Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12589039-B2
Application number	US-202418590947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 29, 2023
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a vehicle body frame; a drive unit, provided in the vehicle body frame and movable on a road surface; a seat, arranged above the vehicle body frame and supporting buttocks of a user; a lifting device, provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat and lifting or lowering the seat between a low position and a high position; a position specifier, provided in the vehicle body frame and detecting a position of the vehicle; and a control device, controlling the drive unit and the lifting device. The control device includes an inclination specifier that specifies a road surface inclination angle at the position of the vehicle based on a detection result of the position specifier. When the seat is at the low position and a lifting prohibition condition is satisfied, the control device prohibits lifting drive of the lifting device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body frame; a drive unit, provided in the vehicle body frame and movable on a road surface; a seat, arranged above the vehicle body frame and supporting buttocks of a user; a lifting device, provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat and lifting or lowering the seat between a low position and a high position; a position specifier, provided in the vehicle body frame and detecting a position of the vehicle; and a control device, controlling the drive unit and the lifting device, wherein the control device comprises an inclination specifier that specifies a road surface inclination angle of the road surface at the position of the vehicle based on a detection result of the position specifier; and in response to the seat being at the low position and a lifting prohibition condition comprising a condition related to the road surface inclination angle being satisfied, the control device prohibits lifting drive of the lifting device.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device stores an inclination map indicating a relationship between the position and the road surface inclination angle; and, based on the inclination map, the inclination specifier specifies the road surface inclination angle at the position specified by the position specifier.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is configured to be able to communicate with a server that stores an inclination map indicating a relationship between the position and the road surface inclination angle; and the inclination specifier communicates with the server, thereby specifying the road surface inclination angle at the position specified by the position specifier.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein,
in response to the seat being at the high position and a lowering condition being satisfied, the control device performs lowering drive of the lifting device; and the lowering condition comprises that the road surface inclination angle of the road surface ahead in a traveling direction is equal to or greater than a second angle threshold.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein,
in response to the seat being at the high position and the road surface ahead in a traveling direction satisfying an avoidance condition, the control device controls the drive unit to avoid forward movement in the traveling direction; and the avoidance condition comprises that the road surface inclination angle of the road surface ahead in the traveling direction is equal to or greater than a third angle threshold.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle further comprises at least one leg extending downward from the seat and having a roller at a lower end; in response to the seat being at the high position, the roller leaves the road surface; and in response to the seat being at the low position, the roller contacts the road surface.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device controls the drive unit based on inverted pendulum control.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive unit is movable in all directions along the road surface.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the lifting prohibition condition comprises at least a condition that the road surface inclination angle specified by the inclination specifier is equal to or greater than a first angle threshold.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the drive unit comprises an electric motor and a power drive unit that supplies electric power to the electric motor; the control device determines whether the vehicle has an abnormality; the vehicle further comprises:
a battery, provided in the vehicle body frame;
an SOC acquisition part, acquiring a state of charge of the battery; and
a temperature acquisition part, acquiring a temperature of at least one of the power drive unit, the electric motor, and the battery; and
the lifting prohibition condition comprises at least one of following: the road surface inclination angle being equal to or greater than the first angle threshold; the temperature of the power drive unit being equal to or greater than a first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor being equal to or greater than a first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery being equal to or greater than a first battery temperature threshold; the state of charge of the battery being equal to or less than a first SOC threshold; and the control device detecting an abnormality in the vehicle.

11 . A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body frame; a drive unit, provided in the vehicle body frame and causing the vehicle body frame to move with respect to a road surface; a roller, provided to be able to be lifted and lowered with respect to the vehicle body frame and displaceable to a landing position in contact with the road surface and a lifting position away from the road surface; a lifting device, lifting or lowering the roller between the landing position and the lifting position; a position specifier, provided in the vehicle body frame and detecting a position of the vehicle; and a control device, controlling the drive unit and the lifting device, wherein the control device comprises an inclination specifier that specifies a road surface inclination angle of the road surface at the position of the vehicle based on a detection result of the position specifier, and, in response to a lifting prohibition condition comprising a condition related to the road surface inclination angle being satisfied, the control device controls the lifting device to prohibit the roller from occupying the lifting position.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Goto Masaki
• Sakamoto Tomokazu
• Kimura Yuta
• Ozaki Kazumasa

Classifications

• A61G5/1059

  adjusting the height of the seat · CPC title

• A61G5/041 Primary

  having a specific drive-type · CPC title

• A61G2203/42

  for inclination · CPC title

• B60L58/25

  by controlling the electric load · CPC title

• B60L2240/642

  Slope of road · CPC title