Electric vehicle, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle, a control method, and a program capable of improving the convenience of a user.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle comprises: a sensor for detecting a balanced state of an own vehicle; an inverted state control section for controlling an inverted state of the own vehicle into one of a first inverted state of being inverted by balance control based on a detection result of the sensor with a ground contact point of a main wheel as a supporting point, and a second inverted state capable of maintaining the inverted state by using ground contact means different from the main wheel without depending on the balance control; a seat which is for a user to sit on in the own vehicle and allows its position to be adjusted by an electric drive section; and a seat control section for controlling the drive section of the seat on the basis of the inverted state of the own vehicle. The seat control section allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the own vehicle is in the second inverted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles with inverted pendulum-controlled drive wheels (hereinafter referred to as "inverted pendulum type vehicles") have been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Inverted pendulum type vehicles are vehicles with a unique steering method that differs from general vehicles such as passenger cars, and therefore have a wide range of uses. For example, they are expected to be used for leisure purposes to enjoy a unique physical experience, and for nursing care purposes to support the mobility of physically disabled people. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7009535 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, inverted pendulum vehicles have the potential to be used in a wide range of applications, but they are also unique in their operation methods. Therefore, in order to further utilize inverted pendulum vehicles, improvements to their usability and safety are needed to suit a variety of applications. In particular, in recent years, efforts have been made to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants, and further improvements in transportation safety and convenience are needed to achieve this.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide an electric vehicle, a control method, and a program that can improve user convenience, and ultimately contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electric vehicle, the control method, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration.

[0007] (1): An electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle itself; an inverted state control unit that controls the inverted state of the vehicle itself to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted with the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums through balance control based on the detection results of the sensor, or a second inverted state in which the inverted state can be maintained without the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels; a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the position of which can be adjusted by an electric drive unit; and a seat control unit that controls the drive unit of the seat based on the inverted state of the vehicle itself, and the seat control unit is capable of adjusting the position of the seat when the vehicle is in the second inverted state.

[0008] (2) In the above aspect (1), the seat control unit prevents the position of the seat from being adjusted when the vehicle is in the first inverted state.

[0009] (3): In the above-mentioned aspect (1) or (2), when the seat is not positioned at the reference position, the seat control unit restricts the operation of the inverted state control unit so as not to transition the inverted state of the host vehicle to the first inverted state.

[0010] (4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), when an operation to transition the inverted state of the vehicle to a first inverted state is performed while the seat is not positioned at a reference position, the seat control unit moves the seat to the reference position and then causes the inverted state control unit to initiate transition to the first inverted state.

[0011] (5): In any of the above aspects (1) to (4), the seat is configured or controlled so that its position can be adjusted by moving from a reference position in a direction toward the user attempting to sit down, with the direction of movement being toward the user, and the amount of movement is less than one-third of the length of the seat in the direction of movement.

[0012] (6): In any of the above aspects (1) to (5), the seat can be adjusted in position by moving from a reference position in the direction of travel, with the direction of travel being toward the user attempting to sit down, and further includes ground contact means for forming a plurality of ground contact points different from the ground contact points of the main wheels to realize the second inverted state, with some or all of the ground contact means being located on the side of the direction of travel as seen from the seat at the reference position, and the seat is configured or controlled so that the position of its end on the side of the direction of travel is further toward the direction of travel than the ground contact means.

[0013] (7): In any of the above embodiments (1) to (6), the position of the seat can be manually adjusted, and the seat is provided with a support member for assisting the user in pulling the seat.

[0014] (8): A control method according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the position of which can be adjusted by an electric drive unit. The control method executes an inverted state control process that controls the inverted state of the vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted with the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, or a second inverted state in which the inverted state can be maintained without the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels, through balance control based on the detection results of the sensor, and a seat control process that controls the drive unit of the seat based on the inverted state of the vehicle, and in the seat control process, the position of the seat can be adjusted when the vehicle is in the second inverted state.

