COAXIAL TWO-WHEEL VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20100030440A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosaka, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles

Abstract

A coaxial two-wheel vehicle comprises a detection means that obtains get-on/off information indicating whether an occupant is on the vehicle or not. In the coaxial two-wheel vehicle, a control means performs attitude control by using a control gain set with respect to an occupied state is used if the control means determines that the vehicle is in the occupied state. The control means performs attitude control by using a control gain set with respect to an unoccupied state is used if the control means determines that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state.

Claims

1. A coaxial two-wheel vehicle comprising:

a drive mechanism that drives two wheels arranged coaxially;

a detection device that obtains get-on/off information indicating whether an occupant is on the vehicle or not, and attitude information of the vehicle; and

a control device that performs attitude control by controlling drive of the wheels performed by the drive mechanism based on a control gain, the attitude information obtained by the detection device and a command value,

wherein the control device controls the drive mechanism by switching to a mode in which a control gain set with respect to an occupied state is used if the control device determines that the vehicle is in the occupied state based on the get-on/off information obtained by the detection device, while switching to a mode in which a control gain set with respect to an unoccupied state is used if the control device determines that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state, respectively.

2. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle pitch angle as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism according to the obtained vehicle pitch angle by switching a command value to a target pitch angle corresponding to an occupied state if the control device determines that the vehicle is in the occupied state, while switching the command value to a target pitch angle corresponding to an unoccupied state if the control device determines that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state, respectively.

3. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle pitch angular velocity as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism by setting a command value in which a target pitch angular velocity is defined as substantially zero if the control device determines that the vehicle is in an unoccupied state.

4. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism by setting a command value for reducing a target speed if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle.

5. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism so that the vehicle may stay at its stop position if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that the vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero.

6. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed and a vehicle position as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism so that the vehicle may return to a person get-off position if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that the vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero.

7. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed and a vehicle position as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that the vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, and

if a distance between the person get-off position and a current vehicle position is longer than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position, while if the distance is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position.

8. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed and a vehicle position as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that the vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, and

if a distance between the person get-off position and a current vehicle position is longer than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position, while if the distance is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position.

9. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the detection device obtains a vehicle speed, a vehicle position, and a vehicle yaw angle as the attitude information, and

the control device controls the drive mechanism according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position if the control device determines that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that the vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, and

if a difference between a yaw angle at a time when a person gets off the vehicle and a current yaw angle is larger than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position, while if the difference is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position.

10. A method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle, comprising:

detecting whether an occupant is on the vehicle or not; and

performing attitude control using a control gain set with respect to an occupied state if it is determined that the vehicle is in the occupied state,

wherein attitude control is performed using a control gain set with respect to an unoccupied state if it is determined that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state.

11. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

if it is determined that the vehicle is in an occupied state, attitude control is performed by setting a command value to a target pitch angle corresponding to the occupied state, and

if it is determined that the vehicle is in an unoccupied state, attitude control is performed by setting the command value to a target pitch angle corresponding to the unoccupied state.

12. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that the vehicle is in an unoccupied state, a command value is set in which a target pitch angular velocity is defined as substantially zero.

13. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle, a vehicle speed is controlled to be reduced.

14. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that a vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, the vehicle is controlled to stay at its stop position.

15. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that a vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, the vehicle is controlled to return to a person get-off position.

16. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that a vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, the vehicle is controlled according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position, and

if a distance between the person get-off position and a current vehicle position is longer than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position, and

if the distance is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position.

17. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that a vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, the vehicle is controlled according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position, and

if a distance between the person get-off position and a current vehicle position is longer than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position, and

if the distance is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position.

18. The method for controlling a coaxial two-wheel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that an occupied state of the vehicle has transited to an unoccupied state of the vehicle and that a vehicle speed is reduced to be substantially zero, the vehicle is controlled according to either a mode in which the vehicle stays at its stop position or a mode in which the vehicle returns to a person get-off position, and

if a difference between a yaw angle at a time when a person gets off the vehicle and a current yaw angle is larger than a predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle stays at its stop position, and

if the difference is not more than the predetermined value, the mode is selected in which the vehicle returns to the person get-off position.

19. A coaxial two-wheel vehicle comprising:

drive units that drive two wheels arranged coaxially;

a detector that obtains get-on/off information indicating whether an occupant is on the vehicle or not, and attitude information of the vehicle; and

a controller that performs attitude control by controlling drive of the wheels performed by the drive units based on a control gain, the attitude information obtained by the detector and a command value,

wherein the controller controls the drive units by switching to a mode in which a control gain set with respect to an occupied state is used if the controller determines that the vehicle is in the occupied state based on the get-on/off information obtained by the detector, while switching to a mode in which a control gain set with respect to an unoccupied state is used if the controller determines that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state, respectively.