deviation, Pdef), and the bow direction at the stop location and the current bow direction of the ship 1 Calculate the deviation from it (azimuth deviation, denoted as Adef). The position deviation Pdef can be calculated based on the coordinates of the stopping point and the current coordinates. Also, the azimuth deviation Adef can be calculated based on the bow direction of the stopping point and the current bow direction.

[0066] The propulsion force calculation model 102B takes the position deviation Pdef and the azimuth deviation Adef as inputs, and calculates and outputs the propulsion force vector F of the hull so as to bring the position deviation and the azimuth deviation closer to 0. By performing control to bring the position deviation and the azimuth deviation closer to 0, the ship 1 can be guided to the stopping point. The propulsion force calculation model 102B is stored in the storage unit 102 described later.

[0067] Next, the second navigation control unit 1013 will be described. The second navigation control unit 1013 calculates the propulsion force vector based on the information obtained from the GPS module 120 and controls each engine. Specifically, the second navigation control unit 1013 calculates the propulsion force vector based on the preset target coordinates and the coordinates obtained from the GPS module 120 so that the ship 1 heads towards the target coordinates, and issues a control command to each engine to apply the calculated propulsion force. The target coordinates may be the coordinates of the destination of the ship 1 or the coordinates of the point where the ship 1 stops. For example, when fishing or the like, the target coordinates may be set if it is desired to keep the ship 1 at a specific point without being affected by the wind or tide.

[0068] The storage unit 102 is a means for storing information, and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. Programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by the programs, etc. are stored in the storage unit 102. Also, the propulsion force calculation models 102A and 102B described above are stored in the storage unit 102.

[0069] [Processing flowchart] Next, the details of the processing executed by the ship controller 100 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the ship controller 100. The processing shown in FIG. 10 is executed when an operation mode (joystick mode) using a joystick is specified during the navigation of the ship 1.

[0070] First, in step S11, the first navigation control unit 1011 acquires the state of the operator from the joystick 110. In this step, three values, namely, the azimuth angle α, the tilt angle β, and the rotation angle θ indicated by the operator, are acquired. Next, in step S12, the first navigation control unit 1011 determines whether the operator is currently in the neutral position as a result of the operator being moved from the first position to the neutral position.

[0071] If it is determined in step S12 that the operator is not in the neutral position, this means that the ship control operation by the joystick continues. In this case, the process transitions to step S13. In step S13, the first navigation control unit 1011 calculates a required propulsive force vector based on the ship control operation. Specifically, the values of α, β, and θ acquired in step S11 are input to the propulsive force calculation model 102A shown in FIG. 8(A), and the output propulsive force vector F is acquired.

[0072] If the operator is moved from the first position to the neutral position and as a result, it is determined in step S12 that the operator is currently in the neutral position, this means that stopping the ship is instructed by the joystick. In this case, the process transitions to step S14.

[0073] In step S14, the stopping control unit 1012 determines whether the speed of the ship 1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed can be, for example, a speed preset in the ship controller 100 in advance. If it is determined in step S14 that the speed of the ship 1 exceeds the predetermined value, the stopping control unit 1012 determines that deceleration is first necessary and transitions the process to step S15.

[0074] In step S15, the ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the propulsion force vector necessary for deceleration. In the present embodiment, when the operator of the joystick is returned to the neutral position, the ship 1 is decelerated at a predetermined deceleration. The predetermined deceleration can be, for example, the deceleration preset in the ship control unit 100 by the operator. The ship control unit 100 may hold and use the set value of the deceleration for each operator. Alternatively, the operator may be allowed to select the deceleration. In step S15, the propulsion force vector F for realizing the deceleration is calculated.

[0075] In step S14, when it is determined that the speed of the ship 1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the ship stopping control unit 1012 determines that the hull has decelerated sufficiently and transfers the process to step S16. In step S16, the ship stopping control unit 1012 temporarily stores the current position (coordinates) and the bow azimuth of the ship 1 as the stopping position. The current position and the bow azimuth of the ship 1 can be obtained from the GPS module 120.

