Joystick System for Watercraft Thrust Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing joystick systems for watercraft struggle to provide simple and efficient initiation of boosted thrust mode, especially in challenging conditions like high current or wind, as activating increased thrust via buttons can be difficult and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A joystick system with a pivotable joystick that has distinct ranges of motion, where the control module increases thrust from minimum to maximum at different rates based on joystick angle, allowing for smooth transition into boosted thrust mode and providing tactile or visual feedback to the operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a button is provided for increasing resultant thrust in boosted thrust mode, then increased thrust can be achieved, but it becomes difficult or prohibitively slow to activate during difficult maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thrust activation function with the joystick control mechanism itself. The joystick's natural movement range is extended to include a boosted thrust mode activation zone, combining directional control and thrust level selection into a single unified control interface. This eliminates the need for separate button activation and allows thrust increase to be triggered naturally during normal joystick operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The joystick is designed to serve multiple functions: directional control, thrust level selection, and boosted thrust mode activation. By making the joystick universal, the system allows a single control element to perform what previously required multiple separate controls, enabling operators to access boosted thrust as quickly as any other control function during maneuvers.
2Power
If linear resistance force is used as the joystick is pushed to maximum, then thrust increases proportionally with joystick displacement, but the system cannot provide rapid thrust increase in challenging conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic thrust response by making the thrust increase rate variable based on joystick position. Instead of a fixed linear relationship, the system accelerates thrust increase when the joystick enters the extended angular range, providing rapid power escalation when needed. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt thrust delivery to the operator's input intensity and situational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the thrust parameter relationship from linear to non-linear by introducing different thrust increase rates for different joystick angular ranges. This parameter transformation allows the same joystick input to produce different thrust escalation patterns, enabling both gradual and rapid thrust increases depending on the operating context and operator intent.
Data Source
AI summary
A joystick system and a watercraft using the system are presented. The system includes a joystick having a low range of motion spanning from a rest angle to a threshold angle, and a high range of motion spanning from the threshold angle to a maximum angle; a joystick position sensor for producing signals indicative of a position of the joystick and a control for producing engine thrust request signals to control a resultant thrust of two thrust generation devices in response to receiving the signals from the joystick position sensor, the resultant thrust increasing from a minimum to a threshold thrust at a first rate of increase as the joystick moves from the rest angle toward the threshold angle, the resultant thrust increasing from the threshold thrust to a maximum thrust at a second greater rate of increase as the joystick moves from the threshold angle toward the maximum angle.