US-12617310-B2 - System and method for controlling a watercraft including data reduction in low power mode

Abstract

A control system for a watercraft includes a device system, a communication device, a controller, a first battery, and an electric power receiver. The communication device performs wireless communication with a server. The first battery provides electric power to the communication device. The electric power receiver is installed in the watercraft, connected to the first battery, and operable to receive shore power. The controller is configured or programmed to send device data to the server in a normal electric power mode when the first battery is connected to the shore power. The controller is configured or programmed to send the device data to the server in a low electric power mode when a low electric power condition, including a condition that the first battery is not connected to the shore power, is satisfied. The controller is configured or programmed to reduce data traffic of the device data to be sent to the server in the low electric power mode compared to when in the normal electric power mode.

Inventors

• Hiroshi Inoue
• Hidehiko Harada

Assignees

• YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20221108

Priority Date

20220208

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A system for controlling a watercraft, the system comprising: a device system including at least one electric device installed in the watercraft; a communication device to perform wireless communication with a server; a controller connected to the communication device, and configured or programmed to send device data regarding the device system to the server; a first battery installed in the watercraft to provide electric power to the communication device; and an electric power receiver installed in the watercraft, connected to the first battery, and operable to receive shore power; wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: determine whether or not the first battery is connected to the shore power; send the device data to the server in a normal electric power mode when the first battery is connected to the shore power; determine whether or not a low electric power condition is satisfied, the low electric power condition including a condition that the first battery is not connected to the shore power; send the device data to the server in a low electric power mode when the low electric power condition is satisfied; and reduce data traffic of the device data to be sent to the server in the low electric power mode compared to when in the normal electric power mode; the at least one electric device includes a first device and a second device; the device data includes first data regarding the first device and second data regarding the second device; and the controller is configured or programmed to: send the device data including the first data and the second data to the server in the normal electric power mode; and send the device data including the first data to the server in the low electric power mode without including the second data in the device data.
2. 2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is a position sensor to detect a position of the watercraft; and the first data indicates the position of the watercraft.
3. 3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: send the first data indicating the position of the watercraft to the server at predetermined intervals of time in the normal electric power mode; and send the first data indicating the position of the watercraft to the server in the low electric power mode when the position of the watercraft has shifted by a predetermined distance or more.
4. 4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is a bilge pump to discharge water accumulating in a bilge of the watercraft; and the first data indicates an operating status of the bilge pump or a level of the water accumulated in the bilge.
5. 5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: send the first data indicating the operating status of the bilge pump to the server at predetermined intervals of time in the normal electric power mode; and send the first data indicating the operating status of the bilge pump or the level of the water accumulated in the bilge to the server in the low electric power mode when the bilge pump has continuously operated for a predetermined length of time or more, or when the level of the water accumulated in the bilge is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
6. 6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: enter a sleep mode to stop communicating with the server in the low electric power mode; be switched from the sleep mode to a wake-up mode on a regular basis; determine whether or not the controller has received a command signal from the server in the wake-up mode; and send the device data to the server when the controller has received the command signal from the server.
7. 7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the server is configured or programmed to continue to send the command signal to the communication device at predetermined intervals of time.
8. 8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the controller is in the low electric power mode, the controller or the server is configured or programmed to notify a user terminal that the controller is in the low electric power mode.
9. 9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to be switched to the low electric power mode in response to a command signal from a user terminal.
10. 10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to be switchable to a storage mode to reduce the data traffic of the device data to be sent to the server compared to when in the low electric power mode.
11. 11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to be switched from the low electric power mode to the storage mode in accordance with operating circumstances of the device system.
12. 12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the low electric power condition further includes a condition that a predetermined length of time or more has elapsed since disconnection of the first battery from the shore power; and the controller is configured or programmed to send the device data to the server in the normal electric power mode until an elapse of the predetermined length of time since disconnection of the first battery from the shore power.
13. 13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to disable the at least one electric device to be operated in the low electric power mode.
14. 14 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a data communication module including the communication device, the controller, and a second battery to provide electric power to the communication device and the controller; wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: determine whether or not an amount of charge in the first battery is equal to or less than a threshold; and operate with electric power from the second battery without electric power from the first battery when the amount of charge in the first battery is equal to or less than the threshold.
