Ship propulsion system control system

Abstract

To minimize the degree to which malfunctions in the operating devices disrupt navigation. [Solution] The ship propulsion engine control system 1 includes a remote controller 2 having a lever for operating the ship propulsion engine 51 and a lever position sensor 5 that outputs a main operation signal corresponding to the operation of the lever; a gauge having a touch panel display 17 for displaying information related to the ship propulsion engine 51, a touch switch for operating the ship propulsion engine 51, and a sub-operation signal output unit 16 that outputs a sub-operation signal corresponding to the operation of the touch switch; an abnormality detection unit 44 for detecting abnormalities in the remote controller 2; and a propulsion engine control unit 41 that controls the ship propulsion engine 51 based on the main operation signal if the abnormality detection unit 44 does not detect an abnormality in the remote controller 2, and controls the ship propulsion engine 51 based on the sub-operation signal if the abnormality detection unit 44 detects an abnormality in the remote controller 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship propulsion control system that controls the propulsion force of a ship generated by a ship propulsion machine.

Background Art

[0002] A ship propulsion machine such as an outboard motor generates the propulsion force of a ship. The ship propulsion machine can switch the front and rear directions of the propulsion force, and thereby can switch the forward and backward movement of the ship. Further, the ship propulsion machine can change the magnitude of the propulsion force, and thereby can increase or decrease the speed of the ship. When remotely operating the front and rear directions and the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the ship propulsion machine, a remote controller is used. In an outboard motor provided with a tiller handle, the front and rear directions and the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the ship propulsion machine can be operated using the grip of the tiller handle and a shift lever provided on or near the tiller handle. Hereinafter, a device or a combination of devices that operates the front and rear directions and the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by a ship propulsion machine, such as a remote controller and a combination of the grip of a tiller handle and a shift lever, is referred to as an "operating device".

[0003] Conventionally, a mechanical control type (mechanical link type) has been adopted as a method of controlling a ship propulsion machine in response to an operation of an operating device by an operator or the like. However, recently, an electronic control type (by-wire type) is often adopted as a method of controlling a ship propulsion machine in response to an operation of an operating device by an operator or the like. The electronic control type is a method of sending an operation signal, which is an electric signal corresponding to an operation of an operating device, to a ship propulsion machine and controlling the front and rear directions and the magnitude of the propulsion force generated by the ship propulsion machine based on the operation signal.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-246014 describes an electronic control type device that controls the propulsion force generated by a ship propulsion device.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-246014 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, when an electronic control system is adopted as the method for controlling a ship's propulsion system in response to the operation of the control device, the degree to which a failure of the control device disrupts navigation becomes greater, or the degree to which on-site repair of a failure of the control device becomes more difficult, compared to when a mechanical control system is adopted. For example, an electronic control system has a sensor that detects the amount of operation of the control element (such as the operating lever of a remote controller or the grip of a tiller handle) and converts it into an electrical signal. If this sensor fails while the ship is underway, it becomes impossible to convert the amount of operation of the control element into an electrical signal. As a result, while the ship is underway, it becomes impossible to control both the forward and backward direction of the thrust force generated by the ship's propulsion system, as well as the magnitude of the thrust force generated by the ship's propulsion system. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned sensor is an electronic / electrical component, it is difficult to repair the sensor on board a ship while it is underway.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, for example, and the object of the present invention is to provide a ship propulsion control system that can reduce the degree to which malfunctions such as failures of the operating device cause disruption to the execution of navigation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a ship propulsion engine control system for controlling the propulsion force of a ship generated by a ship propulsion engine, comprising: an operating device having a main operating unit for performing operations to change the propulsion force and a main operating signal output unit for outputting a main operating signal corresponding to the operation of the main operating unit; a gauge having a display unit for displaying information related to the ship propulsion engine, a sub-operating unit for performing operations to change the propulsion force and a sub-operating signal output unit for outputting a sub-operating signal corresponding to the operation of the sub-operating unit; an abnormality detection unit for detecting an abnormality in the operating device; and a control device that, if the abnormality detection unit does not detect an abnormality in the operating device, changes the propulsion force based on the main operating signal, and if the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the operating device, changes the propulsion force based on the sub-operating signal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the degree to which malfunctions in the operating device hinder the execution of navigation can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a ship propulsion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a ship equipped with a ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] (A) is an external view of a remote controller in a ship propulsion system according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the position of the lever of the remote controller, and (C) is a graph showing the voltages of the two main operation signals output from the remote controller. [Figure 4] (A) is an external view of a gauge in a ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the information display screen of the gauge, and (C) is an explanatory diagram showing the limp home screen of the gauge. [Figure 5]This flowchart shows the processing flow related to abnormality detection of the lever position sensor of the remote controller, switching of the control mode of the ship's propulsion system, and switching of the operating mode of the gauge in the ship's propulsion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the processing flow for controlling a ship's propulsion system based on gauge operation in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Following Figure 6, this flowchart shows the process flow for controlling the ship's propulsion system based on gauge operation. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the gauge in the ship propulsion system control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the ship propulsion system control system of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The ship propulsion system control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system for controlling the propulsion force of a ship generated by a ship propulsion system. The ship propulsion system control system according to this embodiment includes an operating device for operating the ship propulsion system, a gauge for displaying information related to the ship propulsion system, an abnormality detection unit for detecting abnormalities in the operating device, and a control device for controlling the ship propulsion system according to the operation of the ship's operator.

[0012] In the ship propulsion control system of this embodiment, the operating device has a main operation unit for the operator to perform an operation to change the propulsion force of the ship propulsion machine, and a main operation signal output unit for outputting a main operation signal corresponding to the operation of the main operation unit. The gauge has a display unit for displaying information related to the ship propulsion machine, a sub-operation unit for the operator to perform an operation to change the propulsion force of the ship propulsion machine, and a sub-operation signal output unit for outputting a sub-operation signal corresponding to the operation of the sub-operation unit. When the abnormality detection unit does not detect an abnormality in the operating device, the control device changes the propulsion force of the ship propulsion machine based on the main operation signal output from the main operation signal output unit of the operating device. When the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the operating device, the control device changes the propulsion force of the ship propulsion machine based on the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit of the gauge.

