JP7796616B2 - Electric vehicle, control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

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

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

As mentioned above, while inverted pendulum vehicles have the potential to be used in a wide range of applications, they are vehicles with a unique method of operation. Therefore, in order to further utilize inverted pendulum vehicles, it is desirable to improve their convenience in terms of operability and safety, making them suitable for a variety of applications. In particular, in recent years, there has been increased effort to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants, and further improvements in transportation safety and convenience are desired to achieve this.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an electric vehicle, control method, and program that can improve user convenience, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

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

(1): An electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle; an inversion state control unit that controls the inversion state of the vehicle through balance control based on the detection results of the sensor to either a first inversion state in which the vehicle is inverted with the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, or a second inversion state in which the inversion state can be maintained without the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels; and a landing release lever that is a linear lever that accepts operation to release the vehicle from the second inversion state when it has landed using ground contact means other than the main wheels, and that has a remote control device at its tip that the user can use to operate the vehicle.

(2): In the above (1) aspect, the vehicle further includes a seat for a user to board the vehicle, and a control unit that synchronously adjusts the positions of the landing release lever and the seat.

(3): In the above-mentioned aspects (1) or (2), the remote control device is operable when the remote control device is installed in a predetermined position on the vehicle.

(4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), the control unit adjusts the positions of the landing release lever and the seat by controlling the operation of a drive unit that mechanically connects and drives the landing release lever and the seat.

(5): In any of the above aspects (1) to (4), the control unit adjusts the positions of the landing release lever and the seat by synchronously controlling the operation of each drive unit that independently drives the landing release lever and the seat.

(6): In any of the above aspects (1) to (5), a first lever for the right arm and a second lever for the left arm are provided as the landing release levers, and the seat moves in synchronization with either the first lever or the second lever by the control unit, and the lever to be moved in synchronization with the seat is selected in advance from either the first lever or the second lever.

(7): In any of the above aspects (1) to (6), a detection unit is further provided that detects a wheelchair approaching the vehicle, and a first lever for the right arm and a second lever for the left arm are provided as the landing release levers, and the seat is moved in synchronization with either the first lever or the second lever by the control unit, and when the detection unit detects a wheelchair approaching the vehicle, the control unit moves the lever of the first lever or the second lever that is farther from the detected wheelchair in synchronization with the seat.

(8): A control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a landing release lever, which is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the vehicle from a second inverted state in which the vehicle has landed using ground contact means other than the main wheels, and which has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the vehicle. The control method executes inverted state control, using balance control based on the detection results of the sensor, to control the inverted state of the vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted using the ground contact points of the main wheels as a fulcrum, or a second inverted state in which the vehicle can maintain the inverted state using ground contact means other than the main wheels without relying on the balance control.

(9): A program according to one aspect of the present invention is for causing an electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a landing release lever, which is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the vehicle from a second inverted state in which the vehicle has landed using ground contact means other than the main wheels, and which has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the vehicle, to execute inverted state control, using balance control based on the detection results of the sensor, to control the inverted state of the vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted using the ground contact points of the main wheels as a fulcrum, or a second inverted state in which the vehicle can maintain an inverted state using ground contact means other than the main wheels without relying on the balance control.

Aspects (1) to (9) above can improve convenience for users of inverted pendulum type vehicles.

1 is a first external view showing an outline of the configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment; 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 a diagram illustrating an example of a usage situation of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an omnidirectional wheel. FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a method for steering an inverted pendulum type vehicle. FIG. 10 is a second diagram illustrating an example of a method for steering an inverted pendulum type vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a first control example of an inverted pendulum type vehicle. 10 is a flowchart showing a second control example of an inverted pendulum type vehicle. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another method by which an inverted pendulum type vehicle recognizes an armrest of a moving object.

Embodiments of the electric vehicle, control method, and program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Summary]
FIGS. 1 to 3 are external views showing a schematic configuration of an inverted pendulum vehicle 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as vehicle 100) according to an embodiment. FIGS. 1 to 3 are front, side, and rear views, respectively, of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a single-seater electric mobility vehicle that autonomously maintains an inverted pendulum state through balance control. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle base 10 equipped with driving mechanisms such as wheels and a motor, and a passenger compartment 20 equipped with a seat 21, a seatback 22, a headrest 23, and armrests 24. More specifically, vehicle 100 is equipped with omnidirectional wheels 101 that enable it to move in any direction, forward, backward, left, or right, from a point of contact with the ground. Vehicle 100 maintains an inverted pendulum state through feedback control of the vehicle's direction of travel and acceleration in accordance with the vehicle's balance state. This balance control allows vehicle 100 to move or remain stationary while maintaining an inverted pendulum state. For this balance control, the vehicle 100 is equipped with various sensors (not shown) that detect the balance state of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the inverted state of the vehicle 100 achieved by this 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) 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) 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 stoppers 103 support the vehicle, preventing it from moving from its stopping position and 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 from moving by friction with the floor (ground) and are configured to be able to control vertical movement (arrow A3) 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 rotation of the omnidirectional wheels 101 and training wheels 102, or braking mechanisms that suppress rotation. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 is stopped at its stopping position by the stoppers 103 is referred to as the "third inverted state." Balance control may be continued or paused 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.

