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EP-3710320-B1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE

EP3710320B1EP 3710320 B1EP3710320 B1EP 3710320B1EP-3710320-B1

Inventors

  • TRUMAN, MARK

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20181109

Claims (20)

  1. A motorcycle (100), comprising: an electric machine (130; 140) associated with at least one wheel (110; 120) of the motorcycle, wherein said electric machine (130; 140) is operable in a regeneration mode to apply a regenerative braking torque to the at least one wheel according to a regeneration control signal (185); imaging means (191; 193) arranged to output image data (192; 194) corresponding, in use, to at least a portion of a rider of the motorcycle; posture determining means (190) arranged to receive the image data (192; 194) and to determine a posture of a rider of the motorcycle in dependence thereon; and regeneration control means arranged to determine a vehicle state of the motorcycle (100) and determine the regeneration control signal (185) in dependence on the determined posture of the rider of the motorcycle and the vehicle state, wherein the vehicle state comprises a state of a brake control indicative of a magnitude of rider-requested braking torque; wherein the regeneration control means is arranged to determine the regeneration control signal (185) indicative of a proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque; and wherein the posture comprises one or more of: an inclination of at least a portion of a torso of the rider of the motorcycle; an extension of at least one arm or leg of the rider of the motorcycle; and a lean angle of the rider of the motorcycle about a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle (100).
  2. The motorcycle of claim 1 wherein the imaging means (191;193) comprises one or more imaging devices arranged to, in use, view the at least a portion of the rider of the motorcycle.
  3. The motorcycle of claim 1, or 2, wherein the posture determining means (190) comprises an image recognition means arranged to recognise the posture of the rider of the motorcycle as one of a plurality of predetermined postures.
  4. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the regeneration control means is arranged to select a control map for the electric machine in dependence on the determined posture of the rider of the motorcycle (100).
  5. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the regeneration control signal (185) is indicative of the regenerative braking torque applied to the at least one wheel (110; 120) of the motorcycle by the electric machine (130; 140) in the regeneration mode.
  6. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the regeneration control means is arranged to determine the regeneration control signal (185) indicative of a relatively lower regenerative braking torque when said posture of the rider of the motorcycle is indicative of an upper torso of the rider of the motorcycle being generally parallel to the motorcycle.
  7. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the regeneration control means is arranged to determine the regeneration control signal (185) indicative of a relatively greater regenerative braking torque when said posture of the rider of the motorcycle (100) is indicative of an upper torso of the rider of the motorcycle being generally perpendicular to the motorcycle.
  8. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle state is indicative of one or more controls operated by the rider of the motorcycle (100).
  9. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the regeneration control signal is indicative of the proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque to friction-based braking torque.
  10. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle state comprises one or more of: a speed of the motorcycle (100); a lean angle of the motorcycle (100); and an accelerator rider input.
  11. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, wherein the electric machine (130) is associated with a front wheel (110) of the motorcycle.
  12. The motorcycle of any preceding claim, comprising a power storage means (150), wherein the electric machine (130; 140) is arranged to output an electric current to recharge the power storage means (150) in the regeneration mode.
  13. A method, comprising: generating image data corresponding to at least a portion of a rider of the motorcycle (100); determining a posture of a rider of a motorcycle in dependence on the image data (192; 194); determining a vehicle state of the motorcycle (100); determining a regeneration control signal (185) in dependence on: the posture of the rider of the motorcycle; and the vehicle state, wherein the vehicle state comprises determining a brake rider input that is indicative of a magnitude of rider-requested braking torque; and, determining the regenerative control signal (185) indicative of a proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque; applying a regenerative braking torque to at least one wheel (110; 120) of the motorcycle in dependence on the regeneration control signal (185), and wherein the posture comprises one or more of: an inclination of at least a portion of a torso of the rider of the motorcycle; an extension of at least one arm of the rider of the motorcycle; and a lean of the rider of the motorcycle about a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle (100).
  14. The method of claim 13 comprising recognising, in dependence on the image data (192; 194), the posture of the rider of the motorcycle as one of a plurality of predetermined postures.
  15. The method of claim 13 or 14 wherein the image data (192; 194) is generated by one or more imaging devices (191; 193) arranged to, in use, view the at least a portion of the rider of the motorcycle.
