JP5305513B2 - Electric assist vehicle control system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a control system for an electrically assisted vehicle suitable for use in an electrically assisted vehicle that can obtain an assist force (assist force) by a motor such as an electric bicycle.

  Conventionally, there is a technique for obtaining an assist control amount by calculation based on a pedaling force when a pedal is depressed, and controlling electric power to a motor based on the obtained assist control amount (see, for example, Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2).

  The electrically assisted vehicle control system includes an operation unit for turning on / off the power, switching the assist, turning on / off the light, and the like. FIG. 14 is an overview diagram showing an operation unit called a hand switch used in a conventional electric bicycle. The operation unit 100 shown in the figure is attached in the vicinity of the grip of the handle of the electric bicycle. The operation unit 100 is provided with a power switch 101, a mode switch 102, a light switch 103, and a remaining amount display lamp 104, and can manually operate power on / off, assist switching, and light on / off. It is possible to grasp the remaining battery level.

  Each time the power switch 101 is pressed, the power switch 101 is alternately switched on and off, and the system is activated when the power switch 101 is turned on. The mode switch 102 switches the assist force in three stages of “strong”, “standard”, and “automatic” when the system is activated. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when the “strong” mode is selected, the start “strong”, the flat ground “strong”, the uphill “strong”, the steep uphill “strong”, the downhill “off”, and “ If you select the “Standard” mode, the start is “Medium”, the flat “Medium”, the uphill “Medium”, the steep uphill “Strong”, the downhill “Off”, and the “Automatic” mode is selected. Start “medium”, flat ground “weak”, uphill “middle”, steep uphill “strong”, downhill “off”.

  The light switch 103 is alternately turned on and off every time it is pressed. The remaining amount display lamp 104 displays the remaining amount of the battery in three stages.

JP-A-9-240564 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-250670

  By the way, the conventional electric assist vehicle control system has only three assist settings, “strong”, “standard”, and “automatic”, and each assist force is set in advance, and can be set arbitrarily by the user. Can not do it. That is, it is not possible to set an assist amount unique to each individual. If an assist amount unique to each individual can be set, for example, an elderly person can set the assist amount larger than usual because his physical strength is weak. Further, since the person on the diet needs to increase the load, the assist amount can be set smaller than usual.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electrically assisted vehicle control system capable of arbitrarily setting an assist amount unique to an individual.

Electric assist vehicle control system of the present invention is provided in an electrically assisted vehicle including a motor, a traveling data obtaining unit to be transmitted by said electric assist acquired driving data during running of the vehicle radio, electric assist with the motor Provided in the vehicle, detachable from the electrically assisted vehicle, provided with a storage unit for storing data, and receiving the travel data wirelessly transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit to the storage unit An operation unit that stores data, an electric assist vehicle that includes the motor, a motor control unit that controls the motor, and an electric assist vehicle that includes the motor, and is stored in the storage unit of the operation unit. external Starring for calculating the assist amount of the electric assist vehicle based on the setting input by the running data and the user has A device and, a, the operation unit, the communicating in a state of being detached from the motor-assisted vehicle with the external computing device, the storage unit to capture the assist amount calculated by the external computing device When the operation unit stored and removed from the electrically assisted vehicle is attached to the electrically assisted vehicle, authentication communication is performed between the operation unit and the travel data acquisition unit, and authentication can be performed. Only, the operation unit wirelessly transmits the assist amount stored in the storage unit to the travel data acquisition unit, the travel data acquisition unit sends the received assist amount to the motor control unit, and the motor A control part controls the motor so that it may become the amount of assistance sent from the run data acquisition part .

  According to the above configuration, when the user travels on the electrically assisted vehicle, the travel data at that time is stored in the travel data storage unit, and the external computing device saves the travel data stored in the travel data storage unit and the user. Since the assist amount is calculated based on the input set value, the assist amount unique to each individual can be arbitrarily set. As a result, if the user is on a diet, the assist amount can be set small so that the user can travel with a load larger than usual. In addition, when the user is old and does not have sufficient physical strength, the user can travel with a load smaller than usual by setting the assist amount large.

In the above structure, the the traveling data, the velocity data of the motor-assisted vehicle, and other data than the speed data, but included, the traveling data obtaining unit, a first time interval the velocity data The other data is transmitted wirelessly at a second time interval longer than the first time interval .

