Coaxial motorcycle

• US 7,703,568 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arce; Marlon A
• Application Number:
  US10/558,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 180/218, 180/89.13, 180/89.14, 180/6.5, 180/327, 180/328, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 180/218
• 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 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 2240/20 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/22 Yaw angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In a coaxial two-wheeled vehicle, an attitude controller (84) calculates motor torque Tgyr for maintaining a base so that it has a target angle from deviation between base angle command θref serving as attitude command and current base angle θ₀ calculated by using a gyro sensor (13) and an acceleration sensor (14). On the other hand, at a position proportional controller (86R), a differentiator (88R) and a velocity proportional controller (89R), there is performed PD control with respect to deviation between rotation position command Prefr of a motor rotor (92R) for right wheel and current rotation position θr of a motor rotor (92R). A current control amplifier (91R) generates motor current on the basis of added value of motor torque which is the control result and estimated load torque T₁ calculated by using pressure sensors to drive the motor rotor (92R).

Claims

1. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors attached on the base and for driving the pair of respective wheels,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base, and

angle detecting means provided on the base for detecting an angle of the base about the wheel axle of the base, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit comprises;

a first control mechanism adapted to generate a first torque for canceling torque based on the load, and to generate a second torque for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base, and

a second control mechanism independent of the first control mechanism, which is adapted to generate a third torque for performing a traveling operation in accordance with the position of the load measured by the load detecting means, thus to instruct the pair of respective drive motors to perform operations corresponding to the first to third torques.

2. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the load detecting means comprises plural pressure sensors.

3. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein the base is composed of a supporting table and a movable table, and the plural pressure sensors are provided to at least four corners of the supporting table, and the movable table is mounted thereon.

4. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle detecting means comprises a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

17. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an adder that adds the first and second torques, thus to instruct the pair of respective drive motors to perform operations corresponding to the first to third torques.

5. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors attached on the base and for driving the pair of respective wheels,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base, and

angle detecting means provided on the base for detecting an angle of the base about the wheel axle of the base, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit comprises;

a first control mechanism adapted to generate a first torque for canceling torque based on the load, and to generate a second torque for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base,

a second control mechanism independent of the first control mechanism, which is adapted to generate a third torque for performing a traveling operation in accordance with the position of the load, thus to instruct the pair of respective drive motors to perform operations corresponding to the first to third torques,

wherein swivel detecting means for detecting an angle about a vertical axis is provided on the base, and the control unit serves to generate the third torque in accordance with position of the load and angle about the vertical axis.

6. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors attached on the base and for driving the pair of respective wheels,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base, and

angle detecting means provided on the base for detecting an angle of the base about the wheel axle of the base, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit comprises;

a first control mechanism adapted to generate a first torque for canceling torque based on the load, and to generate a second torque for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base,

a second control mechanism independent of the first control mechanism, which is adapted to generate a third torque for performing a traveling operation in accordance with the position of the load, thus to instruct the pair of respective drive motors to perform operations corresponding to the first to third torques,

wherein the weight center of the base is located below the wheel axle.

7. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors for driving the pair of respective wheels,

means for generating a torque to the drive motors for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base in at least a direction perpendicular to the wheel axle, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit is operative so that in the case where the position of the load is within a predetermined stop region having a certain non-zero width in said direction sufficient to comprise a dead band, it does not send a traveling command, while in the case where the position of the load is not within the stop region, it sends a traveling command corresponding to that position to the pair of respective drive motors.

8. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 7, wherein the range in a direction perpendicular to the wheel axle of the stop region is within the range in a direction perpendicular to the wheel axle of a ground-contacting region where the pair of wheels are in contact with the road surface.

18. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 7, wherein angle detecting means for detecting angle about the wheel axle of the base is further provided on the base, and the control unit is composed of a first control mechanism adapted to generate a first torque for canceling torque based on the load, and to generate a second torque for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base, and a second control mechanism independent of the first control mechanism, which is adapted to generate a third torque for performing a traveling operation in accordance with the position of the load, thus to instruct the pair of respective drive motors to perform operations corresponding to the first to third torques.

19. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 18, wherein the load detecting means comprises plural pressure sensors.

20. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 19, wherein the base is composed of a supporting table, and a movable table, and the plural pressure sensors are provided at four corners of at least the supporting table, and the movable table is mounted thereon.

21. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 18, wherein the angle detecting means comprises a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

9. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors for driving the pair of respective wheels,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit is operative so that in the case where the position of the load is within a predetermined stop region, it does not send a traveling command, while in the case where the position of the load is not within the stop region, it sends a traveling command corresponding to that position to the pair of respective drive motors,

wherein image pick-up means for picking up a forward image, and image processing means for processing the image which has been picked up are further provided on the base, and the control unit sends a traveling command corresponding to processing result of the image processing means to the pair of drive motors.

10. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 9, wherein the image processing means performs processing for detecting position and distance of an obstacle from the image which has been picked up, and the control unit sends a traveling command for avoiding the obstacle to the pair of respective drive motors.

11. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 9, wherein the image processing means performs processing for detecting position and distance of a predetermined object from the image which has been picked up, and the control unit sends a traveling command following the object to the pair of respective drive motors.

12. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors for driving the pair of respective wheels,

load detecting means provided on the base for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base, and

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit is operative so that in the case where the position of the load is within a predetermined stop region, it does not send a traveling command, while in the case where the position of the load is not within the stop region, it sends a traveling command corresponding to that position to the pair of respective drive motors,

wherein sound collecting means for collecting sound (speech) therearound, and speech (sound) processing means for processing the sound (speech) thus collected are further provided on the base, and the control unit sends a traveling command corresponding to processing result of the speech (sound) processing means to the pair of respective drive motors.

13. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 12, wherein the speech (sound) processing means performs processing for detecting sound source position of the sound (speech) thus collected, and the control unit sends a traveling command for following or avoiding the sound source to the pair of respective drive motors.

14. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 12, wherein the speech (sound) processing means includes memory means in which noise signals corresponding to traveling velocities are recorded in advance to remove frequency component of a noise signal corresponding to a traveling velocity at the time of sound collection from the sound which has been collected thereafter to perform speech (sound) processing.

15. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of wheels,

a wheel axle installed or provided between the pair of wheels,

a base supported on the wheel axle so that it can be inclined thereon,

a pair of drive motors attached on the base and for driving the pair of respective wheels,

means for generating a torque to the drive motors for maintaining the base so that it has a predetermined angle in correspondence with the angle about the wheel axle of the base,

load detecting means for detecting a position and weight of a load on the base provided on the base in at least a direction perpendicular to the wheel axle,

a control unit for sending an operation command to the pair of drive motors, wherein the control unit is operative so that in the case where the position of the load is within a predetermined deceleration region having a certain non-zero width in said direction sufficient to comprise a dead band, it sends a traveling command for performing a deceleration/stop operation to the pair of respective drive motors, while in the case where the position of the load is not within the deceleration region, it sends a traveling command corresponding to that position to the pair of respective drive motors.

16. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein the deceleration region is a region in the vicinity of the boundary of a load detectable range by the load detecting means.