WO2022255059A1

WO2022255059A1 - Motor control device for electrically assisted vehicle and electrically assisted vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022255059A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/020150
Authority: WO
Inventors: 太一 ▲柳▼岡; 康夫保坂; 弘和白川
Original assignee: 太陽誘電株式会社
Priority date: 2021-05-31
Filing date: 2022-05-13
Publication date: 2022-12-08
Also published as: JPWO2022255059A1

Abstract

To moderate an unintended rearward speed or an unintentionally high rearward speed of an electrically assisted vehicle with three or more wheels, this motor control device includes (A) a detection unit that detects rearward motion to be decelerated on the basis of the relationship between crank rotation and wheel rotation in an electrically assisted vehicle including three or more wheels among front and rear wheels, a crank, and a motor, and (B) a control unit that controls the motor to moderate the rearward speed if the detection unit detects the rearward motion. Another embodiment of the motor control device includes (A) a detection unit that detects the rearward speed of an electrically assisted vehicle including three or more wheels among front and rear wheels and a motor, and (B) a control unit that controls the motor to moderate the speed if the speed is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

Description

Motor control device for electrically assisted vehicle and electrically assisted vehicle

The present invention relates to technology for controlling the reversing of an electrically assisted vehicle with three or more wheels.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a drive section that drives a motor of an electrically assisted vehicle, and a control section that controls the drive section so as to move the electrically assisted vehicle backward when reverse rotation of the crank that satisfies the first condition is detected. A motor controller is disclosed having: According to this technology, it becomes possible to reverse while riding in an electrically assisted vehicle.

When the driver intentionally reverses the crank like this, the driver intends to reverse, so in most cases there is no problem even if the electrically assisted vehicle is reversed. However, unintentional reversing by the driver may occur. For example, if a self-supporting electrically assisted vehicle with three or more wheels is stopped in the middle of a slope and gets off, the electrically assisted vehicle may move backward without permission. In addition, even if the driver remains in the vehicle, if the vehicle enters a downhill from a flat ground or an uphill while reversing, even if the reversing is intended by the driver, an unintended high speed occurs in the reversing direction. There is In such a case, there is a risk of collision or loss of balance and overturning.

International Publication WO/2019/189285

Therefore, according to one aspect, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing an unintended reverse speed or an unintended high speed during reverse of an electrically assisted vehicle with three or more wheels.

A motor control device according to a first aspect of the present invention provides: (A) a motor-assisted vehicle having three or more front and rear wheels, a crank, and a motor; (B) a control unit that controls the motor to suppress the speed of the retraction when the detection unit detects the retraction.

A motor control device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: (A) a detection unit for detecting a speed at which an electrically assisted vehicle having three or more front and rear wheels and a motor moves backward; is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the controller controlling the motor to suppress the speed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a power-assisted bicycle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a motor control device. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining reverse movement of the power-assisted bicycle assumed in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the rotation direction of the crank. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a control unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of a control unit according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the third embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the third embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the first modification of the third embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the second modification of the third embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the third modification of the third embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the fourth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the sixth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a flow of operations in the eighth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the tenth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a flow representing operation contents in the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using an example of an electrically assisted bicycle, which is an example of an electrically assisted vehicle. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to application only to electric assist bicycles, but are also applicable to motor control devices for mobile bodies (for example, handcarts, trolleys, etc.) that move according to human power. It is possible.

[Embodiment 1]
The embodiments of the present invention are intended for electrically assisted bicycles having one or more front wheels and two or more rear wheels, or electrically assisted bicycles having two or more front wheels and one or more rear wheels. Such an electrically assisted bicycle can stand on its own when stopped. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is an electrically assisted bicycle 1 having one front wheel and two rear wheels. However, it may be an electrically assisted bicycle having one front wheel and two rear wheels.

The power-assisted bicycle 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a motor control device 102, a battery pack 101, a torque sensor 103, a crank rotation sensor 104, a motor 105, an operation panel 106, and a brake sensor 107. Note that, in a modified example or another embodiment, a riding detection sensor 108 for detecting whether or not a person is riding the electrically assisted bicycle 1 may be provided on the saddle or the like.

The battery pack 101 includes, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion polymer secondary battery, a nickel-hydrogen storage battery, or the like, supplies power to the motor 105 via the motor control device 102, and supplies power to the motor control device 102 during regeneration. Charging is also performed by regenerative power from the motor 105 via .

The torque sensor 103 is provided on a wheel attached around the crankshaft, detects the force applied to the pedal by the driver, and outputs the detection result to the motor control device 102 . Further, the crank rotation sensor 104 is provided on a wheel attached around the crankshaft, like the torque sensor 103, and outputs a pulse signal or the like according to the rotation to the motor control device 102, for example.

The motor 105 is, for example, a well-known three-phase brushless motor, and is attached to the front wheel of the electrically assisted bicycle 1, for example. The motor 105 rotates the front wheels, and the rotor is connected to the front wheels directly or via a speed reducer or the like so that the rotor rotates according to the rotation of the front wheels. Further, the motor 105 has a rotation sensor such as a Hall element, and outputs rotor rotation information (for example, a Hall signal) to the motor control device 102 .

The boarding detection sensor 108 is, for example, a sensor for detecting whether or not the driver is seated on the saddle. The boarding detection sensor 108 may be installed in a place other than the saddle, in which case it may be a camera, an infrared sensor, or the like. To enable a camera or an infrared sensor to confirm a person sitting on a saddle.

The motor control device 102 performs calculations based on signals from the rotation sensor of the motor 105, the torque sensor 103, the crank rotation sensor 104, etc., controls the driving of the motor 105, and also controls regeneration by the motor 105.

The operation panel 106 accepts, for example, an instruction input regarding the presence or absence of assistance (for example, turning on and off a power switch) and an input such as a desired assist ratio in the case of assistance, from the driver. output to In some cases, the operation panel 106 also has a function of displaying data such as travel distance, travel time, calorie consumption, and regenerative power amount calculated by the motor control device 102 . Also, the operation panel 106 may have a display unit such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). As a result, the driver is presented with, for example, the charge level of the battery pack 101, the on/off state, the mode corresponding to the desired assist ratio, and the like.

The brake sensor 107 detects the driver's braking operation and outputs a signal regarding the braking operation to the motor control device 102 .

Next, the configuration related to the motor control device 102 is shown in FIG. The motor control device 102 has a controller 1020 and a FET (Field Effect Transistor) bridge 1030 . The FET bridge 1030 includes a high-side FET (Suh) and a low-side FET (Sul) for switching the U-phase of the motor 105, and a high-side FET (Svh) and a low-side FET (Svl) for switching the V-phase of the motor 105. ), and a high-side FET (Swh) and a low-side FET (Swl) for switching the W phase of the motor 105 . This FET bridge 1030 constitutes a part of a complementary switching amplifier.

Further, the controller 1020 includes a calculation unit 1021, a crank rotation input unit 1022, a motor rotation input unit 1024, a variable delay circuit 1025, a motor drive timing generation unit 1026, a torque input unit 1027, and a brake input unit 1028. , an AD (Analog-Digital) input section 1029 , and a sensor input section 1023 that receives input from the boarding detection sensor 108 .

The calculation unit 1021 receives input from the operation panel 106 (for example, ON/OFF of assist), input from the crank rotation input unit 1022, input from the motor rotation input unit 1024, input from the torque input unit 1027, and brake input unit. The input from 1028 and the input from the AD input unit 1029 are used to perform calculations and output to the motor drive timing generation unit 1026 and the variable delay circuit 1025 . Note that the calculation unit 1021 has a memory 10211, and the memory 10211 stores various data used for calculation, data during processing, and the like. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 1021 may be implemented by a processor executing a program, and in this case the program may be recorded in the memory 10211 . Also, the memory 10211 may be provided separately from the calculation unit 1021 .

