Maneuvering device

Abstract

To carry out maneuvering according to an operator's intension.SOLUTION: A maneuvering device controls one or more propellers included in a vessel based on an operation carried out to an input device having an operator capable of moving from a neutral position. The range in which the operator is capable of moving is the range divided into a plurality of ranges in a plurality of directions with the neutral position as a center and includes a plurality of ranges with a central angle in the range in at least one direction different from the range in another direction, and propulsion force imparted to the vessel is determined based on the range where the operator is positioned in the plurality of ranges.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] An object of the present disclosure is to realize ship control in accordance with the intention of an operator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is a ship control device that controls one or more propulsion devices of a ship based on an operation performed on an input device having an operator movable from a neutral position, wherein a movable area of the operator is a plurality of areas divided in a plurality of directions around the neutral position, and has a plurality of areas in which a central angle of an area in at least one direction is different from that of an area in another direction, and a control unit that determines a propulsion force applied to the ship based on an area among the plurality of areas in which the operator is located.

[0006] Also, as another aspect, there are a method executed by the above device, a program that causes a computer to execute the method, and a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the above program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, ship operation along with the intention of the operator can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 6C

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Previously, the operation of small ships was mostly carried out by throttle and steering. However, as an interface device for ship operation, small ships with a stick-type controller that can be tilted in all directions have emerged. Such a controller (hereinafter referred to as 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 operation is required, such as when docking.

[0010] Joysticks are widely used in game controllers and have the characteristic of being able to perform intuitive operations. However, depending on the content of ship operation, there may be cases where the ship cannot be operated as intended by the operator. For example, consider the case of reversing the ship by operating the joystick. When reversing the ship, usually, the operator holds the controller while visually observing the rear of the ship and performs the operation. That is, when reversing the ship, the operator is in a posture where only the face turns backward while holding the controller fixed to the hull.

[0011] When operating in such a posture, the operator cannot visually observe their hands, so there is a risk of operation errors. For example, even when the operator wants to move the hull straight backward, in the posture of looking backward, it is impossible to accurately grasp in which direction the joystick is tilted. As a result, for example, even though the operator intends to tilt the stick backward, the stick may tilt diagonally left or right backward, and the ship may move in the left - right direction unintentionally. The ship operation device according to the present disclosure solves such problems.

[0012] The steering device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a steering device that controls one or more propulsion devices of a ship based on an operation performed on an input device having an operator movable from a neutral position, wherein a movable area of the operator is a plurality of areas divided in a plurality of directions centering on the neutral position, and has a plurality of areas in which a central angle of an area in at least one direction is different from that of an area in another direction, and has a control unit that determines a propulsion force applied to the ship based on an area among the plurality of areas where the operator is located.

[0013] The input device is a device capable of inputting a direction by an operator, and is typically a joystick. The input device may be, for example, one that allows the operator to tilt in all directions of 360 degrees.

[0014] The area where the operator can move is radially divided in a plurality of directions centering on the neutral position. The control unit determines a propulsion force (propulsion force pattern) applied to the ship according to the area among the plurality of divided areas where the operator is located. For example, when areas for moving forward, backward, left, and right are provided, by moving the operator to each area, a propulsion force for moving the ship forward, a propulsion force for moving the ship backward, a propulsion force for moving the ship left, and a propulsion force for moving the ship right can be applied to the ship.

[0015] In the steering device according to the present disclosure, the central angles of the plurality of areas are not equal, and at least one central angle is different from the central angles of other areas. For example, when there is a first area for moving the ship forward and a second area for moving the ship backward, the central angle of the second area may be made wider than that of the first area. By doing so, play for the operation can be provided, and in an environment where the position of the operator is likely to shift, the behavior of the ship not following the intention of the operator can be prevented.

[0016] Further, when a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed, the control unit may start a stopping control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion units.