2, arrow A5 indicates that the armrest 24 can be rotated up and down around the end of the armrest 24 on the seat back 22 side as a fulcrum. In the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the armrest 24 is also configured to function as a landing release lever. The landing release lever is a linear lever that accepts a release operation when the vehicle 100 is in the second inverted state and has landed on the ground by a ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101 (hereinafter referred to as the "landing state"). For example, the release operation from the landing state may be an operation of rotating the armrest 24 upward as indicated by arrow A5. In addition, arrow A6 in FIG. 2 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 FIG. 2, the reference position 21b may be the position closest to the seat back 22 within the movable range of the seat 21. In addition, FIG. 2 indicates that the vehicle base 10 in the vehicle 100 has a footrest 25 facing forward.

1 to 3 also show that an operation panel 110 used by the user (passenger) to operate the vehicle 100 is installed on the right armrest 24. For example, the operation panel 110 includes a display, buttons, switches, a speaker, a microphone, etc., 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. The operation panel 110 may, for example, display operation menu information output from the control unit on a display and accept operation input for the operation menu via buttons and switches. The operation panel 110 may, for example, output audio from a speaker indicating explanations of the operation menu and various sound effects, or may accept audio operation input via a microphone. Note that the operation panel 110 does not necessarily have to be installed on the right armrest 24. For example, the operation panel 110 may be installed on the left armrest 24, or on both the right and left armrests 24, or may be detachable from the armrest 24 and configured to be storable in any armrest 24. The operation panel 110 may be connected to the vehicle 100 via a power line for receiving power from the vehicle 100 or a communication line for communicating with the vehicle 100, or may be configured as a device physically independent from the vehicle 100 if it has a built-in battery, mobile battery, or wireless communication interface. Here, the armrest 24 for the right arm is an example of a "first lever," and the armrest 24 for the left arm is an example of a "second lever."

The operation panel 110 detachable from the armrest 24 may be configured as a so-called remote control device. Hereinafter, a remote control device serving as a detachable operation panel 110 will be referred to as the remote control device 110, and the vehicle 100 of this embodiment will be equipped with the remote control device 110 as the operation panel 110. Conventionally, in such inverted pendulum type vehicles 100, the remote control device 110 has often been located deep within the vehicle 100, making it difficult and inconvenient to operate. Furthermore, in cases where the seat 21 is horizontally slidable, as in the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 of this embodiment, it is conceivable that operation of the remote control device 110 may become even more difficult depending on the position of the seat 21. Therefore, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is equipped with the remote control device 110 on the tip side of the armrest 24 (the end opposite the rotation fulcrum), and is configured so that the armrest 24 moves in synchronization with the movement of the seat 21, thereby improving user convenience.

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 ground-lifted state. As mentioned above, balance control is required in a ground-lifted 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 move in the supported direction of travel. However, if the user does not perform steering operations, vehicle 100 will continue to balance on the spot while remaining inverted. 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 an inverted state. Hereinafter, omnidirectional wheels as omnidirectional wheels 101 will be referred to as omnidirectional wheels 101.

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 ground-off state is depicted in a simplified form, showing only the vehicle base 10, seat 21, and omnidirectional wheels 101. 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 an IMU sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle, and the vehicle 100 is configured to balance itself based on the detection results of the IMU sensor. Figure 6 shows a case in which a user U shifts their weight to the right, with the front of the page being the front direction, for the vehicle 100 configured in this way. In this case, the vehicle 100 moves to the right to regain balance, which was lost due to the user U's weight shift. Figure 7 also shows a case in which the user U shifts their weight backward (to the right of the page), in which case the vehicle 100 moves backward to regain balance. By performing this balance control, the user U can instruct the vehicle 100 to move in the direction they want to go by shifting their weight in the direction they want to go. Furthermore, if the user U shifts their weight significantly, the vehicle 100 is controlled to move faster in order to regain balance. This allows the user U to adjust the speed at which the vehicle 100 moves by changing the amount of their weight shift.

