(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2006/0055165 Al
Negoro et al. (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 16,2006
(54) VEHICLE CONTROL UNIT AND VEHICLE
(76) Inventors: Masanori Negoro, Shizuoka (JP);
Nobuo Hara, Shizuoka (JP)
Correspondence Address:
YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
C/O KEATING & BENNETT, LLP
8180 GREENSBORO DRIVE
SUITE 850
MCLEAN, VA 22102 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 11/225,368
(22) Filed: Sep. 13, 2005
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Sep. 15, 2004 (JP) 2004-268085
Publication Classification
(51) Int. CI.
A63C 1/00 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. C I 280 841
(57) ABSTRACT
A control unit is designed to control a vehicle which includes a body arranged to allow a user to step onto the body, a power generator arranged to generate power that drives the body, and a load sensor unit arranged to output a load value representing a load that has been applied to the body. The control unit preferably includes a processor arranged to calculate a bias of the load based on the load value that has been detected by the load sensor unit and to output a command value as a function of the bias, and a drive controller arranged to control the power generator in accordance with the command value. The processor outputs the command value for generating the power when there is substantially no bias in the load.
