JP2019123474A - Electric bicycle and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electric bicycle capable of generating suitable auxiliary driving force according to a push-walking situation.SOLUTION: An electric bicycle 1 provided with an electric motor 21 includes: a control part 221 switching between a first mode for travelling by adding a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to man-power driving force based on tread force onto a pedal, and a second mode for push-walking by adding second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to a vehicle body or for making the bicycle self-travel by adding the second auxiliary driving force to the vehicle body, to execute the modes; and a human detection sensor 70 detecting a human operating the electric bicycle 1. The control part 221 adjusts the second auxiliary driving force on the basis of a positional relation between the human detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the second mode is in execution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric bicycle and a control method thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an electric bicycle (also referred to as an electric assist bicycle) that can easily travel by adding an auxiliary driving force by an electric motor to a human driving force such as a pedaling force to a pedal. In addition, when pushing around an electric bicycle, there is also known a technology in which an auxiliary driving force by an electric motor is added to the pressing force to the vehicle body to make the self-propelled (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

JP, 2016-203813, A Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2016-222083 JP, 2017-1537, A

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional electric bicycle, there is a problem that the auxiliary driving force is insufficient or excessive depending on the situation of pushing and walking.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the electric bicycle which can generate a suitable auxiliary | assistant driving force according to the condition of pushing walking, and its control method.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electric bicycle according to an aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle provided with an electric motor, and adds a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to a human driving force based on a pedaling force on a pedal. Switching between execution in a first mode of traveling and second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added and pushed to the vehicle body or the second auxiliary driving force is applied and made to self-propelled Control unit and a person detection sensor for detecting a person who operates the electric bicycle, the control unit detecting the person detected by the person detection sensor and the electric motor when the second mode is in execution. The second auxiliary driving force is adjusted based on the positional relationship with the bicycle.

  Also, for example, the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle provided with an electric motor, and travels with the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force on the pedal. A control unit that switches and executes a first mode to be performed and a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added and pushed to the vehicle body, or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added and self-propelled And a human detection sensor for detecting a person operating the electric bicycle, and the control unit is configured to detect the human detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is not executed. Execution of the second mode is prohibited based on the positional relationship of

  Further, for example, in the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention, in the first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the manual driving force based on the pedaling force to the pedal, the vehicle body An electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by a motor is added to push and walk or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to be self-propelled, and a person operating the electric bicycle The electric bicycle includes a human detection sensor for detecting, and when the second mode is being executed, the electric bicycle is driven by the second auxiliary drive based on a positional relationship between a person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle. It has a configuration that is controlled to adjust the force.

  Further, for example, in the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention, in the first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the manual driving force based on the pedaling force to the pedal, the vehicle body An electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by a motor is added to push and walk or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to be self-propelled, and a person operating the electric bicycle The electric bicycle includes a human detection sensor for detecting, and when the second mode is not executed, the second mode is based on a positional relationship between a person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle. Are controlled to prohibit the execution of.

  Also, for example, in the control method of the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention, the first mode in which the first assist driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to the pedal and the vehicle A control method of an electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to push and walk, or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to be self-propelled, And adjusting the second assist driving force based on the positional relationship between the person operating the electric bicycle and the electric bicycle when the second mode is in progress.

  Also, for example, in the control method of the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention, the first mode in which the first assist driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to the pedal and the vehicle A control method of an electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to push and walk, or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to be self-propelled, And b) prohibiting the execution of the second mode based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is not performed.

  According to the electric bicycle according to the present invention and the control method thereof, it is possible to generate an appropriate auxiliary driving force according to the situation of pushing and walking.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle and an operating portion of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the operation unit of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view showing how the electric bicycle according to the embodiment is pushed and walked on a level ground. FIG. 6 is a side view showing how the electric bicycle according to the embodiment is pushed and walked uphill. FIG. 7 is a side view showing how the electric bicycle according to the embodiment is supported and walked downhill. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the electric motor of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the control operation of the electric motor in the walking mode or the self-propelled mode of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric bicycle according to a modification.

  Below, the electric bicycle according to the embodiment of the present invention and the control method thereof will be described in detail using the drawings. Each embodiment described below shows one specific example of the present invention. Therefore, numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangements and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept of the present invention are described as optional components.

  Further, each drawing is a schematic view, and is not necessarily illustrated exactly. Therefore, for example, the scale and the like do not necessarily match in each figure. Further, in each of the drawings, substantially the same configuration is given the same reference numeral, and overlapping description will be omitted or simplified.

  Moreover, in the following description, "the front" is the advancing direction at the time of driving | running | working of an electric bicycle, and "the back" is the opposite direction. Specifically, the steering wheel side is "forward" with respect to the saddle of the electric bicycle. The “left-right direction” is a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, the left side when facing forward is the “left direction”, and the right side is the “right direction”.

