WO2018069522A1 - Unité de commande pour moteur électrique, programme informatique et procédé de commande de moteur électrique - Google Patents

Unité de commande pour moteur électrique, programme informatique et procédé de commande de moteur électrique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018069522A1
WO2018069522A1 PCT/EP2017/076236 EP2017076236W WO2018069522A1 WO 2018069522 A1 WO2018069522 A1 WO 2018069522A1 EP 2017076236 W EP2017076236 W EP 2017076236W WO 2018069522 A1 WO2018069522 A1 WO 2018069522A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
motor
vehicle
velocity
support
acceleration
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2017/076236
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Olof Hansson
Original Assignee
Carr Hansson Kinetics Ab
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Publication date
Application filed by Carr Hansson Kinetics Ab filed Critical Carr Hansson Kinetics Ab
Publication of WO2018069522A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018069522A1/fr

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L15/00—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles
    • B60L15/20—Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L3/00—Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption
    • B60L3/08—Means for preventing excessive speed of the vehicle
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L50/00—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle
    • B60L50/20—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power generated by humans or animals
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62M—RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR SINGLE-TRACK CYCLES; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES
    • B62M6/00—Rider propulsion of wheeled vehicles with additional source of power, e.g. combustion engine or electric motor
    • B62M6/40—Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor
    • B62M6/45—Control or actuating devices therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2200/00—Type of vehicles
    • B60L2200/12—Bikes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2200/00—Type of vehicles
    • B60L2200/46—Vehicles with auxiliary ad-on propulsions, e.g. add-on electric motor kits for bicycles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2240/00—Control parameters of input or output; Target parameters
    • B60L2240/40—Drive Train control parameters
    • B60L2240/42—Drive Train control parameters related to electric machines
    • B60L2240/423—Torque
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2240/00—Control parameters of input or output; Target parameters
    • B60L2240/40—Drive Train control parameters
    • B60L2240/46—Drive Train control parameters related to wheels
    • B60L2240/461—Speed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L2250/00—Driver interactions
    • B60L2250/18—Driver interactions by enquiring driving style
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
    • Y02T10/64—Electric machine technologies in electromobility
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
    • Y02T10/72—Electric energy management in electromobility

Definitions

  • Control unit for electric motor computer program and method of controlling an electric motor
  • the present invention relates to a control unit for a support motor for a vehicle, a method of controlling a support motor and to a vehicle comprising a support motor, in particular a bicycle or other vehicle that is driven by a continuous or semi- continuous force.
  • Support motors for user driven vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. In general, they are environmentally friendly since part of the driving force is supplied by the user, reducing the amount of energy that must be provided from external energy sources such as a battery.
  • the vehicle since the vehicle is arranged to be user driven, it can always be driven even if the battery is flat, or if the motor cannot be used for some other reason.
  • a support motor can provide the additional force needed to enable a person to transport themselves further, and with less effort, than would be possible without support.
  • the use of support motors in user driven vehicles therefore enables users to move of their own force in situations where this would not be possible without a support motor.
  • US6449554 discloses a travel speed controller for use in an electrically powered light weight vehicle having a battery powered motor.
  • the vehicle is actuated by an operator applying physical power causing an acceleration to a maximum rotation rate of the wheel.
  • the motor is controllably driven so as to keep the wheel at the maximum rotation rate until a brake is applied. If the vehicle accelerates further, the maximum rotation rate is increased. When the brake is applied the motor is automatically turned off.
  • a vehicle with a motor arranged to keep a constant speed independently of the user input would effectively be considered a motor vehicle and subjected to restrictions such as the requirement of a driver's licence.
  • bicycles with electrical support motors are generally arranged to provide a support driving force that is dependent on a driving force applied by the user of the vehicle. This means that the user must pedal in order to obtain a support driving force from the motor. When the user stops pedalling, the support motor also stops.
  • the total force applied to the bicycle at any given time may be considerably higher than the force applied by the user. This may lead to undesired effects, for example when a user starts pedalling and the bicycle moves much faster than expected. This quick unexpected acceleration is potentially dangerous, especially for users with impaired mobility or balance.
  • there should be no acceleration device such as an accelerator handle or pedal, that needs active control by the user.
  • the invention proposes a control method and control device for a support motor for a user driven vehicle adapted for a continuous driving force.
