Dismount controls for one-wheeled vehicle

• US 10,399,457 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Future Motion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Future Motion, Inc.
• Inventors: Doerksen, Kyle Jonathan, Wood, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US16/213,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20190176646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/14 Vehicles with one wheel only
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/16 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/18 lateral
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/20 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/50 using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 1/00 Unicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A control system for a tiltable vehicle may include a motor controller configured to respond to backward or reverse operation of the vehicle by hindering a responsiveness of the control system (e.g., proportionally) and/or eventually disengaging a drive motor of the vehicle. Accordingly, a user may intuitively and safely dismount the vehicle by selectively commanding reverse operation. In some examples, the backward direction may be user-defined.

Claims

1. A self-balancing electric vehicle comprising:

one or more wheels having a common axis of rotation;

a board having a first end and a second end, wherein the board is tiltable about the axis of the one or more wheels;

an electric hub motor configured to drive the one or more wheels;

a motor controller configured to receive orientation information indicating an orientation of the board and to cause the hub motor to propel the board based on the orientation information, wherein the motor controller includes processing logic configured to;

receive direction information indicating a direction in which the hub motor is being commanded to propel the board;

in response to the direction information indicating a first direction, hinder a responsiveness of the motor controller to the orientation information by automatically adjusting a first parameter of the motor controller; and

in response to the first parameter reaching a first threshold, turning the hub motor off.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the direction information has a varying magnitude, and the first parameter is automatically adjusted proportionally with respect to the magnitude of the direction information.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has exactly one wheel, the board includes first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the board, and the exactly one wheel is disposed between and extends above the first and second deck portions.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop of the motor controller is configured to maintain a selected balance angle of the board, and the first parameter comprises a balance angle offset, such that adjusting the balance angle offset effectively causes the motor controller to attempt to maintain a different balance angle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop of the motor controller is configured to produce an output that is proportional to an error between an actual board angle and a reference angle, and the first parameter comprises a proportional gain constant, such that adjusting the proportional gain constant changes the responsiveness of the PID loop to the error.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

determine a duration spent moving in the first direction; and

in response to the duration reaching a duration threshold, turning the hub motor off.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the direction information comprises wheel rotation information.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the one or more wheels comprise at least one Hall sensor, and the wheel rotation information comprises a count of Hall transitions received from the at least one Hall sensor.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first parameter is adjusted proportionally with respect to the count of Hall transitions.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the direction information comprises a directional orientation of the board relative to a level orientation.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first direction is defined as backward and is user-selectable.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

in response to the direction information indicating a second direction, reset the first parameter and resume balancing operation of the motor controller.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the hub motor is maintained in an off state until board orientation is level.

14. A control system for an electric vehicle, the control system comprising:

a hub motor configured to be coupled to a wheel of a vehicle;

a motor controller configured to receive orientation information indicating an orientation of a tiltable portion of the vehicle and to cause the hub motor to propel the vehicle based on the orientation information, wherein the motor controller includes processing logic configured to;

receive direction information indicating a direction in which the hub motor is being commanded to propel the vehicle;

in response to the direction information indicating a first direction, hinder a responsiveness of the motor controller to the orientation information by automatically adjusting a first parameter of the motor controller; and

in response to the first parameter reaching a first threshold, turning the hub motor off.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein the direction information has a varying magnitude, and the first parameter is automatically adjusted proportionally with respect to the magnitude of the direction information.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop of the motor controller is configured to maintain a selected balance angle of the tiltable portion of the vehicle, and the first parameter comprises a balance angle offset, such that adjusting the balance angle offset effectively causes the motor controller to attempt to maintain a different balance angle.

17. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop of the motor controller is configured to produce an output that is proportional to an error between an actual angle of the tiltable portion and a reference angle, and the first parameter comprises a proportional gain constant, such that adjusting the proportional gain constant changes the responsiveness of the PID loop to the error.

18. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

determine a duration spent moving in the first direction; and

in response to the duration reaching a duration threshold, turning the hub motor off.

19. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the direction information comprises wheel rotation information.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the wheel of the vehicle comprises at least one Hall sensor, and the wheel rotation information comprises a count of Hall transitions received from the at least one Hall sensor.

21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the first parameter is adjusted proportionally with respect to the count of Hall transitions.

22. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the direction information comprises a directional orientation of the tiltable portion relative to a level orientation.

23. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first direction is defined as backward and is user-selectable.

24. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

in response to the direction information indicating a second direction, reset the first parameter and resume balancing operation of the motor controller.

25. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the hub motor is maintained in an off state until board orientation is level.

26. A self-balancing electric vehicle comprising:

one or more wheels having a common axis of rotation;

a board having a first end and a second end, wherein the board is tiltable about the axis of the one or more wheels;

an electric hub motor configured to drive the one or more wheels;

a motor controller configured to receive orientation information indicating an orientation of the board and to cause the hub motor to propel the board based on the orientation information, wherein the motor controller includes processing logic configured to;

receive direction information indicating a direction in which the hub motor is being commanded to propel the board;

in response to the direction information indicating a first direction, hinder a responsiveness of the motor controller to the orientation information by automatically adjusting a first parameter of the motor controller; and

in response to the first parameter reaching a first threshold, locking a rotor of the hub motor.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein locking the rotor of the hub motor comprises applying a non-commutating current.

28. The vehicle of claim 27, wherein locking the rotor of the hub motor comprises applying a non-commutating current.

29. A control system for an electric vehicle, the control system comprising:

a hub motor configured to be coupled to a wheel of a vehicle;

a motor controller configured to receive orientation information indicating an orientation of a tiltable portion of the vehicle and to cause the hub motor to propel the vehicle based on the orientation information, wherein the motor controller includes processing logic configured to;

receive direction information indicating a direction in which the hub motor is being commanded to propel the vehicle;

in response to the direction information indicating a first direction, hinder a responsiveness of the motor controller to the orientation information by automatically adjusting a first parameter of the motor controller; and

in response to the first parameter reaching a first threshold, locking a rotor of the hub motor.