[0013] According to the ship propulsion control system of this embodiment, when the operating device is normal, the operator can operate the ship propulsion machine using the main operation unit of the operating device. When the operating device is abnormal, the operator can operate the ship propulsion machine using the sub-operation unit of the gauge. Therefore, when the operating device becomes abnormal and it becomes difficult to operate the ship propulsion machine using the operating device to move the ship, the operator can operate the ship propulsion machine using the gauge to move the ship. Thus, the degree of hindrance caused by an abnormality such as a failure of the operating device to the execution of navigation can be reduced, and the safety of navigation can be improved.

Example

[0014] Hereinafter, an example of the ship propulsion control system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] (Ship Propulsion Control System) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a ship propulsion control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a ship 61 provided with the ship propulsion control system 1.

[0016] The ship propulsion control system 1 is a system that controls the propulsion force of the ship 61 generated by the ship propulsion machine 51, and is provided on the ship 61. As shown in FIG. 1, the ship propulsion control system 1 includes a remote controller 2, a gauge 11, a propulsion control unit 41, a voice generator 47, and a wireless communication circuit 48.

[0017] The remote controller 2 is a device for remotely operating the ship propulsion machine 51. The operator can use the remote controller 2 to switch the shift state of the ship propulsion machine 51 and switch the rotation direction of the propeller of the ship propulsion machine 51. When the rotation direction of the propeller is switched, the front and rear directions of the propulsion force of the ship 61 generated by the ship propulsion machine 51 are switched, and the forward and backward movement of the ship 61 is switched. Also, the operator can use the remote controller 2 to change the engine speed of the ship propulsion machine 51 and change the rotation speed of the propeller of the ship propulsion machine 51. When the rotation speed of the propeller changes, the magnitude of the propulsion force of the ship 61 generated by the ship propulsion machine 51 changes, and the speed of the ship 61 changes. Note that the remote controller 2 is a specific example of an "operation device".

[0018] The gauge 11 is basically a device that displays information related to the ship propulsion machine, such as engine speed, shift state, fuel remaining amount, etc. However, the gauge 11 in this embodiment has a function of remotely operating the ship propulsion machine 51 in place of the remote controller 2 when an abnormality of the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2 is detected.

[0019] The propulsion control unit 41 has functions of controlling the ship propulsion machine 51 according to the operation of the remote controller 2 or the gauge 11 by the operator, acquiring information related to the ship propulsion machine 51 and sending it to the gauge 11, detecting an abnormality of the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, and notifying the operator and the like that the means for operating the ship propulsion machine 51 has been changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 due to the abnormality of the lever position sensor 5. Note that the propulsion control unit 41 is a specific example of a "control device".

[0020] The sound generator 47 is a device that emits sounds, such as alarm sounds. The sound generator 47 is, for example, a buzzer. The wireless communication circuit 48 is a circuit that performs wireless communication between the thruster control unit 41 and an external device. The external device that performs wireless communication with the thruster control unit 41 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.

[0021] The remote controller 2, gauge 11, sound generator 47, and wireless communication circuit 48 are each electrically connected to the thruster control unit 41 so that they can communicate with the thruster control unit 41 in one direction or two direction.

[0022] Furthermore, the ship propulsion system 51, which is the target of control of the ship propulsion system control system 1, is a device that generates thrust for the ship 61. Although not shown in the diagram, the ship propulsion system 51 includes a propeller that generates thrust for the ship 61 by rotating, an engine (internal combustion engine) which is the power source for rotating the propeller, a drive shaft connected to the engine's crankshaft, a propeller shaft to which the propeller is attached, a gear mechanism connecting the drive shaft and the propeller shaft to each other, a clutch that switches the gears of the gear mechanism to switch the direction of rotation of the propeller, a shift device that controls the operation of the clutch, and a drive control device that controls the engine and the shift device. In addition, the drive control device of the ship propulsion system 51 is electrically connected to the propulsion control unit 41 so that it can communicate bidirectionally with the propulsion control unit 41. The drive control device of the ship propulsion system 51 is a lower-level control device that controls the ship propulsion system 51, and the propulsion control unit 41 is a higher-level control device that controls the ship propulsion system 51.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the ship's propulsion system 51 is mounted on the transom 62 of the ship 61. The remote controller 2 and gauge 11 are installed in the cockpit 63 of the ship 61. Although not shown in Figure 2, the propulsion control unit 41, the sound generator 47, and the wireless communication circuit 48 are installed, for example, near the cockpit 63 in the ship 61.

[0024] (Remote controller) The remote controller 2 will now be described in detail. Figure 3(A) shows the remote controller 2. As shown in Figure 3(A), the remote controller 2 has an operating device body 3 and a lever 4. The lever 4 is attached to the operating device body 3 so that it can rotate relative to the operating device body 3 around its base end. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the remote controller 2 has a lever position sensor 5 that detects the position of the lever 4 (the tilt angle of the lever 4). The lever position sensor 5 is located inside the operating device body 3. The remote controller 2 is also installed in the cockpit 63 of the ship 61 so that the tilt direction of the lever 4 is the longitudinal direction in the ship 61. Note that the lever 4 is a specific example of the "main operating unit", and the lever position sensor 5 is a specific example of the "main operating signal output unit".

[0025] Figure 3(B) shows the position of lever 4 on the remote controller 2. As shown in Figure 3(B), the operator can tilt lever 4 forward from the neutral position NP through the minimum forward position FP1 to the maximum forward position FP2. The operator can also tilt lever 4 backward from the neutral position NP through the minimum reverse position RP1 to the maximum reverse position RP2.