  • a control device for controlling an electrical motor arranged to provide a support driving force to at least one wheel of a user-driven vehicle may, for example, be arranged to calculate a peak velocity as the actual speed of the vehicle after an acceleration, and to control the power supply to the motor in such a way that when the velocity of the vehicle drops below the peak velocity, the motor will provide a support driving force to the at least one wheel, such that the velocity of the vehicle is gradually reduced from the peak velocity but more slowly than the velocity reduction without a support driving force.
  • the rate of speed reduction may be controlled, and may be constant or variable over time.
  • the support driving force may be applied as soon as the velocity drop to below the peak velocity is detected, or with a delay.
  • a method of controlling an electric motor arranged to provide a support driving force for a user driven vehicle may comprise the steps of
  • a control unit for an electric motor arranged to provide a support driving force to a wheel of the vehicle may be arranged to receive input about the actual speed and acceleration of the wheel, identify a pattern of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle, and, when a pattern has been identified, control the power supply to the motor in such a way as to provide a support driving force to the at least one wheel, such that the velocity of the vehicle is gradually reduced from the peak velocity but more slowly than the velocity reduction without a support driving force.
  • control unit is further arranged to identify a pattern as a series of consecutive cycles of the of the speed or acceleration, each consecutive cycle being sufficiently similar to the previous cycle, for example in terms of amplitude, period, and/or value.
  • the power supply may for example be controlled in such a way that the support power will vary substantially inversely to the variation of the driving force provided by the user. This will provide a particularly even total velocity of the vehicle.
  • a corresponding method of controlling an electric motor arranged to provide a support driving force for a continuously or semi-continuously user driven vehicle comprises the steps of
  • a pattern is identified when a series of consecutive cycles of the of the speed or acceleration is detected, each consecutive cycle being sufficiently similar to the previous cycle, for example in terms of amplitude, period, and/or value.
  • the proposed control unit and method related to a continuously or semi- continouosly user driven vehicle ensure that no support is given during a startup phase in which the vehicle and the driver may be trying to establish a balance. Once a stable situation has been reached, the speed or acceleration will vary according to a pattern that will be substantially stable. Hence when such a pattern is detected it is safe to provide support power to the vehicle. At the same time, the support power should be controlled in such a way that the total velocity of the vehicle does not exceed the velocity that can be reached by the user's own force, or only exceeds it by a small amount, to ensure that the speed is adapted to the capabilities of the current user.
  • the control device and method defined above enable the control of a vehicle in such a way that a support driving force can be provided, but the support motor cannot increase the velocity of the vehicle above the peak velocity achieved without support from the motor.
  • the user will typically accelerate the vehicle by applying a driving force in a manner dependent on the type of vehicle and the user's abilities, for example using kicks for a kick-bike or skateboard, manually moving the wheels of a wheelchair, or pedalling if the vehicle is a bicycle.
  • a downhill slope will also cause the vehicle to accelerate, without user input.
  • This non-user induced acceleration may be handled in different ways. It may be desirable to use the maximum velocity caused by non-user induced acceleration as a peak velocity and provide support when the velocity drops below it. This allows the user to take advantage of acceleration caused by a downhill slope.
  • the vehicle will adapt to the capabilities of an individual user.
  • the vehicle will behave essentially in the same way as without the driving force, that is, if the user does not apply additional force, the velocity will be reduced but the reduction will be slower than without the support driving force.
  • This means that the vehicle will behave in the way that is intuitively expected by the user of the vehicle, and by other people, making it safer in many traffic situations.
  • the requirements of the motor and the battery capacity are significantly reduced.
  • acceleration of a vehicle requires more energy than keeping the vehicle moving at a constant speed.
  • the motor is not used for accelerating the vehicle, which means that less power is needed. Allowing the speed to be gradually reduced, as according to the invention, requires even less power than keeping a constant speed.
  • the control method according to the invention enables the user to sustain a velocity for a longer period of time, and a longer distance, than would be possible without the support motor. At the same time, the control method is safe since there is no risk that the vehicle will drive off at a speed that is too high for the user.
  • the control method and device according to the invention therefore increases the user friendliness and usability of a user driven vehicle with a support motor.