[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, a remote control device 110, an IMU 120, a camera 130, a wireless communication unit 140, a position 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, for example, 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 such as the storage unit 170 (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium), 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 attaching the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) to the drive device.

As described above, the remote control device 110 is a device that provides the user with a user interface for operating the vehicle 100. For example, the remote control device 110 accepts user inputs related to the operation of the vehicle 100 and outputs them to the control unit 300, and also outputs various information output from the control unit 300.

The IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 120 is a sensor that detects three-dimensional inertial motion. The IMU 120 may include an acceleration sensor that detects translational motion and a gyro sensor that detects rotational motion. The IMU 120 outputs the detection results to the control unit 300.

The camera 130 captures images of the area around the vehicle 100. The camera 130 outputs image data of the captured image of the area around 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 (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a WAN (Wide Area Network) interface for connecting to a cellular network, dedicated line, etc.

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 itself, and outputs the information 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 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 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 seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260 are configured to operate in coordination with each other to move the seat 21 and the armrest 24 in a synchronized manner. This allows the user to adjust the position of the seat 21 and the armrest 24 in a synchronized manner. The coordinated operation of the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260 may be achieved by a physical connection or a logical connection. For example, an example of a physical connection is a mechanical connection between the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260. The seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260 may be connected via gears that provide different drive amounts, and the gear ratio may be determined based on the distance the seat 21 and the armrest 24 can be moved. Another example of a logical connection is the main control unit 310 integrally controlling the seat control unit 334 and the armrest control unit 336 so that they operate in coordination with each other.

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 remote control device 110, IMU 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. Here, the surrounding recognition unit 320 is an example of a "detection unit."

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.

The main control unit 310 controls the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 to control the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210, allowing the omnidirectional wheels 101 to move in omnidirectional directions and to move the omnidirectional wheels 101 up and down. Note that omnidirectional movement by the omnidirectional wheels 101 includes movement in a first inverted state and movement in a second inverted state, and control of the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210 in the first inverted state includes balance control based on the detection results of the IMU 120. By performing balance control, the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 can move the vehicle 100 while maintaining its inverted state in the first inverted state.

The main control unit 310 also controls the auxiliary wheel drive unit 220 via the auxiliary wheel control unit 332, allowing the vehicle 100 to move using the auxiliary wheels 102 and move the auxiliary wheels 102 up and down. The vehicle 100 also controls the stopper drive unit 230 via the stopper control unit 333, allowing the stopper 103 to move up and down. In this way, the main control unit 310 controls the inverted state of the vehicle to either a first inverted state, where the vehicle stands upright using the ground contact point of the omnidirectional wheel 101 as the fulcrum, or a second inverted state, where the vehicle can maintain the inverted state without balance control by using the auxiliary wheels 102, which are ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheel 101. 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 cause the seat 21 to slide and move horizontally. More specifically, the seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 based on the inverted state of the vehicle.

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 remote control device 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, attitude, etc.) detected by the IMU 120 or position information acquisition unit 150, or may control each drive unit based on the overall control of the main control unit 310.

Figure 9 shows an example of the process flow in which the vehicle 100 of this embodiment disables operation of the vehicle via the remote control device 110 in a specific situation. First, the main control unit 310 determines whether any operation input has been made to the remote control device 110 (step S101). If it is determined that no operation input has been made to the remote control device 110, the main control unit 310 proceeds to step S101 and repeatedly executes step S101 until an operation input is made to the remote control device 110.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that some kind of operational input has been made to the remote control device 110, the main control unit 310 determines whether the remote control device 110 is in a predetermined position in the vehicle (step S102). For example, the predetermined position is a storage section for the remote control device 110 provided in the armrest 24 (see Figures 1 to 3, etc.). To determine whether the remote control device 110 is installed in the storage section of the armrest 24, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the remote control device 110 may be provided in the storage section of the armrest 24. The predetermined position may be a single specific position, or any one of multiple positions at which the presence or absence of the remote control device 110 can be detected.

If it is determined that the remote control device 110 is not in the predetermined position, the main control unit 310 invalidates the operation input in step S101 (step S103) and returns to step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the remote control device 110 is in the predetermined position, the main control unit 310 causes the vehicle to perform an operation corresponding to the input operation (step S104).

