JP7752582B2 - Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program.

Traditionally, vehicles with inverted pendulum-controlled drive wheels (hereinafter referred to as "inverted pendulum vehicles") have been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Inverted pendulum vehicles are vehicles with a unique steering method that differs from general vehicles such as passenger cars, and as such, have a wide range of uses. For example, they can be used for leisure purposes to enjoy a unique physical experience, or as caregiving aids to assist the mobility of physically disabled people.

Patent No. 7009535

Inverted pendulum vehicles can detect the user's tilt and move in the tilted direction, but when traveling long distances, the vehicle needs to remain tilted, which can be a burden to the user.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to improve vehicle operability in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. This will ultimately further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program of the present invention employ the following configuration.

(1): A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor that detects tilting of the posture of a user riding in the vehicle, and a control unit that causes the vehicle to travel at a predetermined speed in the direction of the user's tilt based on the detection results of the sensor, and the control unit continues the traveling state of the vehicle when a specific operation is received from the user while the vehicle is traveling due to the user's tilt.

(2): In the above aspect (1), an operation reception unit is further provided that receives operations by the user, and the specific operation is an operation on a mechanical switch or a GUI switch provided on the operation reception unit.

(3): In the above aspect (1), the specific operation is the user continuing to tilt the device for a predetermined period of time.

(4): In the aspect (1) above, when the control unit receives a specific operation from the user and a cancellation operation from the user while the vehicle is continuing to travel, the control unit cancels the continuation of the traveling state.

(5): In the above aspect (4), an operation reception unit is further provided that receives operations by the user, and the release operation is an operation on a mechanical switch or a GUI switch provided on the operation reception unit.

(6): In the above aspect (4), the release operation is tilting the user's posture in a direction other than the tilting direction.

(7): In the above aspect (4), the control unit cancels the continuation of the running state when it receives a cancellation operation in an operation manner similar to the operation manner of a specific operation for continuing the running state of the host vehicle.

(8): In the aspect (4) above, when the control unit receives the release operation and releases the running state of the host vehicle, it decelerates or stops the host vehicle.

(9): In the above aspect (1), the predetermined speed is set based on the tilt angle of the user's posture.

(10): In the above aspect (1), the vehicle is capable of a first inverted state in which it stands upright using the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, a second inverted state in which it can maintain an inverted state including ground contact means other than the main wheels, or a third inverted state in which it maintains an inverted state by restricting the movement of the vehicle, and the control unit enables the user to travel by leaning in the first inverted state or the second inverted state.

(11): A vehicle control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer detects tilting of the posture of a user riding in the vehicle, and based on the detection result, causes the vehicle to travel at a predetermined speed in the direction of the user's tilt, and while the vehicle is traveling due to the user's tilting, if a specific operation is received from the user, causes the vehicle to continue traveling.

(12): A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to detect tilting of the posture of a user riding in the vehicle, and based on the detection result, causes the vehicle to travel at a predetermined speed in the direction of the user's tilting, and while the vehicle is traveling due to the user's tilting, if a specific operation is received from the user, causes the vehicle to continue traveling.

Aspects (1) to (12) above can improve the operability of the vehicle.

1 is a first external view showing a schematic configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a second external view showing the outline of the configuration of the inverted pendulum type vehicle according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a third external view showing the outline of the configuration of the inverted pendulum type vehicle according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is an image diagram showing a state in which a user is riding in a vehicle 100 in a ground-taken state. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an omnidirectional wheel 101. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of operation of the vehicle 100. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of operation of the vehicle 100. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a diagram for explaining the details of the movement control of the vehicle 100 by the drive control unit 330. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing for continuing the traveling state of the vehicle 100. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process for canceling the continuation of the traveling state of the vehicle 100.

Embodiments of a vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, it is assumed that the vehicle control device is mounted on an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a mobile body that can carry a user and move using power supplied from, for example, a battery mounted on the vehicle. Furthermore, in the following, an inverted pendulum vehicle will be used as an example of an electric vehicle.

[Summary]
FIGS. 1 to 3 are external views showing a schematic configuration of an inverted pendulum vehicle 100 according to an embodiment. The inverted pendulum vehicle 100 is an example of a "host vehicle" and will be referred to simply as the "vehicle 100" below. FIGS. 1 to 3 respectively show a front view, a side view, and a rear view of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a single-seater electric mobility vehicle that includes a vehicle base 10 equipped with driving mechanisms such as wheels and a motor, and a passenger section 20 that includes a seat 21, a backrest 22, a headrest 23, and armrests 24. The vehicle 100 is capable of autonomously maintaining an inverted balance state through balance control. More specifically, the vehicle 100 includes omnidirectional wheels (an example of main wheels) 101 that enable the vehicle 100 to move in any direction, forward, backward, left, or right, starting from a contact point. The vehicle 100 maintains an inverted balance state through feedback control of the vehicle's direction of travel and acceleration in accordance with the vehicle's balance state. This type of balance control allows the vehicle 100 to move or stand still while maintaining the inverted state. For this type of balance control, the vehicle 100 is equipped with various sensors (not shown) that detect the balance state of the vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the inverted state of the vehicle 100 achieved by this type of balance control will be referred to as the "first inverted state." Figure 1 shows the vehicle 100 in the first inverted state.

