Method and apparatus for controlling self-balancing vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518834-B2
Application number	US-201715613575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A method for controlling a self-balancing vehicle, includes: acquiring a state of a parameter input from a user through a pedal of the self-balancing vehicle; and when the state of the parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the parameter, controlling operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a self-balancing vehicle, comprising:
acquiring a state of a parameter input from a user through a pedal of the self-balancing vehicle, the parameter being different from a center of gravity of the user; and
when the state of the parameter indicates that a change in a value of the parameter has occurred, comparing the change in the value of the parameter to a threshold value; and
when the change in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, controlling operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: a pressure parameter, and a contact area parameter between a foot of the user and the pedal of the self-balancing vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the parameter includes the contact area parameter, the method further comprises:
acquiring a state of the pressure parameter; and
the acquiring the state of the parameter input from the user through the pedal of the self-balancing vehicle includes:
when the state of the pressure parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the pressure parameter, acquiring a state of the contact area parameter.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the parameter includes the pressure parameter, the method further comprises:
acquiring a state of the contact area parameter; and
the acquiring the state of the parameter input from the user through the pedal of the self-balancing vehicle includes:
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the contact area parameter, acquiring a state of the pressure parameter.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the parameter includes the contact area parameter, the method further comprising:
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a front part of the foot of the user is uplifted, controlling the self-balancing vehicle to slow down according to a decrease in a value of the contact area parameter; and
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a heel of the user is uplifted, controlling the self-balancing vehicle to speed up according to a decrease in the value of the contact area parameter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in the value of the parameter is a decrease in the value of the parameter, and when the decrease in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, controlling the operation of the self-balancing vehicle to slow down according to the decrease in the value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in the value of the parameter is an increase in the value of the parameter, and when the increase in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, controlling the self-balancing vehicle to speed up according to the increase in the value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein after controlling the operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change, the method further comprises:
when the state of the parameter indicates that the parameter is the same as that before the change occurs, controlling the self-balancing vehicle to maintain a current speed.

9. An apparatus for controlling a self-balancing vehicle, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire a state of a parameter input from a user through a pedal of the self-balancing vehicle, the parameter being different from a center of gravity of the user; and
when the state of the parameter indicates that a change in a value of the parameter has occurred, compare the change in the value of the parameter to a threshold value; and
when the change in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, control operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: a pressure parameter, and a contact area parameter between a foot of the user and the pedal of the self-balancing vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein when the parameter includes the contact area parameter, the processor is further configured to:
acquire a state of the pressure parameter; and
when the state of the pressure parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the pressure parameter, acquire a state of the contact area parameter.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein when the parameter includes the pressure parameter, the processor is further configured to:
acquire a state of the contact area parameter; and
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the contact area parameter, acquire a state of the pressure parameter.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein when the parameter includes the contact area parameter, the processor is further configured to:
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a front part of the foot of the user is uplifted, control the self-balancing vehicle to slow down according to a decrease in a value of the contact area parameter; and
when the state of the contact area parameter indicates that a heel of the user is uplifted, control the self-balancing vehicle to speed up according to a decrease in the value of the contact area parameter.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the change in the value of the parameter is a decrease in the value of the parameter, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
when the decrease in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, controlling the operation of the self-balancing vehicle to slow down according to the decrease in the value.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the change in the value of the parameter is an increase in the value of the parameter, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
when the increase in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, control the self-balancing vehicle to speed up according to the increase in the value.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein after controlling the operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change, the processor is further configured to:
when the state of the parameter indicates that the parameter is the same as that before the change occurs, control the self-balancing vehicle to maintain a current speed.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method for controlling a self-balancing vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring a state of a parameter input from a user through a pedal of the self-balancing vehicle, the parameter being different from a center of gravity of the user; and
when the state of the parameter indicates that a change in a value of the parameter has occurred, comparing the change in the value of the parameter to a threshold value; and
when the change in the value of the parameter is larger than the threshold value, controlling operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change.

Assignees

• Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ha Xiaolin
• Yong Xing
• Zhang Xiaotong
• Lin Shangquan

Classifications

• B60L2200/16

  Single-axle vehicles · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L2250/26

  by pedal actuation · CPC title

• B60L2200/12

  Bikes · CPC title

• B60L2240/42

  related to electric machines · CPC title