Segway, Inc.

Deka Products Limited Partnership

Michael Thomas Gansler

J Douglas Field

Jon Stevens

John David Heinzmann

Philip LeMay

David W Robinson

Jason Michael Sachs

Michael Field Kaufman

Soundararajan Manthiri

John D Heinzmann, Jr

Jon M Stevens

Douglas J Field

An apparatus and method for transporting a payload over a surface is provided. A vehicle supports a payload with a support partially enclosed by an enclosure. Two laterally disposed ground-contacting elements are coupled to at least one of the enclosure or support. A motorized drive is coupled to the ground-contacting elements. A controller coupled to the drive governs the operation of the drive at least in response to the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle to dynamically control balancing of the vehicle.

Apparatus and method for control of a vehicle

An apparatus and method for a pitch state estimator is provided. The pitch state estimator generates a pitch state signal for establishing the orientation used in the control of a ground-traversing vehicle. The vehicle has a support for supporting a load which is preferably a human passenger. In one embodiment, the pitch state estimator includes a pitch sensor connected to the vehicle producing a pitch signal representing an estimate of a pitch angle of the vehicle. The pitch angle is associated with a coordinate system referenced to gravity. The pitch state estimator also includes at least one inertial reference sensor connected to the vehicle producing an inertial orientation signal with respect to the vehicle. Further included is a state estimator module for receiving the pitch signal and the inertial orientation signal and calculating a pitch state signal from the inertial orientation signal and the pitch signal sensor. The pitch state signal is provided to a control loop of the vehicle for dynamically maintaining stability of the vehicle.

Apparatus and method for pitch state estimation for a vehicle

A transporter that includes a platform for supporting a load and at least one primary ground-contacting element. The transporter includes an actuator for applying torque to the at least one primary ground-contacting element for propelling the transporter with respect to a surface. The transporter also includes a controller for controlling the actuator, the controller includes an input for receiving specification by a user of a desired direction of travel based on a position of a member with respect to a fiducial axis, a differentiator for calculating a rate of change of the position of the member with respect to the fiducial axis, and a processor for generating a yaw command signal based at least on the position of the member and the rate of change of the position of the member which is weighted based on the level of experience of the user.

Enhanced control of a transporter

Methods and apparatus for detecting a sensor angle error in a system in which a measured quantity is determined on the basis of a phase of a signal. A signal derived from the measurement of multiple sensors is ascribed to a vector in a two-dimensional space, and a norm is calculated characterizing that vector. A value is calculated characterizing variation of that norm over a specified period of time and that value is compared with a threshold in order to identify a sensor fault.

Shaft feedback sensor error detection

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Candia, NH, United States of America

Michael Thomas Gansler