[0017] When the first operation is performed, the control unit may start a stopping control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point. The predetermined stopping point does not necessarily have to be the point where the first operation is performed as long as it does not give the operator a sense of discomfort. For example, a point in front of the point where the first operation is performed may be set as the predetermined stopping point. The stopping control is a control for controlling the propulsion unit of the ship and actively causing the ship to head toward a predetermined stopping point. During the stopping control, for example, a control for decelerating the ship by rotating the propulsion unit in the reverse direction, a control for correcting the bow direction by operating a thruster, etc. are performed.

[0018] If the propulsion unit is stopped immediately 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 control 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] (First Embodiment) [Overview of Ship] FIG. 1 is a top view of the ship 1 as seen from above. As shown in FIG. 1, two engines, which are propulsion units, 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.

[0021] 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 of the ship below 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 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".

[0022] The ship 1 has a control room 1B, and the control room 1B is equipped with a joystick 110, a thruster lever 130, and a throttle lever 140 as an interface for ship operation.

[0023] FIG. 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 the propulsion direction of the left and right engines. The thruster lever 130 is a lever for instructing the propulsion force and the 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 the propulsion direction indicated by the throttle lever 140 are directly transmitted to the left and right engines, and the propulsion force and the propulsion direction indicated by the thruster lever 130 are directly transmitted to the bow thruster. The propulsion force and the propulsion direction indicated by the thruster lever 130 are directly transmitted to the bow thruster as they are.

[0024] 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 the propulsion direction of each engine are calculated by a ship operation controller 100 described later according to the input.

[0025] [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.

[0026] The ship 1 according to the present embodiment includes 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.

[0027] 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, for example, a numerical value (relative azimuth) with the bow direction being 0 degrees. In addition, the joystick 110 can obtain a value (tilt angle) β indicating the depth of 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The throttle levers 140 are a set of levers for indicating the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of the left and right engines. The throttle levers 140 consist of a left lever and a right lever. In the throttle levers 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 movement area and a backward movement area, and by moving the lever to each area, the propulsion direction of the engine can be indicated.

[0031] 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 levers 140 and the thruster lever 130. When in the manual control mode, the propulsion force and the propulsion direction of each engine are determined by the positions of the throttle levers 140 and the thruster lever 130.

[0032] The automatic control mode is a mode in which the steering 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" means 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.

[0033] 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, the thruster controller 300, and the engine controller 400 are connected, whereby the calculation result by the navigation controller 100 is reflected in each engine.

[0034] 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. The navigation controller 100 calculates the required propulsion force (and propulsion direction) for each engine based on the information input from the joystick 110 and the GPS module 120, and commands the result to the thruster controller 300 and the engine controller 400. The navigation controller 100 is also called the maneuver ECU.

[0035] 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.

[0036] The bow thruster 310 is a propulsion device attached to the bow of the hull 1A. By generating a propulsive force in a direction orthogonal 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 propulsive force in a direction parallel to the center line of the hull 1A, but do not have a function of tilting the direction in which the propulsive force is generated with respect to the hull, that is, a steering function.

[0037] [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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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. Also, the control unit 101 may include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like.

[0040] The control unit 101 is configured to have 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 the control unit 101 (such as a CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 12 described later.

[0041] 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. Also, based on the calculated propulsion force vector, the first navigation control unit 1011 determines the propulsion force (and propulsion direction) that each engine should output, and issues a control command to each engine.

[0042] 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, and for each zone, the first navigation control unit 1011 determines the direction of generation of the propulsion force with respect to the hull.

[0043] The forward zone is a zone for moving the ship forward. 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 propulsive 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 propulsive 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 propulsive force vector is calculated with respect to the hull. Note that the propulsive force vector in this embodiment represents the propulsive force applied to the hull, which is obtained by the reaction force of the water flow generated by the engine. The magnitude of the propulsive force vector increases in proportion to the tilt angle β of the operator.

[0044] In this embodiment, the area of the rear zone is taken to be wider than that of the front zone. That is, the central angle of the sector centered on the operator is larger in the rear zone than in the front zone is. In other words, when reversing, the "play" in the operation in the left-right direction is larger than when moving forward.