The crank rotation input unit 1022 digitizes and calculates a rotation phase angle of the crank (also called a rotation phase angle of the pedal, including a signal representing the rotation direction) obtained from a signal from the crank rotation sensor 104, for example. Output to the unit 1021 . A motor rotation input unit 1024 digitizes a signal (for example, a rotation phase angle, a rotation direction, etc.) related to the rotation of the motor 105 (rotation of the front wheels in this embodiment) from the Hall signal output by the motor 105, and outputs it to the calculation unit 1021. output to Torque input section 1027 digitizes a signal corresponding to the pedaling force from torque sensor 103 and outputs the digitized signal to calculation section 1021 . The brake input unit 1028 digitizes the signal indicating whether or not the brake is applied from the brake sensor 107 and outputs the digitized signal to the calculation unit 1021 . AD input section 1029 digitizes the output voltage from the secondary battery and outputs it to arithmetic section 1021 . The sensor input unit 1023 generates a digital signal representing whether or not the driver is on board from the input signal from the boarding detection sensor 108 and outputs the digital signal to the calculation unit 1021 .

The computation unit 1021 outputs the lead angle value to the variable delay circuit 1025 as a computation result. The variable delay circuit 1025 adjusts the phase of the Hall signal based on the lead angle value received from the calculation unit 1021 and outputs the Hall signal to the motor drive timing generation unit 1026 . The calculation unit 1021 outputs, for example, a PWM code corresponding to a duty ratio of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to the motor drive timing generation unit 1026 as a calculation result. Motor drive timing generator 1026 generates and outputs a switching signal for each FET included in FET bridge 1030 based on the adjusted Hall signal from variable delay circuit 1025 and the PWM code from calculator 1021 . Depending on the calculation result of the calculation unit 1021, the motor 105 may be powered forward and backward, or may be regeneratively controlled forward and backward. Note that the basic operation of the motor drive is described in the pamphlet of International Publication No. 2012/086459, etc., and is not the main part of the present embodiment, so the description is omitted here.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the front wheels are arranged on the higher side of the slope, and the rear wheels are arranged on the lower side of the slope, so that the power-assisted bicycle 1 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow (backward direction). Suppose the case of retreating to . Even if the vehicle is moving backward, the calculation unit 1021 can obtain data such as the fact that the front wheels are rotating in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle is moving forward from the hall signal from the motor 105 provided in the front wheels, and the rotation phase angle. can be done. In the following description, the rotation of the wheels in the direction opposite to the forward movement is referred to as "forward" rotation. Data such as the rotation direction and rotation phase angle of the rear wheels can be obtained by providing a sensor for detecting the rotation of the rear wheels instead of using the Hall signal from the motor 105 provided on the front wheels. can be

Also, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, when moving forward, the crank is rotated in increasing angles of 0°, 90°, and 180°. In this case, the chain moves in conjunction with the reverse rotation of the rear wheels, and the crank angle decreases from 0° (360°), 270°, and 180° as indicated by the arrows. is often configured to rotate in the opposite direction. Even when the crank is rotating in the reverse direction, the calculation unit 1021 can obtain data such as the fact that the crank is rotating in the reverse direction and the rotation phase angle from the signal from the crank rotation sensor 104 . Depending on the power-assisted bicycle 1, the crank may not rotate in the opposite direction according to the rotation of the rear wheel. do.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a functional block configuration example (part according to the present embodiment) related to the control unit 3000 realized in the calculation unit 1021. In FIG. Control unit 3000 according to the present embodiment has detection unit 3100 and regeneration control unit 3200 .

The detector 3100 determines whether the electrically power-assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward based on the crank rotation data from the crank rotation input unit 1022 and the motor rotation data from the motor rotation input unit 1024, and determines the relationship between the crank rotation and the wheel rotation. It determines whether or not the relationship satisfies a predetermined relationship to be described later, and outputs the determination result to regeneration control section 3200 . Note that the detection unit 3100 may also perform further determination according to sensor input regarding whether or not the vehicle is boarded from the sensor input unit 1023 .

When calculating the gear ratio, the detection unit 3100 selects an appropriate timing based on the input torque from the torque input unit 1027 and calculates the gear ratio.

The regeneration control unit 3200 determines the presence or absence of regeneration and the degree of regeneration in reverse to decelerate according to the determination result of the detection unit 3100, and the variable delay circuit 1025 and the variable delay circuit 1025 and It outputs to the motor drive timing generator 1026 .

Next, the operation of the control unit 3000 will be explained using FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. The processing in FIGS. 6 and 7 is executed in each control cycle, and the timer used below is initialized to 0 and the flag is also initialized to OFF before the processing is started.

First, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the power-assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward, for example, from the rotation direction included in the motor rotation data (Fig. 6: step S1). When the vehicle is not in reverse, that is, when the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, detection unit 3100 turns off a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse, so that regeneration control unit 3200 performs regeneration. (step S7). Then, the process moves to step S9.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the vehicle is moving backward to decelerate based on wheel rotation and crank rotation based on motor rotation, for example (step S3). In this step, it is determined whether or not the vehicle should be decelerated because the vehicle is moving backward against the driver's intention, for example, based on whether or not the following conditions are satisfied.

Specifically, it is determined by the following formula.
Wheel rotation speed x α ≥ crank rotation speed x gear ratio (1)

For example, in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the crank is intentionally rotated in the reverse direction to drive the motor 105 in the backward direction. Instead of such intentional reverse rotation of the crank, for example, in order to detect the case where the vehicle is reversing without doing anything on a slope, it is determined whether or not the number of rotations of the wheels > the number of rotations of the crank x the gear ratio. . On the other hand, there are many electric power-assisted bicycles 1 that are configured such that the crank rotates according to the rotation of the rear wheel. Detects that the vehicle should decelerate due to unintended reversing of the vehicle. It should be noted that the above formula (1) can be used to determine whether or not the crank is rotated according to the rotation of the rear wheel, even if the bicycle is electrically assisted.

It should be noted that the gear ratio is calculated from the front gear/rear gear (including the transmission). However, in the case of an internal transmission (including a case without a transmission), the crank rotates at the minimum gear ratio when reversing, regardless of the current gear stage. That is, in the case of an internal transmission (including a case without a transmission), the gear ratio to be used is stored in the memory of the calculation unit 1021, and that gear ratio is used.

On the other hand, in the case of an external transmission, for example, a flag requesting calculation of the gear ratio is set in the memory of the calculation unit 1021. In this case, the gear ratio is calculated from the number of rotations of the wheel/the number of rotations of the crank and stored in the memory of the calculation unit 1021 . If the gear ratio is not calculated immediately after the power is turned on, the gear ratio calculated before the power is turned off and stored in the memory of the calculation unit 1021 is used.

If the above formula (1) does not hold and it is determined that the vehicle should not be reversed to decelerate, the process proceeds to step S7. Even if the crank is rotating in the forward direction, it is determined that the vehicle is not in reverse to decelerate.

Note that formula (1) can be transformed into various forms. Wheel rotation speed/(crank rotation speed x gear ratio) ≥ 1/α, wheel rotation speed ≥ crank rotation speed x gear ratio/α, wheel rotation speed x α - crank rotation speed x gear ratio ≥ 0 and so on. Still other variations are possible. Additionally, a margin may be added by adding or subtracting an appropriate constant.

On the other hand, when the above-described formula (1) is established and it is determined that the vehicle is in reverse to decelerate, the detection unit 3100 turns on a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse. This notifies the regeneration control unit 3200 of the event of regeneration (step S5).