[0026] The operator can switch the shift state of the ship's propulsion system 51 by tilting lever 4 and changing its position. The shift states are neutral, forward, and reverse. Neutral is the state in the ship's propulsion system 51 where the drive shaft and propeller shaft are disconnected by the shift device and clutch, so that engine power is not transmitted to the propeller and no thrust is generated for the ship. Forward is the state in the ship's propulsion system 51 where the drive shaft and propeller shaft are connected by the shift device and clutch so that the engine power causes the propeller to rotate in the forward direction, generating thrust to move the ship forward. Reverse is the state in the ship's propulsion system 51 where the shift device and clutch connect the drive shaft and propeller shaft so that the engine power causes the propeller to rotate in the reverse direction, generating thrust to move the ship backward. When lever 4 is in the neutral position NP, the shift state is neutral. When lever 4 is in a position between the minimum forward position FP1 and the maximum forward position FP2, the shift state is forward. When lever 4 is in a position between the minimum reverse position RP1 and the maximum reverse position RP2, the shift state is reverse.

[0027] Furthermore, the operator can change the rotational speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 by tilting lever 4 and changing its position. Specifically, when lever 4 is in a position between the neutral position NP and the minimum forward position FP1, or when lever 4 is in a position between the neutral position NP and the minimum reverse position RP1, the engine rotational speed is the idle speed. When lever 4 is in a position between the minimum forward position FP1 and the maximum forward position FP2, the engine rotational speed is greater than the idle speed, and the engine rotational speed increases as lever 4 approaches the maximum forward position FP2. Also, when lever 4 is in a position between the minimum reverse position RP1 and the maximum reverse position RP2, the engine rotational speed is greater than the idle speed, and the engine rotational speed increases as lever 4 approaches the maximum reverse position RP2.

[0028] Furthermore, the lever position sensor 5 detects the position of the lever 4 and outputs two main operation signals, namely the first main operation signal and the second main operation signal, to the propulsion control unit 41, whose voltage is determined according to the position of the lever 4. If no abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5, the propulsion control unit 41 controls the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on these two main operation signals, thereby enabling switching of the shift state based on the position of the lever 4, and increasing or decreasing the engine speed based on the position of the lever 4.

[0029] Figure 3(C) shows the voltage changes of the two main control signals in response to a change in the position of lever 4. In Figure 3(C), the voltage V1 of the first main control signal decreases at a predetermined slope while the position of lever 4 changes from the maximum forward position FP2 to the maximum reverse position RP2. The voltage V2 of the second main control signal increases at a predetermined slope while the position of lever 4 changes from the maximum forward position FP2 to the maximum reverse position RP2. The absolute values ​​of the slopes of voltage V1 and voltage V2 are equal to each other. When the position of lever 4 is the neutral position NP, voltages V1 and V2 are equal to each other.

[0030] (gauge) The gauge 11 will now be described in detail. As shown in Figure 1, the gauge 11 has a gauge control unit 12 and a touch panel display 17. Figure 4(A) shows the external appearance of the gauge 11. As shown in Figure 4(A), the gauge 11 has a casing 18. The gauge control unit 12 and the touch panel display 17 are located inside the casing 18. A display window 18A is formed on one side of the casing 18. The touch panel display 17 is positioned so that the position of its display area 17A corresponds to the position of the display window 18A. This allows the display area 17A to be viewed from the outside. The gauge 11 is installed in the cockpit 63 of the ship 61 with one side of the casing 18 with the display window 18A facing upwards.

[0031] The gauge control unit 12 also includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and non-volatile memory. As shown in Figure 1, the gauge control unit 12 also includes an operation mode setting unit 13, a display control unit 14, an input detection unit 15, and a sub-operation signal output unit 16. The operation mode setting unit 13, the display control unit 14, the input detection unit 15, and the sub-operation signal output unit 16 are realized when the CPU of the gauge control unit 12 reads and executes a computer program stored in the non-volatile memory of the gauge control unit 12.

[0032] The operation mode setting unit 13 sets the operation mode of the gauge 11. The operation modes of the gauge 11 include an information display mode and a limp home mode. The information display mode is a mode that displays information related to the ship's propulsion system 51. The limp home mode is a mode in which the gauge 11 operates the ship's propulsion system 51 when an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2. Note that the information display mode is a specific example of the "first mode," and the limp home mode is a specific example of the "second mode."

[0033] The display control unit 14 displays a screen within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17 according to the operating mode of the gauge 11, and also forms touch switches within that screen.

[0034] Specifically, when the gauge 11 is in information display mode, the display control unit 14 displays, for example, the information display screen 21 shown in Figure 4(B) within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17. The information display screen 21 displays multiple pieces of information related to the ship's propulsion system 51. For example, the information display screen 21 displays engine speed 22, trim angle 23, engine temperature 24, shift status 25, and fuel level 26 as multiple pieces of information related to the ship's propulsion system 51. The information display screen 21 also displays a clock 27. Furthermore, when the gauge 11 is in information display mode, the display control unit 14 forms a menu switch 28 within the information display screen 21. The menu switch 28 is a touch-type switch for performing various settings of the gauge 11 and manually switching the operating mode of the gauge 11. When the operator taps the menu switch 28, the screen within the display area 17A switches to a menu screen, and touch-type switches for selecting items in the menu are formed within that menu screen. The operator can select an item from the menu by tapping a touch switch on the menu screen, and then, depending on the selected item, can perform various settings for the gauge 11 or manually switch the operating mode of the gauge 11.

[0035] On the other hand, when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is limp home mode, the display control unit 14 displays, for example, the limp home screen 31 shown in Figure 4(C) within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17. The limp home screen 31 displays, for example, the engine speed 22, the shift status 25, and the clock 27. Also, when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is limp home mode, the display control unit 14 forms a neutral switch 32, a forward switch 33, a reverse switch 34, an RPM increase switch 35, an RPM decrease switch 36, and a menu switch 28 within the limp home screen 31. The neutral switch 32, forward switch 33, reverse switch 34, RPM increase switch 35, and RPM decrease switch 36 are touch switches for operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 using the gauge 11. By tapping these switches, the operator can switch the shift status of the ship's propulsion engine 51 and change the engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51. Specifically, the neutral switch 32 is a switch that switches the shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 to neutral. The forward switch 33 is a switch that switches the shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 to forward. The reverse switch 34 is a switch that switches the shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 to reverse. The rotation speed increase switch 35 is a switch that increases the rotation speed of the engine of the ship's propulsion engine 51. The rotation speed decrease switch 36 is a switch that decreases the rotation speed of the engine of the ship's propulsion engine 51.

