Saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and wheel force acquisition device

• US 9,902,380 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Nozawa, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US14/529,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 701 70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/188 hydraulic brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/043 about the roll axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/1315 Location of the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/36 Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/00 Input parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/045 : Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/112 : Roll movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 : Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4151 : for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/00 : Motorcycles, engine-assisted cycles or motor scooters with one or two wheels fairings or streamlining parts not forming part of the frame B62J; transmission of drive from engines to wheels B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/04 : characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 : Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023

Abstract

A saddle-straddling type motor vehicle on which an object is loadable for traveling with the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle includes a main body having a wheel, a motor that generates driving force for moving the main body, a wheel force calculator configured to calculate wheel force exerted between the wheel and a surface of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling, and a wheel force corrector configured to correct the wheel force calculated by the wheel force calculator based on a condition of the object loaded on the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A saddle-straddling type motor vehicle, comprising:

a main body having a wheel;

a motor that generates driving force for moving the main body;

a wheel force calculator configured to calculate wheel force exerted between the wheel and a surface of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling; and

a wheel force corrector configured to correct the wheel force calculated by the wheel force calculator based on a posture of a rider of the motor vehicle in a front-to-rear direction, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate air resistance based on the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated air resistance.

2. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate a height of a center of aerodynamic force based on the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated height of the center of aerodynamic force and the estimated air resistance.

3. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the main body, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction.

4. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed detector that detects a speed of the main body, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction based on the speed detected by the vehicle speed detector, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction.

5. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a posture entry unit in which the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction is entered, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to correct the calculated wheel force based on the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction that is entered in the posture entry unit.

6. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the condition of the object includes the mass of the object, and

the wheel force corrector is configured to correct the calculated wheel force based on the mass of the object.

7. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate a position of a center of gravity of an entirety including the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and the object loaded thereon based on the mass of the object, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated position of the center of gravity.

8. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a driving force detector that detects the driving force generated by the motor; and

an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the main body, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate the mass of the object based on the driving force detected by the driving force detector and the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated mass of the object.

9. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a load detector that detects a load applied to the wheel; and

an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the main body, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate the mass of the object based on the load detected by the load detector and the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated mass of the object.

10. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a mass entry unit in which the mass of the object is entered, wherein

the wheel force corrector corrects the calculated wheel force based on the mass of the object entered in the mass entry unit.

11. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the main body includes a body frame,

the wheel includes a front wheel and a rear wheel,

a center of the body frame in a width direction thereof, a center of the front wheel in a width direction thereof and a center of the rear wheel in a width direction thereof define a plane that is a vehicle center surface, and

the front-to-rear direction is a rearward direction parallel to the vehicle center surface and a horizontal plane.

12. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the object includes a rider,

the condition of the object includes a posture of the rider in a transverse direction, and

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate a position of a center of gravity of an entirety including the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and the object loaded thereon based on the posture of the rider in the transverse direction, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated position of the center of gravity.

13. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

a road surface information acquirer that is configured to acquire road surface information regarding the surface of the road, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate the posture of the rider in the transverse direction based on the road surface information acquired by the road surface information acquirer, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated posture of the rider in the transverse direction.

14. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the main body includes a body frame,

the wheel includes a front wheel and a rear wheel,

a center of the body frame in a width direction thereof, a center of the front wheel in a width direction thereof and a center of the rear wheel in a width direction thereof define a plane that is a vehicle center surface, and

the transverse direction is a direction perpendicular to the vehicle center surface.

15. The saddle-straddling type motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured

to estimate a bank angle of an entirety including the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and the rider thereon, and an amount of load movement in the entirety including the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and the rider thereon, and

to correct the calculated wheel force based on the bank angle and the amount of load movement that are estimated.

16. A saddle-straddling type motor vehicle on which an object is loadable for traveling with the motor vehicle, comprising:

a main body having a wheel;

a motor that generates driving force for moving the main body;

a wheel force calculator configured to calculate wheel force exerted between the wheel and a surface of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling; and

a wheel force corrector configured to correct the wheel force calculated by the wheel force calculator based on a condition of the object on the motor vehicle, wherein

the wheel force calculator is configured to calculate perpendicular force exerted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the road, and horizontal force exerted in a direction parallel to the surface of the road, to thereby obtain the wheel force, and

the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle further includes a movement controller that is configured to set a friction circle based on perpendicular force of the corrected wheel force, and to control a movement of the main body such that horizontal force of the corrected wheel force does not exceed a range indicated by the friction circle.

17. A wheel force acquisition device for acquiring wheel force of a saddle-straddling type motor vehicle, comprising:

a wheel force calculator configured to calculate wheel force exerted between a wheel of the saddle-straddling type motor vehicle and a surface of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling, and

a wheel force corrector configured to correct the wheel force calculated by the wheel force calculator based on a posture of a rider of the motor vehicle in a front-to-rear direction, wherein

the wheel force corrector is configured to estimate air resistance based on the posture of the rider in the front-to-rear direction, and to correct the calculated wheel force based on the estimated air resistance.