Guided control of a transporter

• US 20040011573A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Field, J. Douglas, Morrell, John B., Langenfeld, Christopher C., Lund, Jeremy B., Stevens, Jon M., Kamen, Dean L., Amsbury, Burl, Pompa, Jonathan B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/085 folding up and down, e.g. reducing or expanding the overall height of the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/0891 having rigid supports, e.g. seat or back supports which retain their shape after folding of the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/00 Disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel roller-skate driving mechanisms A63C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/00 Stabilising vehicle bodies without controlling suspension arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 17/00 Cycles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for conducting the motion of a transporter under riderless conditions. The transporter has two laterally disposed primary wheels. In accordance with the method, an input is received via a user input disposed on the transporter and a control signal corresponding to the input received is generated. Then a torque is applied to the laterally disposed wheels so as propel the transporter on the basis of at least the control signal.

The control signal may correspond to either a commanded torque or to a commanded transporter velocity. The torque may include coadded terms where the terms are, respectively, proportional to the control signal, to a counteracting artificial friction proportional to the common velocity of the wheels, and a term proportional to the differential rotation of the wheels to facilitate turning of the transporter.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a riderless balancing transporter having two laterally disposed wheels, the balancing transporter having a user input, the method comprising:

a. receiving an input via the user input;

b. generating a control signal corresponding to the input received; and

c. applying a torque to the laterally disposed wheels so as propel the balancing transporter on the basis of at least the control signal.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control signal corresponds to a commanded torque.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control signal corresponds to a commanded velocity.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying the torque includes applying a torque proportional to a sum of coadded terms, a first term proportional to the control signal and a second term proportional to additive inverse of the wheel velocity common to the two wheels.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying the torque includes applying a torque proportional to a sum of coadded terms, a first term proportional to the control signal, a second term proportional to additive inverse of the wheel velocity common to the two wheels, and a third term proportional to the differential velocity of the two wheels.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of generating a control signal corresponding to the signal received includes conditioning the input received.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein conditioning the input includes providing a deadband region in the vicinity of zero input.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein conditioning the input includes limiting the effect of user input to a specified range of control signals.

9. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein conditioning the input includes limiting the slew rate of change of control signals in response to user input.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying a torque employs a control algorithm substantially identical to that which maintains balance of the transporter with an onboard rider.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a step of decelerating the transporter after a specified distance, with respect to a fiducial reference, of riderless travel.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the fiducial reference is reset when a sensed velocity of the transporter falls below a specified threshold.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a step of limiting a transporter velocity based upon sensing riderless locomotion.

14. A transporter for transporting a load over a surface, the transporter comprising:

a. a support platform for supporting the load, the support platform characterized by a fore-aft axis, a lateral axis, and an orientation with respect to the surface, the orientation referred to as an attitude;

b. at least one ground-contacting element coupled to the support platform in such a manner as to provide locomotion of the support platform with respect to an underlying surface;

c. a motorized drive arrangement for driving the at least one ground-contacting element in such a manner as to propel the transporter in dynamically balanced operation;

d. a controller for commanding the motorized drive arrangement based at least on the attitude of the support platform; and

e. a user input for receiving a command from a user not carried by the transporter to govern operation of the motorized drive arrangement.