[0036] The neutral switch 32, forward switch 33, reverse switch 34, rotation speed increase switch 35, and rotation speed decrease switch 36 are specific examples of "sub-operation units." Of these, the neutral switch 32, forward switch 33, and reverse switch 34 are specific examples of "thrust force direction operation units," while the rotation speed increase switch 35 and rotation speed decrease switch 36 are specific examples of "thrust force increase / decrease operation units."

[0037] The input detection unit 15 identifies the tapped touch switch. Specifically, when a portion of the display area 17A is tapped, the touch panel display 17 outputs a detection signal to the gauge control unit 12 indicating the position within the tapped display area. Based on this detection signal, the input detection unit 15 identifies the tapped touch switch.

[0038] The sub-operation signal output unit 16 outputs sub-operation signals to the propulsion control unit 41 in accordance with the taps of the neutral switch 32, forward switch 33, reverse switch 34, rotation speed increase switch 35, or rotation speed decrease switch 36 when the gauge operating mode is limp home mode. If an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the propulsion control unit 41 controls the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on these sub-operation signals. This enables switching of the shift state in accordance with the taps of the neutral switch 32, forward switch 33, or reverse switch 34, and increasing or decreasing the engine speed in accordance with the taps of the rotation speed increase switch 35 or rotation speed decrease switch 36.

[0039] (Propulsion control unit) The thruster control unit 41 will now be described in detail. The thruster control unit 41 has a CPU and non-volatile memory, etc. In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the thruster control unit 41 has a thruster control unit 42, an information transmission unit 43, an anomaly detection unit 44, and a notification unit 45. The thruster control unit 42, the information transmission unit 43, the anomaly detection unit 44, and the notification unit 45 are realized when the CPU of the thruster control unit 41 reads and executes a computer program stored in the non-volatile memory of the thruster control unit 41.

[0040] The propulsion control unit 42 controls the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on either a main operation signal or a sub-operation signal. Specifically, if no abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the propulsion control unit 42 controls the shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 and increases or decreases the engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on two main operation signals output from the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2. On the other hand, if an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5, the propulsion control unit 42 controls the shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 and increases or decreases the engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a sub-operation signal output from the gauge 11. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5, the propulsion control unit 42 automatically switches the mode of control for the ship's propulsion engine 51 from controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a main operation signal to controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a sub-operation signal.

[0041] The information transmission unit 43 acquires information related to the ship's propulsion system 51 and sends it to the gauge 11. For example, the drive control device for the ship's propulsion system 51 sends information related to the ship's propulsion system 51, such as engine speed, engine temperature, shift status, and trim angle, to the propulsion system control unit 41. The information transmission unit 43 sends this information to the gauge 11. In addition, when an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5 is detected, the information transmission unit 43 sends a lever position sensor abnormality notification signal to the gauge 11 indicating the abnormality in the lever position sensor 5.

[0042] The abnormality detection unit 44 detects abnormalities in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2. If any one of the following lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) is met, the lever position sensor 5 is considered to be abnormal. (a) The voltage V1 of the first main operation signal is above a single upper threshold. (b) The voltage V1 of the first main operation signal is below a single lower threshold. (c) The voltage V2 of the second main operation signal is above a single upper threshold. (d) The voltage V2 of the second main operation signal is below a single lower threshold. (e) The sum of the voltage V1 of the first main operation signal and the voltage V2 of the second main operation signal exceeds the upper limit threshold for summation. (f) The sum of the voltage V1 of the first main operation signal and the voltage V2 of the second main operation signal is below the lower limit threshold for summation. The abnormality detection unit 44 detects an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5 based on the above lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f). The single upper threshold, single lower threshold, summation upper threshold, and summation lower threshold are pre-stored in the non-volatile memory of the thruster control unit 41.

[0043] The notification unit 45 notifies the operator, etc., that the means of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 has changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 when the abnormality detection unit 44 detects an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5, when the propulsion engine control unit 42 switches from controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a main operation signal to controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a sub-operation signal, or when the operating mode of the gauge 11 switches from the information display mode to the limp home mode. The notification unit 45 notifies the operator, etc., that the means of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 has changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 using the sound generator 47 and the wireless communication circuit 48. Specifically, the notification unit 45 notifies the operator, etc., that the means of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 has changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 by generating a sound from the sound generator 47. Furthermore, the notification unit 45 notifies, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone held by the operator of the ship via the wireless communication circuit 48, that the means of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 has been changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11.

[0044] (Processing flow in a ship propulsion system control system) This section describes the processes related to the detection of abnormalities in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the switching of the control mode of the ship's propulsion system 51, and the switching of the operating mode of the gauge 11 in the ship's propulsion system control system 1. Figure 5 shows the flow of these processes.

[0045] When the ship propulsion control system 1 is started, the propulsion control unit 42 of the propulsion control unit 41 controls the ship propulsion 51 based on the main operation signal output from the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2. Also, the operating mode of the gauge 11 is set to information display mode.

[0046] While the ship's propulsion system 1 is in operation, the abnormality detection unit 44 of the propulsion control unit 41 detects an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2 by executing the processes of steps S1 to S7 in Figure 5. Specifically, in step S1, the abnormality detection unit 44 detects the voltage V1 of the first main operation signal and the voltage V2 of the second main operation signal output from the lever position sensor 5. Subsequently, the abnormality detection unit 44 uses the detected voltages V1 and V2 to sequentially determine whether the above lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) are met.

