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Rider detection system

DC
  • US 9,452,345 B2
  • Filed: 11/05/2015
  • Issued: 09/27/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An electric vehicle, comprising:

  • a board including first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the board;

    a wheel assembly including a ground-contacting element disposed between and extending above the first and second deck portions;

    a motor assembly mounted to the board and configured to rotate the ground-contacting element around an axle to propel the electric vehicle;

    at least one orientation sensor configured to measure orientation information of the board;

    a first sensing region disposed in the first deck portion, the first sensing region including two pressure-sensing transducers laterally spaced from each other, such that a first of the two pressure-sensing transducers registers with a first portion of the foot of the rider and a second of the two pressure-sensing transducers registers with a second portion of the same foot of the rider; and

    a motor controller configured to receive board orientation information measured by the orientation sensor and rider presence information based on outputs of the two pressure-sensing transducers, and to cause the motor assembly to propel the electric vehicle based on the board orientation information and the rider presence information;

    wherein the motor controller is further configured to halt the motor assembly in response to activation of exactly zero or exactly one of the two pressure-sensing transducers when a speed of the electric vehicle is below a threshold value.

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