Patent ID: 7993175
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
1. A system for controlling a plurality of outboard motors each adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and each having an internal combustion engine, a steering mechanism, a shift mechanism, a plurality of actuators each adapted to drive one of the steering mechanism, the shift mechanism and a throttle valve of the engine, and each of the outboard motors having a controller to control operation of the actuators of the outboard motor, the system comprising: a steering wheel installed to be freely operable by an operator; a shift/throttle lever installed to be freely operable by the operator; and a manipulated variable detector arrangement adapted to produce outputs indicative of manipulated variables of the steering wheel and the shift/throttle lever by the operator; wherein the manipulated variable detector is separately connected to each of the controllers installed in the outboard motors through respective electric signal lines, and the manipulated variable detector sends the outputs to each of the controllers through the respective signal lines; and wherein said manipulated variable detector arrangement includes sensor units which detect positions of the steering wheel and the shift/throttle lever when operated by the operator, and the outputs sent by the manipulated variable detector arrangement to each of the controllers through the respective signal lines do not include any identification of the outboard motors.