  • control device may be arranged to determine whether acceleration is caused by other factors than user input. If the velocity is increased because of non-user induced acceleration, the support motor in this case will not be turned on until the velocity drops below the previous peak velocity. For frail users in particular, this will provide an extra safety measure.
  • control device may be arranged to monitor the motion pattern in terms of velocity over time, and to control the support motor in dependence of this. For example, if a near constant velocity has been kept for at least a minimum amount of time, it may be determined that this velocity should be used as a peak velocity. If the increase in velocity is very sharp, this may be an indication that the user has applied a lot of force, which may in turn mean that the support should be delayed because the user will need some time to regain balance.
  • the motor may be controlled differently for different types of vehicles, different types of situations and different users.
  • the support should be perceived by the user not as a motor taking over the driving of the vehicle, but as the vehicle rolling exceptionally well.
  • the control device has user input means for enabling the user to determine the control profile of the motor.
  • the control unit is further arranged to receive user input regarding the desired rate of decrease of the velocity and control the power supply to the motor in dependence of this user input. This is arranged to be done while the user is not operating the vehicle, and may of course be done by someone else.
  • a profile will be set substantially permanently according to the user's capabilities and needs.
  • control device may have a number of control profiles and be arranged to let the user select one of these profiles.
  • the user may be able to select by manipulating a curve onscreen, or in any other suitable way.
  • the control profile may follow any type of regular or irregular curve, as long as it does not allow substantial acceleration of the vehicle above the current peak velocity. As explained in connection with Figure le, a small acceleration above the user-induced peak velocity may be allowed in some embodiments.
  • the control device may also be arranged to select a control profile automatically, based on the user's behaviour and/or environmental factors such as topography.
  • control unit is further arranged to receive input about a further acceleration of the wheel, calculate a new peak velocity as the actual speed of the vehicle after the further acceleration, and control the power supply to the motor in dependence of the desired output speed, in such a way that when the velocity of the vehicle drops below the new peak velocity, the motor will provide a support driving force to the at least one wheel, such that the velocity of the vehicle is gradually reduced from the new peak velocity but more slowly than the velocity reduction without a support driving force.
  • the method typically comprises the steps of:
  • control device may be arranged to provide the support driving force only when the velocity drops below the first peak velocity, as this is the velocity that can be reached by the user without any support driving force and therefore may be seen as a safe driving speed for the user.
  • the invention also enables the use of a smaller motor and a smaller battery than the prior art solutions. This is because the vehicle will not be controlled to keep a peak velocity constant over a period of time. Securing a constant peak velocity independently of the user input, and independent of topography will in some situations require considerable motor capacity and energy consumption. According to the invention, the vehicle will not keep its peak velocity, and will gradually come to a halt, unless the user continues to supply an adequate driving force.
  • the invention also relates to a motor unit for use with a user-driven vehicle, incorporating an electric motor arranged to provide a support driving force to a wheel of the vehicle, one or more batteries for providing power to the motor and a control unit for controlling the motor, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the motor as discussed above.
  • the invention also relates to a wheel for a user-driven vehicle, comprising a hub and a rim, and with a motor unit according to the invention mounted around the hub.
  • the control unit may control the output from the support motor in terms of one or more of a number of parameters.
  • the output may be controlled with respect to the velocity of the vehicle, as is generally assumed in the examples of this description.
  • it may be considered advantageous to control the output from the support motor with respect to the motion energy, power or force. If the motor output is controlled with respect to energy, or power, this will mean that the resulting velocity of the vehicle will be dependent on the topography of the road, and also on the weight of the person riding the vehicle. This is because the same amount of energy, or power, will result in a lower speed if the road is going uphill than if it is flat or downhill, and also will result in a lower speed if the weight increases.
  • the input parameter to the control unit is velocity or acceleration or a combination of both. Acceleration may be determined by means of an accelerometer, or by determining the velocity at different times and comparing these velocities.
  • a support motor and control device according to the invention may also be used with other types of vehicle, such as a skateboard or a walker.
  • a walker or rollator provides support for a walking person and is normally driven at a low, relatively constant speed. If the speed is suddenly reduced, in particular if the rollator abruptly comes to a halt, this may be because the rollator encounters an obstacle, such as a threshold or a pavement.
  • a support motor may then be controlled to give a short support pulse to assist the user in rolling the rollator over the threshold or onto the pavement.
  • the support pulse should be dimensioned in time and force so that it does not cause a movement that may cause a user to lose their balance.
