US 12,187,396 B2
Vessel operation system and vessel
Yoshiyuki Kadobayashi, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Shizuoka (JP)
Filed by YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Iwata (JP)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/495,847.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-177388 (JP), filed on Oct. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0126963 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B63H 20/08 (2006.01); B63H 20/00 (2006.01); B63H 20/02 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 20/08 (2013.01) [B63H 20/007 (2013.01); B63H 20/02 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vessel operation system comprising:
a propulsion apparatus disposed on a hull;
a trolling motor mounted externally to the hull;
an operator operable by a vessel operator to directly manipulate the trolling motor;
a first operator operable by the vessel operator in order to indicate at least one of a magnitude and a direction of a thrust that the propulsion apparatus is to apply to the hull; and
a controller configured or programmed to, in a state in which the trolling motor is generating a first thrust in accordance with an operation of the operator and the propulsion apparatus is not generating thrust, in accordance with a command indicated by the first operator, control the propulsion apparatus so as to generate a second thrust and control the trolling motor so that the first thrust changes.