On the other hand, the vehicle 100 is equipped with multiple training wheels 102-1 to 102-4 (hereinafter collectively referred to as training wheels 102), and is also capable of standing upright in a naturally balanced manner with the support of the training wheels 102. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 stands upright naturally with the training wheels 102 without balance control will be referred to as the "second inverted state." Figure 2 shows the vehicle 100 in the second inverted state. For example, in the first inverted state, the vehicle 100 holds the training wheels 102 in a high position so that they do not touch the ground, and when transitioning to the second inverted state, the training wheels 102 are moved to a lower position so that they touch the ground. The training wheels 102 are configured so that their vertical movement (arrow A1 shown in Figure 1) can be controlled to allow for such position changes. Additionally, in this embodiment, in the second inverted state, the omnidirectional wheels 101 as well as the auxiliary wheels 102 come into contact with the ground, and the vehicle 100 can move in any direction even in the second inverted state by controlling the omnidirectional wheels 101. The auxiliary wheels 102 are an example of a ground contact means for achieving the second inverted state by forming multiple ground contact points different from the ground contact points of the omnidirectional wheels 101.

In the second inverted state, the lower the height of the vehicle base 10, the more stable the balance during movement. Therefore, the vehicle base 10 may be configured to be able to control its vertical movement so that its height in the second inverted state is lower than its height in the first inverted state. In this case, the vehicle 100 can transition to the second inverted state by lowering the height of the vehicle base 10 and moving the auxiliary wheels 102 downward relative to the vehicle base 10. In this case, the ground contact state of the omnidirectional wheels 101 remains the same between the first and second inverted states. Therefore, if the height of the vehicle base 10 is used as a reference, the transition from the first inverted state to the second inverted state can be said to be achieved by moving the omnidirectional wheels 101 upward and the auxiliary wheels 102 downward. Therefore, in order to change the height of the vehicle base 10, the omnidirectional wheels 101 may be configured to be able to control their vertical movement (arrow A2 shown in FIG. 1 ) relative to the vehicle base 10.

On the other hand, the vehicle 100 is equipped with multiple stoppers 103-1 to 103-4 (hereinafter collectively referred to as stoppers 103). The support of the stoppers 103 prevents the vehicle 100 from moving from its stopping position, allowing it to remain stationary at that position. Figure 3 shows the vehicle 100 stopped at its stopping position by the stoppers 103. The stoppers 103 shown in the figure prevent the vehicle 100 from moving by friction with the floor (ground) and are configured to be able to control vertical movement (arrow A3 shown in Figure 1) to adjust the friction. Note that the stoppers 103 are not limited to this configuration. For example, the stoppers 103 may be locking mechanisms that prevent the omnidirectional wheels 101 and training wheels 102 from rotating, or brake mechanisms that suppress rotation. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 is stopped at its stopping position by the stoppers 103 will be referred to as the "third inverted state." In the third inverted state, the movement of the vehicle 100 is restricted and the inverted state is maintained. The balance control may be continued or temporarily suspended in the third inverted state.

Also, in Figure 1, arrow A4 indicates that the headrest 23 can be moved up and down relative to the backrest 22. For example, the headrest 23 is connected to the backrest 22 by a guide 23G, and its height can be adjusted by sliding the guide 23G inward or outward relative to the backrest 22. The height of the headrest 23 can be adjusted by manual sliding, or electrically by controlling a drive unit such as a motor.

Also in Figure 2, arrow A5 indicates that the armrest 24 can be rotated up and down around the end on the backrest 22 side as a fulcrum. Also in Figure 2, arrow A6 indicates that the seat 21 can slide horizontally relative to the vehicle base 10 from its reference position 21b. For example, in the example of Figure 2, reference position 21b may be the position closest to the backrest 22 within the movable range of the seat 21. Also, Figure 2 indicates that in the vehicle 100, the vehicle base 10 has a footrest 25 facing forward.