  • a pulse of a second or less, causing a movement of 10 cm to 50 cm may be suitable.
  • the support pulse should also be made dependent on the rollator having had a substantially constant speed up to the sudden halt, which indicates that the halt was caused by an obstacle and not by the user wanting to stop.
  • a skateboard like a kick-bike is accelerated by the user kicking the ground.
  • a user's balance on a skateboard is dependent on a predictable speed or acceleration. This means that an unexpected acceleration by a support force provided by a support motor could cause the user to lose their balance.
  • a support as discussed above starting when the velocity has reached its peak velocity and started to decrease, and controlled to let the velocity fall but at a reduced deceleration rate, would not cause any sudden changes and therefore provide support in a safer way.
  • the battery is rechargeable and comprises a connector for receiving a charging current from a source. Because of the limited requirements on battery capacity, it is foreseen that the battery may be charged from a solar panel. In this case, the vehicle may be equipped with a solar panel that is connectable to the battery for providing the charging current.
  • Figures la - lc illustrate the speed of a vehicle as a function of time without the support motor and with the support motor according to the invention
  • FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate the speed of two different types of vehicles
  • Figures 3a and 3b is an overall flow chart of preferred embodiments of the inventive method
  • Figures 3c - 3f illustrate speed profiles for different support situations
  • Figure 3g is a flow chart of an alternative method
  • Figure 4 is a block diagram of a control unit according to the invention
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a motor unit according to an embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 6 shows a bicycle comprising a motor unit as shown in Figure 5
  • Figure 7 shows a kick bike comprising a motor unit according to an embodiment of the invention
  • Figure la illustrates, by way of example, the velocity of a vehicle as a function of time, if energy is only provided once, for example in the form of a kick of a kick bike.
  • Figure lb illustrates a simplified version of the curve in Figure la, in which the decrease of the speed is treated as a linear function of time.
  • a dotted, horizontal line represents a constant speed identical to the peak velocity.
  • the solid line represents the velocity of the vehicle, assuming that a support motor is applied according to the invention.
  • a dashed, inclined line represents the velocity decrease if no energy is supplied. It is desired according to the invention to keep the actual speed between the dashed line representing the speed without any further supplied energy and the dotted line representing the peak velocity until the speed drops to zero.
  • the actual speed may be controlled to follow the inclined solid line, between the horizontal dotted line and the dashed declining line.
  • each of the lines is merely a simplified example that does not fully reflect a real-life situation.
  • the actual velocity does not have to be controlled to a straight curve.
  • the motor may be controlled to reduce the speed according to any suitable function.
  • Figure lc illustrates the situation where the user continues to supply energy to the system, for example, in the form of kicks, assuming the vehicle is a kick bike.
  • the solid line represents the velocity of the vehicle, assuming that a support motor is applied according to the invention.
  • the motion starts at a first point in time tl with the user giving a pulse in the form of a kick, which starts an acceleration up to a first maximum speed, called a first peak velocity, at a second point in time t2. From this point, assuming this is the only energy supplied the velocity will drop again as shown by the dashed line.
  • power is instead supplied to a motor in the wheel, controlled in such a way that the power supply will not cause the vehicle to exceed the first peak velocity.
  • the actual speed after the second point in time will be between the speed with no added power and the first peak velocity, and the actual speed is reduced but at a lower rate than would have been the case with no added power.
  • the user again supplies energy to the system in the form of a kick, causing the speed to increase to a new peak velocity, which is reached at a fourth point in time t4.
  • the peak velocity is allowed to raise above the first peak velocity, since the increase is caused by user input and not by another energy source such as a battery.
  • no support is provided from the motor during acceleration.
  • the support provided from the motor during acceleration is controlled to provide a smooth total acceleration. From the new maximum speed, the actual speed will again drop. According to the invention, the supply of added energy will be controlled so that it will not increase the velocity above the new peak velocity.
  • Figure Id illustrates an example in which the support motor is turned on with a delay. For simplicity, only one acceleration is shown but it will be understood that the user may accelerate the vehicle several times, as indicated in Figure lc and the delay may be applied after any acceleration.
  • Figure Id like Figure lb shows one acceleration at a first point in time tl . At a second point in time t2 the peak velocity is reached and the velocity starts to drop.
