JP2016005498A - Walking assist mobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking assist mobile body capable of allowing a user to arrive at a destination even when the residual amount of a battery is not sufficient.SOLUTION: A walking assist mobile body 100 includes: a drive part 24 for assisting the walking of a user; a battery 30 for supplying power to the drive part 24; and a control part 32 for determining whether an assist condition for enabling traveling in a predetermined section exists within multiple assist conditions on the basis of the residual amount of the battery 30 and multiple battery consumption amounts of the battery 30 corresponding to the multiple (first to fourth) assist conditions in a predetermined section from a present place to a destination, and also performing control to notify of the existence of the assist condition for enabling traveling in the predetermined section when it is determined that the assist condition for enabling traveling in the predetermined section exists.

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assist moving body, and particularly to a walking assist moving body including a battery.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a moving body (electric wheelchair) including a battery is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses an electric wheelchair including a battery serving as a power source and a calculation unit that calculates a movable distance based on the voltage of the battery. This electric wheelchair is configured to be able to input a destination. And in this electric wheelchair, the calculating part is comprised so that it can determine whether it can drive | work to a destination by comparing the calculated movable distance and the distance from the present location to the destination. In addition, when it is determined based on the comparison result that it is impossible to travel to the destination with the current battery remaining amount, the calculation unit uses a buzzer, LED, lamp, vibration device, or the like (user of an electric wheelchair). Is configured to warn you.

JP 2000-279451 A

  However, in the electric wheelchair described in Patent Document 1, when it is determined that it is impossible to travel to the destination with the current remaining battery level, a warning is given to the user. The user cannot know whether or not the destination can be reached. Therefore, a user who is difficult to move by himself / herself has to give up moving to the destination when receiving a warning. For this reason, when the battery remaining amount is not sufficient, there is a disadvantage that the user may not be able to reach the destination.

  On the other hand, a walking assist moving body that assists a user's walking that can be moved (walked) to some extent by itself is conventionally known. Even when the invention of Patent Document 1 is applied to this walking assist moving body, it is considered that the user often gives up moving to the destination when receiving a warning. Therefore, it can be considered that there is a problem similar to the inconvenience of Patent Document 1. That is, it is considered that there is a problem that the user may not be able to reach the destination when the current remaining battery level is not sufficient.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one object of the present invention is to allow the user to reach the destination as much as possible even when the remaining battery level is not sufficient. It is to provide a simple walking assist moving body.

  A walking assist moving body according to one aspect of the present invention includes a driving unit for assisting a user's walking, a battery for supplying power to the driving unit, a remaining battery level of the battery, and a current location to a destination. Based on a plurality of battery consumption amounts of the battery corresponding to the plurality of assist conditions in the predetermined section until, it is determined whether there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions. And a control unit that performs control to notify that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section when it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section.

  In the walking assist moving body according to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the battery remaining amount of the battery and the plurality of battery consumption amounts of the battery corresponding to the plurality of assist conditions in a predetermined section from the current location to the destination. And determining whether there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions, and determining that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section, A control unit is provided that performs control to notify that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section. Thus, even when the user cannot reach the destination by one assist condition (for example, normal assist condition) among the plurality of assist conditions with the current remaining battery level, In addition, even if there is another assist condition (for example, an assist condition with a smaller battery consumption than the normal assist condition) that allows the vehicle to travel in the predetermined section even with the current remaining battery level, the vehicle can travel in the predetermined section. You can know other assist conditions. Therefore, by using another assist condition that allows traveling in a predetermined section, the user can reach the destination as much as possible even when the current remaining battery level is insufficient.

  In the walking assist moving body according to the above aspect, preferably, the control unit determines that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts. It is configured to perform control for notifying an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among a plurality of assist conditions. If comprised in this way, the user can know easily the assist conditions which can drive | work a predetermined area.

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the one aspect, preferably, the control unit does not have an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions based on the remaining battery capacity and the plurality of battery consumption amounts. Is determined, the control is configured to perform notification of information related to the battery for enabling use of at least one of the plurality of assist conditions. If comprised in this way, when there is no assist condition which can drive | work a predetermined area among several assist conditions, the method (for example, for enabling at least 1 assist condition among several assist conditions) (for example, The user can quickly know information about the battery such as the charging time).

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the one aspect, preferably, the control unit includes an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts, and the predetermined condition. If it is determined that there are both assist conditions that are impossible to travel in the section, control is performed to notify the assist conditions that can travel in the predetermined section, and the assist conditions that are not possible to travel in the predetermined section are used. It is configured to perform control for notifying information about the battery for enabling. If comprised in this way, while the user can know the assist condition which can drive | work a predetermined area, the method (for example, charge time etc.) for enabling the use of the assist condition which cannot drive | work a predetermined area Information on the battery). Therefore, the user can use the assist condition desired by himself / herself among the assist conditions incapable of traveling in the predetermined section when there is no desired assist condition in the notified assist conditions capable of traveling in the predetermined section. How to do it quickly.

