Description:

FORM 2

The Patents Act, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See sec 10 and rule 13)

THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CONTROLLER

MAZOUT ELECTRIC PRIVATE LIMITED
20, East End Enclave, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi -110092, India.

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a Throttle Position Sensor Controller for maintaining the speed of an electric vehicle, more particularly to a controller for electric two wheelers. The present invention also relates to a method for maintaining the speed of an electric motor vehicle by a TPS controller which is achieved through regulating the motor current by regulating throttle position control to provide a cruise like experience to the rider. The present invention is an external device that can provide cruise control mechanism to any existing electric motor vehicle and it enhances the range of the electric vehicle. The present invention also relates to an Electric Motor Vehicle System with inbuilt TPS controller integrated with motor controller and a display unit that displays the vehicle parameters in real-time.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION
Reference is taken from US20150066249A1 titled, “Remote control of a jet ski”, which speaks about an Electronic Speed Controller algorithm which takes in a user Input from a Remote Controller Device and provides relevant speed inverting signals to the actuator present on the Jet Ski for propulsion. On the other hand , the proposed invention takes in the Raw Voltage Reading of the user and using an algorithm to filter out and detect variably constant User Throttle Response of the Hall Effect Twist Throttle, with taking in account the relative jitters of the users wrist movement, and providing the Motor Controller/Drive present on the Electric Vehicle, the calculated and changed voltage values, which in turns uses an Electronic Speed Controller algorithm to provide the Electric Motor the relevant Speed inverting signals, resulting in a constant speed as per the user’s wrist movement without sacrificing the driving comfort of the user.
Reference is taken from US7962256B2, titled, “Speed limiting in electric vehicles”, which speaks about a controller and methods for controlling the speed of a vehicle having an electric motorized drive. It also speaks of a method involving determining a steady state average torque and a torque during acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle traveling over an underlying surface. Speed of the vehicle is controlled based on the steady state average torque, the torque during acceleration or deceleration the measured regeneration current generated by a motorized drive arrangement of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle and payload, the torque applied to the ground-contacting element, acceleration of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle. On the other-hand the proposed invention speaks about a TPS Controller, that works by manipulating the user’s Variable Throttle Response; by detecting it through an external sensor coupled to the throttle module and controlling the speed of the vehicle at a user desired speed by a control method.
Throttle Response of a user for an Electric Vehicle [Two-wheeler] has no restraint over the upper-limit of the RPM of the motor for a given throttle voltage value, with respect to the current being provided to the motor [for On-Load & No-Load conditions]. The proposed invention would provide ease of usage to the user in manipulating the Twist Throttle according to user’s need of RPM requirement and also provide better range for the same amount of charge. With the use of the present invention less current would be used to maintain a user defined cruising speed. The present invention is not dependent on the model of the Twist Throttle or the Voltage associated of it, the model of the Motor Controller or the Voltage associated with it.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the invention is to provide a Throttle Position Sensor Controller for maintaining the speed of an electric vehicle; more specifically electric motorcycles and scooters.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an external controller to maintain speed of an existing electric motor vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a TPS controller that provides a cruise control mode on an electric vehicle.
Yet another objective is to provide a Throttle Position Sensor Controller for maintaining speed that increases the range of an electric vehicle.
Yet another objective is to provide a method of cruise control on electric vehicle through a Throttle Position Sensor Controller employed between main motor controller and Throttle module.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a controller to maintain speed without the conscious effort of the rider to maintain a particular speed in the electric vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a control mechanism to provide automatic cruise control at any speed automatically set by a steady throttle position.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide automatic cruise control at multiple time frames during the ride at any speed.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a simple cruise control mechanism to transform any existing electric motorcycle to a cruise-control enabled motorcycle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a cost-effective solution to enhance the performance of the motor vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an inbuilt Throttle Position Sensor Controller integrated with the main Motor Controller of an electric motor vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an electric motor vehicle with inbuilt TPS controller with real-time display of vehicle parameters.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to increase the battery life of the electric vehicle and increase the overall efficiency of the electric motor vehicle.