1 to 3 also show that an operation panel 110, which the user (passenger) uses to operate the vehicle 100, is installed on the armrest 24 on the right arm side. For example, the operation panel 110 includes a display, mechanical switches such as buttons, switches, and levers, a speaker, a microphone, and the like, and is configured to input and output information related to the operation of the vehicle 100 to and from a control unit (not shown) of the vehicle 100. For example, the operation panel 110 may display operation menu information output from the control unit on a display, and accept operation inputs for the operation menu and other operation instructions (e.g., specific operations described below) via buttons and switches. The operation panel 110 may also output audio from a speaker, such as explanations of the operation menu and various sound effects, or may accept audio operation inputs via a microphone. The operation panel 110 may also be a touch panel device capable of input and output. In this case, images representing GUI (Graphical User Interface) switches and icons are displayed on the display, and by selecting a specific image, information associated with that image is accepted.

Note that the operation panel 110 does not necessarily have to be installed in the armrest 24 on the right arm side. For example, the operation panel 110 may be installed in the armrest 24 on the left arm side, or in both the armrests 24 on the right arm side and the armrests 24 on the left arm side, or may be configured to be detachable from the armrest 24 and storable in any armrest 24. The operation panel 110 may also be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. In this case, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) is performed between the mobile terminal and the vehicle 100.

The vehicle 100 is assumed to have a displacement mechanism (not shown) such as rails, guides, gears, drive wheels, and motors for the above-mentioned omnidirectional wheels 101, training wheels 102, stoppers 103, up and down movement of the headrest 23, rotational movement of the armrest 24, and horizontal movement of the seat 21. The displacement mechanism is not limited to a specific one as long as it can achieve the above-mentioned up and down movement, rotational movement, and horizontal movement. Furthermore, the term "displacement" as used here refers to a change in the position or orientation of an object, and does not mean that the object itself is deformed or distorted due to external forces, stress, or the like. A displacement mechanism may be provided for each type of movement (up and down movement, rotational movement, and horizontal movement), or for each part to be moved. Furthermore, when multiple displacement mechanisms are configured, one displacement mechanism may be configured to share some components with other displacement mechanisms.

Figure 4 is an illustration of a user aboard vehicle 100 in a take-off state. As mentioned above, balance control is required in a take-off state. Figure 4 illustrates a situation in which vehicle 100 maintains its balance by controlling omnidirectional wheels 101. In this situation, if the user performs steering operations, vehicle 100 will maintain balance and travel in the supported direction of travel. However, if the user does not perform steering operations, vehicle 100 will continue to balance and remain inverted on the spot. Note that vehicle 100 of this embodiment is equipped with omnidirectional wheels as omnidirectional wheels 101. With this configuration, vehicle 100 of this embodiment can move forward in any direction within 360 degrees from its current position (inverted state).

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of the omnidirectional wheel 101. The omnidirectional wheel 101 comprises, for example, a large-diameter wheel 101A and multiple small-diameter wheels 101B arranged around the circumference of the large-diameter wheel 101A. The large-diameter wheel 101A is a wheel that primarily realizes linear movement in the forward and backward directions. The small-diameter wheels 101B are wheels that primarily realize lateral movement on the spot by rotating in the direction of arrow RB around the rotation direction of the large-diameter wheel 101A (circumferential direction; arrow RA) as an axis. The omnidirectional wheel 101 drives the rotation of the large-diameter wheel 101A and the small-diameter wheel 101B with independently controllable motors (not shown). This configuration allows the omnidirectional wheel 101 to move forward, backward, left, right, or diagonally from its current location.

The vehicle 100 may also be equipped with turning wheels in addition to the omnidirectional wheels 101. For example, the turning wheels are arranged as rear wheels of the omnidirectional wheels 101, and can change the direction of the vehicle 100 by rotating on an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the large diameter wheels 101A. In other words, when only the turning wheels are rotated, the vehicle 100 can be rotated in place, and when the large diameter wheels 101A and the turning wheels are rotated simultaneously, the vehicle 100 can be turned forward and forward while changing direction in the direction of travel.

Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of vehicle operation. For simplicity, the vehicle 100 in a takeoff state is shown in a simplified form, with only the vehicle base 10, seat 21, and omnidirectional wheels 101 shown. However, the vehicle 100 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is the same as that described in Figures 1 to 4. The vehicle 100 is equipped with a sensor that detects the tilting movement (tilting) of a user U riding in the vehicle 100. Note that the sensor may detect the balance state of the vehicle 100 based on, for example, the weight shift caused by the user U's tilting. The vehicle 100 is configured to balance the vehicle based on the detection results of the sensor.

Figure 6 shows a case where user U shifts their weight on a vehicle 100 configured in this way by tilting their body (e.g., upper body) to the right, with the front facing the page. In this case, the vehicle 100 moves to the right, the tilting direction, to regain balance lost due to the user U's weight shift. Figure 7 also shows a case where user U shifts their weight forward (to the left on the page), in which case the vehicle 100 moves forward to regain balance. By performing this type of balance control, user U can instruct the vehicle 100 on the direction of movement by shifting their weight in the direction they want to go.

