What is claimed is:
1. A watercraft comprising a water propulsion device, an engine powering the water propulsion device, an engine output control mechanism arranged to control the output of the engine, a steering mechanism arranged to steer the watercraft, a first sensor arranged to sense a state of the engine output control mechanism, a second sensor arranged to sense a state of the steering mechanism, and a control device configured to control the engine output control mechanism based upon a first control parameter corresponding to an output of the first sensor and a second control parameter corresponding to an output of the second sensor, the control device configured to cause the engine output control mechanism to increase engine output when the first control parameter is less than a first reference magnitude and the second control parameter is greater than a second reference magnitude.
2. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the control device continues to control the engine output control mechanism until the first control parameter reaches an objective magnitude.
3. The watercraft as set forth in claim 2, wherein the control device ceases the coercion control of the engine output control mechanism when the first control parameter satisfies a first reference condition or the second parameter satisfies a second reference condition.
4. The watercraft as set forth in claim 2, wherein the control device includes a timer, and the control device ceases the coercion control of the engine output control mechanism when a predetermined time elapses.
5. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to increase the engine output gradually or step by step.
6. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the water propulsion device includes an impeller driven by the engine for producing a thrust force, the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to increases the engine output to a magnitude where the impeller rotates with a rotational speed that is greater than a critical rotational speed thereby the watercraft starts planing.
7. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine has at least one combustion chamber and an air induction system arranged to provide air to the combustion chamber, the engine output control mechanism includes a throttle valve disposed in the air induction system for measuring an amount of the air, the first sensor is arranged to sense an opening degree of the throttle valve, and the control device controls the throttle valve to increase the opening degree of the throttle valve when the sensed opening degree is less than a reference opening degree and the second control parameter is greater than the second reference magnitude.
8. The watercraft as set forth in claim 7, wherein the throttle valve continues to open until an opening degree thereof reaches an objective opening degree under the coercion control of the control device.
9. The watercraft as set forth in claim 8, wherein the control device ceases the coercion control of the engine output control mechanism when the sensed opening degree increases to the objective opening degree.
10. The watercraft as set forth in claim 7, wherein the engine output control mechanism includes an electrically operated actuator, and the control device controls the throttle valve through the actuator.
11. The watercraft as set forth in claim 10, wherein the throttle valve is journaled for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, the first sensor is positioned on one end of the pivot axis and the actuator is positioned on the other end of the pivot axis.
12. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine has at least one combustion chamber and an air induction system arranged to provide air to the combustion chamber, the engine output control mechanism includes a throttle valve disposed in the air induction system for measuring an amount of the air, the first sensor is arranged to sense an opening degree of the throttle valve, a bypass disposed in the air induction system for permitting the air to bypass the throttle valve, and a bypass valve arranged to control the air passing through the bypass, the control device controls the bypass valve to increase the amount of the air so as to increase the engine output.
13. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine has at least one combustion chamber and an air induction system arranged to provide air to the combustion chamber, the engine output control mechanism includes a throttle valve disposed in the air induction system for measuring an amount of the air, and a throttle controller disposed apart from the air induction system to remotely control a position of the throttle valve, the first sensor is arranged to sense a position of the throttle valve or a position of the throttle controller.
14. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes a steering assembly and a deflector disposed at the water propulsion device, the steering assembly and the deflector are linked together, and the second sensor is arranged to sense an angular position of the steering assembly or the deflector, the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to increase the engine output when the sensed angular position of the steering assembly or the deflector is greater than a reference angular position and the first control parameter is less than the first control parameter.
15. The watercraft as set forth in claim 14, wherein the control device ceases the coercion control when the sensed angular position becomes generally zero.
16. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine includes an ignition system arranged to ignite a combustible charge in a combustion chamber of the engine, and the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to advance an ignition timing of the ignition system to increase the engine output.
17. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine includes a fuel delivery system arranged to deliver fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine, and the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to increase an amount of the fuel to increase the engine output.
18. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine includes a fuel injection system arranged to spray fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine, and the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to advance an injection timing to increase the engine output.
19. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control device holds the coercion control of the engine output control mechanism so that a thrust force of the water propulsion device continues to be greater than a reference thrust force thereof.
20. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a third sensor arranged to sense a velocity of the watercraft, the control device controls the engine output mechanism additionally based upon a third control parameter corresponding to an output of the third sensor, and the control device coerces the engine output control mechanism into increasing the engine output unless the third control parameter is less than a third reference magnitude.
21. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1, wherein the water propulsion device includes a jet unit producing thrust force.
22. The watercraft as set forth in claim 21, wherein the jet unit includes a discharge nozzle from which water is spouted out and a trim adjustment mechanism arranged to adjust a trim position of the discharge nozzle, the trim adjustment mechanism brings the discharge nozzle into a trim down position when the control device controls the engine output control mechanism to increase the engine output.
23. The watercraft as set forth in claim 22, wherein the control device controls the trim adjustment mechanism.
24. The watercraft as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a switchover mechanism selectively activating and disabling the control device.
25. The watercraft as set forth in claim 24, wherein the switchover mechanism has a first state in which the engine is operable and the control device is activated, a second state in which the engine is operable and the control device is disabled, and a third state in which the engine is not operable and the control device is disabled.
26. The watercraft as set forth in claim 25, wherein the switchover mechanism includes a first holder to hold the switchover mechanism in the first state or in the third state, a second holder to hold the switchover mechanism in the second state or in the third state, and the first and second holder is selectively available.
27. The watercraft as set forth in claim 26, wherein the first and second holders are lanyard switch members.
28. A watercraft comprising a water propulsion device, an engine powering the water propulsion device, an engine output control mechanism arranged to control output of the engine, a steering mechanism, a first sensor arranged to sense a state of the steering mechanism, a second sensor arranged to sense a velocity of the watercraft, and a control device configured to control the engine output control mechanism based upon a first control parameter corresponding to an output of the first sensor and a second control parameter corresponding to an output of the second sensor, the control device causing the engine output control mechanism to increase engine output when the first control parameter is greater than a first reference magnitude and the second control parameter is greater than a second reference magnitude.
29. A watercraft comprising a water propulsion device, an engine powering the water propulsion device, a steering mechanism arranged to steer a thrust direction of the water propulsion device, the thrust direction being quickly changeable under a first condition when the water propulsion device produces a thrust force greater than a predetermined thrust force, recognizing means for recognizing that the steering mechanism is steered under a second condition in which the water propulsion device does not produce a thrust force greater than the predetermined thrust force, and means for increasing an output of the engine when the recognizing means recognizes that the steering mechanism is steered under the second condition.
30. The watercraft as set forth in claim 29, wherein the increasing means ceases increasing of the output of the engine when the steering mechanism is back in a neutral position where the thrust direction of the water propulsion device is not steered.
31. The watercraft as set forth in claim 30 additionally comprising a changeover mechanism selectively activating and disabling the increasing means.
32. The watercraft as set forth in claim 29, wherein the increasing means ceases increasing of the output of the engine when a predetermined time elapses.
33. A watercraft comprising a water propulsion device, an engine powering the water propulsion device, the engine having at least one combustion chamber and an air induction system arranged to provide air to the combustion chamber, at least one throttle valve disposed in the air induction system for regulating an amount of air supplied to the combustion chamber, a steering assembly arranged to steer the watercraft, a first sensor arranged to sense an opening degree of the throttle valve, a second sensor arranged to sense an angular position of the steering assembly, an electrically operated control device, and a throttle valve actuator arranged to operate the opening degree of the throttle valve, the control device being configured to control the throttle valve actuator based upon an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor, the control device causing the throttle valve actuator to operate the at least one throttle valve to increase its opening degree when the output of the first sensor indicates that the sensed opening degree less than a reference opening degree and the output of the second sensor indicates that the sensed angular position is greater than a reference angular position.
34. The watercraft as set forth in claim 33 additionally comprising a third sensor arranged to sense a velocity of the watercraft, wherein the control device coerces the throttle valve actuator into operating the throttle valve to increase the opening degree unless an output of the third sensor indicates that the velocity of the watercraft is less than a reference velocity.
35. The watercraft as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control device includes a storage to store data of opening degrees of the throttle valve versus velocities of the watercraft, the control device determines one of the opening degrees that corresponds to the sensed output of the third sensor as an objective opening degree, and the control device controls the throttle valve actuator to operate the throttle valve to increase the opening degree to the objective opening degree.