  The present invention can provide an electrically assisted vehicle control system that can arbitrarily set an assist amount unique to each individual.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrically assisted vehicle control system and an electric bicycle having the system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the electrically assisted vehicle control system includes a travel data acquisition unit 11, an operation unit (travel data storage unit) 12, an unlocking unit 13, and a personal computer (external computing device, hereinafter referred to as “PC”). 14. The electric bicycle 50 includes a motor control unit 52 that controls power supply to the motor 51 with an assist amount supplied from the travel data acquisition unit 11, and a battery (secondary battery) that supplies power to the motor 51, the motor control unit 52, and the like. 53. The travel data acquisition unit 11 and the unlocking unit 13, and the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the motor control unit 52 are connected by cables 15. The operation unit 12 is detachably attached to the vicinity of the grip of the handle of the electric bicycle 50. The unlocking / locking portion 13 is attached to a frame on the rear wheel side of the electric bicycle 50.

  As a main function, the travel data acquisition unit 11 acquires speed data at intervals of 2 seconds while the electric bicycle 50 is traveling, and transmits the data wirelessly, and in addition to the speed data at intervals of 10 seconds, the assist amount and the remaining battery level And other data is acquired and transmitted wirelessly. Here, by transmitting data other than speed data at intervals of 10 seconds, communication frequency and communication data can be reduced, and interference prevention and current reduction can be achieved. The operation unit 12 receives, stores and displays the travel data and other data transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit 11 wirelessly as main functions, and is removed from the electric bicycle 50 and connected to the personal computer 14. In this case, communication with the personal computer 14 is performed, and the assist amount calculated by the personal computer 14 is captured and stored. When the electronic bicycle 50 is attached to the electric bicycle 50, the stored assist amount is wirelessly supplied to the travel data acquisition unit 11.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation surface of the operation unit 12. The operation unit 12 has a liquid crystal display 20, an unlocking display LED 21, a power switch 22, a mode switch 23, a light switch 24, and a display changeover switch 25 on its operation surface. Various displays such as an assist state, a speed, and a battery remaining amount are performed on the liquid crystal display 20. The power switch 22 is a switch for turning on / off the power, and is turned on and off alternately each time it is pressed. The mode switch 23 is a switch for switching the four modes of “strong”, “standard”, “automatic”, and “arbitrary assist”. For example, when switching to the “strong” mode, the assist power is “start” “strong”, flat ground “strong”, uphill “strong”, steep uphill “strong”, downhill “off”, and “standard” mode. When switched, start is “medium”, flat ground is “medium”, uphill is “medium”, steep uphill is “strong”, and downhill is “off”. When switched to “automatch” mode, start is “medium” The flatland is “weak”, the uphill is “medium”, the steep uphill is “strong”, and the downhill is “off”. Further, when switching to “arbitrary assist”, the assist force at each of the start, the flat ground, the uphill, the steep uphill and the downhill is a value based on the assist amount calculated by the personal computer 14.

  The light switch 24 is a switch for turning on / off a light (a headlight of the electric bicycle 50). Each time the light switch 24 is pressed, the light is turned on and off alternately. The liquid crystal display 20 is provided with a backlight (not shown). When a light-on operation is performed with the light switch 24, the light is turned on and at the same time the backlight is turned on. When a light-off operation is performed, the light is turned on. Turn off the backlight at the same time. The unlocking display LED 21 is turned on when the unlocking unit 13 is locked. The display changeover switch 25 is provided on the right side surface of the operation unit 12 and changes the display content of the liquid crystal display 20. Each time the display changeover switch 25 is pressed, the display contents are switched to “traveling time”, “average speed”, “calorie consumption”, and “total traveling distance”. FIG. 3 shows each display content. In the figure, (a) is a travel time display, (b) is an average speed display, (c) is a calorie consumption display, and (d) is a total travel distance display.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 12 includes a battery (secondary battery) 26. When the operation unit 12 operates alone, that is, when it is detached from the electric bicycle 50, the operation unit 12 operates and is attached to the electric bicycle 50. Power is supplied from the battery 53 of the electric bicycle body, and the built-in battery 26 is charged by the power supply from the battery 53. Note that the operation unit 12 can also be operated by the battery 26 at all times.