Embodiment
[Constitution]
First, the configuration of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment has a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is, for example, an assist mode, in which the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 based on the pedaling force applied to the pedal 17 is assisted (assisted). The second mode includes, for example, a push and walk mode or a self-propelled mode. In the push walking mode, the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 based on the force of pushing the vehicle body 10 forward when pushing the electric bicycle 1 is assisted. In the self-propelled mode, forward movement of the vehicle body 10 when traveling while supporting the electric bicycle 1 is assisted. The details of each mode will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electric bicycle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a motor drive unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10, an operation unit 40, a battery 50, a headlight 60, and a human detection sensor 70. The vehicle body 10 includes a frame 11, a front wheel 12, a rear wheel 13, a handle 14, a saddle 15, a crank 16, a pedal 17, a drive sprocket 18, and a chain 19. The motor drive unit 20 includes an electric motor 21 and a controller 22 that controls the electric motor 21. Moreover, although not shown in FIG. 1, the electric bicycle 1 includes a crank rotation sensor 31 and a pedal force sensor 33 (see FIG. 3).

  The frame 11 includes a head pipe 111, a main frame 112, an upright pipe 113, a fork 114, and a chain stay 115, as shown in FIG. The head pipe 111 rotatably supports the fork 114 supporting the front wheel 12 and the handle 14 about the axis of the head pipe 111. By turning the steering wheel 14 to the left and right, the direction of the front wheel 12 supported by the fork 114 can be rotated to the left and right.

  The main frame 112 is a part that connects the head pipe 111 and the standing pipe 113. The crank 16 and the motor drive unit 20 are attached to the lower end portion of the main frame 112. The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called center unit type electric bicycle in which the crank 16 and the motor drive unit 20 are integrated.

  The upright pipe 113 detachably supports the saddle 15. Specifically, a seat post for supporting the saddle 15 is inserted and fixed to the upright pipe 113. In the present embodiment, the battery 50 is detachably attached to the standing pipe 113.

  The fork 114 rotatably supports the front wheel 12. A headlight 60 is attached to the fork 114 supporting the front wheel 12. The chain stay 115 rotatably supports the rear wheel 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 14 is provided with a pair of grips 141 and brake levers 142 on the left and right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle 14 and the operation unit 40 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The pair of grips 141 is a portion that can be grasped by hand when riding in an appropriate posture. In addition, the pair of grips 141 are held by hand even when walking around the electric bicycle 1, and receive a forward pressing force. At least one of the pair of grips 141 may be provided with a grip sensor that detects a gripping force or a pressing force.

  The pair of brake levers 142 are operation levers of a brake device (not shown) attached to each of the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13. By operating one brake lever 142, a brake device (not shown) attached to the front wheel 12 is driven to apply a mechanical braking force to the front wheel 12. By operating the other brake lever 142, a brake device (not shown) attached to the rear wheel 13 is driven to apply mechanical braking force to the rear wheel 13.

  The saddle 15 is a part where a person can sit when riding in an appropriate posture. The saddle 15 may be provided with a load sensor.

  The crank 16 has a crank shaft 161 and a pair of crank arms 162, as shown in FIG. One crank arm 162 is provided on each side of the main frame 112, and is fixed to both ends of a crank shaft 161 extending in the left-right direction. One end of the crank arm 162 is fixed to the crank shaft 161, and the pedal 17 is rotatably fixed to the other end. When a pedal force is applied to the pedal 17, the crank arm 162 rotates about the crankshaft 161, and the manual driving force by the rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 13 via the drive sprocket 18 and the chain 19. When operating in the assist mode, the manual drive force based on the foot pressure and the auxiliary drive force by the electric motor 21 added to the manual drive force are transmitted to the rear wheel 13.

  In the motor drive unit 20, the electric motor 21 and the control device 22 are housed in a resin or metal case and unitized. In addition, the crank rotation sensor 31 and the depression force sensor 33 (see FIG. 3) are also accommodated in the case.

  The electric motor 21 receives power from the battery 50 and is driven based on control by the control device 22. The rotational torque (i.e., auxiliary driving force) of the electric motor 21 is transmitted to the drive sprocket 18 to rotate the drive sprocket 18. Thereby, the rear wheel 13 can be rotated.

  The control device 22 controls the operation of the electric motor 21 based on detection results from sensors such as the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33 and the human detection sensor 70. In the present embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the housing of the motor drive unit 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The controller 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows the main components of the electric bicycle 1 that use electric power.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 22 of the electric bicycle 1 has a control unit 221. The control device 22 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer (micro controller) or the like, and executes a nonvolatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing a program, an input / output port, and a program And the like. Alternatively, the controller 22 may be realized by a dedicated electronic circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a power switch 41, a manual switch 42, a light switch 43, a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedaling force sensor 33 and a human detection sensor 70 are connected to the control device 22. The control device 22 receives an operation signal (specifically, presence or absence of pressing) for each switch and a detection result of each sensor.