[0015] (9): A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes an electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the position of which can be adjusted by an electric drive unit, to execute an inverted state control process that controls the inverted state of the vehicle by balance control based on the detection results of the sensor to either a first inverted state in which the vehicle is inverted with the ground contact points of the main wheels as fulcrums, or a second inverted state in which the inverted state can be maintained without the balance control by using ground contact means other than the main wheels, and a seat control process that controls the drive unit of the seat based on the inverted state of the vehicle, and in the seat control process, the position of the seat can be adjusted when the vehicle is in the second inverted state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the above aspects (1) to (9), it is possible to improve convenience for users of inverted pendulum type vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a first external view showing the outline of the configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a second external view showing the outline of the configuration of the inverted pendulum type vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a third external view showing the outline of the configuration of the inverted pendulum type vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage situation of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an omnidirectional wheel. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a method for steering an inverted pendulum type vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating an example of a method for steering an inverted pendulum type vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method for an inverted pendulum type vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene in which the inverted pendulum type vehicle according to the embodiment improves user convenience. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a support member attached to a seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of an electric vehicle, a control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] [Summary] 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 moves while maintaining an inverted pendulum state through balance control. Vehicle 100 includes a vehicle base 10 equipped with a driving mechanism such as wheels and a motor, and a passenger section 20 equipped with a seat 21, a backrest 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 where it touches 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.

[0020] On the other hand, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a plurality of 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 state supported by the training wheels 102. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 stands upright naturally using the training wheels 102 without balance control will be referred to as the "second inverted state." FIG. 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 vehicle 100 moves the training wheels 102 to a lower position so that the training wheels 102 touch the ground. The training wheels 102 are configured so that their movement in the vertical direction (arrow A1) can be controlled to change their position in this way. 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.

[0021] In the second inverted state, the lower the height of the vehicle base 10, the more stable the balance during movement may be. 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 does not change between the first and second inverted states. Therefore, if the height of the vehicle base 10 is used as a reference, 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 moving 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.

[0022] On the other hand, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a plurality of stoppers 103-1 to 103-4 (hereinafter collectively referred to as stoppers 103). The stoppers 103 support the vehicle 100 and prevent it from moving from the stopping position, allowing it to remain stopped at the stopping position. FIG. 3 shows the vehicle 100 stopped at the 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 so that their vertical movement (arrow A3) can be controlled to adjust the friction. Note that the stoppers 103 are not limited to this type. For example, the stoppers 103 may be locking mechanisms that prevent the omnidirectional wheels 101 and the training wheels 102 from rotating, or brake mechanisms that suppress the rotation. Hereinafter, the state in which the vehicle 100 is stopped at the stopping position by the stoppers 103 will be referred to as the "third inverted state." The balance control may be continued or may be suspended in the third inverted state.

[0023] 1, arrow A4 indicates that headrest 23 can be moved up and down relative to backrest 22. For example, headrest 23 is connected to backrest 22 by guide 23G, and the height of headrest 23 can be adjusted by sliding guide 23G inward and outward directions of backrest 22. The height adjustment of headrest 23 may be performed by a manual sliding operation, or may be performed electrically by controlling a driving unit such as a motor.

[0024] 2, arrow A5 indicates that armrest 24 can be rotated up and down around the end portion on the backrest 22 side as a fulcrum. Also, arrow A6 indicates that seat 21 can slide horizontally from reference position 21b relative to vehicle base 10. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, reference position 21b may be the position closest to backrest 22 within the movable range of seat 21. Also, FIG. 2 indicates that vehicle base 10 in vehicle 100 has footrest 25 in the forward direction.

[0025] 1 to 3 show that an operation panel 110, which is used by a user (passenger) to operate the vehicle 100, is installed on the right-arm armrest 24. For example, the operation panel 110 includes a display, buttons, switches, 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 input for the operation menu using buttons and switches. For example, the operation panel 110 may output audio indicating explanations of the operation menu and various sound effects from a speaker, 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-arm armrest 24. For example, the operation panel 110 may be installed on the left-arm armrest 24, or on both the right-arm and left-arm armrests 24, or may be configured to be detachable from the armrest 24 and storable in any of the armrests 24.