[0076] In step S17, the ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the propulsion force vector for holding the position of the ship 1 at the set stopping point (performing holding control).

[0077] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing in more detail the process executed by the ship stopping control unit 1012 in step S17. First, in step S171, the current position and the current bow azimuth of the ship 1 are obtained. The current position and the current bow azimuth of the ship 1 can be obtained from the GPS module 120. Here, the current position of the ship 1 is denoted as Pact, and the current bow azimuth is denoted as Aact.

[0078] Next, in step S172, the target position and the target bow azimuth are acquired. The target position is the coordinate memorized in step S16. Also, the target bow azimuth is the bow azimuth memorized in step S16. Here, the target position is denoted as Ptrg, and the target bow azimuth is denoted as Atrg.

[0079] Next, in step S173, the position deviation and the azimuth deviation are acquired. The position deviation is the deviation between the current position of Ship 1 and the target position. Here, the position deviation is denoted as Pdef. The position deviation can be acquired by the formula Pdef = Ptrg - PAct. The azimuth deviation is the deviation between the current bow azimuth of Ship 1 and the target bow azimuth. Here, the azimuth deviation is denoted as Adef and can be acquired by the formula Adef = Atrg - AAct.

[0080] Next, in step S174, the required propulsion force vector F is calculated. The required propulsion force vector F represents the propulsion force necessary to make the position deviation Pdef and the azimuth deviation Adef zero. The fact that the position deviation Pdef and the azimuth deviation Adef become zero means that Ship 1 is located at the stop point. In the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 8(B), the propulsion force vector F is calculated using the propulsion force calculation model 102B.

[0081] When the process of step S17 is completed, the process transitions to step S18. In step S18, the stop control unit 1012 controls the propulsion force of the engine based on the determined propulsion force vector F. As described with reference to FIG. 7, the stop control unit 1012 determines the propulsion force (and the propulsion direction) of the left engine 410, the right engine 420, and the bow thruster 310 according to the direction of the propulsion force vector. Also, the determined propulsion force (and the propulsion direction) is transmitted to the thruster controller 300 and / or the engine controller 400. Thereby, the propulsion force of each engine is controlled.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, six types are exemplified as the directions of the propulsion vectors, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The ship stopping control unit 1012 may calculate a propulsion vector having an arbitrary direction, or may determine the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine based on this. Based on an arbitrary propulsion vector, any method can be used to determine the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine. For example, a model that takes the propulsion vector as an input and outputs the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine can also be used.

[0083] In step S19, the ship stopping control unit 1012 acquires the state of the operator from the joystick 110 in the same manner as in step S11. In this step, the azimuth angle α, the tilt angle β, and the rotation angle θ indicated by the operator are acquired. Next, in step S20, the ship stopping control unit 1012 determines whether or not the state in which the operator is in the neutral position continues. Here, when the azimuth angle α, the tilt angle β, and the rotation angle θ acquired in step S19 are all 0, it is determined that the position of the operator remains neutral.

[0084] If the position of the operator remains neutral, the process transitions to step S17. Thereby, the control for bringing the ship 1 closer to the stop position is continued. If the position of the operator is other than neutral, the process transitions to step S11. If the position of the operator is other than neutral, it means that the ship stopping operation has been canceled. In this case, based on the operation performed on the operator, a propulsion vector is newly calculated (for example, in step S13), and the propulsion force of each engine is controlled.

[0085] By repeating the processing of the illustrated flowchart, the ship control unit 100 can guide the ship 1 to a predetermined stop position when a ship stopping operation is performed. In addition, by continuing the processing (holding control) of steps S17 to S20 even after stopping, the stop position of the ship 1 can be maintained.

[0086] As described above, in the ship 1 according to the present embodiment, the steering controller calculates a propulsive force vector based on an input performed by a joystick and controls each engine. Further, when the operator moves the operator to the neutral position, control for guiding the hull to a predetermined stop position is started without immediately cutting off the propulsive force. As a result, when the operator performs a stop operation, the ship 1 can be stopped at a point close to the operator's intention.