In this embodiment, the remote control device 110 is controlled by this processing so that it is operable when installed in a predetermined position in the vehicle 100. Here, the main control unit 310 disables input operations on the remote control device 110, but the method for disabling the remote control device 110 is not limited to this. For example, if the remote control device 110 can be in an input-suppressed state in which it does not accept operational input, the main control unit 310 may disable the remote control device 110 by transitioning the state of the remote control device 110 to the input-suppressed state. Furthermore, the remote control device 110 itself may be configured to be in an input-enabled state in which it can accept operational input when installed in a predetermined position in the vehicle. For example, the remote control device 110 may be provided with a switch that transitions the remote control device 110 to an input-enabled state, and the switch may be configured to be turned on when the remote control device 110 is installed in a predetermined position in the vehicle. For example, a structure (such as a protrusion) that turns on the switch may be provided in the storage section of the remote control device 110 in the armrest 24.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for the vehicle 100 of this embodiment to move the seat 21 and armrest 24 in a synchronized manner. First, the main control unit 310 determines whether or not a wheelchair is present around the vehicle (step S201). If it is determined that a wheelchair is not present around the vehicle, the main control unit 310 returns to step S201 and repeatedly executes step S201 until a wheelchair is detected around the vehicle.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S201 that a wheelchair is present near the host vehicle, the main control unit 310 then determines whether the distance from the host vehicle to the detected wheelchair is equal to or less than a threshold (step S202). If it is determined that the distance from the host vehicle to the detected wheelchair is greater than the threshold, the main control unit 310 returns to step S201. As a result, the main control unit 310 repeatedly executes steps S201 and S202 until a wheelchair is detected within the threshold distance from the host vehicle.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S202 that the distance from the vehicle to the detected wheelchair is equal to or less than the threshold, the main control unit 310 recognizes which of the left and right armrests 24 is the armrest 24 to be moved in accordance with the input operation (step S203). For example, the main control unit 310 may recognize the armrest 24 on the side selected in advance by the user as the armrest to be moved. In this case, the user inputs an operation to the remote control device 110 in advance to set the armrest 24 to be moved, and the vehicle 100 stores the operation in the storage unit 170 within the device as setting information 171.

The main control unit 310 then controls the armrest control unit 336 so that the armrest 24, which was recognized as a movement target in step S203, moves in synchronization with the seat 21 (step S204). In this case, for example, the main control unit 310 may determine the amount of movement of the seat 21 based on the distance from the vehicle to the detected wheelchair, and then determine the amount of movement of the armrest 24 based on the determined amount of movement of the seat 21 and notify the armrest control unit 336.

Note that step S204 is an example of the main control unit 310 causing the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260 to operate in coordination through a logical connection, and is an example of the seat 21 and the armrest 24 being driven by separate power sources (e.g., the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260). However, as described above, the coordinated operation of the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260 may also be achieved by a physical connection between the seat drive unit 240 and the armrest drive unit 260. In this case, step S204 may be omitted because the armrest 24 moves in physical coordination with the seat 21.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of another method by which the vehicle 100 recognizes the armrest 24 of a moving object. The example in Figure 10 described a case in which the vehicle 100 recognizes the armrest 24 of a moving object by pre-storing setting information indicating the armrest 24 of a moving object. However, Figure 11 instead shows a method for recognizing the armrest 24 of a moving object based on the recognition results of the surroundings recognition unit 320 of the situation around the host vehicle. For example, Figure 11 shows an example in which the armrest 24 of a moving object is recognized based on the position of a wheelchair C approaching the host vehicle. Figure 11 shows a case in which surroundings recognition is performed based on an image captured by a camera 130 installed on the front portion P of the host vehicle. Note that the installation position of the camera 130 in Figure 11 is one example, and one or more cameras 130 may be installed at any location on the host vehicle as needed. In this case, for example, the surroundings recognition unit 320 performs image recognition processing on the image captured by the camera 130 to detect the wheelchair in the image and estimate the distance from the host vehicle to the detected wheelchair. Distance estimation may be achieved by using a camera with distance image sensor functionality as camera 130, or by using a distance measurement sensor separate from camera 130. The surroundings recognition unit 320 can detect the proximity of a wheelchair when the distance from the vehicle to the detected wheelchair is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold d.

For example, in the example of Figure 11, the main control unit 310 can recognize the armrest 24F (for the right arm in the example of Figure 11) that is farthest from the wheelchair C approaching the host vehicle as the armrest to be moved, out of the left and right armrests of the host vehicle. By recognizing the armrest 24 to be moved in this manner, it is possible to prevent the moving armrest 24 from interfering with the movement of the user attempting to transfer from the wheelchair C to the host vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment can also move the seat 21 in synchronization with the movement of the armrest 24, thereby providing an inverted pendulum type vehicle with greater convenience.