  As a main function, the personal computer 14 acquires travel data and other data stored in the operation unit 12 when connected to the operation unit 12, and the assist amount of the electric bicycle 50 based on the acquired travel data and setting input by the user. Is calculated. Then, the calculated assist amount is transmitted to the operation unit 12. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation image displayed on the monitor of the personal computer 14 when the assist amount is determined by the personal computer 14. When setting the assist amount on this operation screen, the assist amount setup button is clicked, and a desired setting is made with a keyboard or the like. In this setting, in addition to input of an increase / decrease value for increasing / decreasing the assist amount, information related to “Diet”, “Age”, “Gender”, “High slope”, “High flat ground” and the like are input. For example, if it is desired to increase the assist force, a value for increasing the existing assist amount is input. Conversely, if it is desired to decrease the assist force, a value for decreasing the existing assist amount is input. Also, if you are old and your physical strength is low, enter “age” and “gender”. If you want to diet, enter “Diet”. Also, if you live on a land with many slopes, enter “Slopes”. In addition, if you live on a flat land, enter "High flat ground". Thus, the personal computer 14 calculates the assist amount of the electric bicycle 50 based on the travel data and the setting input by the user, and transmits the obtained assist amount to the operation unit 12.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the unlocking / locking unit 13 and a connection relationship between the units 11, 13 and 52 including the motor control unit 52. In the figure, the travel data acquisition unit 11 includes an antenna 111, a wireless transmission / reception unit 112, and a wired transmission / reception unit 113. The antenna 111 and the wireless transmission / reception unit 112 perform wireless communication with the operation unit 12, transmit travel data and other data to the operation unit 12, and receive the assist amount transmitted from the operation unit 12. Further, the received assist amount is output to the motor control unit 52. Further, when receiving the unlocking signal or the locking signal transmitted from the operation unit 12, the wireless transmission / reception unit 112 outputs the received unlocking signal or the locking signal to the wired transmission / reception unit 113. The unlocking unit 13 includes a wired transmission / reception unit 131 that performs wired communication with the wired transmission / reception unit 113.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the operation unit 12 and the personal computer 14. In the figure, the operation unit 12 includes an antenna 121, a wireless transmission / reception unit 122, a control unit 123, a storage unit 124, an operation / display unit 125, and an interface (I / F) unit 126. The wireless transmission / reception unit 122 performs wireless communication with the wireless transmission / reception unit 112 of the travel data acquisition unit 11. The control unit 123 controls each unit of the operation unit 12. The storage unit 124 stores the travel data and other data obtained from the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the assist amount obtained from the personal computer 14. The storage unit 124 is preferably a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The operation / display unit 125 includes the liquid crystal display 20, the unlocking display LED 21, the power switch 22, the mode switch 23, the light switch 24, and the display changeover switch 25 described above. The interface unit 126 is connected to the personal computer 14 by USB (Universal Serial Bus), Bluetooth, infrared, low-power wireless, weak wireless, or the like.

  The personal computer 14 includes an interface (I / F) unit 141, a control unit 142, a calculation unit 143, a display unit 144, and an input unit 145. The interface unit 141 is connected to the operation unit 12 by USB, Bluetooth, infrared, low-power wireless, weak wireless, or the like. The control unit 142 controls each unit of the personal computer 14. The calculation unit 143 calculates the assist amount of the electric bicycle 50 based on the travel data supplied from the operation unit 12 and the setting input by the user. The display unit 144 includes a monitor and performs various displays in the operation of the personal computer 14. The input unit 145 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse.

Next, operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 will be described.
(Operations while the electric bicycle 50 is running)
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 during the travel of the electric bicycle 50. In the figure, the travel data acquisition unit 11 acquires speed data at intervals of 2 seconds and transmits it to the operation unit 12 while the electric bicycle 50 is traveling. Further, other data (assist amount, remaining battery level, etc.) is acquired together with the speed data at intervals of 10 seconds and transmitted to the operation unit 12. The operation unit 12 waits at an interval of 2 seconds in the power-on state, receives the speed data transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit 11, displays the speed on the operation / display unit 125, and further receives the received speed data. It preserve | saves at the memory | storage part 124 which is a non-volatile memory. Also, when other data is received, it is displayed on the operation / display unit 125 and stored in the storage unit 124.

(Operation when operating the power switch of the operation unit 12)
FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 when the power switch 22 of the operation unit 12 is operated. In the figure, when the user turns on the power switch 22 of the operation unit 12 while the travel data acquisition unit 11 is waiting at intervals of 0.25 seconds, the operation unit 12 lights the liquid crystal display 20. Further, the unlocking LED 21 is turned on. Next, information indicating that the power is on is transmitted to the travel data acquisition unit 11, and then the assist amount is transmitted. The assist amount is calculated by the personal computer 14. When the user turns off the power switch 22 of the operation unit 12 after transmitting the assist amount, the operation unit 12 turns off the liquid crystal display 20 and turns off the unlocking LED 21. Next, information indicating power off is transmitted to the travel data acquisition unit 11.

