Rider characteristic determining apparatus, and a saddle riding type vehicle having the same

• US 8,849,474 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoneta, Keisuke, Daimoto, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Atsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ BORRERO, LUIS A
• Application Number:
  US13/518,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/45, 701/70, 701/44, 701/1, 701/38, 701/37, 701/71, 701/41, 701/216, 701/62, 701/214, 701/36, 434/65, 434/66, 180/223, 180/37
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/36 Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 7/00 Devices for learning to ride cycles, not otherwise provided for, e.g. assisting balance
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4151 for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4152 for sensing longitudinal inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

A rider characteristic determining apparatus capable of determining characteristics of a rider controlling a saddle riding type vehicle, and a saddle riding type vehicle including the same, are configured such that the rider'"'"'s characteristics are determined from a turning movement of the saddle riding type vehicle which reflects results of the rider controlling the saddle riding type vehicle. This enables a stable characteristic determination regardless of individual operation or control by the rider. Further, a turning performance score of the vehicle is calculated based on at least one of vehicle state amounts of a roll direction, a pitch direction and a caster angle which influence the steering angle of the saddle riding type vehicle. This enables a proper evaluation of the turning characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle.

Claims

1. A rider characteristic determining apparatus for determining control characteristics of a rider controlling a saddle riding type vehicle, the rider characteristic determining apparatus comprising:

a first vehicle state detector that detects at least one of a yaw rate and a yaw angle of the saddle riding type vehicle;

a turning movement discriminating unit that discriminates a section where the saddle riding type vehicle has made a turning movement;

a second vehicle state detector that detects at least one of a roll rate, a roll angle, a pitch rate, a pitch angle, and a caster angle of the saddle riding type vehicle;

a component separating unit that separates detection values detected by the first vehicle state detector and the second vehicle state detector in the turning movement section discriminated by the turning movement discriminating unit, into adjustment components that are high-frequency band components higher than a threshold frequency set beforehand, and prediction components that are low-frequency band components lower than the threshold frequency;

a vehicle stability characteristic determining unit that determines a vehicle stability characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle; and

a turning characteristic determining unit that determines a turning characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle;

wherein the vehicle stability characteristic determining unit includes a vehicle stability score calculating unit that calculates a vehicle stability score of the saddle riding type vehicle based on a ratio between the adjustment components and the prediction components separated from the detection value of the first vehicle state detector by the component separating unit; and

the turning characteristic determining unit includes a turning performance score calculating unit that calculates a turning performance score of the saddle riding type vehicle based on the prediction components separated from the detection value of the second vehicle state detector by the component separating unit.

2. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turning movement discriminating unit discriminates the section where the saddle riding type vehicle has made the turning movement based on at least one of the yaw rate, the yaw angle, the roll rate, the roll angle, a steering angle, and a GPS track.

3. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle stability characteristic determining unit includes a vehicle stability score comparing unit that determines the vehicle stability characteristic by comparing the vehicle stability score with a criterion value of the vehicle stability characteristic; and

the turning characteristic determining unit includes a turning performance score comparing unit that determines the turning characteristic by comparing the turning performance score with a criterion value of the turning characteristic.

4. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle stability score calculating unit calculates the vehicle stability score based on a ratio between the adjustment components and the prediction components separated from the detection values of the first vehicle state detector and the second vehicle state detector by the component separating unit.

5. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle;

wherein the component separating unit separates into the adjustment components and the prediction components a detection value detected by the steering angle sensor in the turning movement section discriminated by the turning movement discriminating unit; and

the turning performance score calculating unit calculates the turning performance score based on the prediction components separated from the detection values of the second vehicle state detector and the steering angle sensor by the component separating unit.

6. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the saddle riding type vehicle;

wherein the turning performance score calculating unit calculates the turning performance score based on the prediction components separated from the detection value of the second vehicle state detector by the component separating unit and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

7. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a curve size estimating unit that estimates a curvature size of a curve run by the saddle riding type vehicle;

wherein the vehicle stability characteristic determining unit includes a first curve size correcting unit that corrects the vehicle stability score according to the curvature size of the curve; and

the turning characteristic determining unit includes a second curve size correcting unit that corrects the turning performance score according to the curvature size of the curve.

8. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a traveling surface condition estimating unit that estimates a traveling surface condition run by the saddle riding type vehicle;

wherein the vehicle stability characteristic determining unit includes a first traveling surface condition correcting unit that corrects the vehicle stability score according to the traveling surface condition estimate; and

the turning characteristic determining unit includes a second traveling surface condition correcting unit that corrects the turning performance score according to the traveling surface condition estimate.

9. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an overall characteristic determining unit that determines the rider'"'"'s comprehensive overall characteristics based on the vehicle stability score and the vehicle turning performance score.

10. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a database that accumulates past and present vehicle stability scores and turning performance scores; and

a characteristic transition calculating unit that calculates a transition of the rider'"'"'s control characteristics using information in the database.

11. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a characteristic classifying unit that classifies the rider'"'"'s control characteristics into one of a plurality of categories based on the vehicle stability score and the turning performance score.

12. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rider movement detector that detects at least one of a pitch rate, a pitch angle, a yaw rate, and a yaw angle of the rider'"'"'s head or eyeball; and

a head stability characteristic determining unit that determines the rider'"'"'s head stability characteristic;

wherein the component separating unit separates a detection value detected by the rider movement detector in the turning movement section discriminated by the turning movement discriminating unit, into adjustment components and prediction components; and

the head stability characteristic determining unit includes a head stability score calculating unit that calculates a head stability score of the rider based on a ratio between the adjustment components and the prediction components separated from the detection value of the rider movement detector by the component separating unit.

13. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the head stability characteristic determining unit includes a head stability score comparing unit that compares the head stability score with a criterion value of the head stability characteristic to determine the head stability characteristic of the rider.

14. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an overall characteristic determining unit that determines the rider'"'"'s comprehensive overall characteristic based on at least two of the vehicle stability score, the vehicle turning performance score, and the head stability score.

15. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a database that accumulates past and present vehicle stability scores, turning performance scores, and head stability scores; and

a characteristic transition calculating unit that derives a transition of the rider'"'"'s control characteristics using information in the database.

16. The rider characteristic determining apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a characteristic classifying unit that classifies the rider'"'"'s control characteristics into one of a plurality of categories, based on at least two of the vehicle stability score, the turning performance score, and the head stability score.

17. A saddle riding type vehicle comprising:

a rider characteristic determining apparatus for determining control characteristics of a rider controlling the saddle riding type vehicle, the rider characteristic determining apparatus including;

a first vehicle state detector that detects at least one of a yaw rate and a yaw angle of the saddle riding type vehicle;

a turning movement discriminating unit that discriminates a section where the saddle riding type vehicle has made a turning movement;

a second vehicle state detector that detects at least one of a roll rate, a roll angle, a pitch rate, a pitch angle, and a caster angle of the saddle riding type vehicle;

a component separating unit that separates detection values detected by the first vehicle state detector and the second vehicle state detector in the turning movement section discriminated by the turning movement discriminating unit, into adjustment components that are high-frequency band components higher than a threshold frequency set beforehand, and prediction components that are low-frequency band components lower than the threshold frequency;

a vehicle stability characteristic determining unit that determines a vehicle stability characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle; and

a turning characteristic determining unit that determines a turning characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle;

wherein

the vehicle stability characteristic determining unit includes a vehicle stability score calculating unit that calculates a vehicle stability score of the saddle riding type vehicle based on a ratio between the adjustment components and the prediction components separated from the detection value of the first vehicle state detector by the component separating unit; and

the turning characteristic determining unit includes a turning performance score calculating unit that calculates a turning performance score of the saddle riding type vehicle based on the prediction components separated from the detection value of the second vehicle state detector by the component separating unit.