Yet another objective is to provide a cost effective and efficient electric vehicle system with automatic speed control enabled feature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a Throttle Position Sensor Controller for maintaining the speed of an electric motor vehicle. The main components of an embodiment of the TPS controller are :
- an input module comprising an analog to digital converter that converts analog input vehicle functions (a, b) into digital input vehicle signals (c, d),
- a control unit with a throttle position sensor to detect the change in position (Pt) of the throttle by processing the digital input vehicle signal (c) from the input module; a vehicle speed sensing processor that determines the instantaneous speed of the vehicle by processing the digital input vehicle signal (d), from the input module; a comparator for comparing instantaneous Throttle voltage, Vth (t) with the set voltage Vth (set); and a processing unit with feedback control mechanism to process the Throttle voltage Vth, the speed N , and provide a control action signal (e) to maintain the user desired speed and a storage unit to store the pre-set values of Vth, Vth(set), speed N, tset and instantaneous values of voltage, Vth (t) and speed, N(t); and
- an output module comprising of a digital to analog converter to convert the processed control action signal (e) into analog throttle response functions (f) to maintain a steady cruise speed Ns.
The TPS Controller is to be coupled to the throttle valve or Throttle module and the main motor controller of the vehicle.
In an embodiment of the TPS Controller, the processing module of the control unit is a computing device selected from raspberry pi, micro-processor, multi-core microprocessor, 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit and 64 bit micro-controller, ATMega family microcontroller, STM microcontroller, ARM based microcontroller, embedded micro-processor or any other computing device.
In another embodiment of the TPS Controller, the control unit of the controller sets a speed control mode ‘ON’ whenever the throttle position sensor senses no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, while the vehicle is in motion.
In an embodiment tset is in the range of 100ms-200ms for optimum performance.
In another embodiment of the TPS controller, the control unit sets a speed control mode ‘ON’ on an event of :- the throttle position sensor senses no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, while the vehicle is in motion; and throttle voltage response, at rpm lock position, Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set).
In an embodiment of the TPS Controller, the control unit of the controller sets the speed control mode ‘ON’ when throttle voltage response Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set); and
Vth (set) = {x: Vth(set) min = x = Vth(set)max}; wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2;
wherein, Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ; and
Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2], where Vt is the normal operating voltage of a Hall-effect Twist throttle module, where for any given value of Vt, the vehicle will be set in motion.
In yet another embodiment the throttle voltage Vth (set) depends on the Hall effect Twist Throttle module employed in the vehicle and Vth (set) = {x: Vth(set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2;
Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ; and wherein,
Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2].
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, in the speed control ‘ON’ mode, of the TPS Controller,
- the instantaneous speed N= N(t) is recorded;
- N(t) is set as set speed, Ns;
The control unit of the TPS Controller processes the output throttle voltage to the Motor Controller, Vth (t) to Vth(set), at set speed Ns.
In another embodiment, the control unit, processes the output throttle voltage to the Motor Controller, Vth (Pt) to Vth(set), at set speed Ns, through a control action signal (e).
In an embodiment of the TPS Controller, the control action (e) of the control unit of the TPS Controller limits the main motor current It , by regulating output throttle voltage, Vth to
- increase Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec); when N(t) < Ns ; and
- decrease Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) ; when N(t) > Ns ;
such that N(t) = Ns ; and wherein ?V is the control response.
In yet another embodiment, the control unit of the said TPS Controller sets the speed control mode ‘OFF’ when
a) the throttle position sensor detects change in throttle position (Pt) with respect to time t; and
b) the Vth (t) >Vth (set) or Vth (t) < Vth(set) or simply, Vth (t) ? Vth (set)
The present invention also relates to a method of maintaining speed control of an electric motor vehicle by a Throttle Position Sensor Controller.
An embodiment of the method of controlling the speed begins with receiving a variable throttle voltage (Vth) signal and a variable speed signal (N), by the input module of the TPS Controller; and converting the received analog input vehicle data into a digital format. Then, the converted digital data is processed to extract Throttle position P(t) and speed (N) of the vehicle by the control unit. The digital data is compared with the set data of Is, Ns, Vth, and the action signal is processed to modify the throttle response signal by the processing module of the control unit. The processed data is then converted to analog format by the output module and throttle response signal is sent to the main motor controller of the vehicle to regulate the motor current (It), constant at steady cruise speed Ns, till the throttle position sensor senses a variation in throttle position (Pt ) with respect to time.