[0045] When the operator holds the joystick fixed to the hull and assumes a posture where only the face turns backward, since the hands cannot be seen, even if the operator intends to move the operator backward, the operator may shift in the left-right direction.

[0046] This will be described with reference to FIG. 6B. (1) in the figure is an example of an operation for reversing the ship. When reversing the ship, as shown in the figure, an operation of tilting the operator backward (180-degree direction) is required. (2) and (3) are examples of cases where the operator has shifted to the right during the operation of reversing the ship. (2) in the figure is an example of the case where each zone is divided at equal angles, and (3) in the figure is an example of the case where each zone is divided by the method according to this embodiment.

[0047] As shown in (2) in the figure, in the conventional case, when the operator shifts to the right, the operator enters the right zone, and as a result, a propulsion force vector for "moving the ship to the right" may be calculated. In such a case, although the operator is trying to reverse the ship, the ship moves to the right.

[0048] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in (3) in the figure, since the central angle of the rear zone is taken wide, even if the operator shifts to the left or right to some extent, the operator does not deviate from the rear zone, and a propulsion force vector for "reversing the ship" is calculated. As a result, it becomes possible to reverse the ship as intended by the operator.

[0049] Next, with reference to FIG. 6C, an operation for turning the ship will be described. In the present embodiment, in addition to the four zones described above, two zones for turning the ship are defined. 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. Here, the four zones described above are referred to as basic zones, and the two zones for turning the ship are referred to as additional zones.

[0050] 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.

[0051] When the propulsion vector is forward, i.e., when the ship is moving forward, both the left engine and the right engine generate propulsion force backward (Fig. 7(A)). When the propulsion vector is backward, i.e., when the ship is moving backward, both the left engine and the right engine generate propulsion force forward (Fig. 7(B)). In addition, when the propulsion vector is forward or backward, the propulsion force of the bow thruster becomes zero.

[0052] When the propulsion vector is leftward, i.e., when the ship is moving parallel to the left, the left engine generates propulsion force backward, and the right engine generates propulsion force forward. In addition, 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 backward and the right engine forward respectively, this can be offset, and the hull can be translated parallel to the left direction. 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 backward. In addition, 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 backward respectively, this can be offset, and the hull can be translated parallel to the right direction.

[0053] When the propulsion vector is left-rotating, i.e., when the ship is turning to the left, the left engine generates propulsion force forward, and the right engine generates propulsion force backward. In addition, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the right (Fig. 7(E)). Thereby, the hull can be turned to the left.

[0054] When the propulsion vector is right-rotating, i.e., when the ship is turning to the right, the left engine generates propulsion force backward, and the right engine generates propulsion force forward. In addition, the bow thruster generates propulsion force to the left (Fig. 7(F)). Thereby, the hull can be turned to the right. When the propulsion vector rotates clockwise, that is, when turning the ship to the right, the left engine generates propulsion force backward, and the right engine generates propulsion force forward. Further, the bow thruster generates propulsion force in the left direction (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 vector.

[0055] The first navigation control unit 1011 calculates the propulsion 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 vector F of the hull. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6A, the propulsion force calculation model 102A is configured to be able to determine the propulsion vector for each zone where the operator is located.

[0056] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6A, the central angles when dividing each basic zone are not equal. That is, each basic zone is provided such that the central angle of at least one region is different from the central angle of other regions. The propulsion force calculation model 102A has information related to the division of the basic zones, and determines in which zone the operator is located based on the input angle α (or θ). Further, the propulsion force calculation model 102A has information associating each zone with the propulsion direction of the ship, and thereby can determine the direction of the propulsion vector F. Furthermore, the propulsion force calculation model 102A can determine the magnitude of the propulsion vector F based on the input angle β (or θ). The propulsion force calculation model 102A is stored in the storage unit 102 described later.

[0057] 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.

[0058] Next, the ship stopping control unit 1012 will be described. When an operation is performed to move the operator of the joystick 110 from a displaced position (a first position, that is, a state where the operator is tilted) from the neutral position to the neutral position, the ship stopping control unit 1012 performs ship stopping control to stop the hull at a predetermined ship stopping 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.

