Patent ID: 9682758
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: B63H

Claim:
1. A method for controlling an outboard motor configured to be mounted on a hull of a boat and equipped with an internal combustion engine to power a propeller and a trim angle regulating mechanism configured to regulate a trim angle relative to the hull, comprising the steps of: producing an output indicative of a throttle opening of the engine; calculating a throttle opening change amount of the engine based on the output produced in the step of producing; determining whether the boat is in an accelerating state based on the throttle opening change amount calculated in the step of calculating the throttle opening change amount; determining whether a slip ratio of the propeller is smaller than a predetermined slip ratio, when the boat is determined to be in the accelerating state in the step of determining whether the boat is in the accelerating state; determining whether an engine speed change amount of the engine is equal to or smaller than a predetermined engine speed change amount, when the slip ratio is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined slip ratio in the step of determining whether the slip ratio is smaller than the predetermined slip ratio; determining whether an intake pressure change amount of the engine is equal to or smaller than a predetermined intake pressure change amount, when the engine speed change amount is determined to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined engine speed change amount in the step of determining whether the engine speed change amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined engine speed change amount; and controlling operation of the trim angle regulating mechanism to increase the trim angle based on an operating parameter that indicates a state of the engine and the propeller, when the boat is determined to be in the accelerating state in the step of determining whether the boat is in the accelerating state and the slip ratio is determined to be smaller than the predetermined slip ratio in the step of determining whether the slip ratio is smaller than the predetermined slip ratio, or when the boat is determined to be in the accelerating state in the step of determining whether the boat is in the accelerating state, the slip ratio is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined slip ratio in the step of determining whether the slip ratio is smaller than the predetermined slip ratio, the engine speed change amount is determined to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined engine speed change amount in the step of determining whether the engine speed change amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined engine speed change amount and the intake pressure change amount is determined to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined intake pressure change amount in the step of determining whether the intake pressure change amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined intake pressure change amount, wherein the predetermined engine speed change amount is a predetermined first engine speed change amount, and the step of controlling operation of the trim angle regulating mechanism includes controlling operation of the trim angle regulating mechanism to stop increasing the trim angle when the engine speed change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined second engine speed change amount after starting to increase the trim angle.