Control of a personal transporter based on user position

• US 20050121866A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Kamen, Dean, Ambrogi, Robert R., Field, J. Douglas, Morrell, John B., Duggan, Robert J., Heinzmann, Richard Kurt, Piedmonte, Michael D., Dattolo, James J., Rosasco, Richard J., McCambridge, Matthew M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/47.180
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/08 single-wheel type with single axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms
• 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 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/24 Personal mobility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/18 lateral
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/22 Yaw angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/00 Stabilising vehicle bodies without controlling suspension arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/002 comprising safety arrangements safety devices for vehicle propulsion unit control B60K28/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• 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: B62J 45/4151 for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4152 for sensing longitudinal inclination of the cycle
• 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: B62K 3/002 : without a seat, i.e. the rider operating the vehicle in a standing position, e.g. non-motorized scooters; non-motorized scooters with skis or runners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 : involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 : specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A controller for providing user input of a desired direction of motion or orientation for a transporter. The controller has an input for receiving specification by a user of a value based on a detected body orientation of the user. User-specified input may be conveyed by the user using any of a large variety of input modalities, including: ultrasonic body position sensing; foot force sensing; handlebar lean; active handlebar; mechanical sensing of body position; and linear slide directional input. An apparatus that may include an active handlebar is provided for prompting a rider to be positioned on a vehicle in such a manner as to reduce lateral instability due to lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A controller for a transporter having at least one primary ground-contacting element, the transporter characterized by a roll angle, the controller comprising:

a. an input for receiving specification by a user of at least one of a desired direction and velocity value based on a detected body orientation of the user; and

b. a processor for generating a command signal based at least on the user-specified direction and velocity value in conjunction with a pitch command signal based on a pitch error in such a manner as to maintain balance of the transporter in the course of achieving the specified direction and velocity.

2. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input of a desired direction includes a user specified yaw value.

3. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input of a desired direction includes a user specified yaw rate value.

4. A controller in accordance with claim 1, where the input of a desired direction includes a user specified fore/aft direction.

5. A controller in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a summer for differencing an instantaneous yaw value from the user-specified yaw value to generate a yaw error value such that the yaw command signal generated by the processor is based at least in part on the yaw error value.

6. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input for receiving user specification includes a pressure sensor disposed to detect orientation of the user.

7. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input for receiving user specification includes an ultrasonic sensor disposed to detect orientation of the user.

8. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input for receiving user specification includes a force sensor disposed on a platform supporting the user for detecting weight distribution of the user.

9. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input for receiving user specification includes a shaft disposed in a plane transverse to an axis characterizing rotation of the two laterally disposed wheels, the desired direction and velocity specified on the basis of orientation of the shaft.

10. A controller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the balancing transporter includes a handlebar, the controller further comprising a powered pivot for positioning the handlebar based at least upon one of lateral acceleration and roll angle of the transporter.

11. A controller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a position loop for commanding a handlebar position substantially proportional to the difference in the square of the velocity of a first wheel and the square of the velocity of a second wheel.

12. An apparatus for prompting a rider to be positioned on a vehicle in such a manner as to reduce lateral instability due to lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a. an input for receiving specification by the rider of a desired direction of travel;

b. an indicating means for reflecting to the rider a desired instantaneous body orientation based at least on current lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the indicating means comprises a handlebar pivotable with respect to the vehicle, the handlebar driven in response to vehicle turning.