36. The watercraft as set forth in claim 35, wherein the control device ceases the coercion control when the sensed opening degree of the throttle valve increases to the objective opening degree, the sensed angular position of the steering assembly is generally zero, or the sensed velocity of the watercraft is less than a second reference velocity.
37. The watercraft as set forth in claim 35, wherein the control device includes a timer, and the control device ceases the coercion control when a predetermined time elapses.
38. The watercraft as set forth in claim 34, wherein the control device includes a storage to store data of opening degrees of the throttle valve versus velocities of the watercraft and data of the angular positions of the steering assembly versus velocities of the watercraft, the control device determines one of the opening degrees that corresponds to the sensed output of the third sensor as the reference opening degree and also determines one of the angular positions that corresponds to the sensed output of the third sensor as the reference angular position.
39. A control method for an engine of a watercraft having a water propulsion device, an engine output control mechanism, a steering mechanism, at least two sensors and a control device, the method comprising sensing a state of the engine output control mechanism by one sensor, sensing a state of the steering mechanism by another sensor, determining whether a first control parameter corresponding to a sensed state of the engine output is less than a first reference magnitude, determining whether a second control parameter corresponding to a sensed state of the steering mechanism is greater than a second reference magnitude, and increasing an engine output by the control device if the results of both determinations are affirmative.
40. The control method as set forth in claim 39 additionally comprising judging whether the first control parameter satisfies a first reference condition, judging the second control parameter satisfies a second reference condition, and ceasing the increase of the engine output if at least one of results of the judgments is affirmative.
41. The control method as set forth in claim 39 additionally comprising setting a predetermined time, judging whether the predetermined time elapses, and ceasing the increase of the engine output if the time elapses.
42. A control method for an engine of a watercraft having a water propulsion device, a steering assembly, at least two sensors and a control device, the engine including a throttle valve and a throttle valve actuator, the method comprising sensing an opening degree of the throttle valve by one sensor, sensing an angular position of the steering assembly by another sensor, determining whether the sensed opening degree is less than a reference opening degree, determining whether the sensed angular position is greater than a reference angular position, and increasing the opening degree by the control device if the results of both determinations are affirmative.
43. The control method as set forth in claim 42 additionally comprising sensing a velocity of the watercraft, determining whether the sensed velocity is greater than a reference velocity, and increasing the opening degree unless a result of the determination of the velocity is negative.
44. The control method as set forth in claim 43 additionally comprising storing data of opening degrees of the throttle valve versus velocities of the watercraft in a storage of the control device, determining one of the opening degrees that corresponds to the sensed velocity as an objective opening degree, and increasing the opening degree by the throttle valve actuator to the objective opening degree.
45. The control method as set forth in claim 44 additionally comprising judging whether the sensed opening degree increases beyond the objective opening degree, judging whether the sensed angular position is generally zero, judging whether the sensed velocity is less than a second reference velocity, and ceasing the increase of the opening degree if at least one of results of the judgments is affirmative.
46. The control method as set forth in claim 45 additionally comprising storing data of opening degrees of the throttle valve versus velocities of the watercraft in a storage of the control device, storing data of the angular positions of the steering assembly versus velocities of the watercraft in the storage of the control device, determining one of the opening degrees that corresponds to the sensed velocity as the reference opening degree, and determining one of the angular positions that corresponds to the sensed velocity as the reference angular position.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-23. (canceled)
24. A data recording system for dividing continuous digital data into a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files into a recording medium,
the data recording system comprising:
a file generating part for dividing the continuous digital data so as to generate the plurality of the data files and recording the plurality of the data files sequentially into the recording medium, in parallel with continuously reading of the digital data;
a management file judging part for determining one management file that stores management information for managing the plurality of the data files; and
a management information generating part for adding the management information including information that shows a recording order of the plurality of the data files into the management file determined by the management file judging part,
wherein the management file judging part determines the management file for storing the management information such that, when adding the management information of the plurality of the data files into the management file, the number of the data files managed by the management file does not exceed a maximum data file number L (L is a natural number) that is the number of data files that can be managed by the management file.