[0087] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the deceleration of the ship 1 during the stop control is fixed to a predetermined value. On the other hand, the deceleration of the ship 1 during the stop control may be variable according to the situation. The second embodiment is an embodiment in which the deceleration of the ship 1 during the stop control is determined based on the state of the operator before the operator of the joystick reaches the neutral position.

[0088] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the process executed by the steering controller 100 in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, in step S12, after it is determined by the first navigation control unit 1011 that the operator is in the neutral position, step S12A is executed. In step S12A, based on the state of the operator immediately before reaching the neutral position, the stop control unit 1012 determines the deceleration during the stop control.

[0089] As a first example, there is a method of determining the deceleration during the stop control based on the tilt angle β of the operator immediately before the operator reaches the neutral position. FIG. 13(A) is a diagram showing the relationship between the tilt angle β of the operator and the deceleration. In this example, as shown in the figure, the larger the tilt angle β of the operator immediately before the operator reaches the neutral position, the larger the deceleration during the stop control. This is because the larger the tilt angle β of the operator, the higher the sailing speed of the ship 1, and thus it is required to stop the ship 1 more promptly.

[0090] As a second example, there is a method of determining a deceleration during stop control based on the operating speed of an operator in order to move the operator to a neutral position. FIG. 13(B) is a diagram showing the relationship between the operating speed of the operator and the deceleration. In this example, as shown in the figure, when the operation to move the operator to the neutral position is performed earlier, the deceleration during stop control is increased. This is because it is presumed that the faster the operating speed of the operator, the more dexterously the operator is trying to stop the ship. Note that, although the speed when moving the operator is illustrated here, the acceleration or the like when moving the operator may be used.

[0091] Note that the deceleration during stop control may be determined by a method other than the examples described above. For example, the deceleration during stop control may be determined based on the azimuth angle (α) or the rotation angle (θ) of the operator immediately before the operator reaches the neutral position. For example, the deceleration may be determined based on the zone (FIGS. 6A and 6B) to which the operator belonged immediately before. For example, different decelerations can be set when stopping from the forward state and when stopping from the backward state. In this way, the deceleration during stop control may be set according to a predetermined amount related to the operation of moving the operator to the neutral position, or according to "what operation was performed on the operator".

[0092] (Third Embodiment) In the first to second embodiments, after the ship 1 stops, by repeating the processes of steps S17 to S20, a propulsive force against wind and tide (disturbance) can be generated, and thereby, the ship 1 can be held at a predetermined stop position.

[0093] On the other hand, such control is released when the ship 1 restarts. For example, when the wind is blowing from the left, when restarting from the stopped state, even if the ship is intended to go straight, the hull will be washed to the right. Therefore, the propulsion force vector F when the ship stops may be memorized, and based on this, the correction against disturbances may be continued. When the ship stops at a predetermined stop position, if there is no wind or tide, the propulsion force vector becomes 0. On the other hand, if there is wind or tide, a propulsion force vector F that counteracts this is generated, so the propulsion force vector may not become 0 when the ship stops at a predetermined coordinate. The value at this time is memorized as, for example, a propulsion force vector G that counteracts disturbances, and after restarting, for example, in step S13 (step S15), the memorized propulsion force vector G is added to the calculated propulsion force vector F. As a result, even after restarting, the correction against disturbances can be continued.

[0094] (Modification example) The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate changes within the scope not departing from the gist thereof. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0095] Also, in the embodiment, a joystick is exemplified as the input device, but as long as the propulsion force can be specified, it is not necessarily required to use an input device that can tilt in all directions. For example, the input device may not be stick-shaped (for example, one that moves a slider on a plane). Also, the input device does not necessarily have to have a physically moving operator. For example, it may be one that moves a virtual operator on a touch panel. As long as there is a neutral position for the operator, any input device can be adopted.