  • the motor At a delayed point in time t2' the motor will start to provide support energy to the vehicle, and from this delayed point in time the velocity will be reduced at a lower rate than it would without support.
  • This delay may be useful for example in situations where providing an accelerating action will set the user out of balance for a short time. By delaying the support, the user will be able to regain balance before the support is applied.
  • Figure le illustrates an example in which the support motor is allowed to give the vehicle a short accelerating power support pulse just after the user induced acceleration stops, that is, when the peak velocity has been reached.
  • the speed of the vehicle briefly goes above the peak velocity before starting to decelerate.
  • the deceleration will be slower than it would have been without the support.
  • Figure 2a illustrates an example of velocity over time of a bicycle having a control device and a support motor according to the invention. It is assumed that the bicycle is provided with a support motor and a control device according to the invention. It is preferred that the support motor provides support to one wheel which may be the front wheel or the rear wheel, but it is also possible to provide support to both wheels. As can be seen the velocity varies more or less randomly over time, depending on the topography of the path, and on how hard the user pedals. The solid curve is the variation of velocity over time as it would be without a support motor. As can be seen, this curve is irregular at the beginning, as the person gets on the bike and starts pedalling.
  • Figure 2b illustrates an example of velocity over time of a rollator or walker, being driven at a substantially constant speed for a period of time. At a point in time t6 the velocity suddenly drops to zero. Assuming that the rollator is equipped with a support motor and a control device according to the invention, the control device will determine that this sudden stop is caused by an obstacle in the way, such as a step or a threshold.
  • the control device will then control the support motor to provide, at a point in time t7, a pulse of support to at least one wheel of the rollator, to help the user push the rollator up the step.
  • the pulse should be of short duration and moderate power, so as not to bring the user out of balance.
  • the velocity resulting from the pulse is shown as a dashed line.
  • the support motor provides equal support to both front wheels or both rear wheels, or possibly to all four wheels.
  • the motor may be controlled to provide a support pulse at a sudden velocity drop, even if the velocity does not drop to zero, for example a velocity drop of a certain minimum magnitude over a specified short period of time.
  • a similar application is foreseen for skateboards, which may also stop abruptly when encountering an obstacle and might benefit from a support pulse to at least one pair of wheels.
  • Figures la - le, 2a and 2b are by way of illustration only. The actual curves, their shapes, amplitudes etc., will vary in dependence of the actual implementation of the control algorithm, the type of vehicle, the behaviour of the user, the topography, and other factors.
  • FIG. 3a is an overall flowchart of a preferred general embodiment of the invention.
  • the procedure starts when a user starts riding a vehicle, or when a user already riding a vehicle activates the procedure.
  • step S31 an acceleration of the vehicle is detected and in step S32 the procedure waits for the acceleration to stop.
  • the support motor is not active.
  • step S33 the peak velocity is determined as the velocity when the acceleration stopped, or at a point in time close to when the acceleration stopped.
  • the control device controls the support motor to provide support to the vehicle to slow down the deceleration that would normally occur.
  • the control device monitors the speed and/or acceleration to determine in step S35 if another acceleration takes place.
  • step S36 If a new acceleration takes place, typically because the user performs a driving action, the support is stopped in step S36, and the procedure goes back to step S32. When the new acceleration stops, the procedure continues with step S33 in which a new peak velocity is reached.
  • the peak velocity could be determined based on any suitable method. One such method is discussed in connection with Figure 4.
  • step S35 If in step S35 a new acceleration is not detected, it is detected in step S37 whether or not the vehicle is coming to a halt. If so, the procedure stops, if not, the procedure reverts to S34 to continue providing support. It should be noted that the continued support in this case goes on in continuation of the support provided before step S35. Typically, the support is not interrupted by step S35, but the detection of acceleration is performed in parallel with providing the support.
  • the detection of acceleration in steps S31 and S35, and the end of acceleration in step S32 may be performed by an accelerometer arranged on the vehicle to provide input to the control device.
  • acceleration may be identified by constant monitoring of the vehicle's velocity.
  • the determination that the vehicle is coming to a halt in step S37 may be made on the basis of acceleration or of the velocity being below some threshold value close to zero.
  • step S32 also determines whether or not the acceleration is caused by the user. If it is determined that the acceleration is probably caused by some other factor, typically the vehicle going downhill, the procedure will not continue with step S33, that is, no new peak velocity will be calculated, and the support motor will not be activated.