[0026] Regarding the above-described omnidirectional wheels 101, auxiliary wheels 102, stoppers 103, vertical movement of headrest 23, rotational movement of armrest 24, and horizontal movement of seat 21, vehicle 100 is assumed to have displacement mechanisms (not shown) such as rails, guides, gears, drive wheels, and motors. The displacement mechanisms are not limited to specific ones as long as they can realize the above-described vertical, rotational, and horizontal movements. 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 an external force, stress, or the like. A displacement mechanism may be provided for each type of movement, such as vertical, rotational, or horizontal movement, or for each part to be moved. Furthermore, when multiple displacement mechanisms are configured, one displacement mechanism may be configured so that some components are shared with other displacement mechanisms.

[0027] FIG. 4 is an image diagram showing a user aboard vehicle 100 in a takeoff state. As described above, balance control is required in a takeoff state. FIG. 4 illustrates a situation in which vehicle 100 maintains its balance by controlling omnidirectional wheels 101. In this situation, if the user performs a steering operation, vehicle 100 will maintain balance and travel in the supported direction of travel. However, if the user does not perform a steering operation, vehicle 100 will continue to balance and perform a handstand on the spot. Note that vehicle 100 of this embodiment is equipped with an omnidirectional wheel as omnidirectional wheel 101. With this configuration, vehicle 100 of this embodiment can move forward in any direction within 360 degrees from a handstand on the spot state. Hereinafter, the omnidirectional wheel as omnidirectional wheel 101 will be referred to as omnidirectional wheel 101.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of the omnidirectional wheel 101. The omnidirectional wheel 101 includes, for example, a large-diameter wheel 101A and a plurality of small-diameter wheels 101B arranged around the circumference of the large-diameter wheel 101A. The large-diameter wheel 101A is a wheel that mainly realizes linear movement in the forward and backward directions. The small-diameter wheel 101B is a wheel that mainly realizes 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 is driven by motors (not shown) that can independently control the rotation of the large-diameter wheel 101A and the small-diameter wheel 101B. With this configuration, the omnidirectional wheel 101 can move forward and backward, left and right, or diagonally from the spot.

[0029] The vehicle 100 may also include a swivel wheel in addition to the omnidirectional wheels 101. For example, the swivel wheel is disposed as a rear wheel of the omnidirectional wheels 101, and can change the direction of the vehicle 100 by rotating on an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the large diameter wheels 101A. In other words, when only the swivel wheel is rotated, the vehicle 100 can be rotated in place, and when the large diameter wheels 101A and the swivel wheel are rotated simultaneously, the vehicle 100 can be made to turn and move forward while changing its direction of travel.

[0030] 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating an example of vehicle operation of the vehicle 100. For simplicity, the vehicle 100 in a ground-off state is depicted in a simplified form, showing only the vehicle base 10, the seat 21, and the omnidirectional wheels 101. However, the vehicle 100 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is the same as that described in FIGS. 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. FIG. 6 illustrates a case in which a user U shifts their weight to the right with respect to the vehicle 100 configured in this manner, with the front direction being the front of the page. In this case, the vehicle 100 moves to the right to regain balance, which has been lost due to the user U's weight shift. FIG. 7 illustrates a case in which the user U shifts their weight backward (to the right of the page), and the vehicle 100 moves backward to regain balance. By performing such balance control, the user U can instruct the vehicle 100 to move in the direction in which they wish to travel by shifting their weight. Furthermore, if the user U shifts their weight significantly, the vehicle 100 is controlled to move faster in order to restore balance. This allows the user U to adjust the speed of the vehicle 100 by changing the magnitude of their weight shift.

[0031] [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, 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). In addition, 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 memory 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 memory unit 170 of the vehicle 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device.

[0032] 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 receives operation input from the user regarding the operation of the vehicle 100 and outputs the input to the control unit 300, and also outputs various information output from the control unit 300.

[0033] 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.

[0034] The camera 130 captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The camera 130 outputs image data of the captured image of the surroundings of the vehicle to the control unit 300.

[0035] The wireless communication unit 140 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices of the vehicle 100. The wireless communication unit 140 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) interface based on Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like, or may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) interface for connecting to a cellular network, a dedicated line, or the like.

[0036] The position information acquisition unit 150 acquires position information of the vehicle 100. The position information acquisition unit 150 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) transmitter, acquires position information of the vehicle itself, and outputs the information to the control unit 300.

[0037] The indicator 160 is a device such as a sign, gauge, display, pointer, or index, and is a device that performs various indications related to the vehicle 100 in response to instructions from the control unit 300.