25. The data recording system according to claim 24, wherein, when the number of data files managed by the management file reaches the maximum data file number L when management information of first to Nth (N is a natural number) data files among the plurality of the data files are added into the management file, the management file judging part changes the management file for storing the management information into another management file that is different from the management file, and
the management information generating part moves the management information of the first to Nth data files into the another management file, and adds management information of (N+1)th and greater data files into the another management file.
26. The data recording system according to claim 24, wherein
the management file is provided so as to correspond to each directory on the recording medium,
each of the management files includes management information of a data file in each corresponding directory,
the file generating part records the plurality of the data files into the directories on the recording medium,
the management information generating part adds the management information of the data file recorded in the directory into the management file that is provided so as to correspond to the directory,
when the number of data files recorded into the directory reaches the maximum data file number L that is the number of data files that can be recorded in the directory when first to Nth (N is a natural number) data files among the plurality of the data files are recorded into the directory, the management file judging part changes the management file for storing the management information into another management file corresponding to another directory that is different from the directory, and
the file generating part moves the first to Nth data files into the another directory and records (N+1)th and greater data files into the another directory.
27. The data recording system according to claim 25, wherein
the management information includes records containing information relating to the data files to be managed, each of the records relating to each of the data files,
the management information generating part adds a plurality of the records showing the plurality of the data files in an order of recording the plurality of the data files as the management information into the management file,
in the case where the number of data files managed by the management file reaches the maximum data file number L when the management information of the first to Nth (N is a natural number) data files are added into the management file, the management file judging part changes the management file for storing the management information into the another management file that is different from the management file, and
the management information generating part reserve area of N records for the another management file, adds the records that respectively correspond to the (N+1)th and greater data files into the management file sequentially when the (N+1)th and greater data files are recorded into the recording medium, and adds the records that correspond to the first to Nth data files into the reserve area during or after the recording.
28. The data recording system according to claim 25, wherein the management file judging part determines a newly formed management file as the another management file.
29. The data recording system according to claim 24, wherein a limitation value M of a file size of one file is predetermined in the data recording system,
the data recording system further comprising:
a file number obtaining part for obtaining the number of data files that are managed by at least one management file among the management files recorded in the recording medium;
a remaining amount detecting part for detecting a remaining amount K that can be recorded in the recording medium; and
a maximum file number calculating part for calculating, based on the remaining amount K and the limitation value M of the file size, a maximum value J of the data file number that can be taken in the case of dividing the continuous digital data into a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files into the remaining amount K,
wherein the management file judging part determines the management file for storing the management information based on the number of the data files managed by the management file that is obtained by the file number obtaining part and the maximum value J of the data files.
30. The data recording system according to claim 29, wherein
the management file is provided so as to correspond to each of the directories on the recording medium, and
the maximum data file number L that is the number of data files that can be managed by the management file is equal to the maximum data file number that is the number of data files that can be recorded into each corresponding directory,
the data recording system further comprising:
a recording directory selecting part for determining a directory corresponding to the management file that is determined by the management file judging part as the directory for recording the plurality of the data files,
wherein the file generating part records the plurality of the data files into the directory that is selected by the recording directory selecting part.
31. The data recording system according to claim 29, wherein the management file judging part determines, as the management file for storing the management information, a management file in which sum of the number of the data files managed by the management file that is obtained by the file number obtaining part and the maximum value J of the data files is equal to or less than the maximum data file number L.
32. The data recording system according to claim 29, wherein, in the case where the management file in which sum of the number of the files obtained by the file number obtaining part and the maximum value J of the data files is equal to or less than the maximum data file number L is not present, the management file judging part newly forms a management file, and determines the formed management file as the management file for storing the management information.
33. The data recording system according to any one of claim 24, wherein, in the case where a maximum file size that can be taken by one file is predetermined and a size of the continuous digital data exceeds the maximum file size, the file generating part divides the continuous digital data into a plurality of files having a size that is equal to or less than the maximum file size.
