Inverted two-wheel apparatus, and control method and control program thereof

• US 8,666,575 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosaka, Yusuke, Oikawa, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US13/124,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/70, 701/124, 701/37
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An inverted two-wheel apparatus includes drive means that drives wheels; control means that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the drive means; and posture detection means that detects posture information of a vehicle. The inverted two-wheel apparatus is able to travel while keeping an inverted state. Furthermore, the control means performs control to dismount an occupant upon judgment that the torque command value that is generated is equal to or more than a predetermined value, which means in a saturation state, and inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.

Claims

1. A travel method comprising the steps of:

providing an inverted two-wheel apparatus that travels while keeping an inverted state, the inverted two-wheel apparatus comprising;

drive means that drives wheels;

control means that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the drive means; and

detecting posture information of a vehicle with a posture detection means; and

performing control with the control means to dismount an occupant upon judgment that,

(1) when accelerating in a forward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a forward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a front of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means, or

(2) when decelerating in a backward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a backward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a rear of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control means executes other velocity control that is separated from the inverted control upon judgment that the torque command value that is generated is equal to or more than a predetermined value, which means in a saturation state, and inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inverted two-wheel apparatus further comprises velocity detection means that detects vehicle velocity,

wherein the control means controls the drive means to put the vehicle into a stopped state upon judgment that the torque command value that is generated is equal to or more than a predetermined value, which means a saturation state, inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means, and the vehicle velocity detected by the vehicle velocity detection means is equal to or lower than a predetermined velocity.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising executing the velocity control that gradually decreases vehicle velocity with the control means.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inverted two-wheel apparatus further comprises:

vehicle velocity detection means that detects vehicle velocity; and

rotation detection means that detects rotation information of the wheels,

wherein the method further comprises;

generating with a controller a velocity command value based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means, the vehicle velocity detected by the vehicle velocity detection means, and the rotation information detected by the rotation detection-means; and

generating with a velocity controller the torque command value based on the velocity command value generated by the controller and the rotation information detected by the rotation detection means.

6. A travel method comprising the steps of:

providing an inverted two-wheel apparatus that travels while keeping an inverted state, the inverted two-wheel apparatus comprising;

wheel drive units that drives wheels;

a control device that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the wheel drive units; and

a posture sensor that detects posture information of a vehicle,

executing the control device to dismount an occupant upon judgment that,

(1) when accelerating in a forward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a forward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a front of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture sensor, or

(2) when decelerating in a backward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a backward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a rear of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture sensor.

7. A travel method comprising the steps of:

providing an inverted two-wheel apparatus that travels while keeping an inverted state, the inverted two-wheel apparatus comprising;

drive means that drives wheels;

control means that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the drive means; and

detecting posture information of a vehicle with a posture detection means;

performing control with the control means to decrease vehicle velocity upon judgment that,

(1) when accelerating in a forward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a forward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a front of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means, or

(2) when decelerating in a backward direction, the torque command value that is generated is a maximum value, which means that the torque command value is in a saturation state, and

a pitch angle of a vehicle body is generated in a backward-inclined direction and a pitch angular velocity is generated at a rear of a traveling direction, which means that inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.