US 12,466,530 B2
Watercraft propulsion system, and watercraft including the watercraft propulsion system
Kento Sakurada, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Shizuoka (JP)
Filed by YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Iwata (JP)
Filed on Nov. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/387,085.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-178982 (JP), filed on Nov. 8, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0149998 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. B63H 20/12 (2006.01); B63H 20/00 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 20/12 (2013.01) [B63H 2020/003 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A watercraft propulsion system comprising:
a bow thruster at a bow of a hull to generate a lateral propulsive force;
a propulsion device on a stern of the hull and having a variable steering angle; and
a controller configured or programmed to control the propulsive force of the bow thruster, and control the steering angle and a propulsive force of the propulsion device in order to perform a fixed point holding control to maintain a position and an azimuth of the hull; wherein
the fixed point holding control includes a translation mode in which the hull position is maintained by controlling the propulsive force of the propulsion device with the steering angle of the propulsion device set to a translation mode steering angle to translate the hull and the hull azimuth is adjusted by controlling the propulsive force of the bow thruster, and a bow turning mode in which the hull azimuth is adjusted by controlling the propulsive forces of the bow thruster and the propulsion device with the steering angle of the propulsion device set to a bow turning mode steering angle to bow turn the hull.