[0047] In other words, the anomaly detection unit 44 first determines whether voltage V1 is above a single upper threshold (step S2). If voltage V1 is not above a single upper threshold, it then determines whether voltage V1 is below a single lower threshold (step S3). If voltage V1 is not below a single lower threshold, it then determines whether voltage V2 is above a single upper threshold (step S4). If voltage V2 is not above a single upper threshold, it then determines whether voltage V2 is below a single lower threshold (step S5). If voltage V2 is not below a single lower threshold, it then determines whether the sum of voltage V1 and voltage V2 is above an upper threshold (step S6). If the sum of voltage V1 and voltage V2 is not above an upper threshold, it then determines whether the sum of voltage V1 and voltage V2 is below an lower threshold (step S7). If the sum of voltage V1 and voltage V2 is not below an lower threshold, the process returns to step S1.

[0048] In this way, the lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) are sequentially determined to see if they are met. If none of the lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) are met, then the lever position sensor 5 is considered to be normal. In this case, the process returns to step S1. The abnormality detection unit 44 then repeatedly executes steps S1 to S7 while the ship propulsion control system 1 is in operation until any of the lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) are met.

[0049] On the other hand, in the process of sequentially determining whether the lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) are met, if any one of the lever position sensor abnormality conditions (a) to (f) is met, that is, if the result of any of the decisions in steps S2 to S7 is "YES", then the lever position sensor 5 is considered to be abnormal. In this case, the process moves to step S8. Then, in step S8, the propulsion control unit 41 of the propulsion control unit 41 switches the mode of controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 from controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on the main operation signal output from the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2 to controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11.

[0050] Next, the information transmission unit 43 of the thruster control unit 41 sends a lever position sensor abnormality notification signal to the gauge 11 indicating an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5 (step S9).

[0051] Next, the operation mode setting unit 13 of the gauge control unit 12 of the gauge 11 recognizes an abnormality in the lever position sensor 5 based on the lever position sensor abnormality notification signal sent from the information transmission unit 43, and switches the operation mode of the gauge 11 from information display mode to limp home mode (step S10). When the operation mode of the gauge 11 is switched to limp home mode, the limp home screen 31 shown in Figure 3(C) is displayed in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17 of the gauge 11, and a neutral switch 32, a forward switch 33, a reverse switch 34, a rotation speed increase switch 35, and a rotation speed decrease switch 36 are formed on the limp home screen 31.

[0052] Next, the notification unit 45 of the propulsion control unit 41 notifies the operator or other personnel, using the voice generator 47 and wireless communication circuit 48, that the means of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51 has been changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 (step S11).

[0053] Thus, when an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the control mode of the ship's propulsion engine 51 automatically switches to a mode in which the ship's propulsion engine 51 is controlled based on the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11. At the same time, the operating mode of the gauge 11 automatically switches to limp home mode, and thereafter the operator can operate the ship's propulsion engine 51 using the gauge 11.

[0054] The operating mode of the gauge 11 can also be manually switched from the information display mode to the limp home mode. For example, the operator can tap the menu switch 28 on the information display screen 21 to switch the screen in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17 to the menu screen. Touch switches for selecting items in the menu are formed on that menu screen. By tapping these touch switches, the operator can select an item from the menu to manually switch the operating mode of the gauge 11. When the operator selects an item to manually switch the operating mode of the gauge 11, the screen in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17 switches to the screen for manually switching the operating mode of the gauge 11. Touch switches for manually switching the operating mode of the gauge 11 are formed on that screen. The operator can tap these touch switches to switch the operating mode of the gauge 11 to the limp home mode. In conjunction with the switching of the operating mode of the gauge 11 to the limp home mode, the propulsion control unit 42 switches the mode in which it controls the ship's propulsion engine 51 to a mode in which it controls the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a sub-operation signal. The operator can manually switch the operating mode of the gauge 11 to the limp home mode, and switch the control mode of the ship's propulsion engine 51 in conjunction with this manual switch, even if no abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2.

[0055] Furthermore, if the cockpit 63 of the ship 61 is equipped with an emergency switch for emergency stopping the ship's propulsion system 51, the operating mode of the gauge 11 may be switched to limp home mode when the emergency switch is operated in a special manner, such as by repeatedly turning the emergency switch on and off a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

[0056] (Control of ship propulsion systems based on gauge operation) As described above, if an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the propulsion control unit 41's propulsion control section 42 switches from controlling the ship's propulsion engine 51 based on a sub-operation signal, the gauge 11's operating mode switches to limp home mode, the limp home screen 31 is displayed in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17, and the limp home screen 31 includes a neutral switch 32, a forward switch 33, a reverse switch 34, an RPM increase switch 35, and an RPM decrease switch 36. In this state, when the operator taps the neutral switch 32, the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 outputs a sub-operation signal including a neutral switch command to the propulsion control unit 41. Also, when the operator taps the forward switch 33, the sub-operation signal output unit 16 outputs a sub-operation signal including a forward switch command to the propulsion control unit 41. Furthermore, when the operator taps the reverse switch 34, the sub-operation signal output unit 16 outputs a sub-operation signal including a reverse switching command to the propulsion control unit 41. Also, when the operator taps the rotation speed increase switch 35, the sub-operation signal output unit 16 outputs a sub-operation signal including a rotation speed increase command to the propulsion control unit 41. Also, when the operator taps the rotation speed decrease switch 36, the sub-operation signal output unit 16 outputs a sub-operation signal including a rotation speed decrease command to the propulsion control unit 41. Based on these sub-operation signals, the propulsion control unit 42 of the propulsion control unit 41 performs control to switch the shift state 25 of the ship's propulsion engine 51, and control to increase or decrease the rotation speed of the engine of the ship's propulsion engine 51.

[0057] Here, we will explain in detail the process of controlling the ship's propulsion system 51 based on the operation of the gauge 11, that is, the process of controlling the shift state and engine speed of the ship's propulsion system 51 based on the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11. Figures 6 and 7 show the flow of this process.