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the above aspect, preferably, the plurality of assist conditions include a first assist condition for assisting by the driving unit in a section having a gradient and a section in a flat area, and a predetermined section. Among them, the second assist condition in which the assist by the drive unit is not performed in the section having a slope without assisting by the drive unit in the section of the flat ground is included. With this configuration, in the first assist condition, the user's walking assist is performed by the drive unit in a predetermined section with a slope and a flat section (that is, all sections of the predetermined section). Can do. Further, in the second assist condition, in a section having a gradient that is considered to have a large burden on the user while reducing battery consumption by not performing assist by the drive section in a flat section of the predetermined section. Thus, the user's walking assist can be performed. As a result, it is possible to provide the user with assist conditions that are less burdensome for the user according to the remaining battery level.

  In this case, preferably, the plurality of assist conditions include an ascending slope or a descending slope without assisting by the driving unit in a flat section of the predetermined section and one of the sections having an ascending slope or a descending slope. It further includes a third assist condition for assisting by the drive unit in the other section. If comprised in this way, in the 3rd assist condition, it does not perform the assist by a drive part in the section of a flat ground among predetermined sections, and the section which has an ascending slope or a descending slope. In addition, while the battery consumption is further reduced, the driving unit can assist the user in walking on the other side of the section having the ascending slope or the descending slope. As a result, even when the remaining amount of the battery is low, it is possible to provide the user with an assist condition that allows traveling in a predetermined section.

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the one aspect, preferably, an inclination detection unit for detecting a gradient of the predetermined section and a storage unit for storing the gradient of the predetermined section detected by the inclination detection unit are further included. The control unit obtains the plurality of battery consumption amounts based on the gradient of the predetermined section stored in the storage unit when acquiring the plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to the plurality of assist conditions in the predetermined section. It is configured to perform control for correction. With this configuration, for example, unlike the case where the battery consumption is acquired based only on the gradient information of the predetermined section included in the map information, when the vehicle actually travels in the predetermined section, the inclination detector A plurality of battery consumption amounts can be corrected based on the detected gradient of the predetermined section. As a result, each of the plurality of battery consumption amounts in the predetermined section can be acquired with high accuracy.

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the one aspect, preferably, the control unit obtains a plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to a plurality of assist conditions in a predetermined section, Control is performed to correct a plurality of battery consumption amounts based on at least one of the temperature and the charge / discharge cycle of the battery. If comprised in this way, each of the some battery consumption of a predetermined area can be acquired more accurately.

  In the walking assist mobile body according to the one aspect, preferably, the control unit determines that the vehicle has traveled outside the predetermined section when assisting by the drive unit under assist conditions capable of traveling in the predetermined section. In such a case, the control is performed so as to notify that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section is not met. If comprised in this way, the user can know rapidly that he is using out of the assist conditions which can drive | work a predetermined area. As a result, it is possible to suppress a situation where the remaining amount of the battery is insufficient before reaching the destination, and the assist cannot be performed under the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section.

  According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide a walking assist movable body that can make the user reach the destination as much as possible even when the remaining battery level is not sufficient.

It is a figure which shows the use condition of the walk assistance moving body by the 1st-3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the walk assistance moving body by the 1st-3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of a predetermined area in the walk assistant moving body by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the area of a flat land, the area of an upslope, and the area of a downslope among the predetermined areas of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the assist conditions of the walk assistance moving body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the notification screen of the determination result of the assist condition which can drive | work the predetermined area of the walk assistance mobile body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the notification screen of the information regarding the battery of the walk assistance moving body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the discharge voltage characteristic of the battery corresponding to the temperature of the walk assistance moving body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the charging / discharging cycle characteristic of the battery of the walk assistance moving body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the assist condition notification process of the walk assist mobile body by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the assist conditions of the walk assistance moving body by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating that the walk assistance mobile body by 3rd Embodiment of this invention was drive | worked outside the predetermined area. It is a figure which shows the notification screen that the assist condition which can drive | work the predetermined area of the walk assistance moving body by 3rd Embodiment of this invention was remove | deviated. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the warning process of the walk assistance moving body by 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structure of the walk assistance moving body 100 by 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the walking assist movable body 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a movable body main body 10 on which a load B (indicated by a broken line) can be loaded. The mobile body 10 includes a pair of drive wheels 11 (shown only on one side), a pair of free wheels (shown only on one side) 12, and a gripping portion 13. The walking assist moving body 100 is configured to assist the user's walking when the user grips the grip portion 13 and moves the moving body main body 10 forward or backward.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the walking assist moving body 100 includes an operation force detection unit 21, an inclination detection unit 22, a motor driver 23, two drive units 24, two current detection units 25, 2 Two speed detectors 26, a GPS receiver 27, a weight detector 28, a display 29, a battery 30, a storage 31, and a controller 32.

  The operation force detection unit 21 is provided in the grip unit 13 and is configured to detect an operation force (force for pushing and pulling the movable body main body 10) by the user. Specifically, the operation force detection unit 21 is configured to detect the direction and magnitude of the operation force by the user. In the walking assist moving body 100, the user's walking assist is performed according to the direction and magnitude of the operation force by the user.

  The inclination detection unit 22 includes an angular velocity sensor and is configured to detect an inclination angle of the mobile body 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the inclination detection unit 22 is configured to detect the road surface gradient θ as an inclination angle of the mobile body 10 with respect to the horizontal line of the road surface.

  The motor driver 23 is configured to control the current flowing through the drive motors 24 a of the two drive units 24 based on the control of the control unit 32. Specifically, based on the control of the control unit 32, the motor driver 23 controls on / off of the current flowing through the two drive motors 24a, control of the direction of current flow, and the magnitude of the current (current value). It is configured to perform control.

