Patents by Inventor Shu Akuzawa

Shu Akuzawa 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: 11634204
    Abstract: A boat includes a boat body, a propulsion device, an operator that operates the propulsion device, and a controller. The propulsion device is disposed in the boat body and generates a propulsion force to move the boat body. The controller executes an automatic shore arrival control to control the propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to move toward a target position. The controller ends the automatic shore arrival control when the operator is positioned in a non-neutral position that differs from a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11586206
    Abstract: A sensor detects a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship of the shore arrival location and a boat body and outputs environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship. A controller receives the environment information and generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to cause the boat body to move toward the shore arrival position set based on the environment information and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11383814
    Abstract: A sensor that detects a shape of a surrounding environment of a boat and a positional relationship between the surrounding environment and the boat body outputs environment information indicating the shape of the surrounding environment and the positional relationship. A display displays an environment map indicating the surrounding environment. An input accepts an input of a shore arrival target position of the boat body on the environment map and outputs target position information indicating the shore arrival target position. A controller receives the environment information and the target position information, determines a possible shore arrival space of the boat body in the surrounding environment based on the environment information, and corrects the shore arrival target position based on the possible shore arrival space. The controller generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to arrive at the shore at the corrected shore arrival target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11243538
    Abstract: A positional sensor detects a current position and a current bearing of a boat body and outputs position information indicating the current position and the current bearing. A controller receives the position information. The controller determines a first target position of the boat body and a target bearing in the first target position. The controller calculates a bearing difference between the current bearing and the target bearing. The controller determines an offset amount of the first target position in response to the bearing difference or an outside disturbance. The controller determines a position spaced away by the offset amount from the first target position on a side toward the current position as a second target position. The controller generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to arrive at the second target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11188080
    Abstract: A positional sensor detects a current position of a boat body and outputs position information indicating the current position. A controller receives the position information. The controller determines a target position of the boat body. The controller calculates the distance between the current position and the target position. The controller determines a target speed of the boat body to reach the target position in accordance with the distance. The controller calculates the force of an outside disturbance. The controller determines a target propulsion force of a propulsion device based on the force of the outside disturbance and the target speed. The controller generates an instruction signal to control the propulsion device to produce the target propulsion force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11167833
    Abstract: A first sensor detects first environment information indicating a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship between the shore arrival location and a boat body. A second sensor, different from the first sensor, detects second environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship between the shore arrival location and the boat body. A controller is communicatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor. When the distance from the boat body to the shore arrival location is greater than a predetermined distance threshold, the controller generates, based on the first environment information, an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to as to cause the boat body to arrive at the shore arrival location. When the distance from the boat body to the shore arrival location is equal to or less than the distance threshold, the controller generates an instruction signal based on the second environment information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Patent number: 11161575
    Abstract: A small craft includes a craft body, a propulsion device configured to propel the craft body, a position acquisition portion configured to acquire positional information about a trailer on which the craft body is loadable, and a controller configured to control the propulsion device on the basis of the positional information about the trailer acquired by the position acquisition portion during an operation for releasing the craft body from the trailer and/or an operation for attaching the craft body to the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Koyano, Shu Akuzawa, Yusuke Ashida, Hirotaka Aoki
  • Patent number: 11161576
    Abstract: A navigation system includes a sensing device and an environment map creator. The sensing device generates environment information which indicates a shape of a shore arrival location. The environment map creator creates an environment map which indicates the shape of the shore arrival location based on the environment information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Hirotaka Aoki, Yusuke Ashida
  • Publication number: 20210094659
    Abstract: A navigation system includes a sensing device and an environment map creator. The sensing device generates environment information which indicates a shape of a shore arrival location. The environment map creator creates an environment map which indicates the shape of the shore arrival location based on the environment information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Patent number: 10794708
    Abstract: A server system includes a communicator, a storage, and a controller. The controller is configured or programmed to receive positional information of a watercraft that a user of a wireless communication terminal is aboard and propulsion device information from the wireless communication terminal through the communicator. The propulsion device information indicates a type of a propulsion device on the watercraft. The controller creates cruise trajectory information and stores the created cruise trajectory information in the storage based on the positional information of the watercraft in association with the type of the propulsion device on the watercraft. The controller determines a frequency at which cruise trajectories of the watercraft match the cruise trajectories based on the cruise trajectory information in the storage. The controller creates cruise route information in association with the type of the propulsion device on the watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Yoshimasa Kinoshita, Masaru Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20190317504
