Fault tolerant architecture for a personal vehicle

• US 6,223,104 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Guay, G. Michael, Kamen, Dean L., Dastous, Susan D., Duggan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/406,086
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/33, 701/34, 701/36, 701/39, 701/43, 701/124, 701/22, 180/6.5, 180/7.1, 180/21, 180/65.8, 180/907, 280/5.2
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/061 for climbing stairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• 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 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

A motorized vehicle capable of fault detection and of operation after a fault has been detected. The vehicle has a plurality of control components coupled to a motorized drive and a comparator for comparing the output of each of the control components with outputs of other control components so that failures may be identified. The vehicle may have multiple processors coupled to a plurality of control channels by means of a bus and a decision arrangement that suppresses the output of any processor for which a failure has been identified.

Claims

1. A vehicle for locomotion over land, the vehicle comprising:

a. a support structure for supporting a load;

b. a ground-contacting module for providing motion capability to the support structure;

c. a motorized drive for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting module;

d. a plurality of control components coupled to the motorized drive, each control component having an output; and

e. a comparator for comparing the output of each of the control components with the output of another of the control components for identifying a failure of any of the control components.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of control components are chosen from the group of:

a. a plurality of sensors for sensing at least one of a position and an orientation of the vehicle;

b. a plurality of control channels, each control channel capable of independently controlling the motorized drive.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of control components includes:

a. a plurality of control channels, each control channel capable of independently controlling the motorized drive; and

b. a plurality of processors coupled to each of the control channels by means of a system bus.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, further including a disconnect circuit for removing a defective processor from the system bus.

5. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the system bus couples the plurality of processors and at least one of the set of a user input, a battery capacity indicator, a temperature indicator, a seat height controller, and a crash protection controller.

6. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the output of at least one control component is provided at a rate exceeding a mechanical response rate of the motorized drive.

15. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of control components includes a fail-safe joystick comprising:

a. a centering mechanism that restores the joystick to a center position when released by a user of the vehicle; and

b. a sensor for detecting the joystick in the center position.

7. A vehicle for locomotion over land, the vehicle capable of failure detection, the vehicle comprising:

a. a support structure for supporting a load;

b. a ground-contacting module for providing locomotion capability to the support structure;

c. a motorized drive for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting module;

d. a sensor for sensing at least one of a position and an orientation of the vehicle;

e. a plurality of control channels, each control channel capable of independently controlling the motorized drive;

f. a plurality of processors coupled to the control channels by means of a system bus, each processor having an output, each processor capable of receiving input commands from a user, a signal from the sensor, and the output of each of the other processors; and

g. a comparator for comparing the outputs of the processors for identifying a failure of any of the processors.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the comparator further includes a disconnect circuit for removing a defective processor from the system bus.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the comparator suppresses the output of any processor for which a failure has been identified in such a manner as to allow continued operation of the vehicle using all other processors.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a. a support structure for supporting a load;

b. a ground-contacting element for providing locomotion capability to the support structure, the ground contacting element movable about an axle with respect to a local axis;

c. a motorized drive for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting element about the axle and for permitting motion of the axle such that the local axis is moved with respect to the support structure;

d. a sensor for sensing at least one of a position and an orientation of the vehicle;

e. a plurality of control channels, each control channel capable of independently controlling the motorized drive;

f. a plurality of processors coupled to the control channels by means of a system bus, each processor having an output, each processor capable of receiving input commands from a user, a signal from the sensor, and the output of each of the other processors; and

g. a comparator for intercomparing the output of the processors for identifying a failure of any of the processors.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a. a support structure for supporting a load;

b. a ground-contacting element for providing locomotion capability to the support structure, the ground contacting element movable about an axle with respect to a local axis; and

c. a motorized drive having a plurality of redundant coils of electrical conductors for permitting controllable motion of the ground contacting element movable about the axle and motion of the axle such that the local axis is moved with respect to the support structure.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a. at least one ground contacting member for causing motion of the vehicle on the surface of the ground;

b. a motorized drive permitting controllable motion of the at least one ground contacting element, the controllable motion characterized by a set of motion commands;

c. a plurality of sensors for monitoring configurational variables and motion variables of the vehicle and generating sensor signals;

d. a user input for receiving commands from a user for controlling motion of the vehicle;

e. a plurality of power amplifier controllers, each power amplifier controller capable of controlling the entire set of controllable motion commands;

f. a plurality of processors, each processor capable of receiving sensor signals from at least a subset of the plurality of sensors and the user input and sending processor commands to each power amplifier controller for controlling the motion of the vehicle in accordance with a system control law; and

g. a decision arrangement for deciding which of the plurality of processors shall govern in the event that discrepant processor commands are sent to a power amplifier controller.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12, further including a disconnect circuit for removing a defective processor from the system bus.

14. A method for controlling the locomotion of a vehicle, the method comprising:

a. providing a plurality of control channels, each control channel capable of independently controlling a motorized drive that propels the vehicle;

b. providing a plurality of processors, each processor supplying an output to each of the control channels by means of a system bus;

c. comparing the outputs of the processors;

d. identifying any defective processor; and

e. controlling the vehicle on the basis of the outputs of the processors other than an identified defective processor.