US-12617504-B2 - Watercraft troubleshooting system

US12617504B2US 12617504 B2US12617504 B2US 12617504B2US-12617504-B2

Abstract

A watercraft troubleshooting system includes an onboard system including watercraft devices provided on a watercraft, and an onboard network provided on the watercraft and connected to the watercraft devices, each of which includes a communication terminal communicable with the other watercraft devices via the onboard network. The watercraft troubleshooting system further includes a server outside the watercraft and communicable with the communication terminal. The communication terminal is configured or programmed to perform a system scanning operation to collect information about the watercraft devices, and to perform a scanning result transmitting operation to transmit the information collected by the system scanning operation as a scanning result to the server. The server is configured or programmed to evaluate the scanning result transmitted thereto from the communication terminal to generate an evaluation result, and to transmit the evaluation result to the communication terminal.

Inventors

Hiroshi Inoue

Assignees

YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240207
Priority Date: 20230210

Claims (17)

1 . A watercraft troubleshooting system comprising: an onboard system including a plurality of watercraft devices provided on a watercraft, and an onboard network provided on the watercraft and connected to the plurality of watercraft devices, the plurality of watercraft devices including a communication terminal communicable with others of the plurality of watercraft devices via the onboard network; and a server outside the watercraft and communicable with the communication terminal; wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed to perform a system scanning operation to collect information about the plurality of watercraft devices, and to perform a scanning result transmitting operation to transmit the information collected by the system scanning operation as a scanning result to the server; and the server is configured or programmed to evaluate the scanning result transmitted thereto from the communication terminal to generate an evaluation result, and to transmit the evaluation result to the communication terminal; wherein the communication terminal includes a scanning result memory to store the scanning result, and is configured or programmed to perform the scanning result transmitting operation only when information newly collected as a new scanning result by the system scanning operation is inconsistent with the scanning result previously stored in the scanning result memory.
2 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed to perform the system scanning operation at a startup of the onboard system.
3 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed to perform the system scanning operation when a new watercraft device is connected to the onboard network.
4 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminal includes an evaluation result memory to store the evaluation result transmitted thereto from the server, and is configured or programmed to perform the scanning result transmitting operation whether the new scanning result is consistent or inconsistent with the scanning result previously stored in the scanning result memory when no evaluation result is stored in the evaluation result memory.
5 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the server is configured or programmed to determine compatibility among the plurality of watercraft devices to generate an evaluation result including a result of the compatibility determination, and to transmit the evaluation result to the communication terminal.
6 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 5 , wherein the scanning result to be transmitted to the server by the communication terminal includes hardware information and software information about each of the plurality of watercraft devices.
7 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of watercraft devices include a display to display the evaluation result transmitted to the communication terminal.
8 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation result includes an acceptability determination result indicating whether or not the onboard system is properly constructed, and further includes information about an unacceptable matter or a coping method to eliminate the unacceptable matter when the determination result is unacceptable.
9 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of watercraft devices include a propulsion device to apply a propulsive force to a hull of the watercraft; and the communication terminal is configured or programmed to transmit operation information indicating an operation state of the propulsion device to the server during operation of the onboard system.
10 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 9 , wherein the propulsion device includes an outboard motor.
11 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed to inform the server about a total number data indicating a total number of data items to be transmitted to the server, and to transmit the data items respectively assigned with serial numbers to the server in the scanning result transmitting operation; and the server is configured or programmed to determine, based on the total number data and the serial numbers, whether or not all the data items are received.
12 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed so that, when a plurality of communication terminals are connected to the onboard network, only one of the plurality of communication terminals selected based on a predetermined rule is enabled to perform the system scanning operation and the scanning result transmitting operation, and other of the plurality of communication terminals are disabled from performing the system scanning operation and the scanning result transmitting operation.
13 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of watercraft devices are each configured or programmed to output an error code indicating presence or absence of an error to the onboard network at startup of the onboard system and after the startup of the onboard system; the communication terminal is configured or programmed to transmit the error code to the server when the error code indicating the presence of the error appears on the onboard network at the startup of the onboard system; and after the startup of the onboard system, the communication terminal is configured or programmed to transmit the error code to the server only when the error code is changed.
14 . A watercraft comprising: a hull; and the watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 1 .
