# US 10,501,119 B2 · Control system for a tiltable vehicle

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- Number: US 10,501,119 B2
- Document ID: US10501119B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/192,607
- Filed: 2018-11-15
- Published: 2019-05-16
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-15
- Assignees: Sway Motorsports LLC
- Applicants: Sway Motorsports LLC
- Inventors: Kyle Jonathan Doerksen; Joseph Wilcox
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501119B2

## CPC

- B62D 9/02: combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
- B60G 17/0162: {mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking (B60G17/0164 takes precedence)}
- B60G 17/018: characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method
- B62J 45/414: Acceleration sensors
- B62K 5/08: with steering devices acting on two or more wheels
- B62K 5/10: with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
- B60G 2200/144: with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
- B60G 2202/442: Rotary actuator
- B60G 2300/122: Trikes
- B60G 2300/45: Rolling frame vehicles
- B60G 2500/40: Steering
- B60G 2800/24: Steering, cornering
- B60G 2800/912: Attitude Control; levelling control
- B60G 2800/963: Steer-by-wire
- B62K 5/027: Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023)
- B62K 5/05: characterised by a single rear wheel
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00})
- B62J: CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
- B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE

## Abstract

A vehicle of the present disclosure may include at least one pair of opposing wheels coupled to a tiltable central chassis by a four-bar linkage or the like, such that the wheels are configured to tilt in unison with the central chassis. A steering actuator and/or a tilting actuator may be discretely controllable by an electronic controller of the vehicle. The controller may include processing logic configured to maintain alignment between a median plane of the chassis and a net force vector caused by gravity and any induced centrifugal forces. Various control algorithms may be utilized to steer the vehicle along a desired path, either autonomously or semi-autonomously.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
a pair of wheels coupled to a tiltable central frame by a four-bar linkage configured such that the pair of wheels and the central frame are configured to tilt in unison with respect to a median plane of the central frame;
a sensor configured to detect directional information regarding a net force vector applied to the central frame, wherein the net force vector is determined by gravity in combination with any applicable centrifugal force applied to the central frame;
a first actuator operatively coupled to the central frame and configured to selectively tilt the central frame;
a second actuator operatively coupled to the pair of wheels and configured to selectively steer the pair of wheels; and
a controller including processing logic configured to selectively control the first actuator and the second actuator in response to the directional information from the sensor to automatically maintain the net force vector in alignment with the median plane of the central frame;
wherein the processing logic of the controller is further configured to control the second actuator to automatically (a) apply a selected amount of steering torque to the pair of wheels when a speed of the vehicle is less than a first threshold, and (b) permit the pair of wheels to caster freely when the speed of the vehicle is above the first threshold; and
wherein the selected amount of steering torque is linearly related to the speed of the vehicle when the speed is below the first threshold and above a second threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first actuator comprises a servo motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the first actuator independently of the second actuator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing logic of the controller is further configured to respond to a requested travel path of the vehicle by controlling the second actuator to steer the wheels and then to control the first actuator to tilt the central frame in response to a resulting misalignment between the net force vector and the median plane of the central frame.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing logic of the controller is further configured to respond to a requested travel path of the vehicle by controlling the first actuator to tilt the central frame and then to control the second actuator to steer the wheels in response to a resulting misalignment between the net force vector and the median plane of the central frame.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a handlebar operatively coupled to the pair of wheels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the pair of wheels is coupled to the central frame at a first end, the vehicle further comprising a powered third wheel coupled to an opposite, second end of the central frame.