Riderless stabilization of a balancing transporter

• US 6,779,621 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Morrell, John B., Field, J. Douglas, Kamen, Dean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUBY, MATTHEW D
• Application Number:
  US10/461,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/171, 180/7.1, 180/21, 180/218, 180/271, 180/65-- 6, 180/282, 180/338, 180/41, 280/5.513, 280/5.507
• US Class Current: 180/282
• 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 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• 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: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A method for stabilizing a balancing transporter under riderless conditions. The balancing transporter is characterized by a center of mass, and has two laterally disposed wheels and a region of contact with an underlying surface. In accordance with the method, the absence of a user aboard the transporter is first detected. Then a desired transporter pitch is determined such as to establish a condition of stasis wherein the center of mass is disposed directly above the region of contact between the balancing transporter and the underlying surface. Finally, a torque is applied to the laterally disposed wheels so as to maintain the transporter at the desired transporter pitch. The torque may include coadded terms where the terms are, respectively, proportional to a pitch error, a pitch rate, a wheel rate, and an integral representing the wheel rotation that was required to bring the transporter to the condition of stasis.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining stability of a balancing transporter having two laterally disposed wheels, the balancing transporter having a region of contact with an underlying surface and characterized by a center of mass, the method comprising:

a. detecting the absence of a user aboard a balancing transporter;

b. determining a desired transporter pitch such as to establish the center of mass directly above the region of contact between the balancing transporter and the underlying surface;

c. applying a torque to the laterally disposed wheels so as to maintain the transporter at the desired transporter pitch.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying the torque includes applying a torque proportional to the difference between a present transporter pitch and the target transporter pitch.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying the torque includes applying a torque proportional to the sum of coadded terms, a first term proportional to the difference between a present transporter pitch and the target transporter pitch and a second term proportional to the pitch rate of the transporter.

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

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;

at least one ground-contacting wheel flexibly coupled to the support platform in such a manner that the attitude of the support platform is capable of variation;

a motorized drive arrangement for driving the at least one ground-contacting wheel;

a sensor module for generating a signal characterizing the attitude of the support platform; and

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