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the flag is on (step S9). If the flag is ON, the regeneration control unit 3200 increments the timer for measuring the duration of the regeneration event by the control period (step S11). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 7 via terminal A. FIG. On the other hand, if the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets to 0 the timer for measuring the duration of the regeneration event (step S13). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 7 via terminal A. FIG.

　Transitioning to the description of the process in FIG. 7, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not the value of the timer has become equal to or greater than the threshold TH1 (for example, 3 seconds) (step S15). If the timer value<threshold value TH1, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 0 as a coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (also called the degree of deceleration or the degree of speed suppression) (step S23). Then, the process moves to step S25. Thus, if the timer value is less than 3 seconds, for example, no regeneration is performed. For example, if the driver pushes backward, it is less than about 3 seconds, so it can be distinguished by the threshold value TH1.

On the other hand, if timer value≧threshold TH1, regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the timer value is equal to or greater than threshold TH2 (for example, 6 seconds) (step S17). If timer value<threshold TH2, regeneration control unit 3200 sets (timer value−TH1)/(TH2−TH1) as a coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S21). Then, the process moves to step S25. Thus, if the timer value is, for example, 3 seconds or more and less than 6 seconds, the coefficient value increases linearly according to (timer value-TH1). For example, even if it takes a little time for the driver to push the vehicle backward, it does not have a large effect on the driver as long as the strength of regeneration is low.

On the other hand, if the timer value≧threshold TH2, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 1.0 as the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S19).

It should be noted that if the thresholds TH1 and TH2 are too small, regeneration will start even when the driver manually pushes the vehicle in reverse and then turns back, making it difficult for the driver to operate. On the other hand, if the threshold values TH1 and TH2 are too large, the backward movement will accelerate before regeneration starts, and it will take time to decelerate.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S25). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power (step S27). On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the timer to 0 and sets the flag to OFF (step S29). Then the process ends.

In this way, for example, if the driver's unintended reversing can be detected and the reversing can be decelerated, safety will be enhanced.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment 1]
In the first embodiment, it is not confirmed whether or not the driver is in the vehicle. It can be relatively easily stopped by rowing or applying a mechanical brake. Therefore, in Modification 1 of the first embodiment, a case will be described in which processing is performed according to the signal output by the boarding detection sensor 108 .

In this modified example, the processing in FIG. 8 is executed instead of FIG. Since only step S31 in the Yes route of step S1 is added, only this part will be explained.

If it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is in reverse, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the driver is riding the power-assisted bicycle 1 based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding whether or not the driver is riding. It is determined whether boarding is detected (step S31). For example, when a weight sensor installed on the saddle detects a weight above a certain level and a switch installed on the saddle is turned on, it is determined that the driver is on the vehicle. When it is recognized that a person is seated on the saddle by an input from an infrared sensor, a camera, or the like, it is determined that the driver is in the vehicle.

If the driver is not riding the electrically assisted bicycle 1, that is, if the riding is not detected, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the driver is riding the electrically assisted bicycle 1, that is, if the riding is detected, the process proceeds to step S7.

By executing such processing, it is possible to detect the occurrence of unintended reversing when the driver is not riding the electrically power-assisted bicycle 1, and to decelerate reversing accordingly. Become.

[Modification 2 of Embodiment 1]
In the first embodiment, an example was given in which the intensity of regeneration is changed according to the time measured by the timer, but the intensity of regeneration may be changed based on distance instead of time.

Therefore, the operation of the control unit 3000 according to Modification 2 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 and 10 are executed in each control cycle, the distance used below is initialized to 0, and the flag is also initialized to OFF before the start of the processing.

Note that steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 9 are the same as steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 6, so description thereof will be omitted.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse is on (step S9). If the flag is ON, the regeneration control unit 3200 continuously calculates the backward distance (step S41). For example, it is assumed that the memory of the calculation unit 1021 stores the circumference of the wheel. Then, for example, the angle of rotation in this control cycle is specified from the rotation phase angle included in the motor rotation data, and the distance that has retreated in this control cycle is calculated by multiplying this angle/360° by the circumference. Then, by adding the distance obtained in the previous control cycle, the distance of continuous retreat is calculated. Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 10 via terminal C. FIG.

On the other hand, if the flag indicating whether or not to regenerate in reverse is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the distance of continuous retreat to 0 (step S43). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 10 via the terminal C. FIG.

Moving on to the description of the processing in FIG. 10, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not the distance of continuous backward movement is equal to or greater than a threshold value TH31 (for example, 2 m, about the vehicle length of the electrically power-assisted bicycle 1) (step S45). This is to distinguish it from the backward operation by the driver's manual push operation. If the distance of continuous retreat<threshold TH31, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to 0 (step S53). Then, the process moves to step S55. In this way, regeneration is not performed if the distance of continuous retreat is less than 2 m.

On the other hand, if the continuously reversed distance≧threshold TH31, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines that the continuously reversed distance is equal to or greater than the threshold TH32 (for example, 4 m, about twice the vehicle length of the electrically power-assisted bicycle 1). It is determined whether or not (step S47). If the distance of continuous retreat<threshold TH32, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets (continuous retreat distance−TH31)/(TH32−TH31) as a coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S51). . Then, the process moves to step S55. Thus, if the distance of continuous retreat is 2 m or more and less than 4 m, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (continuous retreat distance - TH31).

On the other hand, if the continuously retreated distance≧threshold value TH32, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 1.0 as the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (step S49).

It should be noted that if the thresholds TH31 and TH32 are too small, regeneration will start even when the vehicle is reversed by the driver's manual push operation and then turned back, making it difficult for the driver to operate. On the other hand, if the thresholds TH31 and TH32 are too large, the backward movement will accelerate before regeneration starts, and it will take time to decelerate.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S55). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power (step S57). On the other hand, if the process ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the distance of continuous retreat to 0 and sets the flag to OFF (step S59). Then the process ends.

[Modification 3 of Embodiment 1]
In the modification 2 of the first embodiment, it is not confirmed whether or not the driver is in the vehicle. It is relatively easy to stop by rowing in the forward direction or applying a mechanical brake. Therefore, in the modification 3 of the first embodiment, a case will be described in which processing is performed according to the signal output by the boarding detection sensor 108. FIG.

In this modified example, the processing in FIG. 11 is executed instead of FIG. Since only step S61 in the Yes route of step S1 is added, only this part will be explained.

If it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is in reverse, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the driver is riding the power-assisted bicycle 1 based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding whether or not the driver is riding. It is determined whether boarding has been detected (step S61). This step is the same as step S31.

[Embodiment 2]
Even if some reversal is intended, it is desirable to ensure safety in the event of unintended high speeds. In the present embodiment, attention is paid to the speed in reverse.

FIG. 12 shows a functional block configuration example (part according to the present embodiment) related to the control unit 3000b implemented in the calculation unit 1021. FIG. Control unit 3000b according to the present embodiment has detection unit 3100b and regeneration control unit 3200b.

The detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the electrically assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward from the motor rotation data from the motor rotation input unit 1024, and outputs the determination result to the regeneration control unit 3200b. The detection unit 3100b also calculates the reverse speed from, for example, motor rotation data, and outputs the calculated speed to the regeneration control unit 3200b. It should be noted that the detection unit 3100b may perform further determination according to the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding the presence or absence of boarding.

The regeneration control unit 3200b determines the presence/absence of regeneration and the degree of regeneration in backward deceleration to be decelerated according to the determination result of the detection unit 3100b. It outputs to the drive timing generator 1026 .

Next, the operation of the control section 3000b will be explained using FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 and 14 are executed in each control cycle, and flags used below are initialized to be OFF.

First, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the power-assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward, for example, from the rotation direction included in the motor rotation data (FIG. 13: step S71). When the vehicle is not in reverse, that is, when the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100b sets off a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse, so that the regeneration control unit 3200b performs regeneration. (step S81). Then, the processing shifts to the processing of FIG.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is reversing, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration during reversing is off (step S73). When the flag is off, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the reverse speed calculated from, for example, motor rotation data is equal to or greater than a threshold TH11 (eg, 4 km/h) (step S75).

When the speed of reversing is equal to or higher than the threshold TH11, the detection unit 3100b sets on a flag indicating whether or not to regenerate in reversing, thereby indicating that an event to regenerate in the regenerative control unit 3200b has occurred. (step S77). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 14 via the terminal E. On the other hand, when the backward speed is less than the threshold value TH11, the process proceeds directly to the process of FIG.

On the other hand, if the flag indicating whether or not to regenerate in reverse is already on, the detection unit 3100b detects that the reverse speed calculated from the motor rotation data is a threshold value TH12 (for example, 3 km/s) or less. It is determined whether or not there is (step S79). The reason why the threshold TH11 and the threshold TH12 are different is to prevent the flag from being turned on and off due to a slight change in the speed, and to determine whether or not the reverse movement tends to decelerate in this step. If the backward speed exceeds the threshold TH12, the process proceeds via terminal E to the process of FIG. On the other hand, when the reverse speed is equal to or lower than the threshold TH12, the detection unit 3100b sets off the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse, thereby causing the regeneration control unit 3200b to perform regeneration. (step S81). Then, the processing shifts to the processing of FIG.

Moving on to the description of the processing in FIG. 14, the regeneration control unit 3200b determines whether the flag is ON (step S83). If the flag is on, the regeneration control unit 3200b determines whether or not the reverse speed is equal to or greater than a threshold TH13 (eg, 6 km/s) (step S85). If the reverse speed is equal to or higher than the threshold TH13, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets 1.0 as a coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (also referred to as the degree of deceleration or the degree of speed suppression) (step S87). Then, the process moves to step S93.

On the other hand, if the reverse speed is less than the threshold TH13, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets (reverse speed-TH12)/(TH13-TH12) as the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (step S89). Then, the process moves to step S93. In this manner, if the reverse speed is greater than or equal to the threshold value TH12 and less than TH13, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (reverse speed−TH12). That is, if the vehicle is less than the threshold value TH13, the strength of regeneration is strengthened as the speed of reverse movement increases.

On the other hand, when the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets 0 to the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S91). Then, the process moves to step S93.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200b causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S93). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000b determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power (step S95). On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets the flag to off (step S97). Then the process ends.

In this way, if it is possible to detect events such as unintended reversing at a faster speed and slow down the reversing, safety will increase.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment 2]
In the second embodiment, it is not confirmed whether or not the driver is in the vehicle. However, if the driver is in the vehicle, the driver who recognizes that the vehicle is going backwards applies a mechanical brake. can be relatively easily stopped. Therefore, in Modification 1 of the second embodiment, a case will be described in which processing is performed according to the signal output by the boarding detection sensor 108 .

The operation of the control unit 3000b in this modified example will be described using FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 and 16 are executed in each control cycle, and the flags used below are initialized to be off.

First, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the power-assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward, for example, from the rotation direction included in the motor rotation data (FIG. 15: step S101). When the vehicle is not in reverse, that is, when the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100b sets off a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse, so that the regeneration control unit 3200b performs regeneration. (step S113). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 16 via the terminal G. FIG.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is reversing, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration during reversing is off (step S103). When the flag is off, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the reverse speed calculated from, for example, motor rotation data is equal to or greater than a threshold TH21 (eg, 4 km/h) (step S105).

When the speed of reversing is equal to or higher than the threshold TH21, the detection unit 3100b turns on a flag indicating whether or not to regenerate in reversing, thereby indicating that an event of regenerating in the regenerative control unit 3200b has occurred. (step S107). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 16 via the terminal G. FIG. On the other hand, if the backward speed is less than the threshold value TH21, the process directly proceeds to the process of FIG.

On the other hand, if the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse is already on, the detection unit 3100b detects whether the driver is riding the electrically assisted bicycle 1 based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding whether or not the driver is riding. It is determined whether or not the driver is boarding the vehicle, that is, whether or not boarding is detected (step S109). For example, when a weight sensor installed on the saddle detects a weight above a certain level and a switch installed on the saddle is turned on, it is determined that the driver is on the vehicle. When it is recognized that a person is seated on the saddle by an input from an infrared sensor, a camera, or the like, it is determined that the driver is in the vehicle.

When boarding is detected, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the reverse speed calculated from, for example, motor rotation data is equal to or lower than a threshold TH22 (eg, 3 km/s) (step S111). The difference between the threshold TH21 and the threshold TH22 is to prevent the flag from being turned on or off due to a slight change in speed. When boarding is detected in this way, it is possible for the driver to decelerate by applying a mechanical brake, so if the speed of reversing exceeds the threshold TH22, regeneration in reversing is executed. If the backward speed exceeds the threshold TH22, the process proceeds to the process of FIG.

On the other hand, when the reverse speed is equal to or lower than the threshold TH22, the detection unit 3100b sets off the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse, so that the regeneration control unit 3200b does not perform regeneration. (step S113). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 16 via the terminal G. FIG.

On the other hand, when boarding is not detected, the detection unit 3100b determines whether or not the reverse speed calculated from, for example, motor rotation data is equal to or lower than a threshold TH24 (for example, 0 km/s) (step S115). ). This is to determine whether the vehicle has sufficiently decelerated. This is because it may be difficult for the driver to immediately decelerate by applying the mechanical brake when the driver is not in the vehicle.

When the backward speed exceeds the threshold TH24, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 16 via terminal G. On the other hand, when the backward speed is equal to or lower than the threshold TH24, the process proceeds to step S113. That is, the flag is set to off.

Moving on to the description of the processing in FIG. 16, the regeneration control unit 3200b determines whether the flag is ON (step S117). If the flag is on, the regeneration control unit 3200b determines whether or not the reverse speed is equal to or greater than a threshold TH23 (eg, 6 km/s) (step S119). If the backward speed is equal to or higher than the threshold TH23, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets 1.0 as the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (step S121). Then, the process moves to step S123.

On the other hand, if the reverse speed is less than the threshold TH23, the regeneration control unit 3200b determines whether the driver is riding the power-assisted bicycle 1 based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding whether or not the driver is riding. That is, it is determined whether boarding has been detected (step S127).

When boarding is detected, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to (reversing speed - TH22)/(TH23 - TH22) (step S129). Then, the process moves to step S123. Thus, if the reverse speed is greater than or equal to the threshold value TH22 and less than TH23, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (reverse speed-TH22). That is, the higher the speed of retreat, the stronger the strength of regeneration.

On the other hand, if boarding is not detected, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets (reversing speed - TH24)/(TH23 - TH24) as the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S131). Then, the process moves to step S123. Thus, if the reverse speed is greater than or equal to the threshold value TH24 and less than TH23, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (reverse speed−TH24). That is, the higher the speed of retreat, the stronger the strength of regeneration.

On the other hand, if the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets 0 to the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S133). Then, the process moves to step S123.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200b causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S123). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000b determines whether or not the process has ended due to a power-off instruction or the like (step S125). On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200b sets the flag to off (step S135). Then the process ends.

In this way, if the reversing speed is high, the reversing speed is suppressed, and if boarding is detected, the suppression is stopped relatively early in consideration of the driver's control, and if the boarding is not detected. In this case, it is possible to perform control that prioritizes speed suppression.

