US 12,168,503 B2
System for providing thruster effect on a vessel
Gerald Berton, Coral Gables, FL (US)
Assigned to THE YACHT GROUP, LLC, Coral Gables, FL (US)
Filed by The Yacht Group, LLC, Coral Gables, FL (US)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/611,169.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/453,350, filed on Mar. 20, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0317379 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. B63H 21/21 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 21/213 (2013.01) [B63H 2021/216 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A remote-control unit for operating a marine vessel, comprising:
at least one main engine control that is configured to operate each of a port main engine and a starboard main engine of the marine vessel;
at least one thruster control that is capable of controlling both a thruster as well as each of the port main engine and the starboard main engine;
a radio transceiver;
wherein the at least one main engine control is configured to cause the remote-control unit to transmit, via the radio transceiver to a helm unit of the marine vessel, main engine control signals to control at least one of the port main engine or the starboard main engine in a direction and at a speed relative to an amount of actuation of the at least one main engine control;
wherein when the marine vessel does not include a thruster, the thruster control is configured to cause the remote-control unit to transmit, via the radio transceiver, main engine control signals to jointly operate both the port main engine and the starboard main engine to achieve a virtual thruster effect on the marine vessel, according to a thruster profile that is stored in the remote control unit.