  Each of the two drive units 24 includes a drive motor 24a and a drive gear 24b. The two drive motors 24a are respectively connected to the pair of drive wheels 11 via corresponding drive gears 24b and axles (not shown).

  Further, the drive motor 24 a is configured to generate a driving force corresponding to the flowing current value based on the control of the motor driver 23. Each of the two drive motors 24a is configured to individually drive (rotate) a pair of drive wheels 11 connected via a corresponding drive gear 24b and an axle (not shown) with the generated drive force. ing. In the walking assist moving body 100, the user's walking assist is performed by the driving force generated by the driving motor 24a of the driving unit 24.

  Each of the two current detectors 25 is configured to detect the driving force of the corresponding drive motor 24a by detecting the current flowing through the corresponding drive motor 24a. And the control part 32 is comprised so that the motor driver 23 may be controlled based on the detection result of the electric current of the electric current detection part 25, and the driving force of the drive motor 24a may be adjusted.

  The speed detection unit 26 includes a rotation angle sensor, and is configured to detect the movement speed of the mobile body 10 by detecting the rotation angle of the drive motor 24a. The two speed detectors 26 are each configured to detect the rotation angle of the corresponding drive motor 24a.

  The GPS receiver 27 has a GPS antenna 27a. The GPS antenna 27a is configured to receive radio waves from GPS satellites. The GPS receiving unit 27 is configured to output information related to the current position of the walking assist moving body 100 to the control unit 32 based on the radio wave received by the GPS antenna 27a. And the control part 32 is comprised so that control which acquires the present position of the walk assistance mobile body 100 based on this information may be performed.

  The weight detection unit 28 is configured to detect the weight of the load B (see FIG. 1) loaded on the mobile body 10.

  The display unit 29 is provided in the grip unit 13 (see FIG. 1) and is configured to display various types of information (for example, map information). The display unit 29 is configured by a touch panel. Therefore, the user can perform various operations using the display unit 29 provided in the grip unit 13.

  The battery 30 is a rechargeable storage battery, and is configured to supply electric power to each component of the walking assist moving body 100 such as the drive unit 24. Further, the battery 30 is provided with a temperature detection unit 30a. The temperature detection unit 30 a is configured to output the detected temperature of the battery 30 to the control unit 32. Note that as the temperature of the battery 30, any of the temperature around the battery 30 or the temperature inside the battery 30 may be used.

  The storage unit 31 includes a ROM that is a nonvolatile memory and a RAM that is a volatile memory. The storage unit 31 is configured to store various data and programs used by the control unit 32. Specifically, the storage unit 31 is configured to store a program corresponding to an assist condition notification process described later.

  The control unit 32 includes a CPU, and is configured to control each component of the walking assist moving body 100. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 9, a configuration related to a user's walking assist by the walking assist moving body 100 in a predetermined section will be described.

  The walking assist movable body 100 (see FIG. 2) is configured to be able to set a predetermined section from the current location (for example, home) to the destination (for example, a hospital). As a method of setting a predetermined section, for example, a destination is specified using a navigation system, a method of setting a predetermined section, or a user manually (manually) inputting a route to the destination, A method of setting a predetermined section can be used. In addition, a method in which a section in which the user has traveled with the walking assist moving body 100 is stored in the storage unit 31 and set as a predetermined section may be used. In the walking assist moving body 100, for example, a predetermined section R from the current location (S) to the destination (G) as shown in FIG. 3 is set. In addition, the walking assist movable body 100 is configured to be able to set a plurality of predetermined sections.

  In the walking assist mobile body 100, the user selects a desired predetermined section (that is, a desired destination) from among the set predetermined sections, and starts running by the walking assist mobile body 100. . The set predetermined sections are displayed on the display unit 29 so that the user can select them.

  And the control part 32 respond | corresponds to the battery remaining amount of the battery 30, and the multiple (four) assist conditions (it mentions later for details) in a predetermined area, when a desired predetermined area is selected by the user. The battery 30 is configured to perform control for acquiring a plurality (four) of battery consumption amounts. At this time, the remaining battery level can be obtained from the voltage value of the battery 30. The battery consumption can be acquired based on, for example, the distance and height difference of a predetermined section included in the map information.

  Here, a plurality of assist conditions will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of (four) assist conditions with different battery consumption are registered in the walking assist moving body 100. Hereinafter, the four assist conditions are referred to as a first assist condition, a second assist condition, a third assist condition, and a fourth assist condition, respectively, and for the first to fourth assist conditions, refer to FIGS. 4 and 5. To explain. Here, of the predetermined sections, a flat section is described as a flat ground H, a section having an upward slope is described as an upward slope U, and a section having a downward slope is described as a downward slope D.

  The first assist condition is a normal assist condition. That is, a reference assist force set in advance (driving force by the drive unit 24) in all the sections (the flat ground H, the upward slope U and the downward slope D, see FIG. 4) in the predetermined section R (see FIG. 4). Is an assist condition for assisting by the drive unit 24.

  The second assist condition is that the assist by the drive unit 24 is not performed by the drive unit 24 on the flat ground H in the predetermined section R, and the assist unit 24 assists by the preset reference assist force on the ascending slope U and the descending slope D. It is a condition. Accordingly, the second assist condition is an assist condition in which the battery consumption is smaller than that of the first assist condition because the assist by the drive unit 24 is not performed on the flat ground H.

