Patent ID: 7601040

Claim:
A method for controlling a marine vessel having a first steering nozzle, a corresponding first integral reversing deflector, a second steering nozzle and a corresponding second integral reversing deflector, comprising: receiving a first vessel control signal corresponding to at least one of a translational thrust command and a rotational thrust command; generating with a first control process corresponding to the first and second steering nozzles and with a second control process corresponding to the first and second integral reversing deflectors, at least a first actuator control signal and a second actuator control signal in response to the first vessel control signal; coupling the first actuator control signal to and controlling at least one of the first steering nozzle and the second steering nozzle; coupling the second actuator control signal to and controlling at least one of the first integral reversing deflector and the second integral reversing deflector; inducing a net translational force to the marine vessel, in response to the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal corresponding to the first vessel control signal comprising only the translational thrust command and a zero rotational thrust command, so that substantially no net rotational force is induced to the marine vessel; inducing a net force to the marine vessel, in response to the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal comprising a combination of the translational thrust command and the rotational thrust command, substantially in a direction of a combination of the translational thrust command and the rotational thrust command for all combinations of the rotational and translational thrust commands; and flipping the first control process and the second control process in response to the first vessel control signal that corresponds to a full astern control command from the first vessel control signal that corresponds to a full ahead control command.