Furthermore, if the user U significantly tilts their posture and shifts their weight, the vehicle 100 is controlled to move faster in order to regain balance. In other words, the direction and speed of movement of the vehicle 100 are controlled based on the tilt direction and tilt angle of the user U. For example, in FIG. 6, the vehicle 100 controls the speed to the right to increase as the tilt angle θ1 of the user U relative to the right of the vehicle 100 (the angle formed by the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the figure) relative to the surface on which the vehicle 100 is running and the direction above the user U's head when tilting) increases. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 7, the vehicle 100 controls the speed to the forward direction to increase as the tilt angle θ2 of the user U relative to the front of the vehicle 100 increases. In this way, the user U can adjust the speed of movement of the vehicle 100 by changing the magnitude of the tilt angle.

Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) the magnitude of the tilt angles θ1 and θ2, the vehicle 100 may adjust the speed according to the time that the user U is tilting their posture (time that the weight is being shifted). In this case, the vehicle 100 controls the speed so that the longer the time that the body posture is tilted, the faster the speed becomes. The vehicle 100 may also set an upper limit on the speed and control the speed so that it does not exceed the upper limit. Note that the upper limit may be set to a different value for the first inverted state and the second inverted state, for example. This can further improve the safety of the user U.

Furthermore, when the user U shifts their weight (tilts their body) in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 controls the vehicle 100 to decelerate to a predetermined speed or stop. In this case, the vehicle 100 may be controlled so that the amount of deceleration increases depending on the magnitude of the tilt angle and the tilt time. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 may be controlled to gradually decelerate and stop when the moving person U shifts their weight in the direction opposite to the direction of travel. The above-mentioned speed control is performed by the control unit 300, which will be described later.

[Overall configuration]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle 100 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 100 includes, for example, an operation panel 110, a sensor 120, a camera 130, a wireless communication unit 140, a location information acquisition unit 150, an indicator 160, a storage unit 170, an internal battery 180, a drive unit 200, and a control unit 300. The control unit 300 is implemented by a hardware processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), executing a program (software). Furthermore, part or all of the control unit 300 may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry), such as a large-scale integration (LSI), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as the storage unit 170, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage unit 170 of the vehicle 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) in a drive device. The operation panel 110, the sensor 120, and the control unit 300 are an example of a "vehicle control device."

As described above, the operation panel 110 is a device that provides the user with a user interface for operating the vehicle 100. For example, the operation panel 110 accepts operation input from the user U regarding the operation of the vehicle 100 and outputs it to the control unit 300, and also outputs various information output from the control unit 300. The operation panel 110 is an example of an "operation reception unit."

The sensor 120 detects the tilt of the user U riding in the vehicle 100. The sensor 120 may also detect the balance state of the vehicle 100 based on the weight shift caused by the tilt of the user U. The sensor 120 includes, for example, a sensor that detects the pressure (load) on the seat 21 or the pressure distribution on the top surface of the seat, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor that detects the three-dimensional inertial motion of the vehicle 100, an acceleration sensor that detects translational motion, and a gyro sensor that detects rotational motion. The sensor 120 also detects the tilt (weight shift) of the user U based on the pressure distribution and the tilt of the vehicle 100. The sensor 120 outputs the detection results to the control unit 300.

The camera 130 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 100. For example, the camera 130 captures images of the surroundings at a predetermined interval or at a predetermined timing. The camera 130 outputs image data of the captured images of the surroundings of the vehicle to the control unit 300.

The wireless communication unit 140 is a communication interface that enables the vehicle 100 to communicate with other devices. The wireless communication unit 140 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) interface based on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or the like, or a WAN (Wide Area Network) interface for connecting to a cellular network, dedicated line, or the like.

The location information acquisition unit 150 acquires location information of the vehicle 100. The location information acquisition unit 150 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) transmitter, acquires location information of the vehicle 100, and outputs it to the control unit 300.

The indicator 160 is a device such as a sign, gauge, display, pointer, or index, and is a device that provides various indications regarding the vehicle 100 in response to instructions from the control unit 300.

The memory unit 170 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory. The memory unit 170 stores various setting information 171 related to the control of the vehicle 100. The setting information 171 is referenced or updated by the control unit 300. The setting information 171 includes, for example, the speed (including acceleration and deceleration) and upper speed limit of the vehicle 100 according to the user U's tilting magnitude (tilting angle) and tilting time, the height of the seat position for each user U in the first to third inverted states, and information regarding the height of the seat position when getting on and off the vehicle 100 in a specified area. A specified area is, for example, a toilet (where the toilet seat is located), a chair, a sofa, or other predetermined location where the user U gets on and off the vehicle 100. At least a portion of the setting information 171 can be set by the user U using the operation panel 110.

