Patent ID: 7247066

Claim:
A remote operation system for an outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine and a propeller powered by the engine to propel the boat in a forward direction or in a reverse direction in response to a shift position selected by a shift mechanism, comprising: a remote control box installed at a cockpit of the boat; a throttle actuator installed in the outboard motor and connected to a throttle valve of the engine to open and close the throttle valve; a shift actuator installed in the outboard motor and operating a clutch of the shift mechanism to select the shift position from among a forward position, a reverse position and a neutral position; a lever attached to a support shaft that is rotatably accommodated in the remote control box for being manipulated by an operator; a plurality of sensors disposed within the remote control box operatively connected to the support shaft and each generating an output indicative of an angle of rotation of the support shaft through the lever manipulation; and a control unit electrically connected to the throttle actuator, the shift actuator and the sensors, and controlling operation of the throttle actuator and the shift actuator based on at least one of the outputs of the sensors.