[0059] Here, the ship stopping control will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the ship stopping control in the present embodiment. In the initial state, it is assumed that the operator moves the operator of the joystick to the first position, and the ship 1 is moving at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined traveling direction by the propulsion force of each engine. Here, it is assumed that the operator moves the operator of the joystick from the first position to the neutral position at the timing of reference numeral 901 in the figure. Here, if the ship stopping control is not performed, the propulsion force of all the engines is controlled to 0 by setting the position of the operator of the joystick to the neutral position. In this case, the ship 1 does not stop on the spot but continues to move by inertia. In the present embodiment, at this timing, the ship stopping control unit 1012 starts the ship stopping control.

[0060] During the ship stopping control, the ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the propulsion force vector to decelerate the ship 1 at a predetermined deceleration and controls each engine. 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 value (reference numeral 903), the ship stopping control unit 1012 acquires the coordinates (for example, latitude and longitude) of the location from the GPS module 120 and sets it as the ship stopping point. In addition to the coordinates, the ship's head direction is associated with the ship stopping point. The ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the propulsive force vector and controls each engine in order to guide the ship 1 while decelerating it to the set stopping point. Specifically, it compares the coordinates (and bow direction) of the stopping point with the current coordinates (and bow direction), calculates the propulsive force vector for making the two coincide, and controls each engine based on this. As a result, at the set coordinates, the ship 1 stops facing the set bow direction.

[0061] During navigation, the first navigation control unit 1011 calculates the propulsive force vector F of the hull using the propulsive force calculation model 102A. However, during ship stopping control, the ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the propulsive force vector F of the hull using the propulsive force calculation model 102B. FIG. 8(B) is a diagram for explaining the propulsive force calculation model 102B. When performing ship stopping control, the ship stopping control unit 1012 calculates the deviation between the stopping point and the current position of the ship 1 (referred to as position deviation, denoted as Pdef), and the deviation between the bow direction at the stopping point and the current bow direction of the ship 1 (referred to as 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 at the stopping point and the current bow direction.

[0062] The propulsive force calculation model 102B is a model that takes the position deviation Pdef and the azimuth deviation Adef as inputs and calculates and outputs the propulsive force vector F of the hull such that the position deviation and the azimuth deviation approach 0. By performing control to bring the position deviation and the azimuth deviation close to 0, the ship 1 can be guided to the stopping point. The propulsive force calculation model 102B is stored in the storage unit 102 described later.

[0063] Next, the second navigation control unit 1013 will be described. The second navigation control unit 1013 calculates the propulsion vector based on the information acquired from the GPS module 120 and controls each engine. Specifically, the second navigation control unit 1013 calculates the propulsion vector so that the ship 1 heads towards the target coordinates based on the pre-set target coordinates and the coordinates acquired from the GPS module 120, 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 is to stop. For example, when fishing or the like is carried out and it is desired to keep the ship 1 at a specific point without being affected by the wind or tide, the target coordinates may be set.

[0064] 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. The storage unit 102 stores the program executed by the control unit 101, the data used by the program, and the like. In addition, the storage unit 102 stores the aforementioned propulsion force calculation models 102A and 102B.

[0065] [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 the operation mode (joystick mode) using the joystick is specified during the navigation of the ship 1.

[0066] First, in step S11, the first navigation control unit 1011 acquires the state of the operator from the joystick 110. In this step, the three values of 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.

[0067] In step S12, if it is determined that the operator is not in the neutral position, it means that the ship control operation by the joystick is continuing. In this case, the process transitions to step S13. In step S13, the first navigation control unit 1011 calculates a required propulsion force vector based on the ship control operation. Specifically, the values of α, β, and θ obtained in step S11 are input into the propulsion force calculation model 102A shown in FIG. 8(A), and the output propulsion force vector F is obtained. Based on the value of α (or θ), the propulsion force calculation model 102A determines the zone corresponding to the operator, and determines the direction corresponding to the determined zone as the direction of the propulsion force vector F. Also, based on the value of β (or θ), the magnitude of the propulsion force vector F is determined.

