Patent ID: 8858281

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor adapted to be mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine to power a propeller through a propeller shaft, and a transmission installed at a location between the engine and the propeller shaft, the transmission being selectively changeable in gear position to establish speeds including at least a first speed and a second speed and transmitting power of the engine to the propeller with a gear ratio determined by established speed, comprising: an acceleration instruction determiner that determines whether acceleration is instructed to the engine when the second speed is established; a preset-condition determiner that determines whether a preset condition is met; and a transmission controller that controls operation of the transmission to change the gear position from the second speed to the first speed at a time the acceleration is determined to be instructed and the preset condition is met, wherein the preset-condition determiner determines that the preset condition is met after a predetermined time, which begins at the time the acceleration is determined to be instructed, elapses, wherein the preset-condition determiner changes the predetermined time in accordance with speed of the engine.