(Operation when the mode switch of the operation unit 12 is operated)
FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 when the mode switch 23 of the operation unit 12 is operated. In the figure, when the user operates the mode switch 23 of the operation unit 12 while the travel data acquisition unit 11 is waiting at intervals of 0.25 seconds, the operation unit 12 switches the display of the liquid crystal display 20. The information (mode information) indicating which mode has been switched among the four modes of “strong”, “standard”, “automatic”, and “arbitrary assist” is transmitted to the travel data acquisition unit 11. When the travel data acquisition unit 11 receives the information transmitted from the operation unit 12, based on the information, the travel data acquisition unit 11 drives the motor control unit 52 with an assist amount of “strong” if “strong”, and “optional assist”. For example, the motor control unit 52 is driven with the assist amount of “arbitrary assist” already acquired.

(Operation when the light switch of the operation unit 12 is operated)
FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 when the light switch 24 of the operation unit 12 is operated. In this figure, when the user performs a light-on operation with the light switch 24 of the operation unit 12 while the travel data acquisition unit 11 is waiting at intervals of 0.25 seconds, the operation unit 12 is displayed on the back of the liquid crystal display 20. The light is turned on, and information indicating the light on is transmitted to the traveling data acquisition unit 11. Thereafter, when the user performs a light-off operation with the light switch 24 of the operation unit 12, the operation unit 12 turns off the backlight of the liquid crystal display 20 and transmits information indicating the light-off to the travel data acquisition unit 11.

(Operation when locked)
FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 when the electric bicycle 50 is locked. In the figure, when the user locks the unlocking unit 13 while the travel data acquiring unit 11 acquires the speed data at intervals of 2 seconds and transmits it to the operation unit 12, the unlocking unit 13 A locking signal is transmitted to the travel data acquisition unit 11. When the travel data acquisition unit 11 receives the locking signal transmitted from the unlocking unit 13, the traveling data acquisition unit 11 transmits the locking data to the operation unit 12. After transmitting the lock data, the travel data acquisition unit 11 stops data acquisition and wireless transmission, and then waits at intervals of 0.25 seconds. When the operation unit 12 receives the lock data transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit 11, the operation unit 12 turns on the unlocking display LED 21. After that, it waits at intervals of 2 seconds.

(Operation when removing the operation unit 12)
FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the operation unit 12 when the operation unit 12 is removed from the electric bicycle 50. In the figure, when the user removes the operation unit 12 from the electric bicycle 50 while the operation unit 12 is waiting at intervals of 2 seconds, the operation unit 12 automatically turns off the power. When the operation unit 12 is used in a state where it is detached from the electric bicycle 50, the power switch 22 is turned on. As a result, the operation unit 12 operates with the built-in battery 26.

(Operations when attaching and unlocking the operation unit 12)
FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 when the operation unit 12 is attached to the electric bicycle 50 and unlocked. In the figure, when the user attaches the operation unit 12 to the electric bicycle 50, an attachment signal is supplied from the electric bicycle main body side. When the operation unit 12 receives the attachment signal from the electric bicycle body side, the operation unit 12 transmits the attachment data to the travel data acquisition unit 11. The travel data acquisition unit 11 performs authentication communication with the operation unit 12 when receiving the attachment data transmitted from the operation unit 12 while waiting at an interval of 0.25 seconds. This authentication communication is a communication for confirming whether or not the travel data acquisition unit 11 and the operation unit 12 have a one-to-one relationship. When the operation unit 12 cannot be authenticated, the travel data acquisition unit 11 does not perform subsequent operations assuming that another operation unit 12 is attached. When the operation unit 12 is authenticated, the subsequent operation is performed. When the unlock signal is received from the unlocking unit 13 within 30 seconds, the unlock data is transmitted to the operation unit 12. Thereafter, when the speed data is acquired, it is transmitted to the operation unit 12. When the operation unit 12 performs the above-described authentication communication with the travel data acquisition unit 11 and can authenticate the travel data acquisition unit 11, the operation unit 12 starts waiting at intervals of 0.25 seconds and receives unlocked data for 30 seconds. Then, standby is performed at intervals of 2 seconds, and when the speed data is received, it is stored in the storage unit 124.

