Engine control apparatus

An engine control apparatus includes: a stop switch body 6; a stop switch knob 3; a lock plate 5; a transponder 9 that is provided at the lock plate side and that can transmit a predetermined ID code; and a control section 11 that can receive the ID code transmitted from the transponder 9 and that controls based on the ID code the engine operation of the small motorboat. The engine control apparatus is structured such that, when the lock plate 5 is disengaged from the stop switch knob 3, the stop switch body 6 is activated to allow the engine to stop or to be in an idling state. The engine control apparatus also includes the writing section 16 for writing a regular ID code of a transponder to another transponder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an engine control apparatus including such that, when a lock plate is disengaged from a stop switch knob, the stop switch is turned on to allow an engine of a small motorboat etc., to stop or to be in an idling state.

A small motorboat is made to glide over water while taking a sharp turn or jumping so that an operator can enjoy a ride. This frequently causes the operator to fall into water. Due to this reason, it is required to, when the operator falls into water, stop the engine to prevent only the small motorboat from further progressing. Thus, a small motorboat is generally provided with a stop switch for allowing, when the operator falls into water, the engine to stop or to be in an idling state.

Specifically, a stop switch knob for activating the stop switch has an insertable resin-made lock plate that has at the base end a tightened wire. The tip end of the wire is fixed to the operator's wrist or the like. This allows, when the operator falls into water, the lock plate to be disengaged from the stop switch knob to turn on the stop switch, thereby allowing the engine of the small motorboat to stop or to be in an idling state.

As described above, the lock plate is inserted to the stop switch knob to allow the engine to start. This causes a situation where, when another lock plate of a small motorboat or a plate member having a similar shape to the lock plate is inserted, a third party can start the engine with out the owner's permission. In order to prevent such a situation where a boat is stolen, a conventional technique (as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example) has suggested that a transponder incorporating an ID code is embedded in a lock plate and an engine control section is provided in the vicinity of a stop switch.

The above conventional engine control apparatus is structured such that the ID code of the transponder is transmitted via radio transmission to the control section so that the engine is started only when a previously registered regular ID code and the received ID code are the same. When the former is different from the latter, the engine is not started. This can start the small motorboat only when the regular lock plate is inserted to the stop switch knob and thus can prevent the boat from being stolen.

Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-88789

However, the above conventional engine control apparatus causes a situation where, when a lock plate incorporating a transponder is lost, a regular ID code having the transponder is unknown and thus a lock plate having another transponder and a control section must be changed. In order to prevent such a case, a dealer always controls the regular ID code so that another transponder having the ID code can be prepared if the lock plate is lost, thus making it needless to change the control section. However, such a control by the dealer causes another problem of increased cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is made in view of the above. It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine control apparatus that allows the user to prepare a back-up transponder easily.

The present invention according to Aspect1is characterized in that: an engine control apparatus, includes: a stop switch body for allowing an engine to stop or to be in an idling state; a stop switch knob that abuts with the stop switch body to activate the stop switch body to allow the engine to stop or to be in an idling state; a lock plate that is insertable to the stop switch knob; a transponder that is provided at the lock plate side and that can transmit a predetermined ID code; and a control section that can receive the ID code transmitted from the transponder and that can control based on the ID code the engine operation, wherein the engine control apparatus includes such that, when the lock plate is disengaged from the stop switch knob, the stop switch body is activated to allow the engine to stop or to be in an idling state; and the engine control apparatus includes a writing section for writing a regular ID code of a transponder to another transponder.

The present invention according to Aspect1is characterized in that: the control section changes the engine performance based on the ID code from the transponder and, when the writing section is used to write the regular ID code of a transponder to another transponder, a to-be-specified engine performance can be changed in the engine control apparatus according to Aspect1.

The present invention according to. Aspect3is characterized in that a display section is provided for displaying the difference in the engine performance specified for the transponder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, the engine control apparatus for the small motorboat according to embodiment 1 is formed in the resin-made switch case1fixed to the handle bar H of the small motorboat. The switch case1includes the start switch knob2, the stop switch knob3, the stop switch body6, and the control section11. The reference numeral G inFIG. 1denotes a grip that is grasped by an operator when the operator operates the boat.

The start switch knob2is used to start the engine of the small motorboat. The knob includes such that, when the knob is pushed, then predetermined electrical conduction may be provided to start the engine. The start switch knob2can be provided to the switch case1with an arbitrary position and inclination angle.