  Further, the battery 50, the electric motor 21, the display unit 44 and the headlight 60 are connected to the control device 22. The controller 22 supplies the electric power supplied from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21, the display unit 44 and the headlight 60.

  The control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 in accordance with the operation mode of the electric bicycle 1. Specifically, the control unit 221 switches and executes the first mode and the second mode.

  The assist mode, which is an example of the first mode, is a mode in which traveling is performed by adding a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to a manual driving force based on the stepping force on the pedal 17. The assist mode is executed when a person is on the electric bicycle 1 after the power switch 41 is pressed and the power is turned on. Specifically, the assist mode is executed when the depression force on the pedal 17 is larger than the threshold Th.

  The push-walk mode, which is an example of the second mode, is a mode in which a second assist driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the vehicle body 10 to push and walk when a person presses the electric bicycle 1 and walks. The push-to-walk mode is executed when a person does not get on the electric bicycle 1 and walks while pushing the vehicle body 10 of the electric bicycle 1.

  The self-running mode, which is an example of the second mode, is a mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the vehicle body 10 in a self-propelled manner in a state where a person supports the electric bicycle 1. The self-propelled mode is executed when a person does not get on the electric bicycle 1 and walks while supporting the vehicle body 10 of the electric bicycle 1, as in the push and walk mode. In the self-propelled mode, a person does not apply a force to push the vehicle body 10 forward.

  The push-walking mode and the self-running mode can be determined by the presence or absence of a forward pressing force on the vehicle body 10. The control unit 221 may detect, for example, the presence or absence of the forward pressing force by a grip sensor or the like provided on the grip 141 or the like, and switch between the push walking mode and the self-running mode according to the detection result. . Alternatively, the control unit 221 may execute the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added without determining the pushing walking mode and the self-running mode.

  In the present embodiment, the push-walk mode or the self-propelled mode is executed while the manual switch 42 is pressed. Note that the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode is not executed when the depression force on the pedal 17 is larger than the threshold Th. That is, the assist mode (first mode) and the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode (second mode) are exclusively executed.

  When executing the assist mode, the control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the first auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 based on the pedaling force on the pedal 17 and the speed of the electric bicycle 1. The depression force on the pedal 17 is obtained from the detection result of the depression force sensor 33. The speed of the electric bicycle 1 is calculated based on the number of revolutions per unit time of the rear wheel 13 and the size of the rear wheel 13. The speed of the electric bicycle 1 may be calculated based on the number of revolutions per unit time of the front wheel 12 and the size of the front wheel 12. For example, a sensor that detects the vehicle speed such as a Hall IC is attached to the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 13. The means for detecting the vehicle speed is not particularly limited.

  A table in which the number of revolutions per unit time of the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 13 and the speed of the electric bicycle 1 are associated in advance may be stored in the memory of the control device 22. The control unit 221 may determine the speed of the electric bicycle 1 from the number of rotations of the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 13 by referring to the table.

  The first auxiliary driving force in the assist mode varies depending on the speed at the time of traveling, but is, for example, twice as large as or less than the pedaling force applied to the pedal 17. For example, when the speed is less than 10 km / hr, the control unit 221 generates the first auxiliary driving force equal to or less than twice the pedaling force applied to the pedal 17 by driving the electric motor 21. The control unit 221 does not cause the electric motor 21 to generate the first auxiliary driving force when the speed is 24 km / hr or more. When the speed is 10 km or more and less than 24 km / h, the control unit 221 generates the first auxiliary driving force determined according to the speed by driving the electric motor 21.

  The control unit 221 causes the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force so that the speed of the self-traveling of the electric bicycle 1 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value when executing the pushing walk mode or the self-running mode. . The second auxiliary driving force in the push-to-walk mode or the self-running mode is, for example, a magnitude such that the speed of the self-running is less than 6 km per hour. Here, although the upper limit value of the self-propelled speed is 6 km per hour, it may be 3 km, and is not particularly limited.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 221 performs the second assist driving force based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode is being executed. Adjust the Specifically, the control unit 221 increases or decreases the second auxiliary driving force, or starts or stops the application of the second auxiliary driving force. Alternatively, the control unit 221 starts or stops the push walking mode or the self-running mode. A specific adjustment example will be described later with reference to FIGS. In addition, when the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode is not executed, the control unit 221 performs the pushing walk mode and the self-running mode based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1. Prohibit the execution of

  The power switch 41 and the manual switch 42 are included in the operation unit 40 provided on the handle 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the operation unit 40 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 40 is provided with a power switch 41, a manual switch 42, a light switch 43, and a display unit 44.

  The power switch 41 is a switch that switches power on and off. Specifically, the power switch 41 switches permission and stop of the power supply from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21.

