Patents by Inventor Masaru Kawanishi

Masaru Kawanishi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8801481
    Abstract: In a boat propulsion apparatus including an engine control device for controlling operation of an engine, the engine control device includes a first ID storage and a second ID storage, a first ID is stored in the first ID storage beforehand, and the engine control device is communicably connected to a controller of a remote control device over a network. A signal containing a second ID is received from the controller when the engine control device and the controller are connected to the network for the first time and is stored in the second ID storage. Thus, maintenance and management of the engine are easy, and also it is possible to prevent a mischievous operation or theft of the boat propulsion apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kawanishi, Shu Akuzawa
  • Patent number: 7699673
    Abstract: A controller for a boat propulsion system has an adjusting device arranged to adjust an inclination angle in the vertical direction of the boat propulsion system by a drive unit, the controller arranged to perform drive control of the adjusting device, a storage section provided in the controller and arranged to store a limit value of the inclination angle, and a connector arranged to communicate with a service tool, wherein the controller is arranged to set the limit value from the service tool and stop the drive unit when the inclination angle reaches the limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kawanishi, Shu Akuzawa
  • Patent number: 7698052
    Abstract: In an engine rotation control device, a remote control operation device is provided with a remote control side ECU and an engine side ECU so that an outboard motor can be remotely controlled. The remote control side ECU and the engine side ECU periodically communicate a control signal. A gauge includes a slow-speed operation section that changes the engine rotational speed during slow-speed cruising. The slow-speed operation section outputs a change command signal to change the engine rotational speed, and a rotational speed change signal generated by a signal output section based on the change command signal is transmitted to the engine side ECU as a periodic control signal. A reset section of the remote control side ECU resets the rotational speed change signal to an initial state in response to a request from a reset request section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 7591697
    Abstract: An engine ECU provided in a boat propulsion system is connected to a remote control ECU provided in a remote control device, the remote control ECU is connected to a gauge ECU provided in an information display device, and control is performed so as to start communication between the remote control ECU and the gauge ECU after a power supply is turned on and after authentication of the engine ECU and the remote control ECU is completed. Accurate information on the boat propulsion system can be transmitted in response to a request from the information display device at a time of initialization at a system start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 7559812
    Abstract: A boat capable of assigning device instance numbers in accordance with the placement order of boat propulsion units, irrespective of the activation order of the boat propulsion units, comprises a plurality of control units for controlling a plurality of boat propulsion units. A plurality of gauge sections for displaying operation information of the respective boat propulsion units are connected to each other and to the plurality of control units via a communication network. The respective control units assign device instance numbers to the operation information of the boat propulsion units and transmit the device instance numbers, and the respective gauge sections identify and receive the device instance numbers for display. The control units are connected to each other via a communication line, and respectively include DI-number setting sections capable of setting device instance numbers, and determining sections capable of determining the positions of the boat propulsion units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20080268727
    Abstract: An engine ECU provided in a boat propulsion system is connected to a remote control ECU provided in a remote control device, the remote control ECU is connected to a gauge ECU provided in an information display device, and control is performed so as to start communication between the remote control ECU and the gauge ECU after a power supply is turned on and after authentication of the engine ECU and the remote control ECU is completed. Accurate information on the boat propulsion system can be transmitted in response to a request from the information display device at a time of initialization at a system start.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: YAMAHA MARINE KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi YAMADA, Masaru KAWANISHI
  • Publication number: 20080233812
    Abstract: A controller for a boat propulsion system has an adjusting device arranged to adjust an inclination angle in the vertical direction of the boat propulsion system by a drive unit, the controller arranged to perform drive control of the adjusting device, a storage section provided in the controller and arranged to store a limit value of the inclination angle, and a connector arranged to communicate with a service tool, wherein the controller is arranged to set the limit value from the service tool and stop the drive unit when the inclination angle reaches the limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: YAMAHA MARINE KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaru KAWANISHI, Shu AKUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20080214069
    Abstract: In a boat propulsion apparatus including an engine control device for controlling operation of an engine, the engine control device includes a first ID storage and a second ID storage, a first ID is stored in the first ID storage beforehand, and the engine control device is communicably connected to a controller of a remote control device over a network. A signal containing a second ID is received from the controller when the engine control device and the controller are connected to the network for the first time and is stored in the second ID storage. Thus, maintenance and management of the engine are easy, and also it is possible to prevent a mischievous operation or theft of the boat propulsion apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: YAMAHA MARINE KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaru KAWANISHI, Shu AKUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20080215230
    Abstract: In an engine rotation control device, a remote control operation device is provided with a remote control side ECU and an engine side ECU so that an outboard motor can be remotely controlled. The remote control side ECU and the engine side ECU periodically communicate a control signal. A gauge includes a slow-speed operation section that changes the engine rotational speed during slow-speed cruising. The slow-speed operation section outputs a change command signal to change the engine rotational speed, and a rotational speed change signal generated by a signal output section based on the change command signal is transmitted to the engine side ECU as a periodic control signal. A reset section of the remote control side ECU resets the rotational speed change signal to an initial state in response to a request from a reset request section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: YAMAHA MARINE KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi YAMADA, Masaru KAWANISHI
  • Patent number: 7330133
    Abstract: An engine condition indicating device for a boat automatically adjusts the indication range of condition data values of different engines to the range of an indicating section to provide an appropriately positioned indication for each engine. The engine condition indicating device indicates a condition data value such as a detected engine oil pressure as an indication object at a predetermined position in an indication area of an indicating section. Indication information, which includes a condition value determined in association with the indication area as an indication object for the engine, is preset. The condition data value transmitted from the engine as an indication object is processed based on the indication information to cause the indication object to be displayed at a predetermined position in the indication area of the indicating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kawanishi, Takashi Okuyama
