Control device and control method

Abstract

To provide a technology to enable accurate maneuvering.SOLUTION: A controller turns a vessel by having a first propeller generate thrust in advancing direction as well as having a second propeller generate thrust in backing direction. The controller carries out at least one of a first control when receiving an advancing instruction during turning of the vessel or a second control when receiving a backing instruction during turning of the vessel. The first control is composed to change direction of generated thrust from backing direction to advancing direction for the second propeller and to stop generation of thrust in the first propeller during changing of thrust direction by the second propeller. The second control is composed to change direction of generated thrust from advancing direction to the backing direction for the first propeller and to stop generation of thrust to the second propeller during changing of thrust by the first propeller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control method. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a ship including an operating device and a control device. The control device in the ship disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the navigation state of the ship and the operation state of the operating device. The control device estimates the navigation intention of the ship operator based on the navigation state and the operation state. Then, based on the navigation intention, the control device selects a ship maneuvering device to be controlled from a plurality of ship maneuvering devices, and controls the driving amount of an actuator that drives the selected ship maneuvering device to be controlled. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-67287 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables accurate ship maneuvering. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] The control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to: turn the ship by causing one or more first propellers provided on the ship to generate forward thrust, and causing one or more second propellers provided on the ship to generate reverse thrust; and perform at least one of first control when an instruction to move the ship forward during turning of the ship is received, or second control when an instruction to move the ship backward during turning of the ship is received. It is configured to perform, The first control consists of causing one or more second thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the reverse direction to the forward direction, and causing one or more first thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more second thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. The second control consists of causing one or more first thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the forward direction to the reverse direction, and causing one or more second thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more first thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust.

[0006] The control method relating to the second aspect of this disclosure is: A control method performed by a computer, The vessel is turned by generating forward thrust in one or more first propulsion devices installed on the vessel, and generating backward thrust in one or more second propulsion devices installed on the vessel, If an instruction to move the vessel forward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the first control is performed, or if an instruction to move the vessel backward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the second control is performed. Includes, The first control consists of causing one or more second thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the reverse direction to the forward direction, and causing one or more first thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more second thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. The second control consists of causing one or more first thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the forward direction to the reverse direction, and causing one or more second thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more first thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure will enable more precise ship handling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of the ship handling system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of ship operation. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the operation of the ship in this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device that constitutes the ship steering system. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the change in thrust generated by the left and right thrusters when a ship turns to the right and moves in reverse. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the control unit of the control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A ship may turn (rotate) by generating forward thrust in one or more of its multiple propulsion systems, while generating backward thrust in another one or more of its propulsion systems. Furthermore, a ship may be instructed to move forward or backward while turning. If a ship is instructed to move forward while turning, control is performed to switch the direction of thrust generated by one or more of the propulsion systems currently generating backward thrust from backward to forward, thereby generating forward thrust together with the other propulsion system. Similarly, if a ship is instructed to move backward while turning, control is performed to switch the direction of thrust generated by one or more of the propulsion systems currently generating forward thrust from forward to backward, thereby generating backward thrust together with the other propulsion system.

[0010] When the direction of thrust is switched in the propellers, a time lag occurs between the start of the switch and its completion. During this time, if one or more propellers that do not switch the direction of thrust are generating thrust in the forward or reverse direction, the thrust that rotates the vessel will continue to be generated during the time lag. Therefore, the vessel will continue to rotate between the time a forward or reverse command is given while the vessel is turning and the direction of thrust generated by one or more propellers is switched. Consequently, it becomes difficult to move the vessel forward or backward when its heading is facing the direction desired by the operator. The control device according to the first aspect of this disclosure solves such problems.

[0011] The control unit of the control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure causes the vessel to turn by generating forward thrust in one or more first propellers provided on the vessel and generating backward thrust in one or more second propellers provided on the vessel. At this time, the control unit of the control device performs at least one of the first control when it receives an instruction to move the vessel forward while the vessel is turning, or the second control when it receives an instruction to move the vessel backward.