  The third assist condition is that the assist by the drive unit 24 is not performed by the drive unit 24 in the flat ground H and the descending slope D in the predetermined section R, and the assist by the drive unit 24 is performed by the preset reference assist force in the ascending slope U. It is a condition. Accordingly, the third assist condition is an assist condition in which the battery consumption is smaller than the first and second assist conditions because the driving unit 24 does not assist in the downward slope D in addition to the flat ground H. In the third assist condition, the walking assist moving body 100 can be decelerated using the braking force by the drive gear 24b on the downward slope D. Thereby, it is possible to assist the user's walking more effectively than in the case of using the assist condition in which the assist is performed in the descending gradient D without performing the assist in the ascending gradient U.

  The fourth assist condition is an assist condition in which the drive unit 24 assists with an assist force that is smaller (weaker) than a preset reference assist force only in the upward gradient U. Therefore, the fourth assist condition is an assist condition in which the battery consumption is smaller than that of the first to third assist conditions.

  As described above, in the walking assist mobile body 100, the battery consumption by the first to fourth assist conditions is varied by changing the on / off of assist (whether to perform assist) or the magnitude of the assist force. ing.

  In addition, about how to divide the section of the flat land (flat ground H), the section having the upward gradient (uphill gradient U) and the section having the downward gradient (downhill gradient D), based on the road surface gradient θ (see FIG. 1). Divide the section. That is, a section where the road surface gradient θ is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle (for example, 6 to 8 degrees) may be divided as a section having a gradient, and a section less than the predetermined angle may be divided as a flat land section. Of the sections having the gradient, the section having the upward gradient and the section having the downward gradient may be determined with respect to the traveling direction of the walking assist mobile body 100.

  Here, in 1st Embodiment, the control part 32 respond | corresponds to the 1st-4th assist conditions in the acquired battery remaining amount and a predetermined area (for example, predetermined area R of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4). Based on a plurality of battery consumptions to be performed, control is performed to determine whether or not there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 32 displays the assist condition determination result notification screen 41 that can travel in a predetermined section on the display unit 29, thereby performing control to notify the determination result to the user. It is configured as follows. On the notification screen 41 of the determination result, the contents of assist according to the first to fourth assist conditions and the availability of the first to fourth assist conditions (that is, whether or not the vehicle can travel in a predetermined section) are displayed. Yes.

  Specifically, the determination result notification screen 41 displays “usable” (that is, a predetermined value) for the assist condition (third and fourth assist conditions in FIG. 6) determined to be able to travel in a predetermined section. The assist condition (first and second assist conditions in FIG. 6) that is determined to be impossible to travel in a predetermined section is displayed as “unusable” (ie, predetermined It is displayed that it is impossible to travel in the section. In addition, the user can select which assist condition is set on the determination result notification screen 41.

  In the first embodiment, when an assist condition that prevents the user from traveling in the predetermined section is selected by the user, the control unit 32 assists in the condition that the user cannot travel in the predetermined section as shown in FIG. By displaying on the display unit 29 a notification screen 42 for information on the battery 30 for enabling the use of the battery (in FIG. 7, a notification screen when the first assist condition is selected), the information about the battery 30 is displayed to the user. It is configured to perform control to notify. On the information notification screen 42 regarding the battery 30, information on “charging time (30 minutes in FIG. 7)” and “replacement with a spare battery” for displaying the selected assist condition is displayed. Yes.

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which the first and second assist conditions are displayed as “unusable” and the third and fourth assist conditions are displayed as “usable”. In other cases, the availability is similarly notified. For example, when it is determined that all of the first to fourth assist conditions are assist conditions that are impossible to travel in a predetermined section, it is “unusable” for all of the first to fourth assist conditions. Is displayed. Also in this case, if any assist condition is selected by the user, a notification screen 42 for information on the battery 30 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed.

  In the first embodiment, the control unit 32 is configured to control the storage unit 31 to store the gradient of the predetermined section detected by the inclination detection unit 22 when traveling in the predetermined section. ing. And the control part 32 is based on the gradient of the predetermined area memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 31, when acquiring the several battery consumption corresponding to the 1st-4th assist conditions in a predetermined area. Thus, the control is performed to correct the plurality of battery consumption amounts. In other words, the control unit 32 calculates a plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to the first to fourth assist conditions based on the actual gradient stored in the storage unit 31 for a predetermined section that has traveled before. It is configured to perform control for correction (acquisition).

  In the first embodiment, the control unit 32 detects the plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to the first to fourth assist conditions in a predetermined section by the inclination detection unit 22 described above. In addition to the correction based on the gradient of the predetermined section, a plurality of batteries based on the weight of the load B (see FIG. 1) loaded on the mobile body 10, the temperature of the battery 30, and the charge / discharge cycle of the battery 30 It is configured to perform control for correcting consumption. Hereinafter, the correction based on the weight of the load B (see FIG. 1) loaded on the mobile body 10, the temperature of the battery 30, and the charge / discharge cycle of the battery 30 will be specifically described.