15. 15 . A method of controlling a watercraft including a device system, a communication device, a first battery, and an electric power receiver, the device system including at least one electric device installed in the watercraft, the communication device operable to perform wireless communication with a server, the first battery installed in the watercraft, the first battery to provide electric power to the communication device, the electric power receiver installed in the watercraft, connected to the first battery, and operable to receive shore power, the method comprising: sending device data regarding the device system to the server; determining whether or not the first battery is connected to the shore power; sending the device data to the server in a normal electric power mode when the first battery is connected to the shore power; determining whether or not a low electric power condition is satisfied, the low electric power condition including a condition that the first battery is not connected to the shore power; sending the device data to the server in a low electric power mode when the low electric power condition is satisfied; and reducing data traffic of the device data to be sent to the server in the low electric power mode compared to when in the normal electric power mode; wherein the at least one electric device includes a first device and a second device, and the device data includes first data regarding the first device and second data regarding the second device, the method further comprising: sending the device data including both the first data and the second data to the server in the normal electric power mode; and sending the device data including the first data to the server without including the second data in the device data in the low electric power mode.
16. 16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first device is a position sensor to detect a position of the watercraft; and the first data indicates the position of the watercraft.
17. 17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising: sending the first data indicating the position of the watercraft to the server at predetermined intervals of time in the normal electric power mode; and sending the first data indicating the position of the watercraft to the server in the low electric power mode when the position of the watercraft has shifted by a predetermined distance or more.
18. 18 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first device is a bilge pump to discharge water accumulated in a bilge of the watercraft; and the first data indicates an operating status of the bilge pump or a level of the water accumulated in the bilge.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-018272 filed on Feb. 8, 2022. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for and a method of controlling a watercraft. 2. Description of the Related Art There is a type of watercraft including a communication device for performing wireless communication with a server. For example, Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2011-113538 describes a watercraft including a communication device communicable with a server over the Internet. A controller in the watercraft sends information regarding the watercraft obtained during navigation to the server through the communication device. On the other hand, as described in Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2010-167902, there is a type of watercraft electrified with shore power. For example, the watercraft is provided with an inlet for shore power. The inlet is connected through a cable to a power supply facility in a harbor. Accordingly, shore power is supplied to the watercraft from the power supply facility in the harbor and a battery in the watercraft is charged with the shore power. Chances are that, even when moored in the harbor, the watercraft is required to communicate with the server through the communication device due to, for instance, such a reason as monitoring the status of the watercraft. In this case, as long as the watercraft is being electrified with the shore power, the watercraft is able to continue the communication with the server through the communication device without concerns about running out of electric power in the battery. However, unless the watercraft is being electrified with the shore power, the battery running out is a concern when the watercraft continues to communicate with the server through the communication device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention enable watercraft to communicate with a server through a communication device, and simultaneously, to inhibit a battery from running out of electric power even when the watercraft is not being provided with shore power. A system for controlling a watercraft according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a device system, a communication device, a controller, a first battery, and an electric power receiver. The device system includes at least one electric device installed in the watercraft. The communication device is operable to perform wireless communication with a server. The controller is connected to the communication device, and configured or programmed to send device data regarding the device system to the server. The first battery is installed in the watercraft, and provides electric power to the communication device. The electric power receiver is installed in the watercraft, connected to the first battery, and operable to receive shore power. The controller is configured or programmed to determine whether or not the first battery is connected to the shore power, and send the device data to the server in a normal electric power mode when the first battery is connected to the shore power. The controller is configured or programmed to determine whether or not a low electric power condition, including a condition that the first battery is not connected to the shore power, is satisfied, and send the device data to the server in a low electric power mode when the low electric power condition is satisfied. The controller is configured or programmed to reduce data traffic of the device data to be sent to the server in the low electric power mode compared to when in the normal electric power mode. A method according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of controlling a watercraft. The watercraft includes a device system, a communication device, a first battery, and an electric power receiver. The device system includes at least one electric device installed in the watercraft. The communication device is operable to perform wireless communication with a server. The first battery is installed in the watercraft, and provides electric power to the communication device. The electric power receiver is installed in the watercraft, connected to the first battery, and operable to receive shore power. The method includes sending device data regarding the device system to the server, determining whether or not the first battery is connected to the shore power, sending the device data to the server in a normal electric power mode when the first battery is connected to the shore power, determining whether or not a low electric power condition, including a condition that the first battery is not connected to the shore power, is satisfied, sending the device data to the server in a low electric power mode when th