Attitude controller and saddle riding type vehicle having the same

• US 9,346,510 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hiroto, Inoue, Hiroyuki, Fujii, Takahiro, Seki, Yoshimichi, Shiigai, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Edwin A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannon, Timothy M
• Application Number:
  US14/235,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20140200780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17554 specially adapted for enhancing stability around the vehicles longitudinal axle, i.e. roll-over prevention road vehicle drive control systems for roll-over prevention otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/043 about the roll axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/00 Safety equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/412 Speed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/414 Acceleration sensors
• 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: B62K 11/007 : Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/04 : below the frame
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 : specially adapted for land vehicles

Abstract

An attitude controller eliminates a skid motion of a banked vehicle when travelling through a curve. The attitude controller includes a lateral acceleration sensor that obtains lateral acceleration, as rightward or leftward accelerations, acting on a vehicle of a motorcycle, a bank angle detector that detects a bank angle of the vehicle, and a longitudinal force controller that decreases, independently of each of the wheels, an absolute value of a longitudinal force as the sum of forward and backward forces acting on front and rear wheels based on the obtained lateral acceleration and the detected bank angle.

Claims

1. An attitude controller comprising:

a lateral acceleration obtaining unit that obtains a lateral acceleration as rightward and leftward accelerations acting on a vehicle;

a bank angle detector that detects a bank angle of the vehicle; and

a longitudinal force controller programmed to decrease, independently of each wheel of the vehicle, an absolute value of a longitudinal force as a sum of forward and backward forces acting on each of the wheels based on the obtained lateral acceleration and the detected bank angle;

wherein

the longitudinal force controller obtains a skid motion acceleration of each of the wheels based on the lateral acceleration, a yaw rate, a travelling velocity, and the bank angle, and is programmed to decrease, independently of each of the wheels, the absolute value of the longitudinal force in accordance with the skid motion acceleration.

2. The attitude controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate of the vehicle; and

a velocity detector that detects the travelling velocity of the vehicle;

wherein

the lateral acceleration obtaining unit obtains the lateral acceleration based on a detected value that is detected by a lateral acceleration sensor; and

the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease, independently of each of the wheels, the absolute value of the longitudinal force based on the yaw rate, the travelling velocity, the lateral acceleration, and the bank angle.

3. The attitude controller according to claim 2, further comprising:

a roll rate sensor that detects a roll rate of the vehicle;

wherein

the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease, independently of each of the wheels, the absolute value of the longitudinal force also based on the detected roll rate.

4. The attitude controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a drive force estimating unit programmed to estimate a drive force acting on each of the wheels;

a braking force estimating unit programmed to estimate a braking force acting on each of the wheels; and

a longitudinal force estimating unit programmed to estimate a longitudinal force, as a sum of the drive force and the braking force, acting on each of the wheels.

5. The attitude controller according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the longitudinal force by decreasing a drive force.

6. The attitude controller according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the drive force by decreasing an amount of injected fuel.

7. The attitude controller according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the drive force by decreasing a transmission torque of a clutch.

8. The attitude controller according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the drive force by reducing an ignition frequency of a spark plug.

9. The attitude controller according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the drive force by retarding an ignition timing.

10. The attitude controller according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the longitudinal force by increasing a drive force.

11. The attitude controller according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the longitudinal force by decreasing a braking force.

12. The attitude controller according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal force controller is programmed to decrease the longitudinal force by increasing a braking force.

13. A saddle riding type vehicle including the attitude controller according to claim 1.