  • Publication number: 20080020656
    Abstract: A boat capable of assigning device instance numbers in accordance with the placement order of boat propulsion units, irrespective of the activation order of the boat propulsion units, comprises a plurality of control units for controlling a plurality of boat propulsion units. A plurality of gauge sections for displaying operation information of the respective boat propulsion units are connected to each other and to the plurality of control units via a communication network. The respective control units assign device instance numbers to the operation information of the boat propulsion units and transmit the device instance numbers, and the respective gauge sections identify and receive the device instance numbers for display. The control units are connected to each other via a communication line, and respectively include DI-number setting sections capable of setting device instance numbers, and determining sections capable of determining the positions of the boat propulsion units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 7175490
    Abstract: A boat indicator enables a user to easily read engine speeds for boats which can switch between a low-speed trolling mode and a normal running mode at speeds higher than the trolling mode speed. The boat indicator includes an engine speed indicating section for indicating engine speed. The engine speed indicating section is adapted to switch between a normal mode display for indicating the engine speed over a relatively large range when the boat is in the normal mode and a trolling mode display for indicating engine speed over a relatively small, low-speed range when the boat is in the trolling mode. The normal mode display indicates engine speed detected with a first resolution over the large range. The trolling mode display indicates engine speed detected with a second resolution finer than the first resolution over the smaller range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isano Kanno, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 7059922
    Abstract: A trim angle correction indicating system for an outboard motor indicates the trim angle of an outboard motor accurately even when misalignment of a detector and deviation in detection value occur. A detector detects the trim angle of an outboard motor, and a trim angle indicating section indicates the trim angle detected by the detector. An offset value setting section sets the detection value detected by the detector when the outboard motor is at a reference position as an offset value. A correction processing section corrects the detection value detected by the detector based on the offset value set by the offset value setting section. The trim angle of the outboard motor is indicated in the trim angle indicating section based on the correction value provided by the correction processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaru Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 6997764
    Abstract: A vehicle can have plural propulsion devices, at least two of which include number setting sections and number transmitting/receiving sections for transmitting their identification number and receiving identification numbers of the other propulsion devices over a network. When the number transmitting/receiving sections do not receive an identification number of another propulsion device from the network for a predetermined period of time, an initial value preset in the number setting sections is set as the identification number of the propulsion device in the number setting sections. When the number transmitting/receiving sections receive an identification number of another propulsion device from the network, an identification number different from the identification number of the other propulsion device is set in the number setting sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Okuyama, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20050122213
    Abstract: An engine condition indicating device for a boat automatically adjusts the indication range of condition data values of different engines to the range of an indicating section to provide an appropriately positioned indication for each engine. The engine condition indicating device indicates a condition data value such as a detected engine oil pressure as an indication object at a predetermined position in an indication area of an indicating section. Indication information, which includes a condition value determined in association with the indication area as an indication object for the engine, is preset. The condition data value transmitted from the engine as an indication object is processed based on the indication information to cause the indication object to be displayed at a predetermined position in the indication area of the indicating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventors: Masaru Kawanishi, Takashi Okuyama
  • Publication number: 20050118895
    Abstract: A boat indicator enables a user to easily read engine speeds for boats which can switch between a low-speed trolling mode and a normal running mode at speeds higher than the trolling mode speed. The boat indicator includes an engine speed indicating section for indicating engine speed. The engine speed indicating section is adapted to switch between a normal mode display for indicating the engine speed over a relatively large range when the boat is in the normal mode and a trolling mode display for indicating engine speed over a relatively small, low-speed range when the boat is in the trolling mode. The normal mode display indicates engine speed detected with a first resolution over the large range. The trolling mode display indicates engine speed detected with a second resolution finer than the first resolution over the smaller range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Isano Kanno, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20050118896
    Abstract: A vehicle can have plural propulsion devices, at least two of which include number setting sections and number transmitting/receiving sections for transmitting their identification number and receiving identification numbers of the other propulsion devices over a network. When the number transmitting/receiving sections do not receive an identification number of another propulsion device from the network for a predetermined period of time, an initial value preset in the number setting sections is set as the identification number of the propulsion device in the number setting sections. When the number transmitting/receiving sections receive an identification number of another propulsion device from the network, an identification number different from the identification number of the other propulsion device is set in the number setting sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Takashi Okuyama, Masaru Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20050118894
    Abstract: A trim angle correction indicating system for an outboard motor indicates the trim angle of an outboard motor accurately even when misalignment of a detector and deviation in detection value occur. A detector detects the trim angle of an outboard motor, and a trim angle indicating section indicates the trim angle detected by the detector. An offset value setting section sets the detection value detected by the detector when the outboard motor is at a reference position as an offset value. A correction processing section corrects the detection value detected by the detector based on the offset value set by the offset value setting section. The trim angle of the outboard motor is indicated in the trim angle indicating section based on the correction value provided by the correction processing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventor: Masaru Kawanishi