[Embodiment 3]
In the first embodiment, as an example of detecting backward movement to be decelerated based on the relationship between the rotation of the crank and the rotation of the wheels, the number of revolutions of the crank and the wheels is used. This is based on the speed of the power-assisted bicycle 1 in reverse, but even when the rotation continues slowly, there are cases where it should be detected as reverse to decelerate. An example of detecting backward movement to be decelerated based on the relationship between the rotation angle of the crank and the rotation angle of the wheels will be described below.

Note that the function of the detection unit 3100 in the control unit 3000 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 17 and 18, it is assumed that the sensor has such a detection function. The processing of FIGS. 17 and 18 is executed in each control cycle, and the timer used below is initialized to 0 and the flag is also initialized to off before the processing is started.

First, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the power-assisted bicycle 1 is moving backward, for example, from the rotation direction included in the motor rotation data (FIG. 17: step S201). If the vehicle is not moving backward, that is, if the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100 resets the value of the second timer that measures the continuation of backward movement to 0 (step S207). The detection unit 3100 also initializes the rotation angles of the crank and the wheels to 0 (step S213). For example, when a pulse signal is input from the crank rotation sensor 104 at each predetermined rotation angle, the number of pulse signals (also called the number of pulses or the number of edges) is accumulated in order to measure the reverse rotation angle. Since it is counted, the number of pulses (or the number of edges) accumulated and counted is initialized to zero. Similarly, when a pulse signal (that is, a hall signal) is input from the motor 105 for each predetermined rotation angle, the number of pulse signals (also called the number of pulses or the number of edges) is used to measure the reverse rotation angle. is accumulated and counted, the accumulated counted number of pulses (or the number of edges) is initialized. Furthermore, the detection unit 3100 notifies the regeneration control unit 3200 that regeneration is not an event by setting off a flag indicating whether or not regeneration is to be performed in reverse (step S219). Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 18 via the terminal J.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 increments the value of the second timer by the control period (step S203). Then, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the value of the second timer is equal to or greater than a threshold TH41 (for example, 2 seconds) (step S205). If the value of the second timer is less than the threshold TH41, the process proceeds to step S213. This is because deceleration by regeneration is inappropriate, for example, when turning the bicycle by pushing it by hand in a bicycle parking lot for a short time (a short distance in a modified example to be described later).

On the other hand, if the backward movement continues for the threshold value TH41 or more, the detection unit 3100 calculates the permissible angle for reverse wheel rotation based on the rotation angle of the crank (step S209). As described above, when the rotation angle is obtained from the number of pulses (or the number of edges), for example, the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the crank in the current control cycle is counted, and the previous control By adding to the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the crank in the period, the cumulative value P1 of the number of pulses for the crank is calculated. Note that the cumulative value P1 of the number of pulses for the crank is the cumulative value after the condition shown in step S205 is satisfied. Then, the permissible angle θ1 for reverse wheel rotation is calculated using the following formula.
θ1=β×P1×rotational angle per pulse×gear ratio β is a coefficient representing a margin, and has a value of, for example, about 1.2. The rotation angle per pulse of the crank is 30°, for example. The gear ratio is as described in the first embodiment.

Then, the detection unit 3100 calculates the Δ reverse rotation angle, which is the difference between the actual reverse rotation angle of the wheels and the permissible reverse rotation angle of the wheels (step S211). As described above, when the rotation angle is obtained from the number of pulses (or the number of edges), for example, the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the wheels in the current control cycle is counted, and the previous control By adding to the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the wheel in the period, the cumulative value P2 of the number of pulses for the wheel is calculated. Note that the cumulative value P2 of the number of pulses for the wheels is the cumulative value after the condition shown in step S205 is satisfied. Then, the wheel reverse rotation angle θ2 is calculated by the following equation.
θ2=P2×rotation angle per pulse The rotation angle per pulse of the wheels is also 30°, for example. In this step, Δreverse rotation angle=θ2−θ1 is obtained.

Furthermore, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the Δ reverse rotation angle is equal to or greater than a threshold TH42 (for example, 0°) (step S215). That is, it is determined whether or not the actual reverse wheel rotation angle is greater than or equal to the permissible wheel reverse rotation angle. Since Δ reverse rotation angle (= reverse wheel rotation angle - β x crank reverse rotation angle x gear ratio) ≥ threshold value TH42, it is determined whether various formulas obtained by modifying such formulas hold. You can make a decision. For example, a formula such as reverse wheel rotation angle≧threshold value TH42+β×crank reverse rotation angle×gear ratio may be used. Further, if the threshold value TH42=0, the reverse wheel rotation angle≧β×the reverse crank rotation angle×the gear ratio, so the formula such as the reverse wheel rotation angle/β≧the reverse crank rotation angle×the gear ratio can be transformed into Note that the margin may be added by adding a predetermined coefficient instead of adding the margin with a coefficient such as β.

If this condition is not met, the process moves to step S219. On the other hand, if the condition of step S215 is satisfied, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle is moving backward to decelerate, the detection unit 3100 turns on a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in moving backward. In step S217, the regeneration controller 3200 is notified that regeneration is to be performed (step S217). The detector 3100 also notifies the regeneration controller 3200 of the Δ reverse rotation angle. Then, the process shifts to the process of FIG. 18 via the terminal J.

Moving on to the description of the processing in FIG. 18, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the flag is ON (step S221). When the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 0 to a coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (also called the degree of deceleration or the degree of speed suppression) (step S229). Then, the process moves to step S231. On the other hand, if the flag is ON, regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not Δ reverse rotation angle is equal to or greater than threshold TH43 (for example, 180°) (step S223). When the Δ reverse rotation angle is less than the threshold TH43, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to (Δ reverse rotation angle−TH42)/(TH43−TH42) (step S227). Then, the process moves to step S231.

On the other hand, when the Δ reverse rotation angle is equal to or greater than the threshold TH43, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to 1.0 (step S225). Thus, although the upper limit is set, the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration is set according to the Δ reverse rotation angle. In this example, the value of the coefficient increases linearly as the Δ reverse rotation angle increases, but it may also increase nonlinearly.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S231). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the processing has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power (step S235). On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the used timer to 0 and sets the flag to off (step S237). Then the process ends.

[Modification 1 of Embodiment 3]
In FIG. 17, as a condition for starting to measure the rotation angles of the crank and wheels, the time of continuous retreat was measured, but the distance of continuous retreat may be used as a condition. For example, FIG. 17 may be modified as shown in FIG.

That is, in step S243 instead of step S203, the detection unit 3100 calculates the distance of continuous retreat (step S243). For example, it is assumed that the memory of the calculation unit 1021 stores the circumference of the wheel. In addition, based on the Hall signal from the motor 105, the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the wheels in the current control cycle is counted, and the number of pulses (or the number of edges) for the wheels from the start of backward movement to the immediately preceding control cycle is counted. number) to calculate the total number of pulses (or the number of edges) from the start of the retreat. Then, the continuous backward distance is calculated by multiplying the cumulative number of pulses (or the number of edges)×the rotation angle per pulse/360°×the circumference of the wheel. It is also possible to calculate the retreated distance in each control period and add it to the total distance calculated before that.

Also, in step S245 instead of step S205, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the distance of continuous retreat is equal to or greater than a threshold TH46 (for example, 2 m) (step S245). If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S209, and if this condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S213. Also, in step S247 instead of step S207, the detection unit 3100 initializes the distance information (step S247). In the above example, the cumulative number of pulses is set to zero, or the cumulative distance is set to zero.

By introducing the above-described processing, it is possible to detect reversing unintended by the driver and decelerate the reversing, as in the third embodiment.