The internal battery 180 functions as a power source that supplies power to each part of the vehicle 100. The internal battery 180 may be a rechargeable storage battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a nickel-cadmium battery. The internal battery 180 may be fixed to the vehicle 100 or may be detachable from the vehicle 100. The internal battery 180 can be charged, for example, by an external power supply device while attached to or detached from the vehicle 100.

The drive unit 200 is a collection of various displacement mechanisms that change the position or posture of each part of the vehicle 100. The term "collection" here refers to a conceptual collection, and does not necessarily mean that the displacement mechanisms are physically assembled together. In other words, the displacement mechanisms may be physically separate, or may share some or all of the same mechanism. The operation of the drive unit 200 is controlled by the control unit 300.

More specifically, the drive unit 200 includes, for example, an omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210, an auxiliary wheel drive unit 220, a stopper drive unit 230, a seat drive unit 240, a headrest drive unit 250, and an armrest drive unit 260. The omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210 is a drive unit that drives the omnidirectional wheels 101. The auxiliary wheel drive unit 220 is a drive unit that drives the auxiliary wheels 102. The stopper drive unit 230 is a drive unit that drives the stopper 103. The seat drive unit 240 is a drive unit that drives the seat 21. The headrest drive unit 250 is a drive unit that drives the headrest 23. The armrest drive unit 260 is a drive unit that drives the armrest 24.

The control unit 300 has the function of controlling the operation of each part of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the control unit 300 determines the control content of each part based on various information acquired from the operation panel 110, sensor 120, camera 130, wireless communication unit 140, position information acquisition unit 150, and memory unit 170, and controls the operation of each part based on the determined control content. For example, the control unit 300 includes a main control unit 310 that performs overall control of the vehicle 100, a surrounding recognition unit 320 that recognizes the situation around the vehicle, and a drive control unit 330 that has control functions corresponding to the various drive units of the drive unit 200.

The main control unit 310 controls the state of the vehicle 100 while it is running or stopped based on the driving operation (manual driving) by the user U or automatic driving control. For example, the main control unit 310 controls each component of the drive control unit 330 (described below) based on the recognition results by the surroundings recognition unit 320, manual operation by the user U, etc.

The periphery recognition unit 320 recognizes objects (e.g., transfer objects, obstacles, handrails, etc.) around the vehicle 100 (within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 100) based on the detection results of the sensor 120 and image data captured by the camera 130. The periphery recognition unit 320 may also recognize characteristic information such as the type, shape, position, and orientation of the object based on well-known image analysis processing of the image data. The periphery recognition unit 320 may also recognize the situation around the vehicle 100 (e.g., the location of the vehicle 100) by referring to map information, etc., based on the position information of the vehicle 100 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 150. The periphery recognition unit 320 may also determine whether the vehicle 100 is located within a predetermined area based on the position information of the vehicle 100. The predetermined area may be, for example, an area registered in the area information of the setting information 171, or a specific area included in the map information (e.g., a public restroom).

The drive control unit 330 includes, for example, an omnidirectional wheel control unit 331, an auxiliary wheel control unit 332, a stopper control unit 333, a seat control unit 334, a headrest control unit 335, and an armrest control unit 336. The omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 controls the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210. The auxiliary wheel control unit 332 controls the auxiliary wheel drive unit 220. The stopper control unit 333 controls the stopper drive unit 230. The seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240. The headrest control unit 335 controls the headrest drive unit 250. The armrest control unit 336 controls the armrest drive unit 260.

For example, the main control unit 310 can cause the omnidirectional wheels 101 to move in omnidirectional directions or move the omnidirectional wheels 101 up and down by controlling the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210 via the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331. Note that omnidirectional movement by the omnidirectional wheels 101 includes movement in a first inverted state and movement in a second inverted state, and the control of the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210 includes balance control based on the detection results of the sensor 120. By performing balance control, the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 can move the vehicle 100 while maintaining the inverted state of the vehicle 100.

In addition, in the second inverted state, the main control unit 310 controls the auxiliary wheel drive unit 220 via the auxiliary wheel control unit 332 to move the auxiliary wheels 102. The main control unit 310 can also move the auxiliary wheels 102 up and down. The vehicle 100 can also move the stoppers 103 up and down via control of the stopper drive unit 230 via the stopper control unit 333. In this way, the main control unit 310 controls one of the following inverted states: a first inverted state in which the vehicle 100 stands upright using the ground contact point of the omnidirectional wheel 101 as a fulcrum; a second inverted state in which the vehicle 100 can maintain an inverted state including the auxiliary wheels 102, which are ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheel 101; and a third inverted state in which the vehicle 100 is maintained in an inverted state by preventing movement using a locking mechanism or the like. The main control unit 310 is an example of an "inverted state control unit."

