Two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus

A two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle having a handlebar, the two-wheeled vehicle being movable in a traveling state and then having a velocity, the control apparatus comprising:

• vehicle velocity computing means for computing the velocity of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• a handlebar steering angle sensor mounted on the handlebar of said two-wheeled vehicle;
• dynamic center value computing means for computing a dynamic center value for the handlebar, the dynamic center value being a signal output by said handlebar steering angle sensor when the handlebar is in a central position, said computing means computing the dynamic center value in response to the traveling state of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• handlebar steering angle computing means for computing the steering angle of the handlebar using the signal output by the handlebar steering angle sensor and the dynamic center value;
• vehicle control means for controlling said two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the velocity and handlebar steering angle of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• and
• control moderating mean for moderating the control by said vehicle control means over the two-wheeled vehicle when the dynamic center value computed by the dynamic center value computing means is judged to have a low level of reliability.

A two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle having a handlebar, the two-wheeled vehicle being movable in a traveling state and then having a velocity, the control apparatus comprising:

• vehicle velocity computing means for computing the velocity of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• a handlebar steering angle sensor mounted on the handlebar of said two-wheeled vehicle;
• dynamic center value computing means for computing a dynamic center value for the handlebar, the dynamic center value being a signal output by said handlebar steering angle sensor when the handlebar is in a central position, said computing means computing the dynamic center value in response to the traveling state of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• dynamic center value storing means for storing said dynamic center value;
• handlebar steering angle computing means for computing the steering angle of the handlebar using the signal output by the handlebar steering angle sensor and said dynamic center value stored in said dynamic center value storing means;
• vehicle control means for controlling said two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the velocity and handlebar steering angle of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• power-off detecting means for detecting an open state of a combination switch of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• and
• power backup means for supplying power to at least said dynamic center value means for a predetermined period of time while the combination switch is in the open state.

A two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle having a handlebar, the vehicle being movable and then having a velocity, the control apparatus comprising:

• handlebar steering angle computing means for computing the steering angle of the handlebar of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• vehicle control means for controlling said two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle and with the handlebar steering angle;
• vehicle velocity level detecting means for determining whether the vehicle velocity exceeds a predetermined velocity level;
• and
• control stopping means for stopping control of the vehicle by the vehicle control means when the vehicle velocity level detecting means determines the vehicle velocity exceeds the predetermined velocity level.

A two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle having a handlebar, the vehicle being movable and then having a velocity, the control apparatus comprising:

• handlebar steering angle computing means for computing the steering angle of the handlebar of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• vehicle control means for controlling said two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle and with the handlebar steering angle;
• control amount level detecting means for determining whether an amount of control output by the vehicle control means is one of equal to and lower than a predetermined level;
• and
• control stopping means for stopping control operations on said vehicle by the vehicle control means if the amount of control is determined to be lower than said predetermined level.

A two-wheeled vehicle control apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle having a handlebar, the vehicle being movable and then having a velocity, the control apparatus comprising:

• vehicle velocity computing means for computing the velocity of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• handlebar steering angle computing means for computing the steering angle of the handlebar of the two-wheeled vehicle;
• vehicle control means for controlling the two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the velocity of said vehicle and with the handlebar steering angle;
• and
• variation limiting means for computing variation in the computed handlebar steering angle and, if the variation is one of equal to and greater than a predetermined level, the variation limiting means modifies the handlebar steering angle whereby the variation attains the predetermined level.