[0012] Here, the first control consists of switching the direction of thrust generated by one or more second thrusters from the reverse direction to the forward direction, and stopping the generation of thrust by one or more first thrusters while one or more second thrusters are switching the direction of thrust. The second control also consists of switching the direction of thrust generated by one or more first thrusters from the forward direction to the reverse direction, and stopping the generation of thrust by one or more second thrusters while one or more first thrusters are switching the direction of thrust.

[0013] As described above, while the direction of thrust of a propulsor is being switched by the control device, the generation of thrust from the propulsor that has been generating thrust in the opposite direction to the said propulsor is stopped. This enables the stop of the generation of thrust that rotates the ship during the time lag occurring from the start to the completion of switching the direction of the thrust generated by the propulsor. Therefore, during turning of the ship, after a forward or reverse instruction is given, the continued rotation of the ship is suppressed while the direction of the thrust generated by one or more propulsors is being switched. As a result, when the heading of the ship is oriented to the heading desired by the operator, the ship can be moved forward or backward, enabling accurate ship handling.

[0014] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise stated, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure to only these. In addition, unless otherwise stated, dimensions, materials, shapes and relative arrangements of components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure to only these.

[0015] <Embodiment> (Schematic of the system) The ship handling system 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ship handling system 1. The ship handling system 1 is configured to include a propulsor 100 and a control device 200 that are mounted on a ship 10. In the ship handling system 1, the propulsor 100 and the control device 200 are electrically connected. Note that the propulsor 100 and the control device 200 may be mechanically connected.

[0016] (Propulsor) The thrusters 100 are located at the rear of the ship 10. One thruster 100 is provided on each side of the rear of the ship 10. Here, when distinguishing between the thruster 100 located at the left rear of the ship 10 and the thruster 100 located at the right rear of the ship 10, they may be referred to as the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R, respectively. The thrusters 100 (left thruster 100L and right thruster 100R) generate thrust in response to control signals from the control device 200. The power source for the thrusters 100 is, for example, an engine. Alternatively, the power source for the thrusters 100 may be a motor. The thrusters 100 generate thrust by rotating a screw. By switching the direction of rotation of the screw, the thrusters 100 can generate thrust in the direction that moves the ship 10 forward (forward direction) and thrust in the direction that moves the ship 10 backward (reverse direction).

[0017] (Control device) The control device 200 is a control device for operating the ship 10. The control device 200 transmits control signals to the thrusters 100 in response to input from the operator of the ship 10. Here, the control device 200 receives instructions from the operator to automatically turn the ship 10. The control device 200 receives instructions to turn the ship 10, for example, by receiving instructions on the heading to which the bow should point. Then, the control device 200 outputs output signals to the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R in order to turn the ship 10.

[0018] Figure 2 shows an example of the operation of the vessel 10. In Figure 2, an example is shown in which the vessel 10 turns to the right. Also in Figure 2, an example is shown in which the vessel receives a reverse command while turning to the right. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows a diagram indicating the direction of thrust from the propeller 100 when reverse movement begins.

[0019] As shown on the left side of Figure 2, when the control device 200 receives an instruction to turn to the right, it generates forward thrust in the left thruster 100L. At the same time, the control device 200 also generates reverse thrust in the right thruster 100R. In this way, the control device 200 causes the ship 10 to turn to the right. If the control device 200 receives an instruction to turn to the left, it generates reverse thrust in the left thruster 100L and forward thrust in the right thruster 100R.

[0020] In this case, the operator of the vessel 10 may, for example, in the middle of turning, instruct the control device 200 to reverse if he determines that the direction the bow of the vessel 10 is pointing (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "bow direction") is suitable for reversing. Also, the operator of the vessel 10 may, for example, in the middle of turning, instruct the control device 200 to reverse if the position of the vessel 10 has changed due to external disturbances (wind or current) and he decides to reverse the vessel 10.