In yet another embodiment of the method of maintaining speed of electric vehicles by a Throttle Position Sensor Controller comprises of steps of :
- receiving a variable throttle voltage (Vth) and a variable speed signal (N), by the input module of the TPS controller ; and conversion of analog input vehicle data into digital format;
- processing of the converted digital data to extract Throttle position P(t) and speed (N) of the vehicle by the control unit;
- comparing the digital data with the set data of Is, Ns, Vth, and processing the action signal to modify the throttle response signal by the processing module;
- converting the processed data to analog format by the output module and sending of throttle response signal to the motor controller;
- regulating by the control unit, the main motor current (It), constant at steady cruise speed Ns, by turning “ON” cruise control mode in an event of the throttle position sensor (21) sensing no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, while the vehicle is in motion; and throttle voltage , at rpm lock position, Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set);
wherein Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; and wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle; and Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2] ;
by regulating Vth through a control signal (e); wherein the said regulation is done by increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec); when N(t) < Ns; and decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) ; when N(t) > Ns ;
such that N(t) = Ns ; and wherein ?V is the control response;
- setting the cruise mode “OFF” by the control unit, at an event of
a) the throttle position sensor sensing a variation in throttle position (Pt ) with respect to time; and
b) Vth (t) ? Vth (set)
The present invention also relates to an electric motor vehicle system, comprising a twist throttle; a Motor Control unit with inbuilt Throttle Position Sensor Controller integrated with the main motor controller, to control the speed of the vehicle, at a user defined set speed Ns; and a display unit to display the parameters of the vehicle in real time.
In an embodiment, the speed of the vehicle, N, is set by the Throttle Position sensor controller to a steady cruise speed Ns, by controlling the throttle voltage, Vth(Pt) ? Vth(set); wherein Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; and wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ;
and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2]; Vth(set); till
i) Throttle position sensor sensing no change in throttle position for time t = tset, when the vehicle is in motion; and
ii) throttle voltage response, Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set); and wherein,
the cruise speed is set to the user defined set speed, Ns, by the control unit through a control signal (e) to regulate throttle voltage, Vth such that N(t) = Ns; by increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec) for N(t) < Ns ; and decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) for N(t) > Ns ; wherein ?V is the control response for throttle.
In yet another embodiment, the parameters of the vehicle namely “cruise speed mode status”, speed, distance covered, battery status or State of Charge (SoC), route etc. are displayed on the display unit of the vehicle in real time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig 1 shows a block diagram (100) of the control system of the vehicle with interaction of Throttle module (20), Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1), and Motor controller (30) for maintaining speed of an electric vehicle.
Fig 2 shows the flow diagram (200) of code for TPS controller. It explains the internal working of the TPS controller.
Fig 3(a) shows a block diagram (300) and speed control mechanism effect on an embodiment of the electric vehicle with and without TPS Controller. Fig 3(b)shows the performance graph of a test motor vehicle (on no load) with and without TPS Controller.
Fig. 4 shows the test results (400) of the current consumption over 0-100% State of Charge (SoC) at 40kmph.
Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of an Electric Motor Vehicle System (500) with an inbuilt Throttle Position Sensor Controller (51) integrated with the main motor controller (54) forming a single unit, the motor control unit (50); a display unit (52) and a throttle module (53).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a Throttle Position Sensor Controller for maintaining speed of an electric vehicle, more particularly an electric two-wheeler, electric motorcycle, electric scooter, or any electric vehicle with twist-throttle. In any conventional electric motor vehicle, when a user applies the throttle in the Electric Two Wheeler, the Throttle Output or the Motor’s performance is not regulated as per the user’s wrist movement but rather the Current limit set on the Motor Controller is the one, which controls the acceleration. This is done with a one-time firmware flash of the Motor Controller and not subject to any change. The current limit set on the motor controller is specific to specific motor vehicle manufacturers. The main Motor Controller is an electronic module that interfaces between the batteries and the motor of the vehicle, to control the electric vehicle's speed and acceleration based on throttle input.
With the present invention we can implement the change of current to the motor controller by maintaining the throttle voltage, as per the User’s Throttle Wrist Position, as if it is variably constant and implement a corresponding change in current to the motor controller, while the vehicle is in motion.
For a cruise speed of Ns, the threshold voltage of cruise control Throttle voltage Vth belongs to the range of Vth (set). Vth(set) is the operating voltage range of the Throttle Position Sensor Controller, where for any given value of (Vth(set)) the Speed Control Mode can be turned 'ON', if all the other conditions are also satisfied and (Vth(set)) is defined by;
Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; and wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ; and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2].
