Attitude estimation apparatus and transportation machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919358-B2
Application number	US-201816127746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

An attitude estimation apparatus includes an attitude estimation unit for estimating the roll angle and pitch angle of a movable body and for using a calculation process to estimate an offset error for at least one of first, second and third angular velocity detection units and first, second and third acceleration detection units. The attitude estimation unit estimates the roll angle and pitch angle of the movable body and the offset error for at least one detection unit based on detected values from the first, second and third angular velocity detection units, detected values from the first, second and third acceleration detection units, a detected value from the velocity information detection unit, an estimated value of the roll angle from a previous estimation operation, an estimated value of the pitch angle from the previous estimation operation, and an estimated value of the offset error from the previous estimation operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An attitude estimation apparatus for estimating an attitude of a movable body, the attitude estimation apparatus comprising:
a first angular velocity detection sensor configured to detect a first angular velocity, the first angular velocity being an angular velocity of the movable body about a first axis;
a second angular velocity detection sensor configured to detect a second angular velocity, the second angular velocity being an angular velocity of the movable body about a second axis, the second axis being in a direction different from a direction of the first axis;
a third angular velocity detection sensor configured to detect a third angular velocity, the third angular velocity being an angular velocity of the movable body about a third axis, the third axis being in a direction different from the direction of the first axis and the direction of the second axis;
a first acceleration detection sensor configured to detect a first acceleration, the first acceleration being an acceleration of the movable body in a first direction;
a second acceleration detection sensor configured to detect a second acceleration, the second acceleration being an acceleration of the movable body in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction;
a third acceleration detection sensor configured to detect a third acceleration, the third acceleration being an acceleration of the movable body in a third direction, the third direction being different from the first direction and the second direction;
a velocity information detection sensor configured to detect information about a moving velocity in a direction of advance of the movable body; and
at least one of an electronic control unit or electronic circuitry configured to implement an attitude estimation unit configured to estimate a roll angle and a pitch angle of the movable body, and to estimate, using a calculation process, an offset error for at least one detection sensor of detection sensors including the first angular velocity detection sensor, the second angular velocity detection sensor, the third angular velocity detection sensor, the first acceleration detection sensor, the second acceleration detection sensor, or the third acceleration detection sensor,
wherein, in a current estimation operation, the attitude estimation unit estimates the roll angle and pitch angle of the movable body and the offset error for the at least one detection sensor based on a detected value from the first angular velocity detection sensor, a detected value from the second angular velocity detection sensor, a detected value from the third angular velocity detection sensor, a detected value from the first acceleration detection sensor, a detected value from the second acceleration detection sensor, a detected value from the third acceleration detection sensor, a detected value from the velocity information detection sensor, an estimated value of the roll angle from a previous estimation operation, an estimated value of the pitch angle from the previous estimation operation, and an estimated value of the offset error from the previous estimation operation;
wherein the attitude estimation unit estimates offset errors for the first angular velocity detection sensor, the second angular velocity detection sensor and the third angular velocity detection sensor;
wherein the attitude estimation unit further estimates the moving velocity in the direction of advance of the movable body;
wherein the attitude estimation unit estimates the offset error for the first acceleration detection sensor, the second acceleration detection sensor or the third acceleration detection sensor;
wherein the attitude estimation apparatus provides the estimated attitude of the movable body to at least one of a navigation system or a headlight driving system to control the at least one of the navigation system or the headlight driving system, or controls at least one of a driving power, braking force or suspension of the movable body based on information relating to the estimated attitude of the movable body;
wherein the attitude estimation unit includes a Kalman filter configured to, in the current estimation operation, estimate the roll angle and pitch angle of the movable body and the offset error for the at least one detection sensor using a relationship between the detected value from the first angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the second angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the third angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the first acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the second acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the third acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the velocity information detection sensor, the estimated value of the roll angle from the previous estimation operation, the estimated value of the pitch angle from the previous estimation operation, and the estimated value of the offset error from the previous estimation operation; and
wherein, in the current estimation operation, the Kalman filter estimates the roll angle and pitch angle of the movable body and the offset error for the at least one detection sensor using a characteristic equation in which a value of a predetermined function is a constant, the function having, as elements, the detected value from the first angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the second angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the third angular velocity detection senior, the detected value from the first acceleration detection sensor, the estimated value of the roll angle from the previous estimation operation, the estimated value of the pitch angle from the previous estimation operation, and the estimated value of the offset error from the previous estimation operation.

2. The attitude estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first acceleration detection sensor detects an acceleration of the movable body in a top bottom direction, and the attitude estimation unit estimates the offset error for the first acceleration detection sensor based on the detected acceleration of the movable body in the top-bottom direction.

3. The attitude estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first angular velocity detection sensor detects a roll angular velocity of the movable body,
the second angular velocity detection sensor detects a yaw acceleration of the movable body, and
the third angular velocity detection sensor detects a pitch angular velocity of the movable body.

4. The attitude estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic equation is an equation derived from an equation of a rotary motion of the movable body about the first axis.

5. The attitude estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the electronic control unit or electronic circuitry are further configured to implement:
a load estimation unit configured to estimate a load applied to at least one of a front wheel or a rear wheel included in the movable body,
where the load estimation unit estimates the load based on the detected value from the first angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the second angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the third angular velocity detection sensor, the detected value from the first acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the second acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the third acceleration detection sensor, the detected value from the velocity information detection sensor, and the roll angle of the movable body, the pitch angle of the movable body and the offset error for the at least one detection sensor estimated by the attitude e

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Go
• Fujii Takahiro

Classifications

• B60W40/105 Primary

  Speed · CPC title

• B60G17/01908 Primary

  Acceleration or inclination sensors (characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08) · CPC title

• B62J45/414

  Acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B60W40/112

  Roll movement · CPC title

• B60W2520/14

  Yaw · CPC title