Self-stabilizing skateboard

• US 10,456,658 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Future Motion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Future Motion, Inc.
• Inventors: Doerksen, Kyle Jonathan, Robertson, Beau, Wood, Daniel J., De La Rua, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolak, James M
• Application Number:
  US16/298,274
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/016 with wheels arranged in one track
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/08 single-wheel type with single axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/223 Wheel hubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/265 with handles or hand supports
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/12 Electrically powered or heated
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/14 Lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/52 Direct actuation of steering of roller skate or skateboards, e.g. by a foot plate
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/025 using field orientation; Vector control; Direct Torque Control [DTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/14 Vehicles with one wheel only
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• 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: G01C 19/42 for indicating rate of turn; for integrating rate of turn
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/43 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A self-stabilizing, one-wheeled electric skateboard may include improved features. In some examples, the vehicle includes a status indicator viewable through a slot formed in an upper surface of the board. In some examples, the vehicle includes a convertible carrying handle transitionable between stowed and deployed positions. In some examples, the vehicle includes an interchangeable fender and fender substitute that may be removably coupled to an upper surface of the board. In some examples, a motor controller of the vehicle may operate a field-oriented control (FOC) scheme configured to control the electric motor by manipulating a direct current aligned with a rotating rotor flux angle and a quadrature current defined at ninety degrees from the rotating rotor flux angle. In some examples, the motor controller may be configured to permit intuitive dismounting of the vehicle by tilting and/or moving the vehicle backward.

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 rotation of the one or more wheels;

an electric hub motor coupled to a power supply and 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; and

a pivotable handle which is transitionable between a stowed configuration, in which a distal end of a grip portion of the handle is disposed adjacent the hub motor, and a deployed configuration, in which the distal end of the grip portion of the handle extends away from the hub motor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the handle extends generally from a hinge in a first direction, and the handle further comprises a latching tab extending from the hinge in a second direction, the latching tab being biased to hold the handle in the stowed configuration.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the latching tab comprises a first magnet biased toward a portion of the board.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the board comprises a second magnet configured to attract the first magnet.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the handle is attached to an axle mounting block securing an axle of the hub motor to a frame of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein, when the handle is in the stowed configuration, a proximal end of the grip portion angles away from the hub motor and the distal end of the grip portion curves into an upright orientation.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the handle is hingedly coupled to a mounting block disposed between an axle of the hub motor and a frame of the board.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the handle is electrically interlocked with the hub motor, such that the motor controller disables the hub motor when the handle is not in the stowed configuration.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes exactly one wheel.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the wheel is disposed in an opening formed in the board between the first end of the board and the second end of the board, and the wheel extends above and below a plane defined by the board.

11. 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 coupled to a power supply and 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;

a handle pivotably coupled to the board by a hinge and transitionable between a stowed configuration, in which a distal end of a grip portion of the handle is disposed adjacent the hub motor, and a deployed configuration, in which the distal end of the grip portion of the handle extends away from the hub motor; and

a status indicator including a plurality of illuminators viewable through a slot formed in an upper surface of the board.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the status indicator is configured to indicate a status of the power supply.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the power supply comprises a battery, and the status indicated is a charge level of the battery.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the status indicator is configured to communicate information at least in part by emitting different colors of light from the illuminators.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the status indicator is configured to communicate information at least in part by lighting different numbers of the illuminators.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the slot is formed by corresponding notches in two different components of the board.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein a first one of the two different components is a foot pad of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein a second one of the two different components is a fender of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the illuminators are viewable through the slot via a light pipe disposed within the board.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein an end portion of the light pipe plugs the slot.

21. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the illuminators are disposed inside a housing of the motor controller.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the light pipe is formed as a single piece with a lid of the housing of the motor controller.

23. A self-balancing electric vehicle comprising:

a board having a first deck portion and a second deck portion, and an opening between the first and second deck portions, wherein each of the first and second deck portions is configured to support a respective foot of a user oriented perpendicular to a direction of travel;

a wheel disposed in the opening between the first and second deck portions, wherein the board is tiltable about an axis of the wheel;

a hub motor configured to drive the wheel;

a power supply configured to power the hub motor;

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;

a status indicator including a plurality of illuminators viewable through a slot formed in an upper surface of the board; and

a handle pivotably attached to an axle mounting block of the vehicle and configured to transition between a stowed configuration in which a distal end of the handle is disposed adjacent a hub portion of the wheel and held in position magnetically, and an extended configuration in which the distal end of the handle extends away from the hub portion of the wheel.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the illuminators are viewable through the slot via a light pipe disposed within the board.

25. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein an end portion of the light pipe plugs the slot.

26. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the motor controller is configured to disable the hub motor automatically when the handle is not in the stowed configuration.

27. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein when the handle is in the stowed configuration, the handle is held in position by a first magnet disposed in the distal portion of the handle and a second complementary magnet disposed in the board.

28. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein when the handle is in the stowed configuration, the handle is held in position by a first magnet disposed in the distal portion of the handle and a ferromagnetic portion of the board.