  First, correction based on the weight of the load B loaded on the mobile body 10 will be described. The storage unit 31 stores in advance information on the value of the current flowing through the drive motor 24 a of the drive unit 24 corresponding to the weight B of the load loaded on the mobile body 10. The information on the current value is information that is appropriately determined by experiments or the like. And the control part 32 is based on the weight of the load B detected by the weight detection part 28, and the information of the electric current value corresponding to this weight, The some battery consumption corresponding to 1st-4th assist conditions It is comprised so that it may correct | amend and control to acquire (calculate).

  Next, correction based on the temperature of the battery 30 will be described. The storage unit 31 stores in advance information on the discharge voltage characteristics (see FIG. 8) of the battery 30 corresponding to the temperature of the battery 30. The information on the discharge voltage characteristics is information that is appropriately determined by experiments or the like. As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge time of the battery 30 tends to decrease as the temperature decreases. And the control part 32 correct | amends the some battery consumption corresponding to 1st-4th assist conditions based on the temperature of the battery 30 detected by the temperature detection part 30a, and the information of this discharge voltage characteristic. Thus, control for obtaining (calculating) is performed.

  Next, correction based on the charge / discharge cycle of the battery 30 will be described. Information on the charge / discharge cycle characteristics (see FIG. 9) of the battery 30 is stored in the storage unit 31 in advance. The information on the charge / discharge cycle characteristics is information appropriately determined by experiments or the like. As shown in FIG. 9, the discharge capacity of the battery 30 tends to decrease as the number of charge / discharge cycles of the battery 30 increases. And the control part 32 correct | amends several battery consumption corresponding to 1st-4th assist conditions based on the frequency | count of the charging / discharging cycle of the battery 30, and this charging / discharging cycle characteristic, and acquires. It is configured to perform (calculate) control.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the assist condition notification process by the walk assist movable body 100 will be described based on a flowchart. The operation control of the walking assist moving body 100 is performed by the control unit 32.

  First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a predetermined section has been selected. That is, it is determined whether or not a screen displayed on the display unit 29 is operated by the user and a user's desired predetermined section (hereinafter simply referred to as a predetermined section) is selected. If it is determined that it is not selected, the process of step S1 is repeated. If it is determined that it has been selected, the process proceeds to step S2.

  In step S2, the battery consumption in a predetermined section is acquired (calculated). Specifically, the battery consumption for each of the first to fourth assist conditions (see FIG. 5) is acquired. At this time, as described above, a plurality of battery consumptions are corrected based on the actual gradient of the predetermined section, the weight of the loaded luggage B, the temperature of the battery 30, and the charge / discharge cycle of the battery 30.

  In step S3, the current remaining battery level of the battery 30 is acquired.

  In step S4, the acquired remaining battery amount is compared with the battery consumption amounts of the first to fourth assist conditions. At this time, if the battery consumption is greater than the remaining battery level, the assist condition is determined to be incapable of traveling in a predetermined section. When the battery consumption is equal to or less than the remaining battery level, the assist condition is determined to be able to travel in a predetermined section.

  Then, in step S5, an assist condition that enables traveling in a predetermined section and an assist condition that cannot travel in the predetermined section are notified. Specifically, the determination result notification screen 41 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 29, so that the user is informed of the assist conditions that allow traveling in a predetermined section and the assist conditions that cannot travel in a predetermined section. Is done.

  In step S6, it is determined which assist condition has been selected. That is, on the notification screen 41 of the determination result, it is determined which assist condition is selected from among the assist condition that allows the user to travel in the predetermined section and the assist condition that cannot travel in the predetermined section. If it is determined that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section is selected, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if it is determined that an assist condition that prevents traveling in a predetermined section has been selected, the process proceeds to step S8.

  When an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section is selected, the selected assist condition is set in step S7. Thereafter, the assist condition notification process is terminated. Then, the drive unit 24 assists from the current location to the destination according to the selected assist condition.

  On the other hand, when an assist condition that cannot travel in a predetermined section is selected, in step S8, information about the battery for enabling the selected assist condition is notified. Specifically, the information notification screen 42 regarding the battery 30 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display unit 29, so that information regarding the battery for enabling the selected assist condition is notified. Thereafter, the assist condition notification process is terminated.

  In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the remaining amount of the battery 30 and a plurality of (first to fourth) in a predetermined section (for example, the predetermined section R in FIG. 3) from the current location to the destination. Based on a plurality of battery consumption amounts of the battery 30 corresponding to the assist condition, it is determined whether or not there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions, and the predetermined section can be traveled. When it is determined that there is a special assist condition, a control unit 32 is provided that performs control to notify that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section on the determination result notification screen 41 of FIG. As a result, the user cannot reach the destination with the current battery remaining amount due to one of the plurality of assist conditions (for example, the first assist condition and the second assist condition in FIG. 6). When there are other assist conditions (for example, the third assist condition and the fourth assist condition in FIG. 6) that can travel in a predetermined section even with the current remaining battery level among the plurality of assist conditions, It is possible to know other assist conditions capable of traveling in a predetermined section. Therefore, by using another assist condition that allows traveling in a predetermined section, the user can reach the destination as much as possible even when the current remaining battery level is insufficient.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, when it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts, From the inside, the control unit 32 is configured to perform control for notifying the assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section on the determination result notification screen 41 illustrated in FIG. 6. Thereby, the user can easily know the assist conditions capable of traveling in the predetermined section.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, when it is determined that there is no assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts. The control unit 32 is configured to perform control for notifying information related to the battery 30 for enabling use of at least one assist condition among a plurality of assist conditions on the battery information notification screen 42 shown in FIG. Configure. Thereby, when there is no assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions, a method for enabling use of at least one assist condition among the plurality of assist conditions (the charging time shown in FIG. 7). Etc.), the user can quickly know the information regarding the battery 30.