  As described above, according to the control system for the electrically assisted vehicle of the present embodiment, the traveling data acquisition unit 11 that acquires traveling data and wirelessly transmits the traveling data while the electric bicycle 50 is traveling can be attached to and detached from the electric bicycle 50. The operation unit 12 that receives and stores the travel data transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit 11 wirelessly, and the assist amount of the electric bicycle 50 based on the travel data stored in the operation unit 12 and the setting input by the user. Since the computer 14 for calculation is provided, an assist amount unique to each person can be arbitrarily set. As a result, if you are on a diet, you can drive with a larger load than usual by setting the assist amount to a smaller value, and if you are old and have insufficient physical strength, you can set the assist amount to a larger value and lower the load. You can travel.

  In the present embodiment, the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 50 is acquired as speed data. However, in addition to the traveling speed, information related to traveling (for example, information on gears switched during traveling, wheel diameter information, It is also possible to obtain travel data including information on the maximum speed, information on the average speed, information on the type (type of electric bicycle), and information on the remaining battery level (battery of the electric bicycle).

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect that an assist amount unique to an individual can be arbitrarily set, and can be applied to an electrically assisted vehicle that can obtain an assist force by a motor such as an electric bicycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic which shows the control system for electric assist vehicles which concerns on one embodiment of this invention, and an electric bicycle which has this system The figure which shows the operation surface of the operation unit of FIG. The figure which shows the example of a display in the liquid crystal display of the operation unit of FIG. The figure which shows an example of the operation image displayed on the monitor of a personal computer when calculating | requiring assist amount with the personal computer of FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a travel data acquisition unit and an unlocking unit in FIG. 1 and a connection relationship between each unit including a motor control unit. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of the operation unit of FIG. 1, and a personal computer Sequence diagram showing the operation of the travel data acquisition unit and the operation unit during travel of the electric bicycle The sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the driving | running | working data acquisition part at the time of power switch operation of the operation unit of FIG. 1, and an operation unit The sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the driving | running | working data acquisition part and operation unit at the time of mode switch operation of the operation unit of FIG. The sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the driving | running | working data acquisition part and operation unit at the time of light switch operation of the operation unit of FIG. Sequence diagram showing operation of travel data acquisition unit and operation unit when electric bicycle is locked Sequence diagram showing the operation of the operation unit when removing the operation unit from the electric bicycle Sequence diagram showing the operation of the travel data acquisition unit and operation unit when the operation unit is attached to the electric bicycle and unlocked Overview diagram showing the operation unit of a conventional electric bicycle The figure for demonstrating the mode of assist power of the conventional electric bicycle

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Traveling data acquisition part 12 Operation unit 13 Unlocking part 14 Personal computer 15 Cable 20 Liquid crystal display 21 LED for unlocking display
22 power switch 23 mode switch 24 light switch 25 display changeover switch 26, 53 battery 50 electric bicycle 51 motor 52 motor control unit 111, 121 antenna 112, 122 wireless transmission / reception unit 113, 131 wired transmission / reception unit 123, 142 control unit 124 storage unit 125 Operation / Display Unit 126, 141 Interface Unit 143 Calculation Unit 144 Display Unit 145 Input Unit

Claims (2)

It provided an electrically assisted vehicle including a motor, a traveling data obtaining unit to be transmitted by the acquired driving data during running of the motor-assisted vehicle radio,
Provided in the electrically assisted vehicle including the motor, detachable from the electrically assisted vehicle, provided with a storage unit for storing data, and receiving the travel data transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit wirelessly And an operation unit stored in the storage unit ,
A motor control unit that is provided in an electrically assisted vehicle including the motor and controls the motor;
Provided outside the electric assist vehicle including the motor, and an external operation device for calculating an assist amount of the electric assist vehicle based on the setting input by the running data and the user stored in the storage unit of the operating unit ,
Have
The operation unit communicates with the external arithmetic device in a state of being removed from the electrically assisted vehicle , takes in the assist amount calculated by the external arithmetic device, and stores it in the storage unit.
When the operation unit removed from the electrically assisted vehicle is attached to the electrically assisted vehicle, authentication communication is performed between the operation unit and the travel data acquisition unit, and only when the operation can be authenticated. The operation unit wirelessly transmits the assist amount stored in the storage unit to the travel data acquisition unit, and the travel data acquisition unit sends the received assist amount to the motor control unit,
The motor control unit is a vehicle control system that controls the motor so that the assist amount is transmitted from the travel data acquisition unit . Wherein the traveling data, the velocity data of the motor-assisted vehicle, and other data than the speed data, but included,
The travel data acquisition unit wirelessly transmits the speed data at a first time interval, and wirelessly transmits the other data at a second time interval longer than the first time interval. The control system for electrically assisted vehicles as described.

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