  For example, when the power switch 41 is pressed in a power-off state (power-off state), power can be supplied from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21 (power-on state). For this reason, the control unit 221 can execute the assist mode and the push-walk mode or the self-running mode. Also, when the power switch 41 is pressed in the power on state, the power supply from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21 is stopped. For this reason, the control unit 221 can not execute any of the assist mode, the walking and walking mode, and the self-running mode.

  The manual switch 42 is an example of an input unit that receives an instruction to start the push and walk mode or the self-propelled mode. In the present embodiment, the pushing walk mode or the self-running mode is executed only while the manual switch 42 is pressed. That is, by pushing or supporting the vehicle body 10 while holding the manual switch 42 and walking, the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode is executed. As a result, a second auxiliary driving force is generated by the electric motor 21, and it is possible to assist pushing or walking. When pressing of the manual switch 42 is stopped, the drive of the electric motor 21 is stopped, and the second auxiliary driving force is not generated.

  When the manual switch 42 is pressed once, the push walk mode or the self-running mode may be executed even if the manual switch 42 is not continuously pressed thereafter. When the manual switch 42 is pressed again while the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is being performed, the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode may be stopped. In this case, since it is not necessary to keep pressing the manual switch 42 when pushing and walking, it is possible to concentrate on pressing the vehicle body 10. That is, it becomes difficult to lose balance when pushing and walking, and the risk of falling and the like can be reduced.

  The manual switch 42 may also include two different switches, a push-walking switch for executing the push-walking mode and a self-propelled switch for executing the self-running mode. The control unit 221 may execute the walking mode when the pushing walk switch is pressed, and may execute the self-running mode when the self-propelled switch is pressed.

  The light switch 43 is a switch for switching on and off of the headlight 60. The display unit 44 displays the remaining amount of the battery 50.

  Each of the power switch 41, the manual switch 42, and the light switch 43 is a mechanical switch that can be physically pressed, but is not limited thereto. The operation unit 40 may be, for example, a touch panel display. At least one of the power switch 41, the manual switch 42, and the light switch 43 may be realized by a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or the like displayed on a display.

  In addition, the operation unit 40 may also be provided with a mode switch or the like that switches the strength of the operation in the assist mode, the walking mode, and the self-running mode. Further, the layout of each switch of the operation unit 40 and the display unit 44 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4. For example, the light switch 43 and the display unit 44 may not be provided.

  The battery 50 is a storage battery that stores electric power for driving the electric motor 21. The battery 50 is, for example, a secondary battery, but may be a capacitor or the like.

  The human detection sensor 70 is a sensor that detects a person who operates the electric bicycle 1. The detection result by the human detection sensor 70 is used to specify the position of the human relative to the electric bicycle 1.

  In the present embodiment, the human detection sensor 70 is one or more infrared sensors or cameras attached to the electric bicycle 1. For example, the human detection sensor 70 may be a camera attached to the center of the head pipe 111 or the handle 14 and capturing an image of the rear side (the saddle 15 side). The control unit 221 may specify the position of the person based on the image captured by the camera.

  Also, for example, the human detection sensor 70 may be a plurality of infrared sensors attached to different parts of the electric bicycle 1. The plurality of infrared sensors may be, for example, the lower portion of the saddle 15, the front portion of the vehicle body 10 (for example, the head pipe 111), the rear of the vehicle body 10 (for example, mudguard of the bed or rear wheel 13), the battery 50, and the motor drive unit It is attached to 20 and so on. The plurality of infrared sensors use different ranges as detection ranges. For example, the control unit 221 can specify the position of a person based on which of a plurality of infrared sensors has detected a person.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 221 specifies the position of the person relative to the reference position. Specifically, the control unit 221 determines whether a person is forward or backward with respect to the reference position. Details will be described below.

[Relationship between human position and auxiliary driving force]
Subsequently, the relationship between the position of a person and the auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  5 and 6 are side views showing how the person 80 pushes and walks the electric bicycle 1, respectively. FIG. 7 is a side view showing how a person 80 supports and walks the electric bicycle 1. Specifically, FIGS. 5 to 7 show how the electric bicycle 1 is pushed and walked on the level ground 82, the uphill 83 and the downhill 84, respectively.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 221 determines the position of the person 80 with respect to the reference position 81 indicated by a broken line in each of FIGS. 5 to 7. The reference position 81 is a position at which the person 80 is located when viewed from the side during a normal push-walking operation.

  For example, the reference position 81 is a vertical line passing through the saddle 15 when the electric bicycle 1 is placed on the horizontal ground 82, as shown in FIG. Here, although the reference position 81 is provided slightly forward of the connection portion between the saddle 15 and the upright pipe 113, the present invention is not limited to this. The reference position 81 may be a vertical line passing through the front end of the saddle 15 or may be a vertical line passing through the rear end of the saddle 15. Also, the reference position 81 may be a range including the front end to the rear end of the saddle 15.