[0021] As shown in the center of Figure 2, the control device 200 may receive an instruction to move the ship 10 in reverse while the ship 10 is turning (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "reverse instruction"). In this case, the control device 200 switches the direction of the thrust generated by the left thruster 100L (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "thrust direction") from the forward direction to the reverse direction. Subsequently, as shown on the right side of Figure 2, the control device 200 generates thrust in the reverse direction in the left thruster 100L as soon as the switch in the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is complete, and the ship 10 begins to move in reverse.

[0022] Here, if the thruster 100 is powered by an engine, the gear of the left thruster 100L switches from a gear that generates forward thrust, through a neutral gear, to a gear that generates reverse thrust. This results in a time lag until the gear of the left thruster 100L switches from a gear that generates forward thrust to a gear that generates reverse thrust. Also, if the thruster 100 is powered by a motor, suddenly changing the thrust direction would abruptly change the rotation direction of the shaft of the left thruster 100L. Therefore, in order to suppress the load on the shaft, the thrust direction is changed only after the shaft's rotation speed has decreased sufficiently. Thus, even when the thruster 100 is powered by a motor, there is a time lag in switching the thrust direction.

[0023] Therefore, as shown in the center of Figure 2, if the right thruster 100R is generating thrust while the left thruster 100L is not generating thrust due to the switching of thrust direction, the thrust generated by the right thruster 100R will cause the ship 10 to continue rotating. In this case, the ship 10 will begin to reverse when its heading is different from the heading at the time the reverse command was received.

[0024] Therefore, while the left thruster 100L is switching the thrust direction, the control device 200 stops generating thrust in the right thruster 100R. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the ship 10 in this embodiment. As shown in the center of Figure 3, when the control device 200 receives a reverse command, it switches the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L and at the same time stops generating thrust in the right thruster 100R.

[0025] Specifically, if the propulsion of the thruster 100 is an engine, the control device 200 stops the generation of thrust from the right thruster 100R by switching the gear of the right thruster 100R to neutral. Also, if the propulsion of the thruster 100 is a motor, the control device 200 stops the generation of thrust from the right thruster 100R by stopping the supply of electricity to the motor.

[0026] As a result, no thrust is generated to rotate the ship 10 during the switching of the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L, thus suppressing unnecessary rotation of the ship 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ship's heading when the switching of the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is complete and the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R generate thrust in the reverse direction from being different from the heading at the time the reverse command was received (see the right side of Figure 3).

[0027] The same applies when the control device 200 receives an instruction to move the vessel 10 forward (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "forward instruction") while the vessel 10 is turning to the right. In this case, the control device 200 stops the generation of forward thrust in the left thruster 100L while the right thruster 100R is switching the thrust direction from reverse to forward. The same applies when a forward or reverse instruction is given while the vessel 10 is turning to the left, so the explanation is omitted.

[0028] The control device 200 is configured to include a computer having a processor 210, a main memory unit 220, and an auxiliary memory unit 230. The processor 210 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main memory unit 220 is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 230 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). Alternatively, the auxiliary memory unit 230 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD disc, or Blu-ray disc. The auxiliary memory unit 230 may also be removable media (portable storage medium). Here, examples of removable media include, for example, a USB memory stick or an SD card.

[0029] In the control device 200, the auxiliary storage unit 230 stores the operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables. Furthermore, in the control device 200, the processor 210 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 230 into the main memory unit 220 and executes them, thereby realizing various functions as described later. However, some or all of the functions of the control device 200 may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. Note that the control device 200 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, but may be composed of multiple computers cooperating with each other.

[0030] (Functional Configuration) Next, the functional configuration of the control device 200 that constitutes the ship handling system 1 will be explained based on Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 200 that constitutes the ship handling system 1. The control device 200 consists of a control unit 201, a position acquisition unit 202, and an input unit 203. The control unit 201 has the function of performing calculation processing for controlling the control device 200. The control unit 201 can be realized by the processor 210 in the control device 200.

[0031] The position acquisition unit 202 has the function of acquiring the current position and heading of the vessel 10. The position acquisition unit 202 can be implemented by a GPS sensor on the vessel 10. The position acquisition unit 202 transmits the acquired current position of the vessel 10 to the control unit 201 in real time.