[Modification 2 of Embodiment 3]
The processing of FIG. 18 in the third embodiment and its modified example 1 may be changed to processing similar to steps S9 to S29 in the first embodiment. Specifically, the process is changed to that shown in FIG.

The regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the flag is on (step S251). If the flag is ON, the regeneration control unit 3200 increments the third timer for measuring the duration of the regeneration event by the control period (step S253). Then, the process moves to step S257. On the other hand, if the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets to 0 the third timer for measuring the duration of the regeneration event (step S255). Then, the process moves to step S257.

The regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not the value of the third timer is equal to or greater than the threshold TH51 (for example, 2 seconds) (step S257). If the value of the third timer<threshold value TH51, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 0 to the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration (step S265). The process then proceeds to step S267. Thus, if the value of the third timer is less than 2 seconds, for example, no regeneration is performed. The threshold TH51 may be shorter than or substantially equal to the threshold TH1.

On the other hand, if the value of the third timer≧threshold TH51, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the value of the third timer is equal to or greater than the threshold TH52 (for example, 5 seconds) (step S259). If the third timer value<threshold TH52, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets (third timer value−TH51)/(TH52−TH51) as the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S263). The process then proceeds to step S267. In this way, if the value of the third timer is, for example, 2 seconds or more and less than 5 seconds, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (the value of the third timer - TH51). However, it may be changed non-linearly instead of linearly. Note that the threshold TH52 may be shorter than the threshold TH2, or may be approximately the same.

On the other hand, if the value of the third timer≧threshold TH52, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 1.0 as the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S261).

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S267). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power, etc. (step S269). On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the used timer to 0 and sets the flag to off (step S271). Then the process ends.

[Modification 3 of Embodiment 3]
The processing of FIG. 18 in the third embodiment and its modification 1 may be changed to processing similar to steps S9 to S59 in modification 2 of the first embodiment. Specifically, the process is changed to that shown in FIG.

The regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether a flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse is on (step S281). If the flag is on, the regeneration control unit 3200 calculates the distance of continuous retreat (step S283). This step is similar to step S243. However, although the distance is accumulated when the backward movement is detected in step S243, the distance is accumulated when the flag is turned on in this step. If this process is applied to Modification 1 of the first embodiment, the distance is calculated separately in step S243 and this step. The process then proceeds to step S287.

On the other hand, if the flag indicating whether or not to perform regeneration in reverse is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 initializes the distance information (step S285). This step is also the same as step S247. If this process is applied to modification 1 of the first embodiment, the distance information for step S243 is initialized in step S247, but the distance information for step S283 is initialized in this step. do. The process then proceeds to step S287.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not the distance of continuous retreat is equal to or greater than a threshold TH61 (for example, 1 m) (step S287). If the distance of continuous retreat<threshold value TH61, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration to 0 (step S295). The process then proceeds to step S297. In this way, regeneration is not performed if the distance of continuous retreat is less than 1 m. Note that the threshold TH61 may be shorter than the threshold TH31, or may be approximately the same.

On the other hand, if the continuously retreated distance≧threshold TH61, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the continuously retreated distance is equal to or greater than the threshold TH62 (for example, 3 m) (step S289). Note that the threshold TH62 may be shorter than the threshold TH32, or may be approximately the same. If the distance of continuous retreat<threshold TH62, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration to (distance of continuous retreat-TH61)/(TH62-TH61) (step S293). . The process then proceeds to step S297. Thus, if the distance of continuous retreat is 1 m or more and less than 3 m, the value of the coefficient increases linearly according to (distance of continuous retreat - TH61). However, it may be non-linear instead of linear.

On the other hand, if the continuously retreated distance≧threshold value TH62, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets 1.0 as the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S291).

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 causes the motor 105 to perform regeneration with the amount of regeneration based on the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration (step S297). For example, a reference regeneration amount is determined separately, and the regeneration amount is multiplied by a coefficient to determine the final regeneration amount. The amount of regeneration may be defined by the amount of torque generated by regeneration, or may be defined by the amount of current flowing by regeneration.

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power (step S299). On the other hand, if the process ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the distance of continuous retreat to 0 and sets the flag to OFF (step S301). Then the process ends.

[Modification 4 of Embodiment 1]
In the first embodiment, an example of processing is shown in which it is determined whether or not the vehicle is moving backward to decelerate immediately upon detection of the backward movement. It is also possible to determine whether or not the vehicle should decelerate in reverse after measuring the time for which the reverse continues. Specifically, instead of FIG. 6, the process shown in FIG. 22 is executed.

That is, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 are inserted between steps S1 and S3. Specifically, when it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is not moving backward, that is, the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100 sets the value of the second timer that measures the continuation of backward movement to 0. (step S207). Then, the process moves to step S7.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 increments the value of the second timer by the control period (step S203). Then, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the value of the second timer is equal to or greater than a threshold TH41 (for example, 2 seconds) (step S205). If the value of the second timer is less than the threshold TH41, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, when the value of the second timer is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH41, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not the vehicle should be reversed to decelerate.

Note that the threshold TH1 used in the processing of FIG. 7 in the first embodiment was, for example, 3 seconds, but in this modified example, the backward movement is permitted by the threshold TH41 first. , the threshold TH1 may be set to 2 seconds. Similarly, the threshold TH2 was set to, for example, 6 seconds, but in this modified example, the threshold TH2 may be shortened to 5 seconds.

[Modification 5 of Embodiment 1]
In the modification 4 of the first embodiment, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 are inserted between steps S1 and S3 in FIG. 6, but the modification of the first embodiment Also in FIG. 9 for example 2, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 may be inserted between steps S1 to S3 as shown in FIG.

[Modification 6 of Embodiment 1]
In the first embodiment, an example of processing is shown in which it is determined whether or not the vehicle is moving backwards to decelerate immediately upon detection of backwards movement. Similarly, it is also possible to first measure the distance that the vehicle has continuously moved backward, and then determine whether or not the vehicle should decelerate. Specifically, instead of FIG. 6, the process shown in FIG. 23 is executed.

That is, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 are inserted between steps S1 and S3. Specifically, when it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is not moving backward, that is, the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100 initializes the distance information (step S247). Then, the process moves to step S7.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 calculates the distance that the vehicle continues to move backward (step S243). Then, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the distance that the vehicle has continuously retreated is equal to or greater than the threshold TH46 (step S245). If the continuously retreated distance is less than the threshold TH46, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the distance that the vehicle has continuously moved backward is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH46, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not the backward movement should be decelerated.

[Modification 7 of Embodiment 1]
In the sixth modification of the first embodiment, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 are inserted between steps S1 and S3 in FIG. 6, but the modification of the first embodiment Also in FIG. 9 for example 2, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 may be inserted between steps S1 to S3 as shown in FIG.

Note that the threshold TH31 used in the process of FIG. 10 in the first embodiment was, for example, 2 m, but in this modified example, the backward movement is permitted by the threshold TH46 first. The threshold TH31 may be set to a short value such as 1 m. Similarly, the threshold TH32 was set to, for example, 4 m, but in this modified example, the threshold TH32 may be shortened to 3 m.

[Modification 8 of Embodiment 1]
In the modification 3 of the first embodiment, a processing example is shown in which it is determined whether or not the driver is getting into the vehicle as soon as the backward movement is detected. It is also possible to first measure the time during which reverse movement continues, and then detect the driver's boarding, or determine whether or not the reverse movement should be decelerated. Specifically, instead of FIG. 11, the process shown in FIG. 24 is executed.