  The reference position 81 may be changeable according to the person 80. Since the form of pushing the electric bicycle 1 may differ depending on the person 80, a reference position may be set according to the person. Alternatively, a reference position corresponding to a category such as height may be preset, or an appropriate reference position may be set according to the height of the person 80.

  In the present embodiment, control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the second assist driving force in accordance with the position of person 80 with respect to reference position 81. The second auxiliary driving force has, for example, three levels of magnitude: "strong", "medium", and "weak".

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the person 80 substantially matches the reference position 81, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a second auxiliary driving force of “medium” size. Let Specifically, the position of the person 80 is the position of the head or torso of the person 80.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the person 80 is positioned forward with respect to the reference position 81, the control unit 221 performs the second assist driving force more than when the person 80 is positioned at the reference position 81. Increase the Specifically, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a second auxiliary driving force having a magnitude of “strong”.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when pushing up the electric bicycle 1 on the uphill 83, the weight of the electric bicycle 1 is also added, so the person 80 leans forward to push the vehicle body 10 in a forwardly inclined posture. Not only in the case of the uphill 83 but also in the case of the level ground 82, when the electric bicycle 1 is about to push the vehicle body 10 heavily and strongly, the person 80 is in the forward leaning posture. For this reason, the head and body of the person 80 are located forward of the reference position 81. In this case, generation of the strong second auxiliary driving force appropriately assists the pushing and walking.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the person 80 is positioned behind the reference position 81, the control unit 221 performs the second assist driving force more than when the person 80 is positioned at the reference position 81. Make it smaller. Specifically, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a second auxiliary driving force of “weak” size.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the electric bicycle 1 is supported and walked by the downhill 84, the electric bicycle 1 advances by its own weight even if it is not pushed by the person 80. For this reason, the person 80 walks while supporting the electric bicycle 1 in a posture inclined rearward so as to suppress the forward movement of the electric bicycle 1 which is going to move forward. Further, not only in the case of the downhill 84 but also in the case of the level ground 82, when the auxiliary driving force is too large and the electric bicycle 1 precedes the person 80, the person 80 leans backward. become. For this reason, the head and body of the person 80 are located rearward of the reference position 81. In this case, the electric bicycle 1 can be prevented from advancing too much by generating the weak second auxiliary driving force.

  When the person 80 is located behind the reference position 81, the control unit 221 may stop the driving of the electric motor 21. That is, when the person 80 is positioned behind the reference position 81, the magnitude of the second auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 may be zero.

[Control operation of electric motor]
Next, the control operation of the electric motor 21 by the control device 22 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the electric motor 21 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, first, when the power switch 41 is turned on (Yes in S11), the control unit 221 of the control device 22 becomes ready to execute the assist mode, the walking walk mode, and the free-running mode. . Note that the control unit 221 does not operate the electric motor 21 unless the power switch 41 is turned on (No in S11).

  Next, when the person 80 is detected at the predetermined position by the person detection sensor 70 (Yes in S12), the control unit 221 prohibits the execution of the walking walk mode or the self-running mode (S13). When the person 80 is not detected at the predetermined position (No in S12), the control unit 221 does not prohibit the execution of the push walking mode or the self-running mode.

  The predetermined position is a position at which the person 80 rides on the electric bicycle 1, for example, a position at which the feet of the person 80 are detected on the left and right sides of the electric bicycle 1. When a person 80 is detected on both the left and right sides of the electric bicycle 1, the control unit 221 prohibits the execution of the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode. When the person 80 is detected on either the left or right side of the electric bicycle 1, the control unit 221 does not prohibit the execution of the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode.

  Next, the control unit 221 determines whether the manual switch 42 is pressed (S14). When the manual switch 42 is pressed (Yes in S14) and the depression force on the pedal 17 detected by the depression force sensor 33 is less than or equal to the threshold Th (Yes in S15), When the execution is not prohibited (No in S16), the control unit 221 executes the walking walk mode or the self-running mode (S17).

  Also, when the manual switch 42 is pressed (Yes in S14), when the pedaling force on the pedal 17 detected by the pedal force sensor 33 is less than or equal to the threshold Th (Yes in S15), the walking mode or self-propelled When the execution of the mode is prohibited (Yes in S16), the control unit 221 returns to step S12 without executing the walk mode or the self-running mode. That is, the control unit 221 does not generate the second auxiliary driving force.

  When the pedaling force applied to the pedal 17 is larger than the threshold Th (No in S15), the control unit 221 does not execute the walk-in mode or the self-running mode. When the stepping force exceeds the threshold Th while executing the pushing mode or the self-running mode, the pushing mode or the self-running mode is stopped and the driving of the electric motor 21 is stopped. When the pedaling force exceeds the threshold Th, the control unit 221 may execute the assist mode.

