# US 11,299,059 B1 · Self-stabilizing skateboard

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- Number: US 11,299,059 B1
- Document ID: US11299059B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/506,564
- Filed: 2021-10-20
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-20
- Assignees: Future Motion, Inc.
- Applicants: Future Motion, Inc.
- Inventors: Julian De La Rua; Brady Boone
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299059B1

## CPC

- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- A63C 17/016: {with wheels arranged in one track}
- A63C 17/08: single-wheel type {with single axis}
- A63C 17/12: with driving mechanisms
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75)
- B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 58/10: for monitoring or controlling batteries
- B62J 43/10: for propulsion
- B62J 45/00: Electrical equipment arrangements specially adapted for use as accessories on cycles, not otherwise provided for
- B62K 1/00: Unicycles
- B62K 11/007: {Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider}
- H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters
- H02J 7/47: Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
- H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction
- A63C 2203/12: Electrically powered or heated
- A63C 2203/18: Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
- A63C 2203/24: Processing or storing data, e.g. with electronic chip
- A63C 2203/42: Details of chassis of ice or roller skates, of decks of skateboards
- B60L 2200/14: Vehicles with one wheel only
- B60L 2200/20: Vehicles specially adapted for children, e.g. toy vehicles
- B60L 2210/30: AC to DC converters
- B60L 2260/34: Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
- B62J 25/04: Floor-type foot rests
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- A63C: SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE (water skis B63B32/00, B63B34/00)
- 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
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a board having two deck portions each having a concave front footpad configured to receive a foot of a rider, and a wheel assembly disposed between the deck portions. The concave front footpad has a rider detection sensor in the form of a membrane switch conforming to the shape of the footpad (e.g., facilitated by one or more slots formed in the membrane switch). A motor assembly drives the vehicle in response to board orientation and rider detection information. The vehicle may have a secondary battery chargeable via a three-pin charging port including an input pin, a ground pin, and an identification pin configured to receive an expected identification signal from an external charging circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A self-balancing electric skateboard, comprising:
a board including a frame, a first deck portion disposed at a first end portion of the frame, and a second deck portion disposed at a second end portion of the frame, the first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the board;
a wheel assembly including a wheel rotatable about an axle, wherein the wheel is disposed between and extends above and below the first and second deck portions;
a motor assembly powered by a rechargeable battery and configured to rotate the wheel about the axle to propel the skateboard;
an electronic controller configured to receive orientation information of the board measured by at least one sensor and to cause the motor assembly to propel the skateboard based on the orientation information; and
a battery charging system incorporated into the skateboard and electrically coupled to the battery, the charging system comprising a user-accessible charging port having a ground pin, an input pin, and an identification (ID) pin;
wherein the charging system of the skateboard is configured to:
receive a charging voltage from a charger at the input pin of the charging port;
receive an identification signal at the ID pin of the charging port, wherein the identification signal is configured to confirm legitimacy of the charger by matching an expected identification signal expected by a battery management system (BMS) of the skateboard, and wherein the expected identification signal comprises a selected value pulsed periodically in accordance with a selected duty cycle; and
selectively enable the battery charging system based on the received identification signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The skateboard of claim 1, wherein the BMS is configured to enable the charging system of the skateboard based on a comparison between the identification signal and an expected value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The skateboard of claim 1, wherein the BMS is configured to disable the charging system of the skateboard based on a comparison between the identification signal and an expected value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The skateboard of claim 3, wherein the identification signal changes over time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The skateboard of claim 3, wherein the identification signal comprises the expected value pulsed in accordance with an expected duty cycle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The skateboard of claim 3, wherein the expected value is an expected voltage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The skateboard of claim 1, further comprising an external charging circuit connectable to the charging port, wherein the external charging circuit is configured to communicate the identification signal to the ID pin of the charging port.

### Claim 8

A method for charging a battery of an electric skateboard, the method comprising:
coupling an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) adapter to a charging port of an electric skateboard, the electric skateboard including:
a board including a frame, a first deck portion disposed at a first end portion of the frame, and a second deck portion disposed at a second end portion of the frame, the first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the board;
a wheel assembly including a wheel rotatable about an axle, wherein the wheel is disposed between and extends above and below the first and second deck portions; and
a motor assembly powered by a rechargeable battery and configured to rotate the wheel about the axle to propel the skateboard;
applying a charging voltage to a first conductor of the charging port, using the AC to DC adapter;
communicating an identification signal to a second conductor of the charging port, wherein the identification signal is configured to confirm legitimacy of the AC to DC adapter by matching an expected identification signal expected by a battery management system (BMS) of the skateboard, and wherein the expected identification signal comprises a selected value pulsed periodically in accordance with a selected duty cycle; and
in response to the BMS enabling a charging system of the skateboard, charging the rechargeable battery of the skateboard using the AC to DC adapter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising coupling the AC to DC adapter to a source of AC electricity.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the selected value of the identification signal comprises a voltage magnitude.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second conductors of the charging port are male connectors.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the charging port comprises a third male connector comprising a ground pin.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of any claim 8, wherein the AC to DC adapter comprises a first plug configured to mate with the charging port of the electric skateboard and a second plug configured to mate with an AC electrical outlet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the identification signal in response to sensing that the AC to DC adapter has been coupled to the charging port.