Guided control of a transporter

• US 7,779,939 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Pompa, Jonathan B., Field, J. Douglas, Morrell, John B., Langenfeld, Christopher C., Lund, Jeremy B., Stevens, Jon M., Kamen, Dean L., Amsbury, Burl
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/926,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/8.1, 180/8.2, 180/8.3, 180/65.1, 180/65.8, 180/218, 180/41, 180/282
• US Class Current: 180/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/085 folding up and down, e.g. reducing or expanding the overall height of the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/0891 having rigid supports, e.g. seat or back supports which retain their shape after folding of the wheelchair
• 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 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/00 Stabilising vehicle bodies without controlling suspension arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• 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: 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: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 17/00 Cycles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for conducting the motion of a transporter under riderless conditions. The transporter has two laterally disposed primary wheels. In accordance with the method, an input is received via a user input disposed on the transporter and a control signal corresponding to the input received is generated. Then a torque is applied to the laterally disposed wheels so as propel the transporter on the basis of at least the control signal.

The control signal may correspond to either a commanded torque or to a commanded transporter velocity. The torque may include coadded terms where the terms are, respectively, proportional to the control signal, to a counteracting artificial friction proportional to the common velocity of the wheels, and a term proportional to the differential rotation of the wheels to facilitate turning of the transporter.

Claims

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

a. 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;

b. at least two ground-contacting members coupled to the support platform in such a manner as to provide locomotion of the support platform with respect to an underlying surface;

c. a motorized drive arrangement for driving the at least two ground-contacting members;

d. a user input for receiving a command from a user not carried by the transporter to govern operation of the motorized drive arrangement;

e. at least one sensor sensing the attitude of the support platform; and

f. a controller for commanding the motorized drive arrangement based at least on the attitude of the support platform, the controller generating a control signal based on the user input and commanding the motorized drive on the basis of a sum of coadded terms including at least a first term proportional to the control signal and a second term defining a counteracting contribution proportional to a common component of rotational velocity of the ground contacting members.

2. The transporter according to claim 1, additionally comprising a ride detector detecting a presence of the user on the transporter.

3. The transporter according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines a gain to apply to the control signal based on a signal from the ride detector.

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

a. 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;

b. at least one ground-contacting member coupled to the support platform in such a manner as to provide locomotion of the support platform with respect to an underlying surface;

c. a motorized drive arrangement for driving the at least one ground-contacting member;

d. a user input for receiving a command from a user not carried by the transporter to govern operation of the motorized drive arrangement;

e. a ride detector detecting a presence of the user on the transporter;

f. at least one sensor sensing the attitude of the support platform; and

g. a controller for commanding the motorized drive arrangement, the controller determining a gain to apply to the control signal based on a signal from the ride detector and generating a control signal for the motorized drive arrangement based on the user input and on the attitude of the support platform.