US 11,866,134 B2
Small watercraft system and method of controlling small watercraft
Hironori Kato, Kakogawa (JP); Toshio Araki, Kakogawa (JP); and Hiroshi Tomomori, Akashi (JP)
Assigned to KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD., Akashi (JP)
Filed by KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD., Akasaki (JP)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/916,158.
Prior Publication US 2021/0403131 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B63B 79/40 (2020.01); B63B 34/10 (2020.01)
CPC B63B 79/40 (2020.01) [B63B 34/10 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A small watercraft system comprising:
a watercraft body;
a watercraft body manipulation structure that is mounted on the watercraft body and through which a watercraft body manipulation command is input by an operator;
a drive source that is mounted on the watercraft body and that allows the watercraft body to plane;
a steering structure that is mounted on the watercraft body and that allows the watercraft body to be steered; and
circuitry that is mounted on the watercraft body and that is configured to control the drive source and the steering structure to operate the watercraft body, wherein
the circuitry is configured to determine whether a mode switching condition is satisfied, the mode switching condition including an operator's absence condition that the operator is absent from the watercraft body, and
upon determining that the mode switching condition is satisfied, the circuitry is configured to execute an operator-absent manipulation mode in which the circuitry moves the watercraft body by controlling the drive source and the steering structure based on an operator-absent manipulation command independent of the watercraft body manipulation command.