Control inputs for a balancing personal vehicle

• US 6,415,879 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Ambrogi, Robert R., Morrell, John B., Heinzmann, Richard Kurt, Heinzmann, John David, Kamen, Dean L., Herr, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/813,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/8.2, 180/8.3, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 180/6.54, 180/65.1, 180/65.8, 180/21, 180/41, 180/907, 180/118, 280/250.1, 280/47.315, 280/47.371, 280/5.2, 280/5.22, 280/5.24, 280/5.26, 280/5.28, 280/5.32, 280/DIG.10
• US Class Current: 180/8.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/061 for climbing stairs
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0474 characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A vehicle for transporting a payload over a surface that may be irregular and may include stairs. The vehicle has a support for supporting the payload and a ground contacting element movable with respect to a local axis, where the local axis can be moved with respect to some second axis that has a defined relation with respect to the support. The vehicle also has a motorized drive arrangement for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting element so as to operate in an operating condition that is unstable with respect to tipping in at least a fore-aft plane when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered. The vehicle also has an input device for receiving an indication from an assistant who is not disposed on the vehicle of a direction of desired motion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle for transporting a payload over a surface that may be irregular and may include stairs, the vehicle comprising:

a. a support for supporting the payload;

b. a ground contacting element movable with respect to a local axis, the local axis being movable with respect to a second axis having a defined relation with respect to the support;

c. a motorized drive arrangement for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting element with respect to the local axis in such a manner that the local axis moves with respect to the second axis so as to operate in an operating condition that is unstable with respect to tipping in at least a fore-aft plane when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered;

d. an input device for receiving an indication from a user of a specified configuration of the vehicle wherein the input device further includes a user command device for receiving an indication from the user of at least one of a desired movement and a desired configuration of the assembly;

e. an assistant-override for supplanting all inputs from the user command device while the vehicle is controlled by an assistant.