  Further, in the first embodiment, as described above, based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts, among the plurality of assist conditions, the assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section and the traveling in the predetermined section are not allowed. When it is determined that there are both possible assist conditions, the notification result display screen 41 shown in FIG. 6 performs control for notifying the assist conditions capable of traveling in a predetermined section, and the battery shown in FIG. The control unit 32 is configured to perform control for notifying information related to the battery 30 for enabling use of an assist condition that is not possible to travel in a predetermined section on the information notification screen 42 related to. Thereby, the user can know the assist conditions that allow the vehicle to travel in the predetermined section, and the method for enabling the assist conditions that cannot travel in the predetermined section (the battery such as the charging time shown in FIG. 7). 30). Therefore, the user can use the assist condition desired by himself / herself among the assist conditions incapable of traveling in the predetermined section when there is no desired assist condition in the notified assist conditions capable of traveling in the predetermined section. How to do it quickly.

  Further, in the first embodiment, as described above, the walking assist moving body 100 performs the assist by the drive unit 24 in a section having a gradient (uphill slope and downhill slope) and a flat section in a predetermined section. One assist condition and a second assist condition in which assistance by the drive unit 24 is not performed in a section having a gradient (uphill gradient and downgradient) in a flat area in a predetermined section are registered. ing. As a result, under the first assist condition, the driving unit 24 can assist the user in walking in a sloped section and a flat section (that is, all sections of the predetermined section) among the predetermined sections. Further, in the second assist condition, driving is performed in a section having a gradient that is considered to have a large burden on the user while reducing battery consumption by not performing assist by the driving unit 24 in a flat section of a predetermined section. The unit 24 can assist the user in walking. As a result, it is possible to provide the user with assist conditions that are less burdensome for the user according to the remaining battery level.

  Further, in the first embodiment, as described above, the walking assist moving body 100 does not assist the driving unit 24 in the flat section of the predetermined section and the section having the downward gradient, and the upward gradient. The third assist condition for performing the assist by the drive unit 24 in the section having is registered. Thus, in the third assist condition, the battery consumption is further reduced than in the second assist condition by not performing the assisting operation by the drive unit 24 in the flat area of the predetermined section and the section having the downward slope. However, it is possible to assist the user's walking by the drive unit 24 in a section having an ascending slope. As a result, even when the remaining amount of the battery is low, it is possible to provide the user with an assist condition that allows traveling in a predetermined section.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, when a plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to a plurality of assist conditions in a predetermined section are acquired, the gradient of the predetermined section stored in the storage unit 31 is used. Thus, the control unit 32 is configured to perform control for correcting a plurality of battery consumption amounts. Thereby, for example, unlike the case where the battery consumption is acquired based only on the gradient information of the predetermined section included in the map information, the inclination detection unit 22 detects the actual amount of battery travel. A plurality of battery consumption amounts can be corrected based on the gradient of the predetermined section. As a result, each of the plurality of battery consumption amounts in the predetermined section can be acquired with higher accuracy.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, when acquiring a plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to a plurality of assist conditions in a predetermined section, the weight of the loaded luggage, the temperature of the battery 30, and the battery 30 are obtained. Based on the charging / discharging cycle, the control unit 32 is configured to perform control for correcting a plurality of battery consumption amounts. Thereby, each of the plurality of battery consumption amounts in the predetermined section can be acquired with higher accuracy.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 11. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment in which the battery consumption according to the first to fourth assist conditions is changed mainly by changing on / off of assist (whether or not to perform assist). An example in which the amount of battery consumption according to the first to fourth assist conditions is changed by changing the magnitude of the force will be described. In addition, about the structure same as the said 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the walking assist moving body 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is registered with first to fourth assist conditions having different battery consumption amounts. As shown in FIG. 2, the walking assist mobile body 200 (see FIG. 1) has a control unit that performs control to acquire (calculate) a plurality of battery consumption amounts based on the first to fourth assist conditions. 132 is provided. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 11, the 1st-4th assist conditions by the walk assist movable body 200 of 2nd Embodiment are demonstrated.

  The first assist condition is a normal assist condition as in the first embodiment. That is, a reference assist force set in advance (driving force by the drive unit 24) in all the sections (the flat ground H, the upward slope U and the downward slope D, see FIG. 4) in the predetermined section R (see FIG. 4). Is an assist condition for assisting by the drive unit 24.

  In the second embodiment, the second assist condition is that the driving unit 24 assists with an assist force that is smaller (weaker) than a preset reference assist force on a flat ground H in a predetermined section R, and an ascending slope. Assist conditions for assisting the drive unit 24 with a preset reference assist force in U and the downward slope D are shown. Therefore, the second assist condition is an assist condition in which the amount of battery consumption is smaller than that of the first assist condition by reducing the assist force by the drive unit 24 on the flat ground H.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the third assist condition is that the driving unit 24 assists with a assist force that is smaller (weaker) than a preset reference assist force on the flat ground H and the descending slope D in the predetermined section R. And an assist condition for assisting by the drive unit 24 with a predetermined reference assist force in the uphill gradient U. Therefore, the third assist condition is an assist condition in which the battery consumption is smaller than that of the first and second assist conditions because the assist force by the drive unit 24 is reduced on the downward slope D in addition to the flat ground H.