[0038] The storage unit 170 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The storage unit 170 stores various setting information 171 related to the control of the vehicle 100. The setting information 171 is referred to or updated by the control unit 300.

[0039] The internal battery 180 functions as a power source that supplies power to each part of the vehicle 100. A rechargeable storage battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a nickel-cadmium battery is used as the internal battery 180. The internal battery 180 may be fixed to the vehicle 100 or may be detachable from the vehicle 100.

[0040] 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 them. The operation of the drive unit 200 is controlled by the control unit 300.

[0041] 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.

[0042] The control unit 300 has a function of controlling the operation of each unit of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the control unit 300 determines the control content of each unit based on various information acquired from the operation panel 110, the IMU 120, the camera 130, the wireless communication unit 140, the position information acquisition unit 150, and the storage unit 170, and controls the operation of each unit according to 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] The main control unit 310 controls the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 to control the omnidirectional wheel drive unit 210, thereby allowing the omnidirectional wheel 101 to move in omnidirectional directions and to move the omnidirectional wheel 101 up and down. Note that omnidirectional movement by the omnidirectional wheel 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 the inverted state of the vehicle 100 in the first inverted state.

[0045] Furthermore, 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 or move the auxiliary wheels 102 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 can move the stoppers 103 in the vertical direction via the control of the stopper drive unit 230 via the stopper control unit 333. In this way, the main control unit 310 controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle stands inverted with the ground contact point of the omnidirectional wheel 101 as the fulcrum, or a second inverted state in which the host 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."

[0046] The seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 to slide and move the seat 21 in the horizontal direction. More specifically, the seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 based on the inverted state of the host vehicle.

[0047] The headrest control unit 335 can move the headrest 23 in the up and down direction by controlling the headrest driving unit 250. The armrest control unit 336 can move the armrest 24 in a rotational manner around a fulcrum by controlling the armrest driving unit 260.

[0048] The drive control unit 330 may control the drive unit 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, attitude, etc.) detected by the IMU 120 or the position information acquisition unit 150, etc., or may control each drive unit based on the overall control of the main control unit 310.

[0049] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process (seat movement process) in which the vehicle 100 of the embodiment moves the seat 21 to adjust its position. The process flow of FIG. 9 is executed, for example, when an instruction to provide boarding assistance to the user (boarding assistance instruction) is given to the vehicle 100. For example, the boarding assistance instruction is notified to the vehicle 100 by wireless communication from a user terminal device (not shown) used by the user. In the vehicle 100, the control unit 300 starts execution of the seat movement process in response to receiving the boarding assistance instruction from the user terminal device. It is assumed here that the vehicle 100 is in an inverted state in either the first inverted state or the second inverted state at the start of execution of the seat movement process.

[0050] When the seat movement process starts, first, the seat control unit 334 determines whether the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is the first inverted state or the second inverted state (step S101). For example, the seat control unit 334 may determine the inverted state of the vehicle 100 as the first inverted state when the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 is executing balance control, and may determine the inverted state of the vehicle 100 as the second inverted state when the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 is not executing balance control. Furthermore, for example, the seat control unit 334 may determine the inverted state of the vehicle 100 as the first inverted state when the training wheels 102 are not in contact with the ground, and may determine the inverted state of the vehicle 100 as the second inverted state when the training wheels 102 are in contact with the ground. Furthermore, the seat control unit 334 may determine the inverted state of the vehicle 100 by combining these determination conditions. For example, the seat control unit 334 may determine that the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is the first inverted state if both conditions are satisfied, with a first condition being that the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 is executing balance control and a second condition being that the training wheels 102 are not in contact with the ground, and may otherwise determine that the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is the second inverted state. Also, for example, the seat control unit 334 may determine that the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is the first inverted state if at least one of the first condition and the second condition is satisfied, and may otherwise determine that the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is the second inverted state.

[0051] Here, if the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is determined to be the first inverted state, the seat control unit 334 notifies the user in response to the boarding assistance instruction from the user terminal device that position adjustment of the seat 21 is not permitted in the first inverted state (step S102), and returns the process to step S101.

