Foot placement sensor and self-balancing personal transportation device having same
First Claim
1. A self-balancing vehicle device, comprising:
- a first wheel;
a first motor for driving the first wheel;
a first foot platform associated with the first wheel;
a position sensor and electronic control configured such that the electronic control is coupled to the first motor and the first motor drives the device towards fore-aft self-balancing based on data from the position sensor; and
a first foot presence sensor having an emitter that emits an emission and a detector that detects the emission, wherein the emitter and detector are spaced from one another and positioned such that the propagation path of the emission from emitter to detector passes over a portion of the first foot platform.
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Abstract
Foot placement sensor and self-balancing vehicles having same. The foot placement sensor may be configured in or with a self-balancing transportation device that has a least a first foot platform. The sensor may include an emitter of electromagnetic radiation (or other suitable signal) that is propagated, at least in part, over a portion of the foot platform and a receptor positioned to receive this emission. Interruption of the emitted radiation at the receptor may indicate the presence of a user'"'"'s foot at the platform. One suitable emission type is infrared light, among other suitable types. Various embodiments are disclosed including in two-wheel, one-wheel and paired-wheel self-balancing vehicles.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A self-balancing vehicle device, comprising:
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a first wheel; a first motor for driving the first wheel; a first foot platform associated with the first wheel; a position sensor and electronic control configured such that the electronic control is coupled to the first motor and the first motor drives the device towards fore-aft self-balancing based on data from the position sensor; and a first foot presence sensor having an emitter that emits an emission and a detector that detects the emission, wherein the emitter and detector are spaced from one another and positioned such that the propagation path of the emission from emitter to detector passes over a portion of the first foot platform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A self-balancing vehicle device, comprising:
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a first foot platform with an associated first wheel and a second foot platform with an associated second wheel; a first motor that drives the first wheel and a second motor that drives the second wheel; electronic control and position sensing that are configured to drive the first and second wheels towards self-balancing the device; and a first foot presence sensor having a first emitter that emits a first emission and a first detector that detects the first emission, wherein the first emitter and first detector are spaced from one another and positioned such that the propagation path of the first emission passes over a portion of the first foot platform. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A self-balancing vehicle device, comprising:
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at least one wheel; a motor for driving the wheel; a foot platform associated with the wheel; a position sensor and an electronic control circuit configured such that the motor drives the device towards fore-aft self-balancing based on data from the position sensor; and a foot presence sensor having an emitter and receptor, the receptor spaced from the emitter, and wherein, the emitter propagates electro-magnetic radiation over the foot platform in such a manner that if a rider is standing on the foot platform, part of the rider'"'"'s body interrupts the path of electro-magnetic radiation from the emitter to receptor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification