Ship steering device

Abstract

A ship steering device for controlling one or more propulsion units of a ship based on an operation performed on an input device having an operation unit movable from a neutral position. A movable region of the operation unit is a plurality of regions divided in a plurality of directions about the neutral position, the center angle of the region in at least one direction has a plurality of regions different from the region in the other direction, based on the region in which the operation unit is located among the plurality of regions, to determine the propulsion force to be applied to the ship.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ship steering device that controls one or more propulsion units of a ship based on an operation performed with respect to an input device having an operation unit that is movable from a neutral position, the ship steering device comprising:
 a plurality of regions in which a movable region of the operation unit is divided into a plurality of directions centered on the neutral position, the plurality of regions having a center angle of a region of at least one direction being different from a center angle of regions of other directions; and   a control unit that determines a propulsion force in the ship based on a region where the operation unit is positioned from among the plurality of regions.   
     
     
         2 . The ship steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion force is one of a propulsion force of a first pattern that causes the ship to advance, a propulsion force of a second pattern that causes the ship to retreat, and a propulsion force of a third pattern that causes the ship to turn. 
     
     
         3 . The ship steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions is symmetrically divided with a direction corresponding to a front-rear direction of the ship as an axis. 
     
     
         4 . The ship steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of regions includes at least a first region that indicates advancing and a second region that indicates retreating; and   the second region has a center angle wider than a center angle of the first region.   
     
     
         5 . The ship steering device according to  claim 1 , wherein when a first operation is performed that causes the operation unit to move from a first position displaced from the neutral position to the neutral position, the control unit starts a ship stopping control that causes the ship to stop at a prescribed ship stopping site by controlling a propulsion force of the one or more propulsion units.