US 12,246,811 B2
Watercraft device with a handheld controller
Donald Lewis Montague, Paia, HI (US); Joseph Andrew Brock, Alameda, CA (US); Jamieson Edward Schulte, Alameda, CA (US); Daniel Elliot Schabb, Alameda, CA (US); and Alec Korver, Monument, CO (US)
Assigned to Kai Concepts, LLC, Alameda, CA (US)
Filed by Kai Concepts, LLC, Alameda, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/523,680.
Application 17/523,680 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/238,085, filed on Apr. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,897,583.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/079,769, filed on Sep. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/014,014, filed on Apr. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063786 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); B63B 32/10 (2020.01); B63B 32/66 (2020.01); B63H 21/17 (2006.01); B63H 21/21 (2006.01); B63H 25/02 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 21/21 (2013.01) [B63B 32/10 (2020.02); B63B 32/66 (2020.02); B63H 21/17 (2013.01); G05D 1/0206 (2013.01); B63H 2021/216 (2013.01); B63H 2025/028 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wireless remote controller for a personal watercraft, the remote controller comprising:
a watertight body forming a watertight compartment;
a thumbwheel disposed on an upper surface of the watertight body and outside of the watertight compartment, the thumbwheel defining an axis of rotation, wherein the thumbwheel is rotatable about the axis relative to the watertight body;
one or more magnets affixed to the thumbwheel such that the one or more magnets rotate with the thumbwheel relative to the watertight body;
a magnetic sensor disposed within the watertight compartment configured to output magnetic field data in a first direction and magnetic field data in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a processor disposed within the watertight compartment and operably coupled to the magnetic sensor, the processor configured to calculate an angle of magnetic flux between the first direction and second direction based at least in part on the magnetic field data in the first direction and magnetic field data in the second direction and determine an angular position of the thumbwheel relative to the watertight body based at least in part on the angle of magnetic flux, the processor generating a control signal based at least in part on the determined position of the thumbwheel; and
communication circuitry operably coupled to the processor configured to communicate control signals to an associated personal watercraft.