[0058] In Figure 6, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a neutral switching command (step S21: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S22: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is higher than the idle speed (step S23: YES), the propulsion control unit 42 of the propulsion control unit 41 sets the engine speed to idle speed and then switches the shift state to neutral (steps S24, S25). Also, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a neutral switching command (step S21: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S22: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is the idle speed (step S23: NO), the propulsion control unit 42 switches the shift state to neutral (step S25). Furthermore, if the auxiliary operation signal output from the auxiliary operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a neutral switching command (step S21: YES), and the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral (step S22: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 maintains the neutral shift state. Note that the idle speed is a specific example of the "predetermined speed".

[0059] Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a forward switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral or reverse (step S27: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is higher than the idle speed (step S28: YES), the propulsion engine control unit 42 sets the engine speed to idle speed and then switches the shift state to forward (steps S29, S30). Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a forward switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral or reverse (step S27: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is at idle speed (step S28: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 switches the shift state to forward (step S30). Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a forward switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: YES), and the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward (step S27: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 maintains the forward shift state.

[0060] Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a reverse switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral or forward (step S32: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is higher than the idle speed (step S33: YES), the propulsion engine control unit 42 sets the engine speed to idle speed and then switches the shift state to reverse (steps S34, S35). Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a reverse switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step S31: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral or forward (step S32: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is idle speed (step S33: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 switches the shift state to reverse (step S35). Also, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a reverse switching command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: YES), and the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is reverse (step S32: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 maintains the reverse shift state.

[0061] Furthermore, in Figure 7, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a rotation speed increase command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S37: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 has not reached the limp home maximum rotation speed (step S38: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 increases the engine speed (step S39). The limp home maximum rotation speed is the maximum engine speed that can be increased by tapping the rotation speed increase switch 35. The limp home maximum rotation speed is pre-stored in the non-volatile memory of the propulsion engine control unit 41. Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a command to increase rotational speed (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: YES), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S37: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 has reached the limp-home maximum rotational speed (step S38: YES), the propulsion engine control unit 42 will not increase the engine speed. Also, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a command to increase rotational speed (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: YES), and the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral (step S37: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 will not increase the engine speed.

[0062] Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a rotation speed reduction command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: NO), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S40: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is higher than the idle speed (step S41: YES), the propulsion engine control unit 42 reduces the engine speed (step S42). Also, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a rotation speed reduction command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: NO), the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is forward or reverse (step S40: YES), and the current engine speed of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is the idle speed (step S41: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 maintains the engine speed at the idle speed. Furthermore, if the sub-operation signal output from the sub-operation signal output unit 16 of the gauge 11 includes a rotation speed reduction command (step S21: NO, step S26: NO, step 31: NO, step S36: NO), and the current shift state of the ship's propulsion engine 51 is neutral (step S40: NO), the propulsion engine control unit 42 will not reduce the engine speed.

[0063] As can be seen in steps S23, S24, S28, S29, or S33, S34 in Figure 6, when the propulsion control unit 42 switches the shift state based on the sub-operation signal, if the engine speed is above the idle speed, it will reduce the engine speed to the idle speed before switching the shift state. This suppresses the occurrence of large vibrations or shocks in the vessel when the shift state is switched. That is, as shown in Figure 3(B), when the shift state is switched by the lever 4 of the remote controller 2, the shift state is switched when the position of the lever 4 is between the neutral position NP and the minimum forward position FP1, or when the position of the lever 4 is between the neutral position NP and the minimum reverse position RP1. Therefore, unless the operator moves the lever 4 roughly and quickly, for example, from a position between the minimum reverse position RP1 and the maximum reverse position RP2 to a position between the minimum forward position FP1 and the maximum forward position FP2, the engine speed when the shift state is switched will be the idle speed or a value close to the idle speed. Therefore, when the shift state is switched using the lever 4 of the remote controller 2, the vibration or shock of the vessel that occurs when the shift state is switched can be kept to a minimum by the operator operating the lever slowly and carefully. In contrast, when the shift state is switched using the touch-type switch of the gauge 11, for example, if the shift state is in reverse and the engine speed is above the idle speed, and the neutral switch 32 or forward switch 33 is tapped, and the shift state is switched without controlling the engine speed to idle speed, the shift state will be switched while the engine speed remains above idle speed, resulting in a large vibration or shock to the vessel. Certainly, if the operator taps the rotation speed reduction switch 36 to set the engine speed to idle speed before tapping the neutral switch 32 or forward switch 33, the occurrence of a large vibration or shock to the vessel can be suppressed.However, performing multiple switch operations like this is more time-consuming than slowly and carefully operating the lever on the remote controller 2, so it is undesirable to require the operator to do so. In this embodiment, for example, when the neutral switch 32 or forward switch 33 is tapped while the shift state is in reverse and the engine speed is above the idle speed, the system automatically controls the engine speed to idle speed before switching the shift state. This suppresses the occurrence of large vibrations or shocks in the vessel when switching the shift state. Furthermore, the operator can perform both setting the engine speed to idle speed and switching the shift state at the same time by simply tapping the forward switch 33 once, making the operation easy and extremely user-friendly.

[0064] Furthermore, as can be seen in step S38 in Figure 7, when the propulsion control unit 42 increases the engine speed based on the sub-operation signal, it limits the upper limit of the engine speed to the limp home maximum speed. It is preferable to set the limp home maximum speed to a value smaller than the maximum value of the normal engine speed, that is, the engine speed when the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2 is functioning correctly and the position of the lever 4 of the remote controller 2 is in the maximum forward position FP2. This makes it possible to suppress the speed of the vessel 61 in the event of a malfunction of the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, thereby ensuring safe navigation.

