Utility Vehicle Response Control Based on Operator Intention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing utility vehicles lack the ability to dynamically adjust their response characteristics based on the operator's intention, leading to unintentional changes in vehicle behavior when the operator is not intending to move the vehicle, and they do not provide distinct settings for different operational modes without the vehicle being in motion.

Innovation Solution

The integration of an electronically controlled vehicle behavior adjuster, an intention detector, and a controller or sensor system that detects the operator's intention to move the vehicle, allowing for conditional adjustment of response characteristics, including multiple operational modes that can be selected and experienced by the operator even when the vehicle is stationary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle behavior adjuster automatically changes response characteristics when the vehicle starts moving, then the vehicle behavior becomes appropriate for motion, but unintentional changes occur when the operator is in the vehicle without intention to move

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle behavior adaptabilityVSAvoidunintentional behavior change prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The intention detector performs preliminary detection of the operator's intention to move the vehicle before the vehicle behavior adjuster changes response characteristics. This preliminary action prevents unintentional changes by ensuring the operator actually intends to move the vehicle before automatic adjustment occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The intention detector serves as an intermediary between the operator and the vehicle behavior adjuster. It mediates the control signal flow by detecting operator intention and conditionally enabling the adjuster to change response characteristics, thus preventing direct unintentional activation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle behavior adjuster provides distinct settings for motion and stationary states, then the response characteristics can be optimized for each state, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational mode differentiationVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle behavior adjuster dynamically switches between different response characteristics based on detected operator intention and vehicle motion state. This dynamic adaptation provides distinct optimized settings for motion and stationary states without requiring permanently complex mechanical structures, as the differentiation is achieved through electronic control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters (response characteristics) of the vehicle behavior adjuster based on detected conditions. By electronically modifying parameters rather than requiring physically distinct mechanisms for each operational state, the system achieves mode differentiation with reduced structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the response characteristics change before the vehicle actually starts moving, then the vehicle is prepared for motion, but the change may occur without operator intention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle start-up efficiencyVSAvoidoperator control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary preparation by changing response characteristics before the vehicle actually starts moving, but only after detecting operator intention. This preliminary action optimizes vehicle readiness while the intention detection mechanism preserves operator control precision by preventing premature or unintentional changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11993120B2Utility vehicle

Publication Date: 2024.05.28 KAWASAKI MOTORS LTD

AI summary

A utility vehicle includes an electronically controlled vehicle behavior adjuster, an intention detector, and a controller. The electronically controlled vehicle behavior adjuster is capable of modifying response characteristics of behavior of the vehicle. The intention detector detects at least one of intentions of an operator of moving the vehicle. When an operator's intention of moving the vehicle is detected by the intention detector, the controller changes the response characteristics of the behavior of the vehicle compared to when an intention of the operator of moving the vehicle is not detected by the intention detector.