As shown inFIG. 2, the stop switch knob3is always biased by the spring4toward the direction adjacent to the surface of the switch case1(right direction in the same drawing). When the lock plate5which will be described later is inserted between the surface of the switch case1and the projection of the stop switch knob3(as shown in the same drawing), then the base end of the stop switch knob3(right tip end in the same drawing) is separated from the stop switch body6.

The stop switch body6is provided in the switch case1and is activated when abutting with the base end of the stop switch knob3to allow the engine of the small motorboat to stop or to be in an idling state. This allows, when the lock plate5is disengaged from the stop switch knob3, the stop switch body6to activate to allow the engine of the small motorboat to be forcedly stopped or to be in an idling state.

The lock plate5includes a resin-made plate-like member and includes, as shown inFIG. 3, the notch5aat one end in the plan view. The lock plate5also has at the substantial center two convex sections5band has at the other end of the plan view a hole5cto which the wire7is inserted. The tip end of the wire7(not shown) is designed to be attached to the wrist or the like of an operator of the small motorboat.

When the notch5ais engaged with or separated from the periphery side of the stop switch knob3, the lock plate5can be inserted to the stop switch knob3. This allows, when the operator falls into water, the lock plate5to be disengaged from the stop switch knob3via the wire7. In the drawing, the reference numeral8denotes a circular ring-shaped metal fitting for inserting the tip end of the wire7to the hole5c.

The two convex sections5bformed in the lock plate5have a groove-like shape over the surface of the lock plate5to which the resin-made attachment10incorporating the transponder9can be attached. Specifically, the clip section10aforms at the lower face of this attachment10as shown inFIG. 4. The attachment10is formed such that, when the clip section10asandwiches the top and back face of the lock plate5(more specifically, the space between the two convex sections5b), the attachment10can be attached.

The transponder9is provided at the lock plate5to hold a previously registered regular ID code and can transmit the ID code from an antenna (not shown) via radio transmission. The ID code includes information or a unique password for providing an arbitrary engine performance. The engine performance information includes, for example, information regarding the engine specification for a race, for the experienced user (high performance), for a general user (cruise), for a beginner (course), or for children (run). In this embodiment, the engine is first allowed to be in an idling state when the lock plate5is engaged with the stop switch knob3to subsequently start the activate switch knob2.

As shown inFIG. 5, the control section11includes: the antenna12, the RF module13, the microcomputer14, and the power source circuit15. The control section11is provided in the vicinity of the stop switch body6in the switch case1(seeFIG. 1andFIG. 2). Among these, the antenna12receives an ID code from the transponder9and has a coil-like shape and is connected via the Rf module13to the microcomputer14. The control section11is electrically connected to the engine ignition apparatus17and includes to control, based on the ID code received by the antenna12(information for engine performance or a unique password), the engine operation of the small motorboat.

Specifically, when the antenna12has received the ID code from the transponder9, the microcomputer14determines whether the ID code (particularly unique password) is a previously registered regular ID code (unique password) or not. When the ID code is a regular ID code, the engine performance is changed based on the information possessed by the ID code. When the ID code is not a regular ID code, the engine is caused to be in an idling state in which the boat cannot run.

In this way, the control section11changes the engine performance based on the ID code from the transponder9and the transponder9is detachably attached to the lock plate5. This allows the operator to easily exchange the transponder9according to need. Specifically, the engine performance can be arbitrarily changed depending on the operator's preference in an easy manner.

As shown in the same drawing, the microcomputer14also provides the writing terminal a and the power source terminal b from each of which the wirings L1and L2extend. On the other hand, the wiring L3in the drawing shows a layout in which there is provided: the stop switch SW2that is closed when the start switch knob2is engaged with the lock plate5and that is opened when the start switch knob2is detached from the lock plate5; and the starter switch SW1switched in connection with the start switch knob2. One end of the wiring L3is connected to the battery BT1and the other end is connected to the battery BT2via a starter relay or the like (not shown).

The wiring L4extending to the power source circuit15is connected between the starter switch SW1and the stop switch SW2in the wiring L3, at the middle of which the tip end of the wiring L2extending from the power source terminal b is connected. on the other hand, the power source circuit15is connected with the wiring L5extending to the battery BT1, at the middle of which the writing section16is interposed.

