Patent ID: 7142955

Claim:
A control system for a marine vessel having first, second, and third marine engines, the control system comprising: a first control lever having an associated operating range; a second control lever having an associated operating range; a first engine control unit (ECU) electrically coupled to the first control lever, a first transmission, and the first engine; a second ECU electrically coupled to the second control lever, a second transmission, and the second engine; and a third ECU communicatively coupled to the first and second ECUs and electrically coupled to, a third transmission, and the third engine; wherein each of the engines adjusts a respective throttle in response to a movement of at least one of the control levers within its associated operating range, wherein the first ECU controls the first transmission and the throttle of the first engine based on a position of the first control lever within its operating range, the second ECU controls the second transmission and the throttle of the second engine based on a position of the second control lever within its operating range, and the third ECU controls the throttle of the third engine based on at least one of the position of the first control lever and the position of the second control lever and controls the third transmission based on the position of the first control lever and the position of the second control lever, wherein at least one of the engines is an electronically-controlled engine, and wherein the ECU that is coupled to the electronically-controlled engine controls the throttle of the electronically-controlled engine by providing at least one of an analog voltage signal and a digital data packet to the electronically-controlled engine.