[0068] 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, it means that stopping the ship is instructed by the joystick. In this case, the process transitions to step S14.

[0069] In step S14, the stopping control unit 1012 determines whether the speed of the ship 1 is equal to or less than a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed can be, for example, a speed preset in the ship controller 100 in advance. In step S14, if it is determined 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.

[0070] In step S15, the stopping control unit 1012 calculates a propulsion force vector required 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, a deceleration preset in the ship controller 100 in advance by the operator. The ship controller 100 may hold and use the set value of the deceleration for each operator. Also, the operator may be allowed to select the deceleration. In step S15, the propulsion force vector F for realizing the deceleration is calculated.

[0071] In step S14, when it is determined that the speed of the ship 1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the stopping control unit 1012 determines that the hull has sufficiently decelerated and transfers the process to step S16. In step S16, the 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. The current position and the bow azimuth of the ship 1 can be obtained from the GPS module 120.

[0072] In step S17, the stopping control unit 1012 calculates a propulsive force vector for causing the position of the ship 1 to be held at the set stopping point (performs holding control).

[0073] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing in more detail the process executed by the 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.

[0074] Next, in step S172, the target position and the target bow azimuth are obtained. The target position is the coordinates stored in step S16. Also, the target bow azimuth is the bow azimuth stored in step S16. Here, the target position is denoted as Ptrg, and the target bow azimuth is denoted as Atrg.

[0075] Next, in step S173, the position deviation and the azimuth deviation are obtained. The position deviation is the deviation between the current position of the ship 1 and the target position. Here, the position deviation is denoted as Pdef. The position deviation can be obtained by the formula Pdef = Ptrg - Pact. The azimuth deviation is the deviation between the current bow azimuth of the ship 1 and the target bow azimuth. Here, the azimuth deviation is denoted as Adef It is denoted as such. The azimuth deviation can be obtained by the formula Adef = Atrg - Aact.

[0076] Next, in step S174, the required propulsive force vector F is calculated. The required propulsive force vector F represents the propulsive 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 the ship 1 is located at the stopping point. In the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 8(B), the propulsive force vector F is calculated using the propulsive force calculation model 102B.

[0077] When the process of step S17 is completed, the process transitions to step S18. In step S18, the stopping control unit 1012 controls the propulsive force of the engine based on the determined propulsive force vector F. As described with reference to FIG. 7, the stopping control unit 1012 determines the propulsive forces (and propulsive directions) of the left engine 410, the right engine 420, and the bow thruster 310 according to the direction of the propulsive force vector. Further, the determined propulsive forces (and propulsive directions) are transmitted to the thruster controller 300 and / or the engine controller 400. Thereby, the propulsive force of each engine is controlled.

[0078] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, six types are exemplified as the direction of the propulsive force vector, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The stopping control unit 1012 may calculate a propulsive force vector having an arbitrary direction, and may determine the propulsive force and the propulsive direction of each engine based on this. Regarding the method of determining the propulsive force and the propulsive direction of each engine based on an arbitrary propulsive force vector, any method can be used. For example, a model that takes the propulsive force vector as an input and outputs the propulsive force and the propulsive direction of each engine can also be used.

[0079] In step S19, the ship stop 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, tilt angle β, and rotation angle θ indicated by the operator are acquired. Next, in step S20, the ship stop control unit 1012 determines whether the state where the operator is in the neutral position continues. Here, when the azimuth angle α, tilt angle β, and rotation angle θ acquired in step S19 are all 0, it is determined that the position of the operator remains neutral. .

[0080] 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 continues. 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 stop operation has been canceled. In this case, based on the operation performed on the operator, a propulsion force vector is newly calculated (for example, in step S13), and the propulsion force of each engine is controlled.