[0032] The input unit 203 has a function for the operator of the ship 10 to input instructions for operation to the control device 200. The input unit 203 can be implemented, for example, by a touch panel and a joystick on the control device 200.

[0033] The operator of the vessel 10 provides input to the input unit 203 specifying the direction of travel (forward or backward) of the vessel 10. In this case, the operator of the vessel 10 provides input specifying forward or backward movement of the vessel 10 by tilting the joystick forward or backward. The control unit 201 then transmits command signals to both the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R to generate thrust in the forward or backward direction. Alternatively, the operator of the vessel 10 may provide input specifying the direction of travel of the vessel 10 by tilting the joystick left or right. In this case, the control unit 201 can adjust the direction of travel of the vessel 10 left or right by adjusting the magnitude of the thrust generated by the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R in response to the input to the input unit 203.

[0034] Furthermore, the operator of the vessel 10 inputs the heading of the vessel 10 to the input unit 203. The operator of the vessel 10 inputs the heading of the vessel 10 to the touch panel. The input unit 203 then transmits turn instruction information, which is information about instructing the vessel 10 to turn to the specified heading, to the control unit 201. Here, the turn instruction information may also include information specifying the turning speed (angular velocity) of the vessel 10.

[0035] When the control unit 201 receives turning instruction information from the input unit 203, it obtains the current heading of the ship 10 from the position acquisition unit 202. The control unit 201 determines the turning direction, for example, between turning to the left and turning to the right, whichever is smaller in terms of the amount of turning (angle) from the current heading to the heading specified in the turning instruction information. The control unit 201 then transmits control signals to the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R to generate thrust in order to turn in the determined turning direction. The control unit 201 monitors the heading of the ship 10, and when the heading of the ship 10 reaches the specified heading, it stops the thrust generation to the thrusters 100. In this way, the control unit 201 controls the ship 10 to automatically turn in response to the turning instruction from the ship's operator.

[0036] Here, the turning instruction information may include specifying the heading of the ship and indicating the direction in which the ship 10 should turn. Alternatively, the turning instruction information may simply be an instruction to start turning to the right or left. In this case, when the input unit 203 receives an input from the operator of the ship 10 instructing the ship 10 to stop turning, the control unit 201 performs control to stop the ship 10 from turning.

[0037] Here, the control unit 201 may receive input from the operator of the vessel 10 to the input unit 203 to instruct the vessel to move forward or backward while the vessel 10 is turning. At this time, the control unit 201 controls the thrust generated by the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the change in thrust generated by the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R when the vessel 10 turns to the right and moves backward.

[0038] In Figure 5, the thrust generated by the left thruster 100L is shown by the dashed line. Also in Figure 5, the thrust generated by the right thruster 100R is shown by the dotted line. Furthermore, in the graph shown in Figure 5, the vertical axis, with the origin as the dividing point, represents the magnitude of thrust in the forward direction on the upper side and the magnitude of thrust in the reverse direction on the lower side.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, since the ship 10 is turning to the right, the left thruster 100L is generating thrust in the forward direction. Now, if a reverse command is given at time t1, Assume the following: At this time, the control unit 201 stops the generation of forward thrust from the left thruster 100L. Here, if the power source of the thruster 100 is an engine, the control unit 201 changes the gear of the left thruster 100L to neutral, and then at time t2 changes the gear to a gear that generates backward thrust. In this way, at time t2, when the gear of the left thruster 100L is changed to a gear that generates backward thrust, the control unit 201 generates backward thrust from the left thruster 100L.

[0040] Furthermore, as the ship 10 is turning to the right, the right thruster 100R is generating thrust in the reverse direction. At this time, the control unit 201 stops the generation of reverse thrust from the right thruster 100R at time t1. Then, at time t2, the control unit 201 changes the gear of the right thruster 100R to a gear that generates reverse thrust, and the right thruster 100R starts generating reverse thrust again. In other words, at time t2, the control unit 201 generates thrust simultaneously in both the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R. By synchronizing the timing of thrust generation in the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R in this way, the ship 10 can move straight backward.