The seat control unit 334 also controls the seat drive unit 240 to slide and move the seat 21 horizontally. More specifically, the seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 based on the inverted state of the vehicle. The seat control unit 334 also controls the seat drive unit 240 to move the seat 21 vertically. When the vehicle 100 is within a specified area, the main control unit 310 performs control to stop the vehicle at a specified position, switch the inverted state, and adjust the height of the seating surface of the seat 21.

The headrest control unit 335 can move the headrest 23 in the vertical direction by controlling the headrest drive unit 250. The armrest control unit 336 can move the armrest 24 in a rotational manner around a fulcrum by controlling the armrest drive unit 260.

The drive control unit 330 may control the drive units to be operated based on the content input by the user to the operation panel 110, or may control each drive unit based on the situation around the vehicle recognized by the surroundings recognition unit 320, or may control each drive unit based on the state of the vehicle (balance state, position, posture, etc.) detected by the sensor 120 or the position information acquisition unit 150, or may control each drive unit based on the overall control of the main control unit 310. For example, as described above, the drive control unit 330 controls the vehicle 100 to travel in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed (e.g., a speed corresponding to the angle of tilt of the user U's posture or the time during which the posture is tilted) based on the tilt of the user U's posture (weight shift).

Here, when moving the vehicle 100, the user U needs to tilt their posture (shift their weight) in the desired direction of movement. However, when moving the vehicle 100 over a long distance, the tilted state needs to be maintained, which makes the user U's posture uncomfortable and increases the burden on the user U in operating the vehicle. Therefore, in the embodiment, when the drive control unit 330 receives a specific operation from the user U while the vehicle 100 is moving by tilting in the first inverted state or the second inverted state in which the vehicle is movable, it maintains (keeps) the current running state (movement direction and movement speed) of the vehicle 100. As a result, after the specific operation, the current moving state is maintained until a release operation is received, even if the user U's posture returns to its original state (the body is not tilted).

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the movement control of the vehicle 100 by the drive control unit 330. The example in Figure 9 shows an example in which the user U is seated in the second inverted state, but similar control may be performed in the first inverted state. Also, in the example in Figure 9, the user U tilts the posture of his or her upper body toward the front of the vehicle 100 (the X-axis direction in the figure) at a tilt angle θ3, causing the vehicle 100 to travel forward at a speed V1 corresponding to the tilt angle θ3.

With the vehicle 100 currently in a traveling state, the user U presses the continue button on the operation panel 110 as an example of a specific operation. The continue button may be, for example, a mechanical switch on the operation panel 110, or a GUI switch on the touch panel of the operation panel 110. When the drive control unit 330 receives a continue instruction by pressing the continue button on the operation panel 110, it controls the drive of the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 to control the drive of the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210 so that the current moving direction and moving speed V1 continue even if the user U's posture returns to its original state.

Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) pressing the continue button provided on the operation panel 110, the drive control unit 330 may perform control so that the current driving state continues when the user U maintains the state at the tilt angle θ3 shown in FIG. 9 for a first predetermined time or more, as an example of a specific operation. The first predetermined time may be, for example, a fixed time or a time set in the setting information 171 (i.e., a time set by the user U). This can reduce the burden on the user U caused by maintaining a tilted posture, and can further improve the operability of the vehicle 100.

When the specific operation described above causes the vehicle 100 to continue traveling, the main control unit 310 outputs information to the indicator 160 and the operation panel 110 indicating that the vehicle 100 will continue traveling. This allows the user U to more accurately grasp the control status of the vehicle 100, and allows the user U to feel at ease and not feel uncomfortable that the vehicle 100 will continue to move even after returning to its original position. Furthermore, after the traveling status is released by the specific operation, the status remains in place until a release operation is received. Therefore, even if the user U shifts their weight without intending to change the traveling status, the vehicle 100 can continue traveling, ensuring stable movement.

Furthermore, when continuing the driving state in response to a specific operation and then canceling the continuation, the user U, for example, presses a cancel button provided on the operation panel 110. The cancel button may be, for example, a mechanical switch provided on the operation panel 110, or a GUI switch provided on the touch panel of the operation panel 110. The cancel button may be the same button as the continue button described above, or a different button. When the drive control unit 330 receives a cancel instruction from the operation panel 110 by pressing the cancel button, it cancels the continuation of the current driving state.

Note that while the vehicle is in a running state, the user U may be tilting the vehicle 100 without the intention of moving it, so if the system is operated in accordance with the user U's tilt immediately after the system is released, the user U may end up moving in an unintended direction. Therefore, when the system is released from the running state, the drive control unit 330 controls the vehicle 100 to gradually slow down to a predetermined speed or stop it.

Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) pressing a release button provided on the operation panel 110, the drive control unit 330 may release the continuous state when, as an example of a release operation, the user U tilts the device in a direction different from the direction of travel shown in FIG. 9 (the X-axis direction in the figure) for a second predetermined time or more. The different direction may be the opposite direction (the -X-axis direction in the figure) or any other different direction. The second predetermined time may be, for example, a fixed time or a time set in the setting information 171. Furthermore, the second predetermined time may be the same as or different from the first predetermined time.