[0065] As explained above, with the ship propulsion system 1 of this embodiment, when the remote controller 2 is functioning normally, the operator can operate the ship propulsion system 51 using the lever 4 on the remote controller 2, and when the remote controller 2 is malfunctioning, the operator can operate the ship propulsion system 51 using the touch-type switch on the gauge 11. Therefore, when the remote controller 2 malfunctions and it becomes difficult to move the ship 61 by operating the ship propulsion system 51 using the remote controller 2, the operator can move the ship by operating the ship propulsion system 51 using the gauge 11. Thus, the degree to which malfunctions such as failure of the remote controller 2 hinder navigation can be reduced, and the safety of navigation can be improved.

[0066] Furthermore, in the ship propulsion system 1 of this embodiment, when an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the mode of controlling the ship propulsion system 51 automatically switches from a mode of controlling the ship propulsion system 51 based on a main operation signal to a mode of controlling the ship propulsion system 51 based on a sub-operation signal, and the operating mode of the gauge 11 automatically switches from information display mode to limp home mode. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the remote controller 2, the operator can quickly and easily start operating the ship propulsion system 51 using the gauge 11, and can quickly ensure the safety of navigation.

[0067] Furthermore, in the ship propulsion system 1 of this embodiment, when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is in information display mode, the gauge 11 displays an information display screen 21 without touch switches for operating the ship propulsion system 51 within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17, and when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is in limp home mode, the limp home screen 31 with touch switches for operating the ship propulsion system 51 is displayed within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17. When the ship propulsion system 51 can be operated by the remote controller 2, by displaying the information display screen 21 without touch switches for operating the ship propulsion system 51 within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17, a lot of information related to the ship propulsion system 51 can be displayed within the display area 17A, and the basic performance of the gauge 11, which is to display various information related to the ship propulsion system 51, can be maintained or improved. On the other hand, when the ship's propulsion system 51 cannot be operated by the remote controller 2, the ship's propulsion system 51 can be operated by the gauge 11 by displaying a limping home screen 31, which has touch switches for operating the ship's propulsion system 51, within the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17.

[0068] Furthermore, since the gauge 11 is a device that provides various information related to the ship's propulsion system 51 to the operator, it has a large display and is located in the cockpit 63 of the ship 61, or in other locations where the operator operates the ship. The gauge 11 is also located near the remote controller 2. Therefore, by providing the gauge 11 with the function to operate the ship's propulsion system 51, it is possible to provide an alternative operating device for the remote controller 2 that has an ease of operation close to that of the remote controller 2. In addition, by providing the gauge 11 with the function to operate the ship's propulsion system 51, it is not necessary to separately install an alternative operating device for the remote controller 2 in the cockpit 63, thus reducing the number of devices installed in the cockpit 63. Therefore, it is possible to make the cockpit 63 more compact, simplify the layout of equipment in the cockpit 63, or simplify the wiring of equipment.

[0069] Furthermore, the ship propulsion control system 1 of this embodiment has a notification unit 45, and when the propulsion control unit 42 switches from controlling the ship propulsion 51 based on a main operation signal to controlling the ship propulsion 51 based on a sub-operation signal, or when the operating mode of the gauge 11 switches from information display mode to limp home mode, the notification unit 45 notifies the operator that the means of operating the ship propulsion 51 has changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11. The operator can easily and quickly know that the means of operating the ship propulsion 51 has changed from the remote controller 2 to the gauge 11 based on the notification from the notification unit 45.Therefore, the operator can quickly start operating the ship propulsion 51 using the gauge 11 in the event of a malfunction in the remote controller 2, and can quickly ensure the safety of navigation.

[0070] Furthermore, in the ship propulsion system 1 of this embodiment, when the propulsion control unit 42 switches the shift state of the ship propulsion unit 51 based on a sub-operation signal, if the engine speed of the ship propulsion unit 51 is not the idle speed, it sets the engine speed to the idle speed before switching the shift state. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of large vibrations or shocks in the ship when the shift state is switched.

[0071] In the above embodiment of the ship propulsion engine control system 1, when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is information display mode, an information display screen 21 without touch switches for operating the ship propulsion engine 51 is displayed in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17, and when the operating mode of the gauge 11 is limp home mode, a limp home screen 31 with touch switches for operating the ship propulsion engine 51 is displayed in the display area 17A of the touch panel display 17. However, the gauge in the ship propulsion engine control system of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 8, a gauge control unit (not shown) and a display 73 are provided inside the casing 72, the display 73 is positioned so that its display area 73A corresponds to a display window 72A formed on one side of the casing 72, and a plurality of mechanical switches 74 are provided outside the display window 72A. When the operating mode of the gauge 71 is information display mode, none of the switches 74 are assigned the function of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51. When the operating mode of the gauge 71 is limp home mode, all or some of the switches 74 are assigned the function of operating the ship's propulsion engine 51. When an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, the operating mode of the gauge 71 may be switched from information display mode to limp home mode.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the ship propulsion engine control system 1, the case in which a remote controller 2 is used as an operating device for operating the ship propulsion engine 51 was given as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 9(A), the grip 83 of the tiller handle 81 can also be used as an operating device for operating the ship propulsion engine 85. As shown in Figure 9(B), the grip 83 is provided at the tip of the bar portion 82 of the tiller handle 81. The grip 83 is provided on the bar portion 82 so as to be rotatable from the intermediate position MP in the direction indicated by arrow FA or in the direction indicated by arrow RA. For example, when the position of the grip 83 is the intermediate position MP, the shift state of the ship propulsion engine 85 is neutral. When the grip 83 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow FA, the shift state of the ship propulsion engine 85 becomes forward. When the grip 83 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow RA, the shift state of the ship propulsion engine 85 becomes reverse. Furthermore, when the grip 83 is in the intermediate position MP, the engine speed of the ship's propulsion system 85 is the idle speed. Also, when the grip 83 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow FA, the engine speed becomes greater than the idle speed, and the engine speed increases as the rotation angle of the grip 83 from the intermediate position MP in the direction of arrow FA increases. Also, when the grip 83 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow RA, the engine speed becomes greater than the idle speed, and the engine speed increases as the rotation angle of the grip 83 from the intermediate position MP in the direction of arrow RA increases. Furthermore, a gauge 84 is provided on the base end portion of the bar section 82. Also, for example, a propulsion control unit having a propulsion control unit, an information transmission unit, an abnormality detection unit, and a notification unit is provided inside the bar section 82, inside the gauge 84, or in the ship's propulsion system 85. Also, for example, a voice generator and a wireless communication circuit are provided inside the bar section 82, inside the gauge 84, or in the ship's propulsion system 85.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the ship propulsion engine control system 1, the propulsion engine control unit 41 is separate from and independent of the gauge 11. However, for example, the propulsion engine control unit 41 may be installed inside the casing 18 of the gauge 11 and integrated with the gauge 11. Alternatively, the propulsion engine control unit 41 may be installed on the ship propulsion engine 51.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the ship propulsion system 1, the voice generator 47 and the wireless communication circuit 48 are connected to the propulsion control unit 41, but the voice generator 47 and the wireless communication circuit 48 may be connected to the gauge control unit 12.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment of the ship propulsion system 1, an example was given in which the control mode of the ship propulsion system 51 and the operating mode of the gauge 11 are switched when an abnormality is detected in the lever position sensor 5 of the remote controller 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control mode of the ship propulsion system 51 and the operating mode of the gauge 11 may be switched when an abnormality is detected in another part of the remote controller 2.

