Electronic controls and options for powered riding machines

• US 8,306,673 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Doug Manning
• Original Assignee: Doug Manning
• Inventors: Manning, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/114,028
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/21, 701/22, 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 701/70, 701/93, 701/29.1, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/33.2, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/412, 280/87.041, 280/87.042, 180/65.51, 180/167
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2022/006 specially adapted for measuring or watch purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/00 Buoys floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06; means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/10 Motor-propelled water sports boards power-driven personal watercraft B63B34/10
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/00 Arrangements or adaptations of signalling or lighting devices arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; life-buoys, -belts, -jackets, -suits or the like, characterised by signalling means B63C9/20; lighting devices or systems therefor F21L, F21S
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/04 the devices being intended to indicate the vessel or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 2009/0088 characterised by making use of shark deterrents, e.g. electric, acoustic, mechanical or chemical means for deterring sharks
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/12 the propulsive medium being steam or other gas
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/002 Measuring the movement of open water
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power riding apparatus with electronic options, a wireless user interface for control such apparatus, and a wave-information-system. One embodiment of the power riding apparatus is a surfboard configured with a booster system. An alternative embodiment is a motorized land board, such as a skateboard with a motor.

The booster system or land board motor is electrically associated with an onboard controller. The onboard controller is in wireless communication with a user interface associated with a user. The user activates the user interface as desired to control the booster system and activate other board features such as: lighting system, repellant system, anti-theft system, entertainment system, recording system, and communication system.

Claims

1. A motorized land board and wireless controller system, said motorized land board comprising:

a board structure defining a front section and a back section and a top surface and an opposing bottom surface defining the general shape of a skateboard, wherein a first set of wheels is mechanically associated with the bottom of the front section and as second set of wheels is mechanically associated with the bottom of the back section;

a motor disposed along said back section wherein the output of said motor is mechanically associated with at least one wheel of said second set of wheels, said motor comprising a motor-throttle for controlling the output power of said motor;

a controller mechanically associated with at least one of (a) said back section, (b) said front section, and (c) said motor, said controller comprising;

(a) a processor electrically associated with a memory;

(b) a receiver electrically associated with said processor and an antenna, said receiver configured for receiving a data-signal from an remote transmitter and transfer at least part of such data-signal to said processor;

(c) a throttle controller electrically associated with said processor and mechanically associated with said motor-throttle,

(d) a power source electrically associated with at least one of said processor, receiver, and said throttle controller;

wherein said processor is configured to generate throttle control signals based at least in part on a received data-signal, wherein said throttle control signals cause the throttle controller to manipulate said motor-throttle; and

an user interface configured for being associated with a user without being held in the user'"'"'s hand, said user interface comprising a communication module comprising a transmitter in wireless communication with said controller, said user interface configured to generate and transmit said data-signal in response to a user hand movement.

2. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises an ignition-controller electrically associated with said processor and the ignition system of said motor, wherein said processor is further configured to generate ignition-control-signals that cause said ignition-controller to manipulate the spark generated by said ignition system.

3. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 1, said controller further comprising an information interface electrically associated with said processor and configured for being electrically associated with an information source associated with said motor, wherein said information interface is at least one of:

(a) a temperature sensor configured for generating sensor signals representative of a temperature including one of the motor temperature and ambient air temperature;

(b) a RPM sensor configured for generating sensor signals representative of the motor'"'"'s RPMs;

(c) a fuel sensor configured for generating sensor signals representative of the amount of fuel remaining in a fuel source;

(d) a power quality sensor configured for generating sensor signals representative of output power levels of a power generator; and

(e) a speed sensor configured for generating sensor signals representative of the speed of the motorized land board.

4. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 3, wherein said processor is further configured to transmit a sensor-data-signal based on data received form said information interface.

5. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 4, wherein said user interface communication module further comprises a receiver configured for receiving a sensor-data-signal and said user interface further comprises a display configured for displaying information to a user and wherein said user interface is configured to generate a display image based at least in part on said sensor-data-signal.

6. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 5, wherein said communication module further defines at least one of (a) a cell phone, (b) a walkie talkie system, and (c) a two-way transmitter system.

7. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 4, wherein said wherein said communication module is in wired or wireless communication with an external transceiver associated with said user, said external transceiver defining at least one of (a) a cell phone, (b) a walkie talkie system, and (c) a two-way transmitter system.

8. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 7, wherein said user interface is configured to store map data comprising safety information for a particular area, and wherein said transceiver is configured to generate GPS location data and wherein said user interface is configured to issue warnings based on said GPS location data and said map data.

9. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 7, wherein said transceiver is configured to generate GPS location data and wherein said user interface is configured to automatically transmit location data for the current location of the user interface.

10. A motorized land board and wireless controller system as in claim 9, wherein said information interface comprises a video recording device.

11. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus configured with an apparatus-controller, said user interface comprising:

a housing configured for being associated with a powered riding apparatus user without being carried in the user'"'"'s hand;

a processing device disposed within said housing and electrically associated with at least one of (a) on-chip memory and (b) off-chip memory;

a first transmitter disposed within said housing and electrically associated with said processing device, said first transmitter configured for communicating with said apparatus-controller;

a control signal interface disposed within said housing and electrically associated with said processing device, said control signal interface configured for being associated with a user-control-signal-generator;

a power source disposed within said housing and electrically associated with at least one of said processing device, said first transmitter, and said control signal interface;

a user-control-signal-generator mechanically associated with a user and electrically associated with said control-signal-interface wherein said user-control-signal-generator is configured to generate user-control-signals is response to an user action; and

wherein said processing device is configured to generate apparatus-control-signals in response to said user-control-signals and transmit said apparatus-control-signals to said apparatus-controller.

12. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said user-control-signal-generator defines a glove apparatus worn by a user comprising at least one control line running along at least one finger of said glove and wherein an electrical parameter of said control line changes as said user makes a fist.

13. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a receiver electrically associated with said processing device and wherein said powered riding apparatus is a surfboard comprising propulsion system electrically associated with said apparatus-controller, said apparatus-controller further electrically associated with said portable user interface, and wherein said processing device is configured to use said receiver to receive wave-information-data transmitted by a remote system.

14. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 13, wherein said processing device is configured to use said wave-information-data to calculate estimated time of arrival (ETA) data for at least one wave.

15. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said portable user interface further comprises a display electrically associated with said processing device and wherein said processing device is further configured to cause wave information to be displayed on said display.

16. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said processing device is further configured to monitor said wave-information-data for a predefined set of wave parameters and issue a warning when said predefined set of wave parameters is detected.

17. A portable user interface for controlling a powered riding apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said predefined set of wave parameters is a clean-up-wave-set.

18. A wireless controlled motorized land board comprising:

an user interface defining a housing configured for being associated with a user without being carried in the user'"'"'s hand, said user interface comprising;

(a) an ui-processing device disposed within said housing and electrically associated with at least one of (a) on-chip memory and (b) off-chip memory;

(b) an ui-transmitter disposed within said housing and electrically associated with said ui-processing device;

(c) a ui-control-signal-generator disposed at least partially outside of said housing and mechanically associated with a user, said ui-control-signal-generator configured to generate a user-control-signal is response to a user action;

(d) a control signal interface disposed within said housing and electrically associated with said ui-processing device, said control signal interface configured for receiving said user-control-signal;

(e) a power source disposed within said housing and electrically associated with at least one of said ui-processing device, said ui-transmitter, and said user-control-signal-interface;

wherein said ui-processing device is configured to generate and transmit an apparatus-control-signal in response, at least in part, to said user-control-signal;

a board structure defining the general shape of a skateboard comprising a front section and a back section and a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, wherein a first wheel set comprising at least one wheel is mechanically associated with the bottom of the front section and second wheel set comprising at least one wheel is mechanically associated with the bottom of the back section;

a motor mechanically associated with at least one of (a) the board structure, (b) said first wheel set, and (c) said second wheel set, and wherein the output of said motor is mechanically associated with at least one of said first wheel set and said second wheel set and wherein the power output of said motor is controlled by a power-output-controller, said power-output-controller comprises;

(a) controller-processing device electrically associated with at least one of on chip or off chip memory;

(b) a controller-receiver electrically associated with said controller-processing device;

(c) an antenna electrically associated with said controller-receiver; and

(d) a power source;

wherein said controller-processor is configured to control the power output of said motor based at least in part on a received apparatus-control-signal.

19. A wireless controlled motorized land board as in claim 18, wherein said control signal interface comprises at least one magnetic field sensor and wherein said ui-control-signal-generator comprises a magnetic field generating component wherein the magnetic field generating component is configured to move in response to a user hand movement thereby changing the magnetic flux lines impinging on the surface of said at least one magnetic field sensor.

20. A wireless controlled motorized land board as in claim 19, wherein said magnetic field generating component is a magnet movably associated with said housing and mechanically associated with a finger of said user and wherein said ui-control-signal-generator is mechanically external to said housing but in magnetic communication with said control signal interface and wherein said housing is sealed to prevent entry of fluid into said housing.