15 . A watercraft troubleshooting system comprising: a plurality of watercraft devices provided on a watercraft; an onboard network provided on the watercraft and connected to the plurality of watercraft devices; a communication terminal communicable with the plurality of watercraft devices via the onboard network; and a server communicable with the communication terminal; wherein the communication terminal is configured or programmed to collect information about the plurality of watercraft devices and to transmit the collected information to the server; and the server is configured or programmed to evaluate the information transmitted thereto from the communication terminal to generate an evaluation result, and to transmit the evaluation result to the communication terminal; wherein the communication terminal includes a memory to store the collected information, and is configured or programmed to transmit the collected information only when newly collected information is inconsistent with the collected information previously stored in the memory.
16 . The watercraft troubleshooting system according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of watercraft devices include a scanner to perform a system scanning operation to collect information about the plurality of watercraft devices via the onboard network; and the communication terminal includes the scanner, and a communicator to transmit the information collected by the scanner as a scanning result to the server and receive the evaluation result from the server.
17 . A communication terminal provided on a watercraft and communicable with a server, the communication terminal comprising: a communication interface connected to an onboard network provided on the watercraft; a wireless communicator to communicate with the server; and a processor configured or programmed to function as: a scanner to collect, via the communication interface, information about a device provided on the watercraft and connected to the onboard network; a scanning result transmitter to cause the wireless communicator to transmit the information collected by the scanner as a scanning result to the server; and an evaluation result receiver to cause the wireless communicator to receive a result of evaluation of the transmitted information from the server; wherein the communication terminal further includes a scanning result memory to store the scanning result; and the scanning result transmitter causes the wireless communicator to transmit the scanning result only when information newly collected as a new scanning result by the system scanning operation is inconsistent with the scanning result previously stored in the scanning result memory.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-018940 filed on Feb. 10, 2023. 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 watercraft troubleshooting systems. The present invention also relates to communication units and servers for use in the watercraft troubleshooting systems. Further, the present invention relates to watercraft each including an onboard system to be used in the watercraft troubleshooting systems. 2. Description of the Related Art US 2020/0339235 A1 discloses a troubleshooting device that can be connected to an onboard LAN (Local Area Network) provided in a watercraft. An outboard motor ECU (Electronic Control Unit), an input device, a control device, a display device, and an output device are connected to the onboard LAN. The troubleshooting device can be connected to the onboard LAN via a LAN cable and, therefore, can communicate with the devices (watercraft devices) connected to the onboard LAN to acquire information from the plurality of watercraft devices. On the other hand, the troubleshooting device can communicate with a server via a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the internet. The server provides information to be used to troubleshoot the devices. The troubleshooting device is owned by a boat builder or a dealer. Therefore, a typical user, i.e., a troubleshooting operator, is a service person of the boat builder or the dealer. The troubleshooting operator connects the troubleshooting device to the onboard LAN when required. The troubleshooting device collects information about all the devices connected to the onboard LAN, and acquires information necessary for the troubleshooting from the server based on the collected information. Specifically, the troubleshooting device acquires operation conditions required for the normal operation of the watercraft devices from the server. Based on the acquired operation conditions, the troubleshooting device determines whether or not the devices each normally operate, and displays a determination result. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventor of example embodiments of the present invention described and claimed in the present application conducted an extensive study and research regarding watercraft troubleshooting systems, such as the one described above, and in doing so, discovered and first recognized new unique challenges and previously unrecognized possibilities for improvements as described in greater detail below. With the use of the troubleshooting device described above, the troubleshooting operator can easily know the satisfaction/nonsatisfaction of the compatibility requirements of the hardware and the software of the plurality of watercraft devices. Thus, the troubleshooting operator can determine whether or not a constructed onboard system can function as required by a customer. The troubleshooting is typically performed after the onboard system is newly constructed in the watercraft before the watercraft is delivered to the customer. Further, where a new device is incorporated in the existing onboard system, the troubleshooting is thereafter performed to check if the onboard system with the new device incorporated therein properly functions. When any trouble is found, appropriate measures are taken against the trouble and the troubleshooting is performed again. Then, the watercraft is delivered to the customer. The troubleshooting device disclosed in US 2020/0339235 A1 is a service-dedicated tool to be owned by the boat builder or the dealer. Therefore, the troubleshooting requires an operation such that the troubleshooting device is first connected to the onboard LAN and then the troubleshooting operator operates the troubleshooting device. In many cases, however, watercraft devices to be provided in combination in the watercraft are properly selected, and the onboard system is properly constructed. Therefore, the troubleshooting operation to be performed with the use of the troubleshooting device is simply to check if the onboard system is properly constructed, mostly without the need to take measures against any trouble. Accordingly, it is preferred to reduce the time and the effort required for the troubleshooting by further simplifying the troubleshooting operation. Example embodiments of the present invention provide watercraft troubleshooting systems that are advantageous to reduce time and effort required to troubleshoot an onboard system, and communication terminals and servers for the watercraft troubleshooting system. Another example embodiment of the present invention provides a watercraft including an onboard system to be used for the watercraft troubleshooting system. In order to overcome the previously unrecognized and unsolved challenges described above, an example embodiment of the present invention provides