[0041] If the propulsion system 100 is powered by a motor, the control unit 201 stops the generation of thrust from the left propulsion system 100L and the right propulsion system 100R. Then, at time t2, when the rotational speed of the left propulsion system 100L's shaft reaches a predetermined rotational speed, the control unit 201 generates thrust in the reverse direction from both the left propulsion system 100L and the right propulsion system 100R. Here, the predetermined rotational speed is the rotational speed at which the load on the shaft is expected to be sufficiently small even when the rotation of the shaft is reversed.

[0042] In this manner, the control unit 201 controls the thrust generated by the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R, thereby turning the ship 10 to the right and moving it in reverse. The same applies when the control device 200 receives a forward command while the ship 10 is turning to the right. The same also applies when the ship 10 receives a forward or reverse command while it is turning to the left. Therefore, the explanation is omitted.

[0043] (flowchart) Next, the processes performed by the control unit 201 of the control device 200 in the ship handling system 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the control unit 201. The process shown in Figure 6 is the process of moving the ship 10 in reverse when a reverse command is received while turning to the right. The process shown in Figure 6 is started when the control unit 201 receives information about turning to the right.

[0044] In the process shown in Figure 6, first, in S101, the thrusters 100 are activated. At this time, the control unit 201 generates forward thrust in the left thruster 100L in order to turn the ship 10 to the right. The control unit 201 also generates backward thrust in the right thruster 100R in order to turn the ship 10 to the right. Next, in S102, the current heading of the ship 10 is acquired from the position acquisition unit 202. Next, in S103, it is determined whether the ship 10 has completed its turn by determining whether the current heading of the ship 10 matches the heading specified in the turn instruction information. If a positive determination is made in S103, the operation of the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R is stopped in S108. In other words, in S108, the generation of thrust from the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R is stopped. Then, the process shown in Figure 6 is completed.

[0045] If a negative result is obtained in S103, then in S104, it is determined whether or not the reverse instruction was received. If a negative result is obtained in S104, the turning of the vessel 10 continues. Therefore, the process in S102 is executed again. If a positive result is obtained in S104 Therefore, it is necessary to switch the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L from forward to reverse. Thus, in S105, the switching of the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is initiated. At the same time as the switching of the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L, the right thruster 100R is stopped, and thrust generation is halted.

[0046] Next, in S106, it is determined whether the ship 10 is capable of moving in reverse. That is, it is determined whether the left thruster 100L can generate thrust in the reverse direction. If the power source of the left thruster 100L is an engine, whether the left thruster 100L can generate thrust in the reverse direction is determined by whether the gear of the left thruster 100L is in neutral and whether it can be switched to a gear for the reverse direction. If the power source of the left thruster 100L is a motor, whether the left thruster 100L can generate thrust in the reverse direction is determined by whether the rotational speed of the shaft is at a predetermined rotational speed.

[0047] If a negative result is obtained in S106, the process in S106 is repeated until the left thruster 100L is able to generate thrust in the reverse direction. If a positive result is obtained in S106, the left thruster 100L can generate thrust in the reverse direction. Therefore, in S107, the thruster 100 is activated. At this time, the left thruster 100L and the right thruster 100R simultaneously generate thrust in the reverse direction. In other words, as soon as the switching of the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is completed, thrust is generated again in the right thruster 100R. Then, the process shown in Figure 6 is completed.

[0048] As explained above, when the ship steering system 1 issues a reverse command while the ship 10 is turning to the right, the direction of thrust generated by the left thruster 100L is switched to the reverse direction. At this time, while the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is being switched, the thrust generation of the right thruster 100R is stopped. This allows the generation of thrust to turn the ship 10 to be stopped during the time lag between the start and completion of the thrust direction switch of the left thruster 100L. Therefore, the ship 10 is prevented from continuing to rotate after a reverse command is issued while the ship 10 is turning and while the thrust direction of the left thruster 100L is being switched.