    Abstract: A positional sensor detects a current position and a current bearing of a boat body and outputs position information indicating the current position and the current bearing. A controller receives the position information. The controller determines a first target position of the boat body and a target bearing in the first target position. The controller calculates a bearing difference between the current bearing and the target bearing. The controller determines an offset amount of the first target position in response to the bearing difference or an outside disturbance. The controller determines a position spaced away by the offset amount from the first target position on a side toward the current position as a second target position. The controller generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to arrive at the second target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190308712
    Abstract: A first sensor detects first environment information indicating a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship between the shore arrival location and a boat body. A second sensor, different from the first sensor, detects second environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship between the shore arrival location and the boat body. A controller is communicatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor. When the distance from the boat body to the shore arrival location is greater than a predetermined distance threshold, the controller generates, based on the first environment information, an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to as to cause the boat body to arrive at the shore arrival location. When the distance from the boat body to the shore arrival location is equal to or less than the distance threshold, the controller generates an instruction signal based on the second environment information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190308713
    Abstract: A sensor that detects a shape of a surrounding environment of a boat and a positional relationship between the surrounding environment and the boat body outputs environment information indicating the shape of the surrounding environment and the positional relationship. A display displays an environment map indicating the surrounding environment. An input accepts an input of a shore arrival target position of the boat body on the environment map and outputs target position information indicating the shore arrival target position. A controller receives the environment information and the target position information, determines a possible shore arrival space of the boat body in the surrounding environment based on the environment information, and corrects the shore arrival target position based on the possible shore arrival space. The controller generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to arrive at the shore at the corrected shore arrival target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190300138
    Abstract: A boat includes a boat body, a propulsion device, an operator that operates the propulsion device, and a controller. The propulsion device is disposed in the boat body and generates a propulsion force to move the boat body. The controller executes an automatic shore arrival control to control the propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to move toward a target position. The controller ends the automatic shore arrival control when the operator is positioned in a non-neutral position that differs from a neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190302773
    Abstract: A sensor detects a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship of the shore arrival location and a boat body and outputs environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship. A controller receives the environment information and generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to cause the boat body to move toward the shore arrival location based on the environment information and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20190302774
    Abstract: A positional sensor detects a current position of a boat body and outputs position information indicating the current position. A controller receives the position information. The controller determines a target position of the boat body. The controller calculates the distance between the current position and the target position. The controller determines a target speed of the boat body to reach the target position in accordance with the distance. The controller calculates the force of an outside disturbance. The controller determines a target propulsion force of a propulsion device based on the force of the outside disturbance and the target speed. The controller generates an instruction signal to control the propulsion device to produce the target propulsion force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Hirotaka AOKI, Yusuke ASHIDA
  • Patent number: 10358203
    Abstract: A vessel display system includes a first screen display unit, a second screen display unit, and a screen transition unit. The first screen display unit displays a first screen that includes vessel-related information related to navigation of a vessel. The second screen display unit displays a second screen including function information related to a function usable during the navigation of the vessel and common display information including at least one of the vessel-related information displayed in the first screen. The screen transition unit performs transition from the first screen to the second screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shu Akuzawa
  • Patent number: 10191490
    Abstract: A marine vessel includes a distance detector that measures a distance to an object, a speed detector that detects a vessel speed, and a controller that executes on-shore/off-shore assistance control to control a propulsion unit to generate a thrust that moves a vessel body in a direction opposite to a direction toward the object based on the distance to the object measured by the distance detector and the vessel speed detected by the speed detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Akuzawa, Yusuke Ashida, Hirotaka Aoki, Yukitaka Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10126748
    Abstract: A vessel display system includes a display device, an autopilot screen display unit displaying on the display device an autopilot screen for an autopilot mode, an automatic berthing control screen display unit displaying on the display device an automatic berthing control screen for an automatic berthing mode of automatically controlling a propulsion device and a steering mechanism to make the vessel berth at a berthing target position, a destination approach condition judging unit judging whether or not a predetermined destination approach condition, indicating that the vessel has come close to the destination, is satisfied, and a screen transition control unit automatically making the display on the display device transition from the autopilot screen to the automatic berthing control screen when the destination approach condition judging unit judges that the destination approach condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shu Akuzawa
  • Publication number: 20180292215
    Abstract: A server system includes a communicator, a storage, and a controller. The controller is configured or programmed to receive positional information of a watercraft that a user of a wireless communication terminal is aboard and propulsion device information from the wireless communication terminal through the communicator. The propulsion device information indicates a type of a propulsion device on the watercraft. The controller creates cruise trajectory information and stores the created cruise trajectory information in the storage based on the positional information of the watercraft in association with the type of the propulsion device on the watercraft. The controller determines a frequency at which cruise trajectories of the watercraft match the cruise trajectories based on the cruise trajectory information in the storage. The controller creates cruise route information in association with the type of the propulsion device on the watercraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Shu AKUZAWA, Yoshimasa KINOSHITA, Masaru TAMAKI