  • step S34 may be delayed for a brief period of time, for example a second or two, to allow the user to regain balance after initiating an acceleration.
  • the support motor may be controlled to provide a short support pulse allowing the vehicle's speed to go somewhat above the user-induced peak velocity before the speed starts to fall.
  • the rate of speed reduction should be controlled as in the other embodiments.
  • the acceleration should be restricted to provide a smooth transition from acceleration to deceleration. Therefore, the acceleration should be limited in time and/or in magnitude.
  • the support motor may be controlled to provide a support pulse to continue the acceleration at the same rate for between 1 ⁇ 2 second and 1 second.
  • the support motor may be controlled to provide a support pulse to continue the
  • acceleration up to a certain limit which may be fixed or expressed as a fraction of the user-induced peak velocity.
  • the acceleration may be allowed to continue up to between 2 and 8 % above the user-induced peak velocity, for example 5 %. This would mean that if the user has accelerated the vehicle up to a speed of 4 km/h, the motor will be allowed to increase the speed up to 4.2 km/h before reducing the speed.
  • FIG. 3b illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention for use with a continuously driven user driven vehicle, such as a bicycle.
  • the procedure starts when a user starts riding a vehicle, or when a user already riding a vehicle activates the procedure.
  • a detection unit such as the control unit in Figure 4 detects the variation of the velocity of the bicycle.
  • the velocity will vary in an irregular pattern, as the speed increases and stabilizes around a travelling velocity, which of course is not constant but will normally display a variation where the velocity increases somewhat when a pedal is pushed down.
  • the acceleration stops and the speed will fall.
  • the other pedal is pushed down the speed will increase again.
  • control unit may, in step S43, control the support motor to provide support to the wheel.
  • the support should vary over the period of the sine curve in Fig. 2a, in dependence of the speed or acceleration detected. Different patterns for the support are conceivable, as will be discussed below.
  • the control unit should be arranged to stop the support according to some criterion indicating that the bicycle should stop, or at least slow down. This may be, for example, when the speed drops below a certain threshold, or when no user-driven cycle of speed variation can be detected, or when the user activates the brake.
  • the criterion for identifying a sufficiently stable pattern may be that a certain number of consecutive cycles, for example, two or three cycles, are sufficiently similar in terms to one or more parameters such as maximum and minimum speed, period between peaks or any other suitable parameter.
  • the maximum speed specified for a bicycle could be 20 km/h, or 10 km/h, depending on the balance and strength of the user.
  • the maximum speed for a kick bike may be for example 5 km/h.
  • it could also be higher, for a user with good balance and strength, or lower for a more frail user.
  • Fig. 3c illustrates a first possible pattern for the support given by the support motor.
  • the solid curve is the variation of velocity over time as it would be without a support motor.
  • the dashed curve segments show the velocity drop with the added support from the support motor.
  • the support motor helps keep the speed higher than it would without the motor, but never to a velocity higher than the previous peak velocity reached without the support motor.
  • a maximum speed is detected, a support force is provided by the motor until a minimum speed is detected, or until the speed reaches a certain threshold.
  • the maximum and minimum speeds may be detected as points in which the change of the speed changes direction. Alternatively, they may be detected as points in time where the acceleration is zero.
  • Figure 3d illustrates a second possible pattern for the support given by the support motor.
  • the solid curve is the variation of velocity over time as it would be without a support motor.
  • the dashed line is an example of support provided according to the following: When the speed is decreasing the support will increase and when the speed is increasing the support will decrease. Hence, the support will follow a curve that varies substantially inversely compared to the speed curve. Regardless of the pattern chosen for the support, the amplitude and level of the support curve should be adapted so that a suitable maximum speed is achieved.
  • the maximum speed should not exceed the maximum speed that the user is able to achieve without support, or should only exceed it by a limited amount. In general, if a large increase in velocity is detected, the support provided by the motor should be limited. If a smaller increase, or a decrease in velocity is detected, more support should be allowed.
  • Possible algorithms for determining the support to be provided by the support motor may be related to the change in velocity over time. For example, if the trajectory followed by the bicycle is substantially flat, the support may be calculated based on
  • trajectory is uphill, it may be more appropriate to calculate the support based on
  • trajectory is only slightly uphill F may be calculated proportional to ⁇ without considering the time aspect.