  Further, the fourth assist condition is that the standard assist is set in advance in all the sections (flat ground H, uphill slope U and downhill slope D, see FIG. 4) of the flat ground H and the predetermined section R (see FIG. 4). This is an assist condition in which the drive unit 24 assists with an assist force that is smaller (weaker) than the force. Therefore, the fourth assist condition is an assist condition in which the battery consumption is smaller than that of the first to third assist conditions.

  And similarly to the said 1st Embodiment, the control part 132 is based on the acquired battery remaining amount and the some battery consumption corresponding to the 1st-4th assist conditions in a predetermined area. Control is performed to determine whether or not there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the section. In addition, the control unit 132 displays a determination result notification screen (for example, the determination result notification screen 41 of the first embodiment) on the display unit 29 so that the determination result can be obtained. It is comprised so that control which notifies a user may be performed.

  In addition, the other structure of 2nd Embodiment is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the plurality of batteries of the battery 30 corresponding to the remaining amount of the battery 30 and a plurality of (first to fourth) assist conditions in a predetermined section from the current location to the destination. When it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section based on the consumption amount, a control unit 132 that performs control to notify that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section is provided. As a result, similarly to the first embodiment, even when the current battery remaining amount is not sufficient, the user can be made to reach the destination as much as possible.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the battery consumption is changed by changing the on / off state of the assist by changing the amount of battery power according to the first to fourth assist conditions by changing the magnitude of the assist force. Compared with the case where the amounts are different, the user's walking assist can be more reliably performed.

  The remaining effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the aforementioned first embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 12 to 14. In the third embodiment, in addition to the configurations of the first and second embodiments, an example in which notification (warning) is performed when it is determined that the vehicle has traveled outside a predetermined section will be described. In addition, about the structure same as the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, after the predetermined section R (indicated by a broken line) and the assist conditions capable of traveling in the predetermined section R are set, the user uses the walking assist moving body 300 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Start traveling in a predetermined section. However, it is considered that the user may travel outside the predetermined section set first. Specifically, as shown in an actual travel route A (shown by a solid line) illustrated in FIG. 12, the user may travel outside the predetermined section R and travel with the walking assist moving body 300. In this case, since the battery consumption until reaching the destination is larger than the battery consumption acquired (calculated) at the time of departure, there is a possibility that the destination cannot be reached.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the walking assist mobile 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a predetermined section when assisting by the drive unit 24 under the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section. A control unit 232 that performs control to determine whether or not the vehicle has run off is provided. In addition, when it is determined that the vehicle has traveled outside the predetermined section, the control unit 232 displays a notification screen 243 indicating that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section has been exceeded, as shown in FIG. By displaying on 29, it is configured to perform control to notify (warn) the user that the assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section is not met. On the notification screen 243 that the assist condition that can travel in the predetermined section is not met, the route (that is, the predetermined section) of the set assist condition (that is, the assist condition that can travel in the predetermined section) is deviated. And information on returning to the set route (that is, a predetermined section) is displayed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 14, warning processing by the walking assist moving body 300 will be described based on a flowchart. The control of the walking assist moving body 300 is performed by the control unit 232.

  First, in step S11, position information is acquired. Specifically, based on the radio wave received by the GPS receiving unit 27, information regarding the current position of the walking assist moving body 300 is acquired.

  In step S12, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled outside a predetermined section. Specifically, based on the position information acquired in step S11, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled outside a predetermined section. If it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling outside the predetermined section, the process returns to step S11 and the acquisition of position information is repeated. When it is determined that the vehicle has traveled outside the predetermined section, the process proceeds to step S13.

  Then, in step S13, it is notified that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section has been removed. Specifically, a notification screen 243 indicating that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section shown in FIG. 13 has been removed is displayed on the display unit 29, so that the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section has been removed. Is notified to the user. Thereafter, the warning process is terminated.

  The remaining configuration of the third embodiment is similar to that of the aforementioned first embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the third embodiment, as described above, when it is determined that the vehicle has traveled outside the predetermined section when assisting by the drive unit 24 is performed under the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section, FIG. The control unit 232 is configured to perform control for notifying that the assist condition for traveling in the predetermined section is not met, on the notification screen 243 that the assist condition for traveling in the predetermined section is deviated. Thereby, the user can quickly know that the assist condition that allows traveling in a predetermined section is not used. As a result, it is possible to suppress a situation where the remaining amount of the battery is insufficient before reaching the destination, and the assist cannot be performed under the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section.

  The remaining effects of the third embodiment are similar to those of the aforementioned first embodiment.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiment but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the first to third embodiments, the walking assist moving body 100 (200, 300) includes the moving body main body 10 on which the load B can be loaded. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . The present invention can also be applied to a walking assist moving body that does not have a cart portion for loading luggage.

  Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment, although the battery remaining amount of the battery 30 was acquired with the voltage value of the battery 30, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the remaining battery capacity may be acquired by a parameter other than the voltage value. For example, you may acquire by SOC (State Of Charge, charge rate).