  Note that the threshold value Th is a value lower than the pedaling force applied to the pedal 17 in a state where only the foot is placed on the pedal 17. Alternatively, the threshold Th may be, for example, zero. In this case, the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode can be performed only when the pedaling force on the pedal 17 is not detected.

  When the manual switch 42 is not pressed in the state where the power switch 41 is turned on (No in S14), the control unit 221 executes the assist mode (S18). Specifically, the control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the first auxiliary driving force to be generated by the electric motor 21 based on the pedaling force to the pedal 17, and supplies the electric motor 21 with the electric power from the battery 50. And generates the determined first auxiliary driving force.

  Thereafter, the process of steps S12 to S15 is repeated until the power switch 41 is turned off.

  Then, the specific example of pushing walk mode or self-propelled mode is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the control operation of the electric motor 21 in the walking mode or the self-running mode of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 221 determines the position of the person 80 detected by the person detection sensor 70. First, when the person 80 is detected on both sides of the electric bicycle 1 (Yes in S20), the control unit 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 (S21). In other words, the control unit 221 stops the push and walk mode or the self-running mode.

  The fact that a person is detected on both sides of the electric bicycle 1 may be, for example, that the person 80 straddles the electric bicycle 1. Alternatively, it may be considered that a person different from the person 80 who is pushing and walking is located near the electric bicycle 1 or the like. As described above, since the normal pushing and walking is not performed, the control unit 221 can stop the operation of the electric motor 21 and stop the self-propelled movement of the electric bicycle 1.

  Next, when the person 80 is not detected on both sides (No in S20) and located at the reference position 81 (Yes in S22), the control unit 221 maintains the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 as it is To do (S23). For example, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a “second” auxiliary driving force.

  When the person 80 is not located at the reference position 81 (No in S22) and is located in front of the reference position 81 (“forward” in S24), the control unit 221 controls the second auxiliary drive of the electric motor 21. Increase the power (S25). For example, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a second auxiliary driving force having a magnitude of “strong”. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, when the person 80 pushes the electric bicycle 1 in a forward inclined posture on the uphill 83 or the like, a strong assist driving force is generated, so the assistance for the push walking is appropriately performed. It can be carried out.

  When the person 80 is not located at the reference position 81 (Yes at S22) and is located behind the reference position 81 (“backward” at S24), the control unit 221 performs the second auxiliary drive of the electric motor 21. Reduce the power (S26). For example, the control unit 221 controls the electric motor 21 to generate a second auxiliary driving force of “weak” size. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, when the person 80 is walking while supporting the electric bicycle 1 in a backward posture on the downhill 84 or the like, a weak auxiliary driving force is generated, so the electric bicycle 1 is forward You can try not to go too far.

  As described above, the magnitude of the second auxiliary driving force is adjusted based on the position of the person 80 while performing the push-walking mode or the self-running mode. In addition, the process of step S20-S26 shown by FIG. 9 is repeatedly performed, while performing pushing walk mode or self-propelled mode. When the position of the person 80 changes, it is possible to quickly generate an auxiliary driving force having a magnitude corresponding to the position of the person 80.

  In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which there are three levels of magnitudes of “weak”, “medium”, and “strong” as the second auxiliary driving force that can be generated in the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode. Not limited to this. For example, the second auxiliary driving force may include multiple levels such as 10 levels.

  In this case, when the position of the person 80 is repeatedly determined, it is determined that the control unit 221 reaches the maximum value of the second auxiliary driving force each time it is determined that the position of the person 80 is ahead of the reference position 81. The size at that time may be changed to a stronger size. Conversely, every time it is determined that the position of the person 80 is behind the reference position 81, the control unit 221 reduces the size by one step from the size at that time until the second auxiliary driving force reaches the minimum value. It may be changed to

[Effect, etc.]
As described above, the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is an electric bicycle provided with the electric motor 21 and adds the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to the human driving force based on the stepping force on the pedal 17. A self-running mode in which the second assist driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the vehicle body 10 to push and walk, or the second assist driving force is added to the vehicle body 10 in an assist mode (first mode) A control unit 221 that switches and executes the mode (second mode) and a human detection sensor 70 that detects a person who operates the electric bicycle 1 are provided. The control unit 221 adjusts the second assist driving force based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the push-walk mode or the self-propelled mode is being executed.

  As a result, the auxiliary driving force for pushing and walking is adjusted based on the positional relationship between the person 80 and the electric bicycle 1, so that an appropriate auxiliary driving force can be generated according to the situation of pushing and walking.