This writing section16has at both ends the writing codes16a(seeFIG. 6) that can be connected or detached over the terminals c and d. When the connecting tools16aaand the connecting tools16abformed at both ends of the writing code16aare connected to the terminals c and d, respectively, the writing terminal a of the microcomputer14may be provided with a power source from the battery BT1(a state in this manner in which the terminal is supplied with a power source is called the HI state). On the contrary, when the writing code16ais detached from the terminals c and d, the writing terminal a of the microcomputer14is not supplied with a power source (a state in this manner in which the terminal is not supplied with a power source is called the LO state).

Specifically, when the microcomputer14recognizes that the power source supply from the writing terminal a is in the LO state, a normal operation is run (i. e., the engine is controlled based on the ID code from the transponder9). When the microcomputer14recognizes that the power source supply from the writing terminal a is in the HI state, a writing mode is provided. The writing mode is a mode in which a regular ID code of a transponder is written to another transponder and the details will be described later based on a flowchart.

On the other hand, the stop switch knob3in the switch case1has at the upper part the display section18including five LEDs as shown inFIG. 1. Each of the LEDs composing the display section18is electrically connected, as shown inFIG. 5, to the microcomputer14. This display section18maybe used to display the operation status of the writing section16and to display the engine performance corresponding to the ID code of the transponder9.

Next, the engine control apparatus for the small motorboat having the above structure will be described with reference to the control. First, when the boat is normally operated (in which a writing operation to the transponder is not provided), the lock plate5is inserted to the stop switch knob3(S1) as shown in the flowchart ofFIG. 7to allow the power source of the battery BT1to be supplied to the power source terminal b of the microcomputer14, thereby starting the control section11(S2).

Then, the ID code transmitted from the transponder9is received by the control section11to determine what is the engine performance specified by the ID code (S3–S7). Specifically, as described above, the engine performance can be set depending on the operator's preference to be a level for a race or an experienced user (high performance), a general level (cruise), a beginner level (course), or a children's level (run). Since the set information is included in the ID code, any of the engine specification settings is determined in S3to S7by the control section.

Then, when the ID code is determined to include any of the above engine specifications, the process proceeds to S9in which the password included in the received ID code is verified. When the password is different from the previously registered regular password, the process proceeds to S12in which the small motorboat is not permitted to run. Then, the engine is kept in an idling state in which the boat cannot run.

On the other hand, when the password in the received ID code coincides with the regular password, the process proceeds to S10in which the display section18corresponding to the engine specification determined in S3to S7is lit. More specifically, the five LEDs of the display section18are allowed to correspond to the specified engine specifications, respectively, so that the LED corresponding to the engine specification determined. in S3to S7can be lit to notify the operator of the specified engine specification.

Thereafter, the microcomputer14included in the control section11sends to the ignition apparatus17a running permission signal, thereby allowing the small motorboat to run based on the specified engine specification (engine performance) (S11). When the received ID code (information specifying engine specification and unique password) is different from the previously registered one in S3to S7, the process proceeds to S8in which it is determined that communication with the transponder9is determined to fail and thus the small motorboat is not permitted to run.

The engine control apparatus is controlled as described above. In this embodiment, the writing section16can write a regular ID code. This writing operation will be described based on the flowchart ofFIG. 8toFIG. 10.

First, the terminals c and d of writing section16are connected with the connection tools16aaand16abof the writing code16a, respectively (S13). This allows the power source of the battery BT1to be supplied to the writing terminal a of the microcomputer14, thereby starting the control section11(S14). Thereafter, the microcomputer14monitors the power source terminal b (S15). When the power source supply from the power source terminal b is in the LO state, the process proceeds to S18in which the time is monitored (S18).

Then, when three minutes have passed since the power source supply to the power source terminal b is in the LO state, the process proceeds to S19in which a stand-by state is provided. When the power source supply to the power source terminal b is in the HI state within three minutes (or when the writing terminal is continuously in the HI state), the process proceeds to S16in which the currently-used lock plate5is inserted to the stop switch knob3. This allows the ID code of the transponder9to be sent to the control section11, thereby starting the authentication of the ID code (S17). Specifically, “writing mode” as described above is started.

Then, as in the normal operation, information in the ID code specifying the engine performance is determined (S20to S24). When it is determined that the information includes any of the previously. specified engine specifications, the process proceeds to S26in which the password included in the received ID code is verified. When the password is different from the previously registered regular password, the process proceeds to S30as a wrong password, thereby stopping the communication with the transponder9.