[0081] 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 stop operation is performed. Also, by continuing the processing of steps S17 to S20 (holding control) even after stopping, the stop position of the ship 1 can be maintained.

[0082] As described above, in the ship 1 according to the present embodiment, the ship control unit calculates a propulsion force vector based on the input performed by the joystick and controls each engine. Also, when the operator is moved to the neutral position, the propulsion force is not immediately cut off, and the control for guiding the hull to a predetermined stop position is started. Thereby, when the operator performs a ship stop operation, it becomes possible to stop the ship 1 at a point close to the operator's intention.

[0083] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, after the ship 1 stops, by repeating the processes of steps S17 to S20, it is possible to generate a propulsive force that counteracts the wind and tidal current (disturbance), and thereby, the ship 1 can be held at a predetermined stopping position.

[0084] On the other hand, such control will be canceled when the ship 1 restarts. For example, when the wind is blowing from the left direction, when restarting from the stopped state, even if it is intended to go straight, the hull will be washed to the right. Therefore, the propulsive force vector F at the time of stopping may be memorized, and based on this, correction against the disturbance may be continued. When stopped at a predetermined stopping position, if there is no wind or tidal current, the propulsive force vector becomes 0. On the other hand, if there is wind or tidal current, since a propulsive force vector F that counteracts this is generated, the propulsive force vector may not become 0 when stopped at a predetermined coordinate. The value at this time is memorized as, for example, a propulsive force G against the disturbance, and after restarting, for example, in step S13 (step S15), the memorized propulsive force vector G is added to the calculated propulsive force vector F. Thereby, even after restarting, it becomes possible to continue the correction against the disturbance.

[0085] (Modification example) The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented 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.

[0086] Also, in the embodiment, a joystick is exemplified as the input device, but as long as the propulsive force can be specified, it is not necessarily required to use an input device that can tilt in all directions.

[0087] In the embodiment, the area where the operator can move is divided into four basic zones, and the direction of the propulsion force vector is determined for each zone. However, the number of basic zones may be more or less than this. In any case, the zone for reversing the ship is set wider than the zone for advancing the ship.

[0088] FIG. 12 shows an example in which the azimuth angle is divided into eight basic zones. In this example, in addition to the front, rear, left, and right directions, four zones, namely, the right front (zone 2), the right rear (zone 4), the left rear (zone 6), and the left front (zone 8), are added. When the operator is located in the zone, the propulsion force vector for advancing the ship in an oblique direction is calculated by the propulsion force calculation model 120A. When the propulsion force vector is set in an oblique direction with respect to the hull, the ship control controller 100 creates a difference in the rotational speeds of the left and right engines or operates the bow thruster additionally. For example, in the examples of FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), by performing such control, the ship can be advanced while tilting the bow in a desired direction.

[0089] Also, 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.

[0090] 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 (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a 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.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0091] 1 ··· Ship 100 ··· Steering Controller 101 ··· Control Unit 102 ··· Storage Unit 110 ··· Joystick

Claims

1. A ship steering device that controls one or more propulsion units of a ship based on an operation performed on an input device having an operator movable from a neutral position, wherein a movable area of the operator is a plurality of areas divided in a plurality of directions around the neutral position, and has a plurality of areas in which a central angle of an area in at least one direction is different from that of other areas, and has a control unit that determines a propulsion force applied to the ship based on an area among the plurality of areas where the operator is located. Steering device.

2. The propulsion force is any one of a first pattern of propulsion force for advancing the ship, a second pattern of propulsion force for retreating the ship, or a third pattern of propulsion force for turning the ship. The steering device according to claim 1.

3. The plurality of areas are symmetrically divided about an axis corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the ship. The steering device according to claim 1.

4. The plurality of areas at least include a first area indicating forward movement and a second area indicating backward movement, and the second area has a larger central angle than the first area. The steering device according to claim 1.

5. When a first operation of moving the operator from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position is performed, the control unit starts a stopping control for stopping the ship at a predetermined stopping point by controlling the propulsion force of the one or more propulsion units. The steering device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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