  Also, for example, when the person 80 detected by the person detection sensor 70 is located forward with respect to the reference position 81, the control unit 221 positions the person 80 detected by the person detection sensor 70 at the reference position 81 The second auxiliary driving force is made larger than in the case of

  As a result, for example, when the person 80 tries to push the electric bicycle 1 strongly in front, for example, on an uphill, the auxiliary driving force can be increased. For this reason, pushing walk of the electric bicycle 1 can be performed smoothly.

  Further, for example, when the person 80 detected by the person detection sensor 70 is positioned behind the reference position 81, the control unit 221 positions the person 80 detected by the person detection sensor 70 at the reference position 81. The second auxiliary driving force is smaller than in the case of

  As a result, for example, in the case of a downhill, when the person 80 is moving backwards to suppress the forward movement of the electric bicycle 1, the auxiliary driving force can be reduced. For this reason, support walking of the electric bicycle 1 can be performed smoothly.

  Also, for example, the reference position 81 is a vertical line passing through the saddle 15 when the electric bicycle 1 is placed on a horizontal surface.

  For example, when the person 80 pushes the electric bicycle 1 on a level ground, the position of the person 80 is next to the saddle 15. When it is intended to push the electric bicycle 1 strongly, the position of the person 80, in particular the position of the head, is in front of the saddle 15. Conversely, when trying to suppress the forward movement of the electric bicycle 1, the position of the head of the person 80 is behind the saddle 15. Therefore, by setting the vertical line passing through the saddle 15 to the reference position 81, the situation in which the person 80 pushes the electric bicycle 1 can be accurately estimated, and the auxiliary driving force according to the situation of the push walking is generated. be able to.

  In addition, for example, when the person detection sensor 70 detects a person 80 on both sides of the electric bicycle 1, the control unit 221 stops the second assist driving force.

  As described above, when the person 80 is detected on both sides of the electric bicycle 1, it can be determined that the person 80 is riding on the electric bicycle 1, so the auxiliary driving force is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the push and walk mode or the self-propelled mode from being performed while the user is in the vehicle.

  Also, for example, in the electric bicycle 1, the control unit 221 is based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the push walking mode or the self-running mode is not executed. Prohibit execution of the walking mode or the self-running mode.

  Thereby, for example, when the person 80 exists at a position inappropriate for pushing the electric bicycle 1, the execution of the pushing walking mode or the self-running mode can be prohibited.

  Also, for example, the human detection sensor 70 is one or more infrared sensors or cameras attached to the electric bicycle 1.

  This makes it possible to detect the person 80 with a simple configuration.

(Others)
As mentioned above, although the electric bicycle concerning the present invention and its control method were explained based on the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  For example, although the example provided with the manual switch 42 as an example of an input part which receives the instruction | indication which starts a 2nd mode was shown in said embodiment, it does not restrict to this. For example, instead of the manual switch 42, a grip sensor provided on the grip 141 of the handle 14 may be provided. When the grip sensor detects a forward pressing force, the control unit 221 may execute the pushing walking mode. When the grip sensor does not detect a forward pressing force, the control unit 221 may stop the pushing walking mode.

  Also, for example, the electric bicycle may be controlled based on an instruction from the outside via a network. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the electric bicycle may include the communication unit 90. Here, FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric bicycle according to a modification of the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the electric bicycle according to the present modification includes a control device 22a instead of the control device 22 shown in FIG. A communication unit 90 is connected to the control device 22a.

  The communication unit 90 communicates with an external control terminal (not shown) provided separately from the electric bicycle 1. The communication unit 90 performs wireless communication based on a predetermined communication standard such as, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution). The communication standard by radio (radio wave) is not particularly limited.

  Specifically, the communication unit 90 transmits the detection results of the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33 and the human detection sensor 70 to the control terminal. The control terminal includes, for example, a control unit 221 shown in FIG. 3 and generates a control signal for the electric motor 21 in the same manner as the control device 22. The control terminal transmits the generated control signal to the communication unit 90. The communication unit 90 receives a control signal transmitted from the control terminal. The control device 22 a outputs the control signal received by the communication unit 90 to the electric motor 21.

  As described above, the electric bicycle according to the modification includes the assist mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the manual driving force based on the stepping force on the pedal 17 and the electric vehicle 21 in the assist mode. The electric bicycle that can travel in the push-walking mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added by pushing and walks on itself or in the self-propelled mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added and it detects a person who operates the electric bicycle The electric bicycle 1 is provided with a second detection sensor 70 based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the first detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the push-walk mode or the self-running mode is being executed. It may have a configuration controlled to adjust the auxiliary driving force.

  Alternatively, in the electric bicycle according to the modification, the pushing walk mode or the walking based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the pushing walk mode or the self-propelled mode is not executed. It may have a configuration controlled to prohibit execution of the self-running mode.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the electric motor 21 is provided integrally with the crank 16 is shown, but the electric motor 21 may be provided on the front wheel 12 or the rear wheel 13.

