Electric Vehicle Controller State Transition for Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicles lack a mechanism to ensure safe and smooth operation by preventing accidental activation of the electric motor when the user is not present, leading to potential unintended movement.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle with a controller that transitions between basic, drive-standby, and driving states based on user presence, ensuring power transmission only when the user is nearby and actively operating the vehicle, using sensors and a user detector to determine presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the electric motor is designed to transmit power immediately when the operator is operated, then the vehicle responds quickly to user input, but the vehicle may move accidentally when the user is not present
Solution Approach 1:
The controller enters a drive-standby state before full power transmission, where the motor is pre-positioned and ready to deliver power immediately when the operator is activated. This preliminary preparation eliminates the delay between operator operation and power transmission while maintaining safety through user presence verification
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors operator presence and provides feedback to the controller. When the operator is detected as absent for a predetermined time, the controller receives feedback and automatically transitions from drive-standby to basic state, preventing accidental movement while maintaining quick response when the operator is present
2Productivity
If the controller remains in drive-standby state to enable quick startup, then the vehicle can start immediately when needed, but power may be transmitted unintentionally if the user leaves
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically transitions between basic state, drive-standby state, and driving state based on real-time operator presence detection. The system adapts its operational mode: remaining in drive-standby when the operator is present for quick response, and automatically transitioning to basic state when the operator is absent, thus eliminating unintended movement while maintaining operational readiness
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by automatically transitioning to basic state when operator absence is detected, preventing the harmful effect of unintended power transmission before it can occur. This proactive measure counteracts the potential danger of leaving the vehicle in drive-standby state
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric vehicle (1) includes a vehicle body (2), an electric motor (31), a wheel (4), an operator (52) operated by a user to drive the wheel (4) to rotate by power from the electric motor (31), and a controller (70) that controls the electric motor (31) according to an operation of the operator (52). The controller (70) includes a plurality of control states including a basic state, a drive-standby state which transitions to and from the basic state, and a driving state which transitions to and from the drive-standby state and causes transmission of power of the electric motor (31) to the wheel (4). The controller is configured or programmed to transition to the driving state if the operator (52) is operated in the drive-standby state and to transition to the basic state if it is judged in the drive-standby state that a user is not present in the vicinity of the vehicle body (2) for a predetermined time or longer.