The present invention will also contribute positively to the overall Range of the Vehicle, improving it significantly. If the user of the vehicle were to manually implement RPM limit or constant RPM, the output of the current based on the Throttle Response of the User would be erratic and current hungry. With the help of the present invention, the user can implement RPM lock or constant RPM with just providing stability to the Throttle and providing a relatively fixed Throttle Position. By doing this we eliminate the human error aspect of trying to control the Throttle Position to achieve some relative constant speed, the throttle would be twisted up to attain the speed and twisted down to decrease the speed, which when performed by a human on actual road conditions is not constant and is erratic in nature. The present invention implements the throttle voltage control with perfect precision and also uses much less current to achieve the same RPM of the motor and hence providing more range for the Vehicle.
The present invention relates to a Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles especially electric two-wheelers like electric motor bikes, electric scooters, etc. as well as other small electric vehicles with twist throttle.
In an embodiment of the TPS Controller (1), it is an external device, connected in between the throttle valve or Throttle module (20) and the vehicle’s main motor controller (30).
In another embodiment, the TPS Controller (1) is integrated with the main motor controller (30) as a single unit.
The TPS Controller has an input module (11) that receives the throttle voltage from the throttle valve or throttle module (20) ; a control unit (12) that processes the data received from input module and provides an action signal (e) to control the speed of the vehicle at a user determined value till the throttle position is changed by the user , and an output module (13) that gives its output (control signal ) to the motor controller of the vehicle.
The input module (11) of the TPS controller has an analog to digital converter (22) or ADC that converts analog input vehicle functions (a, b) i.e the instantaneous throttle voltage and instantaneous speed into digital input vehicle signals (c, d) (i.e in the digital format). The throttle voltage (a) from throttle module (20) and speed (b) from motor controller (30) is input into the Input module (11) of the TPS Controller (1).
The control unit (12) of the TPS Controller has a throttle position sensor (21), a vehicle speed sensing processor (23), a comparator (24), a processing unit (25), and a storage module (28). The throttle position sensor (21) detects the change in position (Pt) of the throttle (due to twist action of the throttle by the user) by processing the digital input vehicle signal (c) received from the input module (11). The throttle position sensor (21) processes the position of the throttle from the digital value of throttle voltage (c) and records the instantaneous values of throttle position (Pt). The vehicle speed sensing processor (23) determines the instantaneous speed of the vehicle by processing the digital input vehicle signal (d), received from the input module (11). The vehicle speed sensor (23) processes & records the speed of the vehicle from the digital component (d) of the input and stores it in the storage module (28). The comparator (24) compares the instantaneous Throttle voltage, Vth (t) with the set voltage Vth (set). The processing unit (25) with feedback control processes the Throttle voltage Vth, the speed N , and a control action signal (e). The storage module (28) stores the pre-set values of Vth, speed N, tset and the instantaneous values of voltage, Vth (t) and speed, N(t) and the log of complete control action undertaken by the control unit.
The output module (13) comprises of a digital to analog converter or DAC (26) that converts the processed control action signal (e) into analog throttle response functions (f) to maintain a steady cruise speed Ns.
The processing module (25) of the control unit (12) can be a computing device such as raspberry pi, micro-processor, multi-core microprocessor, micro-controller, 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit and 64 bit micro-controller, ATMega family microcontroller, STM microcontroller, ARM based microcontroller, embedded micro-processor or any micro computing device capable of processing.
When the rider rides the electric two-wheeler, he increases the speed of the vehicle by twisting the throttle. Every throttle twist position corresponds a voltage level that is applied to the vehicle’s main motor controller. The throttle voltage regulates the current to the vehicle’s motor. When the rider attains a specific speed, he practically doesn’t need to provide throttle twist to maintain the same speed. In event of the throttle position sensor (21) of the TPS Controller sensing no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, the control unit (12) sets a speed control mode ‘ON’ while the vehicle is in motion.
In an embodiment, for optimum performance, tset is in the range of 100ms - 200ms.
The speed control mode is turned ‘ON’ when throttle voltage response is in the range of Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}, where Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and wherein Vt is the normal operating voltage of a Hall-effect Twist Throttle module and Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2].
In the speed control ‘ON’ mode, the control unit records the instantaneous speed N= N(t) and the value of N(t) is set as set speed, Ns.