  Also, for example, in the above embodiment, although the example in which the electric bicycle 1 is a two-wheeled bicycle has been shown, the present invention is not limited to this. The electric bicycle 1 may be a three-wheeled bicycle having two front wheels and / or two rear wheels, or a four-wheeled bicycle.

  Further, in the above embodiment, another processing unit may execute the processing executed by a specific processing unit of the control device 22. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be performed in parallel.

  In addition, other devices may include the components included in the control device 22. For example, the processing performed by the control device 22 may be realized by centralized processing using a single device (system), or may be realized by distributed processing using a plurality of devices. Moreover, the processor that executes the program may be singular or plural. That is, centralized processing may be performed, or distributed processing may be performed.

  In the above embodiment, all or part of the components of control device 22 may be configured by dedicated hardware, or realized by executing a software program suitable for each component It is also good. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a central processing unit (CPU) or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor memory. Good.

  Also, the components of the control device 22 may be configured of one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

  The one or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an integrated circuit (IC), or a large scale integration (LSI). The IC or LSI may be integrated on one chip or may be integrated on a plurality of chips. Although the term “IC” or “LSI” is used here, the term changes depending on the degree of integration, and may be called system LSI, very large scale integration (VLSI), or ultra large scale integration (ULSI). In addition, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) programmed after LSI fabrication can be used for the same purpose.

  Also, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit or a computer program. Alternatively, it may be realized by a computer readable non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD or semiconductor memory in which the computer program is stored. Also, the present invention may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

  For example, in the control method of the electric bicycle according to an aspect of the present invention, the assist mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to the pedal 17 and traveling; A method of controlling an electric bicycle capable of traveling in a push-walk mode in which a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to push and walk or a self-running mode in which a second auxiliary driving force is added to be self-propelled When the walking mode or the self-running mode is being executed, the step of adjusting the second auxiliary driving force may be included based on the positional relationship between the person operating the electric bicycle 1 and the electric bicycle 1.

  Alternatively, the control method of the electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention is based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor 70 and the electric bicycle 1 when the push walking mode or the self-running mode is not executed. It may also include the step of prohibiting execution of the push walking mode or the self-running mode.

  In addition, the present invention can be realized by arbitrarily combining components and functions in each embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention or embodiments obtained by applying various modifications that those skilled in the art may think to each embodiment. The form is also included in the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 electric bicycle 10 vehicle body 17 pedal 21 electric motor 70 person detection sensor 80 person 81 reference position 82 ground 83 uphill 84 downhill 221 control part

Claims (11)

An electric bicycle provided with an electric motor,
The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel, and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body. Or a control unit that switches between and executes a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the self-propelled vehicle
A person detection sensor for detecting a person who operates the electric bicycle;
The said control part adjusts said 2nd auxiliary | assistant driving force based on the positional relationship of the person and the said electric bicycle which were detected by the said person detection sensor, when the said 2nd mode is in execution. When the person detected by the person detection sensor is located forward with respect to the reference position, the control unit performs the second assistance more than when the person detected by the person detection sensor is positioned at the reference position. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the driving force is increased. When the person detected by the person detection sensor is located behind the reference position, the control unit is configured to perform the second assistance more than when the person detected by the person detection sensor is located at the reference position. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the driving force is reduced. The electric bicycle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the reference position is a vertical line passing through a saddle when the electric bicycle is placed on a horizontal surface. The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit stops the second auxiliary driving force when a person is detected on both sides of the electric bicycle by the human detection sensor. An electric bicycle provided with an electric motor,
The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel, and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body. Or a control unit that switches between and executes a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the self-propelled vehicle
A person detection sensor for detecting a person who operates the electric bicycle;
The control unit prohibits the execution of the second mode based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is not executed. The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the human detection sensor is one or more infrared sensors or a camera attached to the electric bicycle. The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body for walking. An electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the vehicle to self-propelled,
A person detection sensor for detecting a person who operates the electric bicycle;
The electric bicycle is controlled to adjust the second auxiliary driving force based on a positional relationship between a person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is in execution. An electric bicycle with a configuration. The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body for walking. An electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the vehicle to self-propelled,
A person detection sensor for detecting a person who operates the electric bicycle;
The electric bicycle is controlled to prohibit the execution of the second mode based on the positional relationship between the person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is not executed. An electric bicycle having a configuration. The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body for walking. A control method of an electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the vehicle to self-propelled,
A control method of an electric bicycle, comprising the step of adjusting the second auxiliary driving force based on a positional relationship between a person who operates the electric bicycle and the electric bicycle when the second mode is being executed. The first mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the human driving force based on the pedaling force to travel and the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the vehicle body for walking. A control method of an electric bicycle capable of traveling in a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to cause the vehicle to self-propelled,
And a step of prohibiting execution of the second mode based on a positional relationship between a person detected by the human detection sensor and the electric bicycle when the second mode is not executed. .

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