The vehicle 100 of the embodiment described above comprises a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle; a main control unit 310 that controls the inverted state of the vehicle through balance control based on the detection results of the sensor, to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted around the ground contact points of the omnidirectional wheels 101 as the fulcrum, or a second inverted state in which the inverted state can be maintained without balance control using the ground contact means of the omnidirectional wheels 101; and an armrest 24 that is a linear lever that can be operated to release the vehicle from the second inverted state when it has landed using ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101, and has a remote control device 110 at its tip that the user can use to operate the vehicle. By comprising such a configuration, the vehicle 100 of the embodiment can improve the convenience of users of inverted pendulum vehicles.

In the above description, the armrest 24 is described as a landing release lever that accepts an operation to release the host vehicle from the second inverted state when it has landed using a ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101. However, in this case, the "ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101 when it is in the second inverted state" is typically assumed to be the training wheels 102. Furthermore, the "ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101 when it is in the second inverted state" may be the stoppers 103, or both the training wheels 102 and the stoppers 103, other than the training wheels 102. In other words, in this sense, the armrest 24 may be a landing release lever that accepts an operation to release the host vehicle from the second inverted state or the third inverted state when it has landed using a ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101.

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a sensor for detecting a balance state of the host vehicle;
a landing release lever that is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the state in which the host vehicle is in the second inverted state and that has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the host vehicle; and
a storage device storing a program;
a hardware processor;
The hardware processor executes the program,
and executing an inverted state control that controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle is inverted around the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums by balance control based on the detection results of the sensors, or a second inverted state in which the host vehicle can maintain the inverted state without relying on the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels.
Electric vehicle.

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 (remote control device), 120...IMU, 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 (9)

a sensor for detecting a balance state of the host vehicle;
an inverted state control unit that controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle stands inverted around the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums by balance control based on the detection results of the sensors, or a second inverted state in which the host vehicle can maintain the inverted state without relying on the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels;
a landing release lever that is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the state in which the host vehicle has landed by a ground contact means other than the main wheels in the second inverted state, and that has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the host vehicle;
A seat for a user to board the vehicle;
a control unit that controls the positions of the landing release lever and the seat so that the landing release lever and the seat move synchronously in the same direction;
An electric vehicle equipped with: In the control of the position by the control unit, the moving direction and the moving amount of the landing release lever and the seat are the same.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . The remote control device is operable when the remote control device is installed in a storage unit for the remote control device provided in the vehicle.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . the control unit adjusts the positions of the landing release lever and the seat by controlling the operation of a drive unit that mechanically connects and drives the landing release lever and the seat.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . the control unit adjusts the positions of the landing release lever and the seat by synchronously controlling the operations of the drive units that independently drive the landing release lever and the seat.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . a first lever for the right arm and a second lever for the left arm as the landing release levers;
the seat is moved in synchronization with either the first lever or the second lever by the control unit,
The lever to be moved in synchronization with the seat is selected in advance from either the first lever or the second lever.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . Further comprising a detection unit that detects a wheelchair approaching the vehicle;
a first lever for the right arm and a second lever for the left arm as the landing release levers;
the seat is moved in synchronization with either the first lever or the second lever by the control unit,
When the detection unit detects a wheelchair approaching the vehicle, the control unit moves one of the first lever and the second lever, which is farther from the detected wheelchair, in synchronization with the seat.
The electric vehicle according to claim 1 . a sensor for detecting a balance state of the host vehicle;
a landing release lever that is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the state in which the host vehicle is in the second inverted state and that has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the host vehicle; and
A seat for a user to board the vehicle;
An electric vehicle comprising:
an inverted state control that controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle is inverted around the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums by balance control based on the detection results of the sensors, or a second inverted state in which the host vehicle can maintain the inverted state without relying on the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels ;
controlling the positions of the landing release lever and the seat so that the landing release lever and the seat move synchronously in the same direction;
Control method. a sensor for detecting a balance state of the host vehicle;
a landing release lever that is a linear lever that receives an operation to release the state in which the host vehicle is in the second inverted state and that has a remote control device at its tip that a user can use to operate the host vehicle; and
A seat for a user to board the vehicle;
An electric vehicle equipped with
executes an inverted state control that controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle is inverted around the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, or a second inverted state in which the host vehicle can maintain the inverted state without relying on the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels, through balance control based on the detection results of the sensors ;
controlling the positions of the landing release lever and the seat so that the landing release lever and the seat move synchronously in the same direction;
Program for.