[0052] On the other hand, if the inverted state of the vehicle 100 is determined to be the second inverted state, the seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 to move the seat 21 to a position that makes it easy for the user to get on the vehicle 100 (step S103), and then ends the series of processes.

[0053] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which the position of the seat 21 is adjusted by the seat movement processing. For example, FIG. 10 shows a situation in which a user U in a wheelchair C is about to transfer from the wheelchair C to the vehicle 100. In FIG. 10, the x-axis direction is the front direction of the vehicle 100, and the situation in FIG. 10 shows a situation in which the user U is about to transfer to the vehicle 100 from the front direction after operating the user terminal device T to send a boarding assistance instruction to the vehicle 100. FIG. 10 also shows a situation in which the training wheels 102 are in a grounded state, as an example of a situation in which the vehicle 100 is in the second inverted state. In this situation, the seat control unit 334 controls the seat drive unit 240 to move the seat 21 to a position that makes it easy for the user U to get on.

[0054] In this case, as a basic control, the seat control unit 334 moves the seat 21 toward the front as shown in FIG. 10 . In this way, by moving the seat 21 of the vehicle 100 toward the front of the vehicle 100 in response to the boarding assistance instruction from the user U, the user U can more easily transfer from the wheelchair C to the vehicle 100. More specifically, as described above, the vehicle 100 is provided with the training wheels 102 on its surface for putting the vehicle 100 into the second inverted state. For the purpose of maintaining balance, the training wheels 102 are provided at the four corners of the vehicle 100, and there is a high probability that the front training wheels 102 will interfere with the user's transfer operation. For this reason, when the purpose is to assist the user's transfer operation, it is desirable that the seat 21 be moved at least to a position closer to the user than the front training wheels 102 of the vehicle 100. In other words, in the example of Figure 10, the seat 21 is configured so that its position can be adjusted by sliding from a reference position in the sliding direction (x-axis direction) toward the user U attempting to sit down.

[0055] In terms of the size of a single-seater electric mobility vehicle, the width w1 of the training wheels 102 in the x-axis direction is typically assumed to be at most about one-third of the width W of the seat 21 in the x-axis direction. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 needs to maintain balance so that it can assist the user U in transferring even after the seat 21 has moved. For example, it is desirable that the amount of movement D of the seat 21 be limited to a distance that prevents the vehicle 100 from tipping over toward the user U even when the user U applies a load to the tip of the seat 21 in the x-axis direction. From the perspective of maintaining such size and balance, the seat 21 should be configured so that the physically movable distance is less than one-third of the length W in the movement direction (x-axis direction). Alternatively, the seat 21 should be controlled so that the movement distance is less than one-third of the length W. That is, in the example of FIG. 10 , the vehicle 100 should be configured or controlled so that D≦W / 3.

[0056] Regarding the position adjustment of the seat 21, the seat control unit 334 may move the seat 21 by a predetermined movement amount set in advance, or may determine the movement amount of the seat 21 based on the recognition result of the periphery recognition unit 320. For example, in the example of FIG. 10 , when the periphery recognition unit 320 recognizes the position of the user U, the seat control unit 334 may determine the movement amount of the seat 21 based on the distance between the user U and the vehicle 100. For example, the seat control unit 334 may set the movement amount D of the seat 21 to an upper limit value of W / 3 when the distance d between the user U and the vehicle 100 is W / 3 or more, and may set the movement amount D of the seat 21 to a distance equal to or less than d when the distance d between the user U and the vehicle 100 is less than W / 3. Furthermore, with regard to adjusting the position of the seat 21, the seat control unit 334 may adjust the position of the vehicle in cooperation with the omnidirectional wheel control unit 331 and the auxiliary wheel control unit 332 so that the distance d between the user U and the vehicle 100 is W / 3 or more, in order to set the amount of movement of the seat 21 to W / 3.