  • Figure 3e illustrates a further correction that may be made based on the situation in Figure 3d.
  • the solid line in Figure 3e corresponds to the resulting velocity with support in Figure 3d.
  • the inverse of the solid line is shown as a dotted line.
  • the sum of the velocity and the inverse of the velocity will be closer to a straight line than the resulting velocity of Figure 3d.
  • the inverse of the velocity may be used to determine the support, resulting in a curve as indicated in Figure 3f.
  • this process may be iterated several times, each iteration resulting in a velocity that is slightly more uniform over time, as long as the velocity resulting from the user's input remains substantially constant.
  • the resulting velocity does not exceed the maximum velocity achieved by the user without support, or only exceeds this maximum velocity by a small amount, so as to avoid an undesired increase in the maximum velocity.
  • the resulting velocity is controlled so that it will be close to the maximum velocity that can be achieved by the user without support.
  • FIG. 3g is a flow chart illustrating a method that may achieve an iterative improvement as the one indicated in Figs. 3e and 3f.
  • Steps S51 and S52 correspond to steps S41 and S42.
  • step S51 the speed of the vehicle is detected.
  • step S52 a pattern is identified.
  • step S53 as in step S43, the motor is controlled to provide support.
  • the motor is controlled to provide support that varies substantially inversely with the speed pattern detected in step S52, resulting in a more uniform velocity, as shown above in Figures 3d - 3f.
  • step S54 it is determined if the speed should be refined further. If no, the motor is controlled to continue to provide support that is essentially constant.
  • the motor may be controlled to continue to provide support based on the velocity resulting from user input only. If yes, the motor will detect the resulting speed pattern with the support and will provide support that varies substantially inversely with the new speed pattern, resulting in a velocity that is even more uniform. This may continue for as long as the speed pattern is constant within certain tolerances, for example, regarding the period, amplitude and/or average level. For example, the procedure may be interrupted if the user applies the brake, even though this is not shown in the drawing.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating schematically the functional units of a control system according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • a motor M that is to be controlled is located in the hub of a wheel 1.
  • a speed sensor 2 is provided, which in this embodiment is arranged to sense the actual rotational speed of the wheel 1.
  • a control unit 3 is arranged to receive the speed from the speed sensor, and to calculate the target speed.
  • the target speed may in some embodiments be as a rotational speed in terms of a number of revolutions of the wheel per time unit as it can then be compared directly to the determined rotational speed of the wheel.
  • the speed is input into a comparator on whose other input a signal from the control unit 3, representing the target speed is input.
  • the actual speed and the target speed are compared in the comparator 5 and the output is fed to a power card 7, typically through the necessary control circuitry 9.
  • a power source 1 1 in the form of a battery feeds the motor M through the power card which adapts the power based on the output signal representing the difference between the actual speed and the target speed.
  • the speed sensor is a tachometer mounted on the hub of the wheel, simply detecting the number of markers detected per time unit as a measure of the speed of revolution of the wheel. This can again be used to calculate the actual speed of the vehicle.
  • the parameters used to control the motor may be expressed directly in terms of revolutions of the wheel per time unit.
  • the speed sensor does not have to be a tachometer. It could be any suitable sensor for sensing the rotational speed of the wheel, or the actual velocity of the vehicle, including an accelerometer, or satellite signals.
  • FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an integrated motor unit suitable for being mounted in the hub of a wheel, such as the wheel of a bicycle, wheelchair or kick bike.
  • the motor unit comprises a housing 1 1 comprising a motor 12 and a control device in the form of a central processing unit 13.
  • the motor unit preferably comprises a communication unit 15 for wireless communication with an external control device (not shown), which may be used for controlling the velocity profile of a vehicle receiving support power from the motor.
  • the external control device may be any type of computing device suitable for wireless communication, preferably handheld such as a tablet or cellphone for easy handling.
  • the integrated motor unit also comprises one or more batteries 17 used to supply power to the motor. As will be understood, an external battery mounted on the vehicle could also be used instead.
  • Figure 6 illustrates a bicycle comprising all the parts ordinarily present in a bicycle, including two wheels 21, pedals 22, a seat 23, a frame 25 and handlebars 27 for steering.