[0049] Furthermore, if the control device 200 receives a forward command while the vessel 10 is turning to the right, the same process can be used to prevent the vessel 10 from continuing to rotate until the switch in the direction of propulsion is complete. Similarly, if the vessel 10 receives a forward or reverse command while turning to the left, the same process can be used to prevent the vessel 10 from continuing to rotate until the switch in the direction of propulsion is complete. As a result, the vessel 10 can be reversed when its bow heading is facing the direction desired by the operator of the vessel 10, enabling precise maneuvering.

[0050] (Variation 1) In this embodiment, the ship 10 is equipped with two propellers 100, a left propeller 100L and a right propeller 100R. However, the number of propellers 100 provided on the ship 10 does not necessarily have to be two. The number of propellers 100 provided on the ship 10 can be two or more. In this case, when a reverse command is given while turning, the control device 200 switches the thrust direction of the propeller 100 that is generating thrust in the forward direction among the two or more propellers 100 to the reverse direction. At this time, the control device 200 also stops the generation of thrust from the propeller 100 that is generating thrust in the reverse direction. Even in this way, the ship 10 can be moved in reverse when the ship's heading is facing the direction desired by the ship's operator, enabling accurate maneuvering.

[0051] (Modification 2) In this embodiment, the thruster 100 generates thrust by rotating the screw. This generates thrust. However, the propeller 100 may generate thrust by means other than rotating a screw. The propeller 100 may be, for example, a waterjet propeller. Even when the propeller 100 is a waterjet propeller, there is a time lag in switching the thrust direction of the propeller 100. Therefore, by stopping the generation of thrust from the propeller 100 whose thrust direction is not being switched when the thrust direction of the propeller 100 is being switched, the ship 10 is prevented from continuing to turn until the thrust direction switch is completed. As a result, accurate maneuvering becomes possible.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processes and means described in this disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0053] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0054] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium includes any type of disk, such as magnetic disks (floppy disks or hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards, and any other type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1. Ship handling system 10...Ship 100...propulsion device 100R...Right thruster 100L left thruster 200... Control device 201 ·· Control Unit 202...Position acquisition unit 203. Input section

Claims

1. A control device comprising a control unit, The control unit, The vessel is to be turned by generating forward thrust in one or more first propulsion devices installed on the vessel, and generating backward thrust in one or more second propulsion devices installed on the vessel, If an instruction to move the vessel forward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the first control is performed, or if an instruction to move the vessel backward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the second control is performed. It is configured to perform, The first control consists of causing one or more second thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the reverse direction to the forward direction, and causing one or more first thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more second thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. The second control comprises instructing one or more first thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the forward direction to the reverse direction, and instructing one or more second thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more first thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. Control device.

2. The control unit, In the first control, at the same time that the one or more second thrusters have completed switching the direction of the thrust from the reverse direction to the forward direction, the one or more first thrusters are made to generate thrust in the forward direction again, or / and In the second control, at the same time that the one or more first thrusters have completed switching the direction of the thrust from the forward direction to the reverse direction, the one or more second thrusters are made to generate thrust in the reverse direction again. It is configured to perform further actions. The control device according to claim 1.

3. Turning the aforementioned vessel is performed by receiving an instruction for the vessel to automatically turn. to be broken, The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The instruction for the automatic turning of the vessel includes specifying the direction in which the vessel should turn. The control device according to claim 3.

5. A control method performed by a computer, The vessel is to be turned by generating forward thrust in one or more first propulsion devices installed on the vessel, and generating backward thrust in one or more second propulsion devices installed on the vessel, If an instruction to move the vessel forward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the first control is performed, or if an instruction to move the vessel backward is received while the vessel is turning, at least one of the second control is performed. Includes, The first control consists of causing one or more second thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the reverse direction to the forward direction, and causing one or more first thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more second thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. The second control comprises instructing one or more first thrusters to switch the direction of the thrust they generate from the forward direction to the reverse direction, and instructing one or more second thrusters to stop generating thrust while the one or more first thrusters are switching the direction of the thrust. Control method.

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