  16. The method of any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the regeneration control signal (185) is determined to be indicative of a relatively lower regenerative braking torque when said posture of the rider of the motorcycle is indicative of an upper torso of the rider of the motorcycle being generally parallel to the motorcycle (100).
  17. The method of any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the regeneration control signal (185) is determined to be indicative of a relatively greater regenerative braking torque when said posture of the rider of the motorcycle is indicative of an upper torso of the rider of the motorcycle being generally perpendicular to the motorcycle (100).
  18. The method of any of claims 13 to 17, wherein the vehicle state is indicative of one or more controls operated by the rider of the motorcycle.
  19. The method of any of claims 13 to 18, wherein the method comprises determining the regeneration control signal (185) indicative of the proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque to friction-based braking torque.
  20. The method of any of claims 13 to 19, wherein determining the vehicle state comprises one or more of: determining a speed of the motorcycle (100); determining a lean angle of the motorcycle (100); and determining an accelerator rider input.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a motorcycle, to a method and to computer software. BACKGROUND It is known to provide electric vehicles with an electric machine associated with at least one wheel of the electric vehicle, which may provide propulsion torque, when desired, to the wheel. The electric machine may also operate in a regeneration mode where electrical energy is generated responsive to rotation of the motor caused by the wheel, such as when the vehicle is decelerating. In the regeneration mode the electric machine applies a regenerative braking torque to the wheel. Where the electric vehicle is a motorcycle having less than four wheels, such as a two-wheeled motorcycle, regenerative braking torque may be observed i.e. felt by a rider of the motorcycle. Particularly, although not exclusively, if the electric machine is associated with a front wheel of the motorcycle, the regenerative braking torque may appear unconventional to riders of rear-wheel driven motorcycles which only demonstrate a noticeable reductive torque through engine braking of the rear wheel. For further information related to a regenerative brake control system for an electric motorcycle, the reader is directed to United States patent publication number US-A1-2015/0274019, which describes a control unit which supresses a regenerative braking amount more when it is detected that the electric motorcycle is turning than when it is detected that the electric motorcycle is not turning. It is an object of embodiments of the invention to at least mitigate one or more of the problems of the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a motorcycle, a method and computer software as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a motorcycle comprising an electric machine associated with at least one wheel of the motorcycle, wherein said electric machine is operable in a regeneration mode to apply a regenerative braking force to the at least one wheel according to a regeneration control signal, imaging means arranged to output image data corresponding, in use, to at least a portion of a rider of the motorcycle; posture determining means arranged to receive the image data and to determine a posture of a rider of the motorcycle in dependence thereon; and a regeneration control means arranged to determine a vehicle state of the motorcycle and determine the regeneration control signal in dependence on the determined posture of the rider of the motorcycle and the vehicle state, wherein the vehicle state comprises a state of a brake control indicative of a magnitude of rider-requested braking torque; wherein the regeneration control means is arranged to determine the regeneration control signal indicative of a proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque. The regenerative braking force may be dynamically determined in dependence on the posture of the rider of the motorcycle. Advantageously the regeneration control signal may account for the vehicle state. Advantageously operation of the brake control may be taken into account when determining the regeneration braking torque. Advantageously the magnitude of regenerative braking torque may be proportional to the magnitude of rider-requested braking torque. Advantageously the regenerative braking torque may form part of the rider-requested braking torque. The posture determining means may be communicably couplable with a one or more sensors associated with motorcycle clothing worn by the rider of the motorcycle, the one or more sensors being arranged to, in use, determine the posture of the rider of the motorcycle. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, comprising: generating image data corresponding to at least a portion of a rider of the motorcycle (100); determining a posture of a rider of a motorcycle in dependence on the image data; determining a vehicle state of the motorcycle; determining a regeneration control signal in dependence on the determined posture of the rider of the motorcycle and the vehicle state; wherein the vehicle state comprises a state of a brake control indicative of a magnitude of rider-requested braking torque; determining the regenerative control signal (185) indicative of a proportion of the rider-requested braking torque as regenerative braking torque; and applying a regenerative braking torque to at least one wheel of the motorcycle in dependence on the regeneration control signal. The method optionally comprises receiving a signal from one or more sensors associated with motorcycle clothing worn by the rider of the motorcycle, the signal being indicative of the posture of the rider of the motorcycle. The posture may comprise one or more of an inclination of at least a portion of a torso of the rider of the motorcycle, an extension of at least one arm or leg of the rider of the motorcycle