That is, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 are inserted between steps S1 and S61. Specifically, when it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is not moving backward, that is, the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100 sets the value of the second timer that measures the continuation of backward movement to 0. (step S207). Then, the process moves to step S7.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 increments the value of the second timer by the control period (step S203). Then, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the value of the second timer is equal to or greater than a threshold TH41 (for example, 2 seconds) (step S205). If the value of the second timer is less than the threshold TH41, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the value of the second timer is equal to or greater than the threshold TH41, the process proceeds to step S61, and the detection unit 3100 detects whether or not the driver has boarded based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023. It is determined whether or not the rider is riding on the electrically assisted bicycle 1, that is, whether or not riding has been detected (step S61).

[Modification 9 of Embodiment 1]
In the eighth modification of the first embodiment, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 are inserted between steps S1 and S61 in FIG. 11, but the modification of the first embodiment Also in FIG. 8 for example 1, steps S203 to S207 shown in FIG. 17 may be inserted between steps S1 to S31 as shown in FIG.

[Modification 10 of Embodiment 1]
In modification 3 of the first embodiment, a processing example was shown in which it is determined whether or not the driver is getting into the vehicle immediately upon detection of backward movement, but modification 1 of the third embodiment (FIG. 19) Similarly, it is also possible to first measure the distance that the vehicle has continuously moved backward, and then detect that the vehicle is getting on by the driver, or determine whether or not the vehicle is moving backward to decelerate. Specifically, instead of FIG. 11, the process shown in FIG. 25 is executed.

That is, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 are inserted between steps S1 and S61. Specifically, when it is determined in step S1 that the vehicle is not moving backward, that is, the vehicle is moving forward or stopped, the detection unit 3100 initializes the distance information (step S247). Then, the process moves to step S7.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is moving backward, the detection unit 3100 calculates the distance that the vehicle continues to move backward (step S243). Then, the detection unit 3100 determines whether or not the distance that the vehicle has continuously retreated is equal to or greater than the threshold TH46 (step S245). If the continuously retreated distance is less than the threshold TH46, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the distance that the driver has moved back continuously is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH46, the process proceeds to step S61, and the detection unit 3100 detects whether or not the driver is driving based on the sensor input from the sensor input unit 1023 regarding whether or not the driver is riding. It is determined whether or not the user is riding on the assist bicycle 1, that is, whether or not riding has been detected (step S61).

Note that the distance measured in step S243 is different from the distance measured in step S41 because the measurement start timing is different.

[Modification 11 of Embodiment 1]
In the tenth modification of the first embodiment, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 are inserted between steps S1 and S61 in FIG. 11, but the modification of the first embodiment Also in FIG. 8 for example 1, steps S243 to S247 shown in FIG. 19 may be inserted between steps S1 to S31 as shown in FIG.

[Embodiment 4]
A process similar to the process (FIG. 18) of setting the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration in the third embodiment may be applied to various modifications of the first embodiment. In this case, the processing after step S9 is replaced with the processing after terminal M as shown in FIG.

That is, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether the flag is on ( FIG. 26 : step S221). When the flag is off, the regeneration control unit 3200 initializes the rotation angles of the crank and the wheels notified from the detection unit 3100 to 0 (step S305). This step is similar to step S213. Regeneration control unit 3200 then sets the coefficient representing the intensity of regeneration to 0 (step S229). Then, the process moves to step S231.

On the other hand, if the flag is ON, the regeneration control unit 3200 calculates the permissible angle for reverse wheel rotation based on the rotation angle of the crank notified from the detection unit 3100 (step S301). This step is the same as step S209. Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 calculates the Δ reverse rotation angle, which is the difference between the actual reverse rotation angle of the wheels notified from the detection unit 3100 and the permissible reverse rotation angle of the wheels (step S303). This step is the same as step S211.

Then, the regeneration control unit 3200 determines whether or not the Δ reverse rotation angle is equal to or greater than the threshold TH43 (for example, 180°) (step S223). When the Δ reverse rotation angle is less than the threshold TH43, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to (Δ reverse rotation angle−TH42)/(TH43−TH42) (step S227). Then, the process moves to step S231.

On the other hand, when the Δ reverse rotation angle is equal to or greater than the threshold TH43, the regeneration control unit 3200 sets the coefficient representing the strength of regeneration to 1.0 (step S225).

Then, the control unit 3000 determines whether or not the process has ended due to an instruction to turn off the power, etc. (step S235). return to the process of On the other hand, if the processing ends due to an instruction to turn off the power, the regeneration control unit 3200 resets the used timer or the like and sets the flag to off (step S307). Then the process ends.

In this way, the intensity of regeneration may be determined based on the Δ reverse rotation angle. In the case of this embodiment, the reverse rotation angle is accumulated after the flag is turned on.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, depending on the purpose, any technical feature in each embodiment described above may be deleted, or any technical feature described in other embodiments may be added. Also good.　　　

Furthermore, the functional block diagram described above is an example, and one functional block may be divided into a plurality of functional blocks, or a plurality of functional blocks may be integrated into one functional block. As for the processing flow, the order of the steps may be changed, or a plurality of steps may be executed in parallel, as long as the content of the processing does not change.

The above embodiments can be summarized as follows.

A first motor control device according to the present embodiment provides (A) a power-assisted vehicle having three or more front and rear wheels, a crank, and a motor, based on the relationship between the rotation of the crank and the rotation of the wheel. (B) a motor that controls the speed of the retraction (for example, slows down the retraction) when the detection unit detects the retraction (for example, the detector 3100 in the embodiment) that detects retraction; and a control unit (for example, the regeneration control unit 3200 in the embodiment) that controls the .

Unintentional reversing by the driver can be detected as reversing that should be decelerated based on the relationship between crank rotation and wheel rotation, enabling appropriate deceleration. Note that regeneration may be used, or other means may be used.

It should be noted that the above-described detection unit determines that the rotation angle of the wheel in the reverse rotation direction (for example, θ2 in the embodiment) is equal to the rotation angle of the crank in the reverse rotation direction (for example, The reverse rotation may be detected based on an equation for confirming that the product of θ1) in the embodiment and the gear ratio is greater than or equal to the gear ratio (for example, the equation for calculating the Δ reverse rotation angle in the embodiment). In this manner, reverse movement to be decelerated may be detected based on the relationship between the wheel rotation angle in the reverse rotation direction and the crank rotation angle in the reverse rotation direction. It should be noted that the above formula is not limited to the formula shown in the embodiment, and may be modified in various forms, and the margin may be added by multiplication or addition.

In addition, the detection unit described above confirms that the number of rotations of the wheels in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the product of the number of rotations of the crank in the reverse rotation direction and the gear ratio, taking into account a predetermined margin. The retreat may be detected based on an equation for (for example, equation (1) in the embodiment). In this manner, reverse movement to be decelerated may be detected based on the relationship between the number of rotations of the wheels in the reverse rotation direction and the number of rotations of the crank in the reverse rotation direction. For example, if the number of rotations of the wheel is A, the number of rotations of the crank is B, and the margin is α, then A×α≧B×g or A/(B×g)≧1/α. It may be A≧B×g/α, or αA−B×g≧0. It may be a variation of a substantially similar formula. Note that the margin may be added by addition.

Furthermore, the detection unit described above detects the above-mentioned reversing when the time period during which the reversing continues is a predetermined time or more, or when the distance that the electrically assisted vehicle moves backward due to the continuation of reversing is a predetermined distance or more. You can make it work. This is to exclude cases where the driver intends to move backward.

Furthermore, the detection unit described above may determine from the output of a predetermined sensor whether or not a person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, and may detect the above-described reversing if no person is riding. good. This is because there are many cases in which the vehicle should be decelerated when no one is on board.