[0096] Also, in the embodiment, the azimuth angle of the operator is divided into four zones, and the direction of the propulsion force vector is determined for each zone, but the number of zones may be more than this or less than this. It may also be less. Furthermore, instead of dividing the zones based on the azimuth angle, the azimuth angle α may be directly used as the direction of the propulsion force vector.

[0097] In addition, in the embodiment, the deceleration during the stop control is set to a fixed value, but the deceleration may be dynamically changed according to the situation of the ship 1. For example, the deceleration may be increased or decreased over time. Alternatively, the deceleration may be changed based on the magnitude of the distance deviation or the azimuth deviation. Further, when there are obstacles or the like on the sea or in the sea, the deceleration may be adaptively changed based on the distance to the obstacles or the like.

[0098] In addition, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, how each function is realized by a hardware configuration (server configuration) can be flexibly changed.

[0099] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Explanation of Signs

[0100] 1 ··· Ship 100 ··· Steering controller 101 ··· Control unit 102 ··· Storage unit 110 ··· Joystick

Claims

1. A ship control device that controls one or more propulsion engines of a ship according to an operation performed on an operator displaceable from a neutral position, wherein when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed, a control unit that starts stop control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion engines is provided. Ship control device.

2. The predetermined stopping point is a point where the speed of the ship falls below a predetermined value after moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position. The ship control device according to claim 1.

3. During the stop control, the control unit performs first control to decelerate the speed of the ship to the predetermined value, and when the speed of the ship falls below the predetermined value by the first control, the control unit shifts to second control to guide the ship to the predetermined stopping point. The ship control device according to claim 2.

4. During the stop control, the control unit periodically calculates the propulsion force of one or more propulsion engines of the ship that should be generated for the ship to stop at the predetermined stopping point. The ship control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. After the ship stops at the predetermined stopping point, the control unit performs holding control to hold the coordinates of the ship. The ship control device according to claim 4.

6. The stop control includes control to decelerate the ship at a predetermined deceleration. The ship control device according to claim 1.

7. The predetermined deceleration is determined based on the state of the operator before the operator moves to the neutral position. The ship control device according to claim 6.

8. The predetermined deceleration is determined based on the displacement amount of the first position from the neutral position. The ship control device according to claim 6.

9. The predetermined deceleration is determined based on the operation speed of the first operation. The ship control device according to claim 6.

10. The operation area of the operator is divided into a plurality of areas in the azimuth direction. When the stop control is not being performed, the control unit switches the direction of generation of the propulsion force with respect to the hull based on the area where the operator is located. The ship control device according to claim 1.

11. A ship control method executed by a ship control device that controls one or more propulsion engines of a ship according to an operation performed on an operator displaceable from a neutral position, When a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed, stop control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point is started by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion units. Ship handling method.

12. The predetermined stopping point is a point where the speed of the ship falls below a predetermined value after moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position. The ship handling method according to claim 11.

13. During the stop control, first control for decelerating the speed of the ship to the predetermined value is performed, and when the speed of the ship falls below the predetermined value by the first control, the process shifts to second control for guiding the ship to the predetermined stopping point. The ship handling method according to claim 12.

14. During the stop control, the propulsion force of one or more propulsion units of the ship, which should be generated for the ship to stop at the predetermined stopping point, is periodically calculated. The ship handling method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. The stop control includes control for decelerating the ship at a predetermined deceleration. The ship handling method according to claim 11.

16. The predetermined deceleration is determined based on the displacement amount of the first position from the neutral position or the operation speed of the first operation. The ship handling method according to claim 15.

17. A program for causing a ship handling device to which an operator is connected to execute a ship handling method, wherein the ship handling method includes starting stop control for stopping a ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of one or more propulsion units when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed. Program.

18. The predetermined stopping point is a point where the speed of the ship falls below a predetermined value after moving the operator from the first position to the neutral position. The program according to claim 17.

19. The stop control includes first control for decelerating the speed of the ship to the predetermined value and second control for guiding the ship to the predetermined stopping point when the speed of the ship falls below the predetermined value by the first control. The program according to claim 18.

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