[0057] Returning to FIG. 9 , after adjusting the position of the seat 21 in step S103, the seat control unit 334 determines whether the seat 21 is in the reference position (step S104). If it is determined that the seat 21 is not in the reference position, the seat control unit 334 implements a transition prohibition setting that prohibits the vehicle 100 from transitioning from the second inverted state to the first inverted state (step S105). Note that if the transition prohibition setting has already been implemented when step S105 is executed, the seat control unit 334 maintains the transition prohibition setting as is. To prohibit the vehicle 100 from transitioning from the second inverted state to the first inverted state, the seat control unit 334 may, for example, prohibit the auxiliary wheel control unit 332 from placing the auxiliary wheel 102 in a ground-off state, or, if the stopper 103 is in a ground-off state, may prohibit the stopper control unit 333 from placing the stopper 103 in a ground-off state. After implementing the transition prohibition setting, the seat control unit 334 returns the process to step S104. The transition prohibition setting is an example of a method in which the seat control unit 334 restricts the operation of the main control unit 310 so as not to transition the inverted state of the vehicle 100 to the first inverted state.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that the seat 21 is in the reference position, the seat control unit 334 cancels the transition prohibition setting (step S106) and ends the series of processes. Note that if the transition prohibition setting has already been canceled when step S106 is executed, the seat control unit 334 may skip step S106.

[0059] In the example of Fig. 9, the process of returning the seat 21 to the reference position is performed separately from the process flow of Fig. 9. For example, assume that after the seat 21 is moved in step S103, the user U sits on the seat 21 and operates the operation panel 110 to return the seat 21 to the reference position. In this case, the seat control unit 334 may perform the process for realizing the operation input from the operation panel 110 in parallel with the process flow of Fig. 9.

[0060] 9, the process of returning the seat 21 to the reference position may be incorporated into part of the process flow of FIG. 9. For example, after moving the seat 21 in step S103, the seat control unit 334 may start the process of returning the seat 21 to the reference position and execute step S104 when it detects that the user U has sat on the seat 21. That is, when an operation to transition the inverted state of the host vehicle to the first inverted state is performed while the seat 21 is not located at the reference position, the seat control unit 334 moves the seat 21 to the reference position and then causes the main control unit 310 to initiate transition to the first inverted state.

[0061] Furthermore, in the example of Figure 9, a case has been described in which, when user U boards, the seat 21 is moved in steps S101 to S103, and then the transition prohibition setting is implemented or canceled (steps S104 to S106). However, the transition prohibition setting may be implemented or canceled at any timing based on the position of the seat 21, regardless of whether steps S101 to S103 have been implemented or not.

[0062] The vehicle 100 of the embodiment described above includes a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle, a main control unit 310 that controls the inverted state of the vehicle based on balance control results from 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 a fulcrum, or a second inverted state in which the inverted state can be maintained without balance control using ground contact means other than the omnidirectional wheels 101, a seat 21 for a user to sit on the vehicle, the position of which can be adjusted by an electric drive unit, and a seat control unit 334 that controls the seat drive unit 240 based on the inverted state of the vehicle, and the seat control unit 334 can adjust the position of the seat 21 when the vehicle is in the second inverted state. By including such a configuration, the vehicle 100 of the embodiment can improve the convenience of users of inverted pendulum type vehicles.

[0063] <Modification> In the above embodiment, the position of the seat 21 of the vehicle 100 is adjustable by electric control. However, the seat 21 may be configured so that some or all of its movement is achieved by manual operation by the user. For example, the seat 21 may be configured so that either or both of movement from a reference position and movement from a non-reference position to the reference position are achieved by manual operation by the user. The seat 21 may also be configured so that either or both of movement from the reference position and movement from a non-reference position to the reference position are achieved by either manual operation by the user or electric control. The seat 21 may also be configured so that either or both of movement from the reference position and movement from a non-reference position to the reference position are achieved by both manual operation by the user and electric control. In this case, the seat 21 may be provided with a member (hereinafter referred to as a support member) for assisting the user's manual operation. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of such a support member. Fig. 11 shows an example in which a strap-like support member 211 is attached to the seat 21 to make it easier for the user U to pull the seat 21 when the user U pulls out the seat 21 and moves it from the reference position. In addition to such a strap-like member, a handle-like member, a drawer-like member, or the like may be provided as a support member on the seat 21. The support member may be configured integrally with the seat 21, or may be configured to be detachable from the seat 21.

[0064] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a sensor for detecting a balance state of the host vehicle; a seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the position of which can be adjusted by an electric drive unit; a storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program, an inverted state control process that controls the inverted state of the host vehicle to either a first inverted state in which the host vehicle stands inverted with 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; Run In the seat control process, when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, the position of the seat is adjustable. Electric vehicle.