34. A photographing apparatus comprising:
an imaging part for picking up an incident optical image;
a signal processing part for generating video image digital data from the optical image that is picked up by the imaging part;
a file generating part for dividing the continuous digital data that is generated by the signal processing part so as to generate a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files sequentially into the recording medium;
a management file judging part for determining one management file that stores management information for managing the plurality of data files; and
a management information generating part for adding the management information that includes information showing a recording order of the plurality of the data files into the management file determined by the management file judging part,
wherein the management file judging part determines a management file for storing the management information such that a data file number that is the number of data files that are managed by the management file when adding the management information of the plurality of the data files into the management file does not exceed the maximum data file number L (L is a natural number) that is the number of data files that can be managed by the management file.
35. A non-transitory recording medium storing a data recording program that allows a computer to execute processing for dividing continuous digital data into a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files into a recording medium,
the data recording program allowing the computer to execute:
file generating processing for dividing the continuous digital data so as to generate a plurality of the data files and recording the plurality of the data files sequentially into the recording medium;
management file judgment processing for determining one management file that stores the management information for managing the plurality of the data files; and
management information generation processing for adding the management information including information showing a recording order of the plurality of the data files into the management file determined by the management file judging part,
wherein the management file judgment processing is processing for determining a management file for storing the management information such that, when adding the management information of the plurality of the data files into the management file, the number of the data files managed by the management file does not exceed a maximum data file number L (L is a natural number) that is the number of data files that can be managed by the management file.
36. The recording medium according to claim 35, wherein, when the number of data files managed by the management file reaches the maximum data file number L when management information of first to Nth (N is a natural number) data files among the plurality of the data files is added into the management file, the management file that stores the management information in the management file judgment processing is changed into another management file that is different from the management file, the management information of the first to Nth data files are moved into the another management file, and management information of (N+1)th and greater data files are added into the another management file in the management information generation processing.
37. The recording medium according to claim 35, wherein
a limitation value M of a file size of one file is predetermined in the recording medium,
the data recording program allowing the computer to further execute:
file number obtaining processing for obtaining the number of the data files managed by at least one management file among the management files recorded in the recording medium;
remaining amount detecting processing for detecting a remaining amount K that can be recorded into the recording medium;
maximum file number calculation processing for calculating, based on the remaining amount K and the limitation value M of the file size, a maximum value J of the number of the data files that can be taken when dividing the continuous digital data into the plurality of the data files and recording the plurality of the data files into the remaining amount K,
wherein the management file judgment processing is processing for determining the management file for storing the management information based on the number of the data files managed by the management file that is obtained by the file number obtaining part and the maximum value J of the data files.
38. A data recording method in which a computer divides continuous digital data into a plurality of data files and records the plurality of the data files into a recording medium,
the data recording method comprising:
a file generating step for dividing the continuous digital data so as to generate the plurality of the data files and recording the plurality of the data files sequentially into the recording medium;
a management file judging step for determining one management file for storing management information for managing the plurality of the data files; and
a management information generating step for adding the management information including information that shows a recording order of the plurality of the data files into the management file determined in the management file judging step,
wherein the management file judging step comprises determining the management file for storing the management information such that, when adding the management information of the plurality of the data files into the management file, the number of the data files managed by the management file does not exceed a maximum data file number L (L is a natural number) that is the number of data files that can be managed by the management file.
39. The data recording method according to claim 38, wherein, when the number of data files managed by the management file reaches the maximum data file number L when management information of first to Nth (N is a natural number) data files among the plurality of the data files are added into the management file, the management file judging step comprises changing the management file for storing the management information into another management file that is different from the management file, and
the management information generating step comprises moving the management information of the first to Nth data files into the another management file, and adding management information of (N+1)th and greater data files into the another management file.
40. The data recording method according to claim 38, wherein a limitation value M of a file size of one file is predetermined in the recording medium,
the data recording method further comprising:
a file number obtaining step for obtaining the number of the data files that are managed by at least one management file among the management files recorded in the recording medium;
a remaining amount detecting step for detecting a remaining amount K that can be recorded into the recording medium; and
a maximum file number calculating step for calculating, based on the remaining amount K and the limitation value M of the file size, a maximum value J of the data file number that can be taken in the case of dividing the continuous digital data into a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files into the remaining amount K,
wherein the management file judging step is a step for determining the management file for storing the management information based on the number of the data files managed by the management file that is obtained in the file number obtaining step and the maximum value J of the data files.