In addition, the control unit described above determines the difference between the rotation angle of the wheel in the reverse rotation direction and the product of the rotation angle of the crank in the reverse rotation direction, the gear ratio, and a predetermined coefficient (for example, the Δ reverse rotation angle in the embodiment ), the motor may be controlled so as to suppress the backward speed. This is because the greater the difference, the higher the degree of deceleration.

Further, the control unit described above controls the motor so as to suppress the speed of the backward movement when the time period during which the backward movement continues is equal to or greater than a first threshold value (for example, the threshold value TH1 in the embodiment). You can do it. In this way, it is possible to more reliably confirm that the retreat is unintended based on the length of time that the retreat continues.

Furthermore, the above-described control unit causes the motor to increase the degree of suppression of the speed of backward movement when the time period during which the backward movement continues is less than a second threshold value (for example, the threshold value TH2 in the embodiment). You may make it control. This is to counteract the possibility that the longer the retreat continues, the higher the retreat speed or the longer the retreat distance.

Further, the control unit described above suppresses the speed of reversing when the distance that the electrically assisted vehicle has reversed due to the continuation of reversing is equal to or greater than a third threshold (threshold TH31 in the embodiment, for example). The motor may be controlled as follows. This is because it is possible to more reliably confirm that the backward movement is unintended based on the distance that the backward movement continues.

Further, when the distance is less than a fourth threshold value (threshold value TH32 in the embodiment, for example), the control unit described above controls the motor so as to increase the degree of suppression of the backward speed. can be This is to counteract the possibility that the retreat speed will increase if the retreat continues for a long distance.

Further, the time period during which the backward movement continues is determined by: a) when the backward movement is no longer detected; b) when it is determined from the output of a predetermined sensor that a person is in the electrically assisted vehicle; and c) the motor control device. is turned off, d) the electrically assisted vehicle moves forward, and d) forward rotation of the crank is detected. This is so that an appropriate determination can be made later.

In addition, it is determined from the output of a predetermined sensor that a person is in the electrically assisted vehicle based on the distance that the electrically assisted vehicle has moved backward due to the continuation of the above-mentioned backward movement, or (b) when the backward movement is no longer detected. c) when the power of the motor control device is turned off, i) when the electrically assisted vehicle moves forward, and c) when forward rotation of the crank is detected. You can put it back. This is so that an appropriate determination can be made later.

In addition, the gear ratio mentioned above may be a fixed value or a value calculated from the number of rotations of the wheel and the number of rotations of the crank obtained while the electrically assisted vehicle is moving forward. This is for the purpose of making an appropriate judgment.

The second motor control device according to the present embodiment includes C) a detection unit (for example, the detection unit in the embodiment) that detects the speed at which an electrically assisted vehicle having three or more front and rear wheels and a motor moves backward. D) a controller (for example, the regeneration controller 3200b in the embodiment) that controls the motor to suppress the speed when the speed is equal to or higher than the first threshold. It is possible to suppress the speed by detecting an unintended high speed in reverse (for example, a speed equal to or higher than the threshold TH11 in the embodiment).

The detection unit described above determines from the output of a predetermined sensor whether or not a person has boarded the electrically assisted vehicle. If it is determined that the speed exceeds a second threshold value (for example, the threshold value TH22 in the embodiment), the speed control may be continued. For example, if a person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, control by the person can be expected, so speed suppression may be stopped early. This is for safety.

On the other hand, if the detection unit determines that no person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, the above-described control unit determines that the speed exceeds the third threshold, which is smaller than the second threshold. You may make it continue suppression of a speed. When there is no passenger on the electrically assisted vehicle, the speed is controlled until the vehicle is sufficiently decelerated to ensure safety.

Furthermore, the control unit described above may cause the motor to regenerate with the degree of suppression according to the speed.

Such configurations are not limited to the matters described in the embodiments, and may be implemented in other configurations that produce substantially the same effects.

Claims

a detection unit that detects reverse movement to be decelerated based on the relationship between crank rotation and wheel rotation in an electrically assisted vehicle having three or more wheels, a crank, and a motor for front and rear wheels;
a control unit that controls the motor to suppress the speed of the backward movement when the detection unit detects the backward movement;
A motor controller having a
The detection unit is
After taking into account a predetermined margin, the reverse rotation is performed based on a formula for confirming that the rotation angle of the wheels in the reverse rotation direction is greater than or equal to the product of the rotation angle of the crank in the reverse rotation direction and the gear ratio. to detect
The motor control device according to claim 1.
The detection unit is
The reverse rotation is based on a formula for confirming that the number of rotations of the wheels in the reverse direction is equal to or greater than the product of the number of rotations of the crank in the reverse direction and the gear ratio, with a predetermined margin. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, which detects the .
The detection unit is
4. The reversing is detected when the time for which the reversing continues is a predetermined time or more, or when the distance that the electrically assisted vehicle moves backward due to the continuation of reversing is a predetermined distance or more. 1. A motor drive controller according to claim 1.
The detection unit is
4. The motor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein it is determined from the output of a predetermined sensor whether or not a person is on board the electrically assisted vehicle, and the backward movement is detected when no person is on the vehicle. Control device.
The control unit
The motor is controlled to suppress the reverse speed based on the difference between the rotation angle of the wheel in the reverse rotation direction and the product of the rotation angle of the crank in the reverse rotation direction, the gear ratio, and a predetermined coefficient. 4. The motor control device according to any one of 1 to 3.
The control unit
The motor control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the motor is controlled so as to suppress the speed of the backward movement when the time for which the backward movement continues is equal to or longer than a first threshold value.
The control unit
8. The motor control device according to claim 7, wherein the motor is controlled so as to increase the degree of suppression of the speed of the backward movement when the time for which the backward movement continues is less than a second threshold value.
The control unit
4. The motor is controlled to suppress the speed of the backward movement when the distance that the electrically assisted vehicle has moved backward due to the continuation of the backward movement is equal to or greater than a third threshold value. A motor controller as described.
The control unit
10. The motor control device according to claim 9, wherein, when the distance is less than a fourth threshold, the motor is controlled so as to increase the degree of suppression of the backward speed.
the time for which said retreat lasts,
When the backward movement is no longer detected, when it is determined from the output of a predetermined sensor that a person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, when the power of the motor control device is turned off, the electrically assisted vehicle is turned off. 8. The motor control device of claim 7, wherein the motor controller returns to zero when moving forward and/or when forward rotation of the crank is detected.
The distance that the electrically assisted vehicle has moved backward due to the continuation of the backward movement,
When the backward movement is no longer detected, when it is determined from the output of a predetermined sensor that a person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, when the power of the motor control device is turned off, the electrically assisted vehicle is turned off. 10. The motor controller of claim 9, wherein the motor controller returns to zero upon forward movement and/or upon detection of forward rotation of the crank.
4. The motor control device according to claim 2, wherein the gear ratio is a fixed value or a value calculated from the number of revolutions of the wheel and the number of revolutions of the crank obtained while the electrically assisted vehicle is moving forward. .
a detection unit for detecting the speed at which an electrically assisted vehicle having three or more front wheels and three or more motors and a motor moves backward;
a control unit that controls the motor to suppress the speed when the speed is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
A motor controller having a
The detection unit is
determining from the output of a predetermined sensor whether or not a person is in the electrically assisted vehicle;
The control unit
15. The motor control device according to claim 14, wherein, when the detection unit determines that a person is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, if the speed exceeds a second threshold value, the speed is continued to be suppressed. .
The control unit
When the detection unit determines that no one is riding in the electrically assisted vehicle, if the speed exceeds a third threshold that is smaller than the second threshold, the speed suppression is continued. Item 16. A motor control device according to item 15.
The control unit
17. The motor control device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the motor is regenerated at the degree of suppression corresponding to the speed.
Having a motor control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An electrically assisted vehicle having three or more front and rear wheels.