Furthermore, when the drive control unit 330 cancels the continuation of the running state, it may perform control to cancel the continuation when it receives an operation mode similar to the operation mode of the specific operation that caused the running state to continue. For example, if the running state is continued by operating a button on the operation panel 110 (pressing the continue button), the drive control unit 330 will only cancel the continuation of the running state when it receives a similar button operation on the operation panel 110 (pressing the release button). Furthermore, if the running state is continued by tilting the user U, the drive control unit 330 will cancel the continuation of the running state by tilting in a different direction. This allows the user U to continue or cancel the running state using their preferred operation method, further improving operability.

When the continuation of the vehicle 100's running state is cancelled by the above-mentioned cancellation operation, the main control unit 310 outputs information indicating that the continuation of the vehicle 100's running state has been cancelled to the indicator 160 and the operation panel 110. This allows the user U to more accurately understand the control status of the vehicle 100.

The drive control unit 330 may also accept voice input for specific operations to continue the running state and for cancellation operations to cancel the continuation. For example, the drive control unit 330 continues the current running state when it receives a voice uttering "Keep!" from the user U while tilting. The drive control unit 330 also cancels the continuation of the running state when it receives a voice uttering "End Keep!" from the user U while the running state is continuing. The voice content is not limited to the above example. This allows even users U who are not good at tilting or operating the operation panel 110 to easily continue or cancel the running state, further improving the operability of the vehicle 100. The drive control unit 330 may also continue or cancel the continuation of the running state through voice input when the speed of the vehicle 100 is above a threshold. For example, when the vehicle is moving at a high speed above the threshold, a delay in operating the operation panel 110 or a delay in the user U's tilting motion may result in the vehicle continuing at a speed higher than the user U's desired speed or failing to stop at the desired location. Therefore, by allowing voice input when the speed of the vehicle 100 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the drive control unit 330 can maintain a more appropriate driving state or stop the vehicle at an appropriate position.

In addition to the above-mentioned controls, the drive control unit 330 may also perform deceleration control, etc., based on the recognition results from the surroundings recognition unit 320. For example, if there is an obstacle in the vehicle 100's direction of travel, the drive control unit 330 may perform control to decelerate or stop the vehicle 100 to avoid contact with the obstacle, or control to decelerate when traveling in a narrow space. Furthermore, if the operation panel 110 has switches for specifying the direction of travel and switches for specifying the speed, the drive control unit 330 may move the vehicle 100 in the direction and speed of travel corresponding to the switch operation.

[Processing flow]
Next, a description will be given of the processing executed by the vehicle 100 of the embodiment. Note that, of the processing executed by the vehicle 100, the following description will mainly focus on the continuation processing and continuation cancellation processing of the traveling state (movement direction and movement speed) of the vehicle 100. Note that the flow of the continuation processing and continuation cancellation processing shown below is executed, for example, when a user U is riding in the vehicle 100.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for continuing the running state of the vehicle 100. In the example of Figure 10, the drive control unit 330 determines whether the user U has tilted their posture (shifted their weight) (step S100). If it is determined that tilting has been received, the drive control unit 330 moves the vehicle 100 in a direction and at a speed that corresponds to the tilt direction and tilt angle (step S110).

Next, the drive control unit 330 determines whether a specific operation has been received to continue the current running state (movement direction and speed) of the vehicle 100 (step S120). If it is determined that a specific operation has been received, the current running state is continued (step S130). If the running state is continued by the processing of step S130, the running state of the vehicle 100 will continue even if the user U subsequently returns to their original posture (no body tilt). This ends the processing of this flowchart. Note that if it is determined in the processing of step S100 that a tilt by the user U has not been received, or if it is determined in the processing of step S120 that a specific operation to continue the running state has not been received, the processing of this flowchart ends.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for canceling the continuation of the running state of the vehicle 100. In the example of Figure 11, the drive control unit 330 determines whether the running state is continuing by the process of step S130 described above (step S200). If it is determined that the running state is continuing, the drive control unit 330 determines whether a cancellation operation for canceling the continuation has been received from the user U (step S210). If it is determined that a cancellation operation has been received, the drive control unit 330 cancels the continuation of the current running state (step S220) and gradually decelerates the vehicle 100 to a predetermined speed or stops it (step S230).

Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S210 that a specific operation for canceling the continuation of the moving state has not been received, the drive control unit 330 causes the current traveling state (movement direction and traveling speed) of the vehicle 100 to continue (step S240). This ends the processing of this flowchart. Note that if it is determined in the processing of step S200 that the traveling state is not continuing, the processing of this flowchart ends.