[0065] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 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 moving wheel, 101A... large diameter wheel, 101B... small diameter wheel, 102... training wheel, 103... stopper, 110... operation panel, 120... IMU, 130... camera, 140... wireless communication unit, 150... position information acquisition unit, 160... indicator, 170... memory unit, 171... setting information 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

1. 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 seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit; a seat control unit that controls a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; Equipped with the seat control unit adjusts the position of the seat when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position of the seat from being adjusted when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and adjusts the position of the seat by moving the seat from a reference position in a moving direction that is a forward direction from the host vehicle; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Electric vehicle.

2. A sensor for detecting the balance state of a 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 seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit; a seat control unit that controls a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; Equipped with the seat control unit allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position of the seat from being adjusted when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and restricts the operation of the inverted state control unit so as not to transition the inverted state of the host vehicle to the first inverted state when the seat is not located at a reference position; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Electric vehicle.

3. A sensor for detecting the balance state of a 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 seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit; a seat control unit that controls a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; Equipped with the seat control unit allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position adjustment of the seat when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state; when an operation to transition the host vehicle from the inverted state to the first inverted state is performed while the seat is not in a reference position, the seat control unit moves the seat to the reference position and then causes the inverted state control unit to start transition to the first inverted state; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Electric vehicle.

4. The seat is configured or controlled so that the amount of movement is less than one-third of the length of the seat in the direction of movement. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 .

5. A grounding means for forming a plurality of grounding points different from the grounding points of the main wheels to realize the second inverted state, the grounding means further comprising a part or all of which is located on the side of the moving direction as viewed from the tip of the seat at the reference position on the side of the moving direction, The seat is configured or controlled to be movable until the position of the end portion of the seat in the direction of movement is located further toward the direction of movement than the ground contact means. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 .

6. The seat position can be manually adjusted, The seat is provided with a support member for supporting a user in pulling the seat. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 .

7. An electric vehicle including a sensor for detecting a balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in a vertical direction relative to a backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A control method for executing the seat control process makes the position of the seat adjustable when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and makes the position adjustment of the seat impossible when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and makes the position of the seat adjustable by moving the seat from a reference position in a moving direction that is a forward direction from the host vehicle; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Control method.

8. An electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in its vertical position relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A control method for executing the seat control process allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position of the seat from being adjusted when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and restricts the operation of the inverted state control process so as not to transition the inverted state of the host vehicle to the first inverted state when the seat is not located at a reference position; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Control method.

9. An electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in its vertical position relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A control method for executing the seat control process allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position adjustment of the seat when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state; when the seat is not located at a reference position and an operation is performed to transition the host vehicle from the inverted state to the first inverted state, the seat is moved to the reference position and then transition to the first inverted state is initiated; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. Control method.

10. An electric vehicle including a sensor for detecting a balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in a vertical direction relative to a backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A program for executing the seat control process makes the position of the seat adjustable when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and makes the position adjustment of the seat impossible when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and makes the position of the seat adjustable by moving the seat from a reference position in a moving direction that is a forward direction from the host vehicle; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. program.

11. An electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle, and a seat for a user to sit on the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in its vertical position relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A program for executing the seat control process allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position of the seat from being adjusted when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state, and restricts the operation of the inverted state control process so as not to transition the inverted state of the host vehicle to the first inverted state when the seat is not located at a reference position; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. program.

12. An electric vehicle equipped with a sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle and a seat for a user to sit in the vehicle, the seat being adjustable in its vertical position relative to the backrest by an electric drive unit, an inverted state control process 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 seat control process for controlling a drive unit of the seat based on an inverted state of the host vehicle; A program for executing the seat control process allows the position of the seat to be adjusted when the host vehicle is in the second inverted state, and prevents the position adjustment of the seat when the host vehicle is in the first inverted state; when the seat is not located at a reference position and an operation is performed to transition the host vehicle from the inverted state to the first inverted state, the seat is moved to the reference position and then transition to the first inverted state is initiated; The reference position is a position where the seat is closest to the backrest. program.

Images