  • the bicycle is additionally equipped with a motor unit 29, which is preferably an integrated motor and control unit as shown in Figure 6, mounted in the hub of the rear wheel.
  • the motor could alternatively be mounted in the front wheel. If a motor unit without a battery is used, a battery for supplying power to the motor may instead be mounted on the bicycle.
  • a battery for supplying power to the motor may instead be mounted on the bicycle.
  • a bicycle is driven by the user applying force to the pedals 22.
  • the support motor 29 may be controlled to provide support when the velocity decreases because user stops pedalling, or pedals slower, or for another reason.
  • the support should not allow the velocity of the bicycle to exceed the current peak velocity. Instead, the support should be set so that the velocity after each peak will decrease, but more slowly than it would without the support.
  • the motor may be controlled to make the velocity decrease faster for increasing steepness. In this way, the bicycle will be perceived to behave in the manner that would be intuitively expected, reducing the risk for surprises that may cause accidents.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a kick bike, or scooter, with a motor unit, preferably an integrated motor and control unit as shown in Figure 6 mounted in the hub of the rear wheel.
  • the scooter has the parts normally present in a scooter, including two wheels 31, a footboard 33 for the user to stand on and handlebars 35 for steering.
  • a battery 37 for supplying power to the motor may alternatively be mounted under the footboard, which is the preferred place for mounting a battery on a kick bike.
  • control algorithm can be modified in suitable ways.
  • the control unit may be arranged to perform control according to the inventive algorithm only in certain situations and control according to another algorithm in other situations.
  • control algorithm may be used only when the vehicle is going uphill, while no support may be available on flat ground.
  • support according to the inventive control algorithm may be available on flat ground but while an ordinary control algorithm for electric bicycles may be used when going uphill.
  • the profile of the support provided, or of the target velocity aimed for by the support control algorithm may be smoothed by any suitable means, known per se, such as filtering, or average values.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

Selon l'invention, un moteur d'assistance destiné à être utilisé avec un véhicule piloté par un utilisateur est commandé de façon à pouvoir fournir une assistance à un véhicule décélérant pour ralentir la décélération, mais ne pas fournir d'accélération substantielle au véhicule. Une unité de commande détecte un motif récurrent dans une accélération induite par l'utilisateur et commande le moteur d'assistance une fois que le motif a été établi en fonction de ce motif et d'une vitesse de pointe résultant de celui-ci.
PCT/EP2017/076236 2016-10-13 2017-10-13 Unité de commande pour moteur électrique, programme informatique et procédé de commande de moteur électrique WO2018069522A1 (fr)

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SE1630245-7 2016-10-13

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110597309A (zh) * 2019-09-23 2019-12-20 北京致行慕远科技有限公司 移动产品的控制方法、装置、系统、存储介质和处理器

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH10338185A (ja) * 1997-06-11 1998-12-22 Sony Corp 移動装置及びその制御方法
US6449554B2 (en) 2000-01-25 2002-09-10 Yasuyuki Suzuki Travel speed controller for electrically powered light weight vehicle, and electrically powered light weight vehicle
EP2714499A1 (fr) * 2011-05-27 2014-04-09 Micro-Beam SA Trottinette à assistance électrique
WO2016079614A1 (fr) 2014-11-18 2016-05-26 Zehus S.R.L. Système de commande du mouvement d'un véhicule à traction humaine du type à impulsions

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH10338185A (ja) * 1997-06-11 1998-12-22 Sony Corp 移動装置及びその制御方法
US6449554B2 (en) 2000-01-25 2002-09-10 Yasuyuki Suzuki Travel speed controller for electrically powered light weight vehicle, and electrically powered light weight vehicle
EP2714499A1 (fr) * 2011-05-27 2014-04-09 Micro-Beam SA Trottinette à assistance électrique
WO2016079614A1 (fr) 2014-11-18 2016-05-26 Zehus S.R.L. Système de commande du mouvement d'un véhicule à traction humaine du type à impulsions

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110597309A (zh) * 2019-09-23 2019-12-20 北京致行慕远科技有限公司 移动产品的控制方法、装置、系统、存储介质和处理器
CN110597309B (zh) * 2019-09-23 2022-03-29 纳恩博（常州）科技有限公司 移动产品的控制方法、装置、系统、存储介质和处理器

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