In the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes a sensor 120 that detects the tilt of the posture of a user U aboard the vehicle 100 (an example of a host vehicle), and a control unit 300 that causes the vehicle 100 to travel at a predetermined speed in the direction of the user U's tilt based on the detection results of the sensor 120. When the vehicle 100 is traveling due to the user U's tilt, the control unit 300 continues the traveling state of the vehicle 100 if a specific operation is received from the user U, thereby improving the operability of the vehicle. This can therefore further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Specifically, according to the embodiment, when the vehicle 100 moves by tilting using inversion control, the running state is continued with a specific operation, and the direction and speed of movement are then maintained regardless of the user's posture. Therefore, for example, even when traveling long distances using inversion control, there is no need to continue tilting the body, thereby reducing the operational burden on the user.

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions;
a processor connected to the storage medium;
The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to:
Detecting the tilt of the posture of a user riding in the vehicle;
Based on the detected result, the vehicle is caused to travel at a predetermined speed in the tilting direction of the user;
When the vehicle is traveling due to the tilting of the user, the traveling state of the vehicle is continued when a specific operation by the user is received.
Vehicle control device.

The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is in no way limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

100...inverted pendulum type vehicle, 10...vehicle base, 20...boarding section, 21...seat, 21b...reference position, 22...backrest, 23...headrest, 23G...guide, 24...armrest, 25...footrest, 101...omnidirectional wheel, 101A...large diameter wheel, 101B...small diameter wheel, 102...training wheel, 103...stopper, 110...operation panel, 120...sensor, 130...camera, 140...wireless communication unit, 150...position information acquisition unit, 160...indicator, 170...memory unit, 171...setting information 180...Internal battery, 200...Drive unit, 210...Omnidirectional wheel drive unit, 220...Auxiliary wheel drive unit, 230...Stopper drive unit, 240...Seat drive unit, 250...Headrest drive unit, 260...Armrest drive unit, 300...Control unit, 310...Main control unit, 320...Periphery recognition unit, 330...Drive control unit, 331...Omnidirectional wheel control unit, 332...Auxiliary wheel control unit, 333...Stopper control unit, 334...Seat control unit, 335...Headrest control unit, 336...Armrest control unit

Claims (10)

a sensor that detects a tilt state, which is a tilt direction and a tilt angle, of a posture of a user riding in the vehicle;
a control unit that causes the vehicle to travel in the tilting direction of the user at a speed corresponding to the tilting angle based on the detection result of the sensor;
an operation receiving unit that receives an operation by the user ,
When the control unit receives a specific operation from the user on the operation reception unit while the host vehicle is traveling in a first tilting state of the user, the control unit continues the traveling state of the host vehicle in the first tilting state even if the user changes to a tilting state different from the first tilting state .
Vehicle control device. When the operation receiving unit receives an operation to cancel the running state while the running state of the host vehicle in the first tilting state is continued in response to the specific operation, the control unit decelerates the host vehicle to a predetermined speed regardless of the tilting state of the user.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . the specific operation is an operation on a mechanical switch or a GUI switch provided on the operation reception unit,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. the specific operation is that the user continues to tilt the device for a predetermined period of time.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. the control unit, when receiving a cancellation operation from the user while the vehicle is continuing to travel after receiving a specific operation from the user, cancels the continuation of the traveling state;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 . the release operation is an operation on a mechanical switch or a GUI switch provided on the operation reception unit,
The vehicle control device according to claim 5. The control unit cancels the continuation of the running state when a cancellation operation is received in an operation manner similar to an operation manner of a specific operation for continuing the running state of the host vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 3. the host vehicle is capable of a first inverted state in which it stands upright with the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, a second inverted state in which it can maintain the inverted state including ground contact means other than the main wheels, or a third inverted state in which it maintains the inverted state by restricting the movement of the host vehicle,
the control unit enables the user to run by tilting in the first inverted state or the second inverted state.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. The computer
Detecting a tilt state, which is a tilt direction and a tilt angle of a posture of a user riding in the vehicle;
Based on the detected result, the vehicle is caused to travel in the tilting direction of the user at a speed corresponding to the tilting angle ;
When a specific operation is received from the user at an operation receiving unit that receives operations from the user while the vehicle is traveling in a first tilt state of the user , the traveling state of the vehicle in the first tilt state is continued even if the user changes to a tilt state different from the first tilt state .
Vehicle control method. On the computer,
Detecting a tilt state, which is a tilt direction and a tilt angle, of a posture of a user riding in the vehicle;
Based on the detected result, the vehicle is caused to travel in the tilting direction of the user at a speed corresponding to the tilting angle ;
When a specific operation is received from the user at an operation receiving unit that receives operations from the user while the vehicle is traveling in a first tilt state of the user , the traveling state of the vehicle in the first tilt state is continued even if the user changes to a tilt state different from the first tilt state .
program.