[0076] Furthermore, the ship propulsion system 1 in the above embodiment may control not only ship propulsion systems that use an engine as a power source to rotate the propeller, but also ship propulsion systems that use a motor (electric motor) as a power source to rotate the propeller. In a ship propulsion system control that controls a ship propulsion system that uses a motor as a power source to rotate the propeller, when switching the shift state of the ship propulsion system based on a sub-operation signal, if the rotational speed of the motor of the ship propulsion system is not a predetermined rotational speed (for example, 0), the rotational speed of the motor is set to the predetermined rotational speed before switching the shift state.

[0077] Furthermore, the control target of the ship propulsion system 1 of the present invention is not limited to outboard motors, but may also be other ship propulsion systems other than outboard motors, such as inboard motors.

[0078] Furthermore, the present invention may be modified as appropriate, provided that it does not contradict the gist or idea of ​​the invention as can be read from the claims and the specification as a whole, and a ship propulsion control system with such modifications is also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1. Ship propulsion system control system 2. Remote controller (operating device) 4. Lever (main control unit) 5. Lever position sensor (main operation signal output unit) 11, 71, 84 gauge 13. Operation Mode Setting Section 16 Output section of sub-operation signals 17. Touch panel display (display unit) 21 Information display screen 31 Limp Home Screen 32. Neutral selector switch (touch switch) 33. Forward selector switch (touch switch) 34. Reverse switch (touch switch) 35. Speed ​​increase switch (touch switch) 36. Speed ​​reduction switch (touch switch) 41. Propulsion control unit (control device) 42 Propulsion Control Unit 44 Anomaly detection unit 45 Hochi Department 51, 85 Ship propulsion equipment 61 Ships 73 Display (Display Unit) 74 switches 83. Grip (operating device)

Claims

1. A ship propulsion system control system for controlling the propulsion force of a ship generated by a ship propulsion engine, An operating device having a main operating unit for performing operations to change the thrust force, and a main operating signal output unit for outputting a main operating signal corresponding to the operation of the main operating unit, A gauge having a display unit for displaying information relating to the ship's propulsion system, a sub-operation unit for performing operations to change the propulsion force, and a sub-operation signal output unit for outputting sub-operation signals corresponding to the operation of the sub-operation unit, An abnormality detection unit for detecting abnormalities in the aforementioned operating device, A ship propulsion system control system characterized by comprising a control device that, when no abnormality is detected in the operating device by the abnormality detection unit, changes the propulsion force based on the main operation signal, and when an abnormality is detected in the operating device by the abnormality detection unit, changes the propulsion force based on the sub-operation signal.

2. The aforementioned display unit is a touch panel display. The sub-operation unit is a touch-type switch formed on the screen of the display unit. The gauge has an operating mode setting unit that sets the operating mode of the gauge to at least one of the following operating modes: a first mode in which the sub-operating unit is not formed on the screen of the display unit, and a second mode in which the sub-operating unit is formed on the screen of the display unit. The ship propulsion system control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating mode setting unit switches the operating mode of the gauge from the first mode to the second mode when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the operating device while the operating mode of the gauge is in the first mode.

3. The gauge is provided with multiple switches. The gauge has an operating mode setting unit that sets the operating mode of the gauge to at least one of the following operating modes: a first mode in which the functions of the sub-operating unit are not assigned to the plurality of switches, and a second mode in which the functions of the sub-operating unit are assigned to the plurality of switches. The ship propulsion system control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating mode setting unit switches the operating mode of the gauge from the first mode to the second mode when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the operating device while the operating mode of the gauge is in the first mode.

4. The ship propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device is equipped with a notification unit that notifies when the control mode for changing the propulsion force is switched from a mode for changing the propulsion force based on the main operation signal to a mode for changing the propulsion force based on the sub-operation signal, the means for operating the ship propulsion system has been changed from the operating device to the gauge.

5. The ship propulsion control system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that the means for operating the ship propulsion system has been changed from the operating device to the gauge when the operating mode of the gauge switches from the first mode to the second mode.

6. The ship propulsion system control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sub-operation unit has a propulsion direction operation unit for switching the forward and backward direction of the propulsion force, and a propulsion force increase / decrease operation unit for changing the magnitude of the propulsion force.

7. The control device changes the magnitude of the thrust by changing the rotational speed of the power source of the ship's propulsion machine, and when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, if the rotational speed of the power source exceeds a predetermined rotational speed and an operation to switch the forward and backward direction of the thrust is performed by the thrust direction operation unit, the rotational speed of the power source is set to a predetermined rotational speed and then the forward and backward direction of the thrust is switched, as described in claim 6.

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