  Moreover, although the example which used the angular velocity sensor as the inclination detection part 22 was shown in the said 1st-3rd embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a sensor other than the angular velocity sensor may be used as the inclination detection unit. For example, an acceleration sensor may be used as the tilt detection unit. Moreover, you may use both an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor as an inclination detection part.

  Further, in the first to third embodiments, the notification of the determination result of the assist condition that can travel in the predetermined section, the notification of the information about the battery, and the notification that the assist condition that can travel in the predetermined section has been removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In this invention, you may perform said notification by methods other than displaying on a display part. For example, the above notification may be notified to the user by outputting sound from the sound output unit.

  In the first embodiment, when it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section, the determination condition notification screen 41 notifies the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section (assuming the assist condition). Although an example in which the contents are notified) is shown, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, it may be simply notified that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the determination result notification screen 41 notifies both the assist condition determined to be able to travel in the predetermined section and the assist condition determined to be unable to travel in the predetermined section. Although an example is shown, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, only the assist condition determined to be able to travel in a predetermined section may be notified.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the information on the “charge time” and the “replacement with the spare battery” is notified as the information on the battery 30 on the information notification screen 42 on the battery 30 has been shown. Is not limited to this. In the present invention, information related to a battery other than “charging time” and “replacement with a spare battery” may be notified.

  Moreover, in the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, although the four assist conditions of the 1st-4th assist conditions were registered in the walk assistance mobile body 100 (200), this invention showed this Not limited. In the present invention, a plurality of assist conditions other than four may be registered.

  In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the drive unit 24 assists with the preset reference assist force in the ascending slope U as the third assist condition has been described. Not limited to. In the present invention, as the third assist condition, the assist condition may be set so that the driving unit 24 assists with a predetermined reference assist force on a downward slope.

  In the first and third embodiments, for convenience of explanation, the processing of the control unit 32 (232) of the present invention has been described using a flow-driven flowchart that performs processing in order along the processing flow. The present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the processing operation of the control unit 32 (232) may be performed by event-driven (event-driven) processing that executes processing for each event. In this case, it may be performed by a complete event drive type or a combination of event drive and flow drive.

22 Inclination detection unit 24 Drive unit 30 Battery 31 Storage unit 32, 132, 232 Control unit 100, 200, 300 Walking assist mobile body R Predetermined section H Flat ground (flat ground section)
U Uphill (section with uphill)
D Down slope (section with down slope)

Claims (9)

A drive unit for assisting the user's walking;
A battery for supplying power to the drive unit;
Based on the remaining battery capacity of the battery and a plurality of battery consumption amounts of the battery corresponding to a plurality of assist conditions in a predetermined section from the current location to the destination, It is determined whether there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the section, and when it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section, there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section. A walking assist moving body comprising: a control unit that performs control to notify   When it is determined that there is an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumption amounts, the control unit includes the plurality of assist conditions. The walking assist movable body according to claim 1, wherein the walking assist moving body is configured to perform control for notifying an assist condition capable of traveling in a predetermined section.   The control unit, when it is determined that there is no assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section among the plurality of assist conditions based on the remaining battery amount and the plurality of battery consumption amounts, The walking assist movable body according to claim 1, wherein the walking assist moving body is configured to perform control for notifying information on the battery for enabling use of at least one assist condition among a plurality of assist conditions.   The control unit, based on the remaining battery level and the plurality of battery consumptions, among the plurality of assist conditions, an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section and an assist incapable of traveling in the predetermined section When it is determined that both conditions exist, the control for notifying the assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section is performed, and the assist condition for allowing the predetermined section to be unusable can be used. The walking assist moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the walking assist moving body is configured to perform control for notifying information on a battery.   The plurality of assist conditions include a first assist condition for assisting by the driving unit in a section having a gradient and a flat area in the predetermined section, and the driving section in the flat section in the predetermined section. The walking assist moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a second assist condition in which assist is performed by the driving unit in a section having the gradient without performing assist.   The plurality of assist conditions include a section having the ascending slope or the descending slope without assisting by the driving unit in the flat section of the predetermined section and one of the sections having the ascending slope or the descending slope. The walking assist movable body according to claim 5, further comprising a third assist condition for performing assist by the drive unit on the other side of the above. An inclination detector for detecting the gradient of the predetermined section;
A storage unit that stores a gradient of the predetermined section detected by the inclination detection unit;
When acquiring the plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to the plurality of assist conditions in the predetermined section, the control unit, based on the gradient of the predetermined section stored in the storage unit, The walking assist movable body according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the walking assist movable body is configured to perform control for correcting the battery consumption amount.   When acquiring the plurality of battery consumption amounts corresponding to the plurality of assist conditions in the predetermined section, the control unit determines the weight of the loaded luggage, the temperature of the battery, and the charge / discharge cycle of the battery. The walking assist moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the walking assist moving body is configured to perform control for correcting the plurality of battery consumption amounts based on at least one of them.   The control unit travels in the predetermined section when it is determined that the vehicle has traveled outside the predetermined section when assisting by the driving unit is performed under an assist condition capable of traveling in the predetermined section. The walking assist moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the walking assist moving body is configured to perform control to notify that a possible assist condition is not met.

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