Traveling apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 7,783,392 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oikawa, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/546,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20070084662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/50, 180/7.1, 180/218, 180/6.6, 172/4.5, 280/6.15, 280/267, 280/40, 280/63, 73/17.5, 73/17.7, 73/17.9, 734/82, 735/10, 735/140.2, 702/151, 702/154
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/08 single-wheel type with single axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms
• 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 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A traveling apparatus is provided with two wheels parallel each of which is driven independently, being controlled to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between the two wheels and traveling. The traveling apparatus includes a mechanism estimating an inclination of a plane where a pitch angular velocity sensor is horizontally installed with respect to a horizontal plane by using a sensor measuring a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction and a mechanism calculating a correct pitch angle by obtaining a yaw rate mixed in the pitch angular velocity sensor based on the estimated inclination and a turn velocity of the vehicle body and by canceling the yaw rate mixed.

Claims

1. A traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each independently driven, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

a first sensor that measures a pitch angular velocity and that is horizontally installed in a first plane that extends along a direction of movement of the traveling apparatus;

a second sensor that measures a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction;

means for estimating an inclination of the first plane with respect to a horizontal plane based on an output of said second sensor;

means for determining a yaw rate component of the pitch angular velocity measured by the first sensor, wherein the yaw rate component is an amount of the pitch angular velocity detected by the first sensor that is attributable to a yaw rate of the traveling apparatus, and wherein the yaw rate component is determined based on the inclination estimated by the means for estimating and a turn velocity of the vehicle body; and

means for calculating a correct pitch angle of said pitch angular velocity measured by said first sensor by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch angular velocity.

2. A traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each independently driven, a link structure in which a vehicle body is divided in two of upper and lower portions maintained parallel between said two wheels, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

means for calculating a roll angle θ

1 formed between a horizontal traveling plane and the vehicle body when said vehicle makes a turn being inclined toward the roll axis direction with respect to horizontal traveling plane;

means for calculating a pitch angle θ

p by integrating a value obtained by canceling out a yaw rate mixed from a pitch angular velocity θ

dotp, the yaw rate mixed being calculated from the roll angle θ

1 and a yaw angle velocity ω

; and

means for controlling an inverted state using the pitch angle θ

p,

wherein said roll angle is obtained based on a measurement of a state of the vehicle body and size of the vehicle body.

3. A traveling apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for determining a yaw rate component of a pitch angular velocity measured by a pitch angular velocity sensor, wherein the yaw rate component is an amount of the pitch angular velocity detected by the pitch angular velocity sensor that is attributable to a yaw rate of the traveling apparatus, and wherein the yaw rate component is determined based on said obtained roll angle formed by the horizontal plane and the vehicle body, the calculated tilt angle formed between the horizontal plane and the turning plane, and a turn velocity of said vehicle body; and

means for calculating a correct pitch angle of said pitch angular velocity measured by the pitch angular sensor by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch angular velocity.

4. A method of controlling a traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each independently driven, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

estimating an inclination of a first plane where a pitch angular velocity sensor is horizontally installed with respect to a horizontal plane based on output from a sensor that measures a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction,

wherein said first plane extends along a direction of movement of the traveling apparatus;

obtaining a yaw rate component of a pitch angular velocity measured by said pitch angular velocity sensor based on said estimated inclination and a turn velocity of said vehicle body; and

calculating a correct pitch angle by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch angular velocity.

5. A method of controlling a traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each, a link structure in which a vehicle body is divided in two of upper and lower portions maintained parallel between said two wheels, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

measuring an angular velocity ω

1 around a Z axis of a gyroscopic sensor;

obtaining a roll angle θ

1 by using a sensor measuring a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction;

calculating a yaw angle velocity ω

of the vehicle body;

calculating a yaw rate mixed in a pitch angular velocity θ

dotp from the angular velocity ω

1, the roll angle θ

1 and the yaw angle velocity ω

;

integrating a value obtained by canceling out the yaw rate mixed, the yaw rate mixed being calculated from angular velocity ω

1, the roll angle θ

1 and a yaw angle ω

; and

controlling an inverted state by using the pitch angle θ

p,

wherein the roll angle is obtained based on a measurement of a state of the vehicle body and size of the vehicle body.

6. A method of controlling a traveling apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining a yaw rate component of a pitch angular velocity measured by a pitch angular velocity sensor, wherein the yaw rate component is an amount of the pitch angular velocity detected by the pitch angular velocity sensor that is attributable to a yaw rate of the traveling apparatus, based on said obtained roll angle formed between the horizontal plane and the vehicle body, the calculated tilt angle between the horizontal plane and the turning plane, and a turn velocity of said vehicle body; and

calculating a correct pitch angle by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch angular velocity.

7. A traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each independently driven, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

a first sensor that measures a pitch angular velocity and that is horizontally installed in a first plane that extends along a direction of movement of the traveling apparatus;

a second sensor that measures a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction;

a mechanism that estimates an inclination of the first plane with respect to a horizontal plane based on an output of said second sensor;

a mechanism that determines a yaw rate component of the pitch angular velocity measured by the first sensor, wherein the yaw rate component is an amount of the pitch angular velocity detected by the first sensor that is attributable to a yaw rate of the traveling apparatus, and wherein the yaw rate component is determined based on the estimated inclination and a turn velocity of the vehicle body; and

a mechanism that calculates a correct pitch angle of said pitch angular velocity measured by said first sensor by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch velocity.

8. A traveling apparatus including two wheels that are provided parallel to each other and that are each independently driven, a link structure in which a vehicle body is divided in two of upper and lower portions maintained parallel between said two wheels, wherein the traveling apparatus is controlled to travel and to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between said two wheels, comprising:

a sensor which calculates a roll angle θ

1 formed between a horizontal traveling plane and the vehicle body when said vehicle body makes a turn being inclined toward the roll axis direction with respect to the horizontal traveling plane;

a mechanism that integrates a value obtained by canceling out a yaw rate mixed, the yaw rate mixed being calculated from the roll angle θ

1 and a yaw angle velocity ω

1; and

a mechanism that controls an inverted state by using the pitch angle θ

p,

wherein said roll angle is obtained based on a measurement of a state of the vehicle body and size of the vehicle body.

9. A traveling apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a mechanism that determines a yaw rate component of a pitch angular velocity measured by a pitch angular velocity sensor, wherein the yaw rate component is an amount of the pitch angular velocity detected by the pitch angular velocity sensor that is attributable to a yaw rate of the traveling apparatus, and wherein the yaw rate component is determined based on said obtained roll angle, the calculated tilt angle, and a turn velocity of said vehicle body; and

a mechanism that calculates a correct pitch angle by canceling the yaw rate component from said measured pitch angular velocity.

10. A traveling apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a handle post that is rotably mounted to the vehicle body upper portion and the vehicle body lower portion.

11. A traveling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the traveling apparatus turns when the handle post is inclined toward a center of the turn.

12. A traveling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the measurement of a state inside said vehicle body includes tilt angle of the handle post about the roll axis.