Rider detection system

摘要

An electric vehicle may comprise a board including deck portions each configured to receive a foot of a rider, and a wheel assembly disposed between the deck portions. A motor assembly may be mounted to the board and configured to propel the electric vehicle using the wheel assembly. At least one orientation sensor may be configured to measure orientation information of the board, and at least one pressure-sensing transducer may be configured to determine rider presence information. A motor controller may be configured to receive the orientation information and the rider presence information, and to cause the motor assembly to propel the electric vehicle based on the orientation and presence information.

主权项

1. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a board including first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the board; a wheel assembly including a ground-contacting element disposed between and extending above the first and second deck portions; a motor assembly mounted to the board and configured to rotate the ground-contacting element around an axle to propel the electric vehicle; at least one orientation sensor configured to measure orientation information of the board; a first sensing region disposed in the first deck portion, the first sensing region including two pressure-sensing transducers laterally spaced from each other, such that a first of the two pressure-sensing transducers registers with a first portion of the foot of the rider and a second of the two pressure-sensing transducers registers with a second portion of the same foot of the rider; and a motor controller configured to receive board orientation information measured by the orientation sensor and rider presence information based on outputs of the two pressure-sensing transducers, and to cause the motor assembly to propel the electric vehicle based on the board orientation information and the rider presence information; wherein the motor controller is further configured to halt the motor assembly in response to activation of exactly zero or exactly one of the two pressure-sensing transducers when a speed of the electric vehicle is below a threshold value.