IP Library Granted Patent US 8,504,282
Granted Patent B2
US 8,504,282 · App. 12/682,736 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Vehicle

Inventor: Naoki Gorai (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,504,282
App. No.
12/682,736
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

When a vehicle is stopped on a slope, a brake is operated to stop rotation of a drive wheel so that no torque is applied thereto, and the posture of the body is controlled by moving an active weight portion so that stabilized stop state of the vehicle can be achieved without consuming a large quantity of energy. The vehicle comprises the drive wheel attached rotatably to the body, the active weight portion attached movably to the body, and a vehicle controller for controlling the posture of the body by controlling at least one of the drive torque imparted to the drive wheel and the position of the active weight portion, wherein the vehicle controller controls the posture of the body by controlling only the position of the active weight portion when the vehicle is stopped on a slope.

Claims (23)

1. A vehicle that utilizes inverted-pendulum attitude control, the vehicle comprising:

a drive wheel rotatably attached to a vehicle body;

an active weight portion attached so as to be movable with respect to the vehicle body;

a vehicle control device that controls an attitude of the vehicle body by controlling at least one of a drive torque applied to the drive wheel and a position of the active weight portion; and

a timer that counts time, wherein

the vehicle control device controls the attitude of the vehicle body by controlling only the position of the active weight portion when the vehicle is stationary on a slope, and

the vehicle control device controls the attitude of the vehicle body by controlling only the position of the active weight portion when the timer counts a predetermined time or more with the vehicle stationary.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising

a road surface gradient estimation section that estimates a road surface gradient of the slope,

wherein the vehicle control device controls the attitude of the vehicle body by controlling only the position of the active weight portion when the vehicle is stationary on the slope with the road surface gradient, estimated by the road surface gradient estimation section, that has an absolute value larger than a predetermined threshold.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle control device controls the attitude of the vehicle body by controlling the drive torque applied to the drive wheel and the position of the active weight portion when a braking operation is discontinued or an acceleration operation is performed.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising

a braking device that brakes the drive wheel,

wherein the vehicle control device actuates the braking device to brake the drive wheel when the vehicle is stationary.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 ,

wherein the vehicle control device cancels braking of the drive wheel performed by the braking device when a braking operation is discontinued or an acceleration operation is performed.

6. A vehicle that utilizes-pendulum attitude control, the vehicle comprising:

a drive wheel rotatably attached to a vehicle body;

an active weight portion attached so as to be movable with respect to the vehicle body;

a vehicle control device that controls an attitude of the vehicle body by controlling a position of the active weight portion when the vehicle is stationary on a slope; and

a timer that counts time, wherein

the vehicle control device controls the attitude of the vehicle by controlling only the position of the active weight portion when the timer counts a predetermined time or more with the vehicle stationary.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2010
From: GORAI, NAOKI
To: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 024548/0588 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2007-266010 · Oct 12, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100280745A1 · Nov 4, 2010