On the other hand, when the password in the received ID code coincides with the regular password, the process proceeds to S27in which the display section18corresponding to the engine specification determined in S20to S24is flashed (S27). This allows an operator to be notified of the engine specification corresponding to a to-be-prepared ID code of a transponder. When there is no correspondence with any of the previously specified engine specifications in S20to S24, the process proceeds to S25in which communication with the transponder9is determined to fail.

Next, the power source terminal b in the microcomputer14is monitor (S28) in which, when the power source terminal b is in the HI state (i.e., state in which the currently-used lock plate5is inserted to the stop switch knob3), time monitoring is carried out (S31) and, when three minutes have passed since the HI state is continually provided, the process proceeds to S32in which the stand-by state is provided (and LED stops flashing). On the other hand, when the power source supply to the power source terminal b is in the LO state within three minutes (i.e., state in which the currently-used lock plate5is disengaged from the stop switch knob3), the LED in the display section18stops flashing (S29).

Then, the lock plate5attached with another transponder is inserted to the stop switch knob3. Another transponder has an ID code in which only an engine specification is previously specified and no unique password is written. Specifically, in this embodiment, only a unique password in the regular ID code of the transponder is written to another transponder to prepare a back-up transponder (lock plate). Alternatively, both of the engine specification and unique password in the regular ID code of the transponder may be written to another transponder.

When another lock plate (the one attached with a blank transponder) is attached by S33is determined, then what is the information for specifying engine performance that the transponder has previously specified is determined (S34to S38). When the information is determined as specifying any of the previously specified engine specifications, the process proceeds to S40in which the regular password of the transponder is written to the transponder attached to another lock plate. When the information is determined as not specifying any of the previously specified engine specifications in S34to S38, the process proceeds to S39in which it is determined that communication with a new transponder is determined to fail.

When the regular password of the transponder is written to the transponder attached to another lock plate, S41locks further processings in order to prevent the transponder from being written again. Thereafter, the new transponder is communicated again to check the written password (S42). When the password is confirmed as the regular one, the LED in the display section18corresponding to the specified engine specification is flashed, thereby allowing the microcomputer14to restart the monitoring of the power source terminal b (S45).

On the other hand, when S41determines that the password written to the new transponder is different from the regular one, the process proceeds to S43in which the LED corresponding to the specified engine specification in the display section18is flashed at double speed, then allowing S45to monitor the power source terminal b. When the power source supply to the power source terminal b is in the HI state (i.e., when the new lock plate is inserted to the stop switch knob), then time monitoring is carried out (S46). When three minutes have passed since the HI state, the process proceeds to S47in which the stand-by state is provided (and the LED stops flashing). On the other hand, when the power source supply to the power source terminal b is in the LO state within three minutes (i.e., when the new lock plate is disengaged from the stop switch knob), the LED in the display section18stops flashing (S48).

In this way, the operation for writing the regular ID code of the transponder to another transponder is completed. In order to carry out the same writing operation for other transponders, the subsequent steps of S49(in which a lock plate attached with other transponders is inserted to a stop switch knob) and S50(in which an ID code is written to the transponder) are performed. The engine control apparatus for the small motorboat according to the above embodiment allows a user to prepare a back-up transponder in an easy manner.

The embodiment is described as in the above, however, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transponder9also may be inserted to and buried in the lock plate. Alternatively, the LED as the display section18also may be provided with another position in the switch case1in addition to the position in this embodiment. The display section18(not limited to LED) also maybe provided at a position other than the one in the switch case1.

The writing section16according to this embodiment attaches or detaches from the writing code16ato allow the microcomputer14in the control section11to determine whether the operation is a normal operation or a writing operation. Instead of this, the switches are placed in the wiring L5(seeFIG. 5), and determination between a normal operation and a writing operation also may be carried out by turning the above switches on/off. Although this embodiment is applied to a small motorboat, this embodiment also maybe applied to other machines (e.g., ATV or snowmobile).

According to the invention of Aspect1, the writing section can be used to write a regular ID code of a transponder to another transponder, thus allowing the user to easily prepare a back-up transponder in a case where the transponder is lost.

According to the invention of Aspect2, the control section changes the engine performance based on the ID code from the transponder. When the writing section writes a regular ID code of a transponder to another transponder, a to-be-specified engine performance can be changed. Thus, a plurality of back-up transponders for which an engine performance can be specified arbitrarily can be prepared.

According to the invention of Aspect3, the display section is provided for displaying the differences in engine performance specified for the transponder. Thus, the differences in of the performance can be recognized and checked both in a normal operation and a writing operation.