During the period when the speed control is “ON”, the ?V is not static for all values of Vth. To implement constant rpm at different instantaneous speeds of the vehicle, the TPS Controller is programmed to use different value of Vth (set) depending on the instantaneous throttle voltage, Vth(t), when the speed control is turned “ON”. The different value of Vth (set) is already stored in the storage module (28) of the control unit(12).
The control unit (12), processes the output throttle voltage to the Motor Controller, Vth (t) to Vth(set), at set speed Ns and limits the motor current It , by regulating output throttle voltage, Vth to
- increase Vth to Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec ; when N(t) Ns ;
such that N(t) = Ns . (wherein Vth (Pt) is the Throttle voltage at rpm lock)
In simple words, when the throttle position is steady, the speed control mode is turned “ON”. The throttle voltage is fixed to Vth (set). Now with any variation in the throttle voltage during the ride, due to the change in speed, N(t) , the feedback action of the processing unit works to maintain the Vth (set) by providing a control action signal (e) (converted to analog throttle response function (f) by the TPS controller). This control action signal, checks for the speed of the vehicle and increases the voltage in case the instantaneous speed N(t) falls behind set speed Ns and decreases the voltage in case instantaneous Speed, N(t) exceeds Ns so as to keep the speed constant at the user defined set speed, Ns. This is done by increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec) for N(t) < Ns ; and decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) for N(t) > Ns ; wherein ?V is the control response.
For example, if the rider keeps the speed of the vehicle N(t) steady at Ns and is keeping the throttle position, Pt, unchanged for time , t=100ms-200ms, the Speed Control Mode is turned 'ON' & set values of Vth(Pt) & Ns are recorded and saved. Now, the TPS controller will try to keep the speed N(t)=Ns till the throttle position is not changed. The control unit(12) of the TPS Controller, through a control signal (e) regulates throttle voltage, Vth such that N(t) = Ns; by increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec) for N(t) < Ns ; and decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) for N(t) > Ns ; wherein ?V is the control response . ?Vdec and ?Vinc are not static and are different for different values of Vth(Pt) & Ns. For example, if Vth (Pt) = 2.5 V & Ns = 60 Km/H, then ?Vdec) = -0.8 & ?Vinc = 0.125.
Fig 2 explains the flow diagram of code for the TPS Controller (or VCU). The dataflow of the program is given as :
Main Loop
o Updates the ADC Values and calls the VCU To Motor Controller function
VCU_To_Controller
o Calls the Throttle_to_VCU function
o Converts the Voltage value to DAC 12-bit passing value
Throttle_To_VCU
o Calls the Averaging/Smoothening function for the ADC values
o Oversamples the values to 21-bit
o Checks if the Twist Throttle Module is held with a firm/constant grip for a fixed interval of time (t).
o Calls the Constant RPM function after checking the Throttle min/max threshold values.
RPM_Check
o Checks if the RPM is Increasing/Decreasing
o Increments/Decrements the Throttle Voltage according to the Current RPM
The control unit (12) of the Throttle Position Sensor Controller sets the speed control mode ‘OFF’ when the throttle position sensor (21) detects change in throttle position (Pt) with respect to time t and the Vth (t) increases or decreases more than the threshold throttle voltage, Vth (set). e.g. for a speed of 60km/hr cruise the throttle voltage correction by the feedback motor controller loop will work in order that threshold value of throttle voltage response changes by ?V such that throttle voltage decrement (-0.8V) is added to Vth (Pt) when instantaneous speed, N(t), is greater than set speed, Ns, and throttle voltage increment (+0.125 V)is added to Vth (Pt) when instantaneous speed, N(t) is lesser than Ns.
Fig. 3(a) shows block diagram and speed control mechanism effect on an electric vehicle with and without TPS Controller. Fig. 3(b) shows the performance graph of the electric vehicle (on no load) with and without TPS controller. Conventionally, the throttle module of the electric vehicle is connected to main motor controller of the vehicle. The rider has to consciously manipulate the throttle to get a cruise like ride. But with the TPS controller employed between the throttle module (20) and motor controller (30), the speed is regulated at cruise speed automatically by the TPS controller as shown by the performance graph of Fig 3(b).
The present invention also refers to a method (10) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles by a Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1); comprising the steps of :
- receiving a variable throttle voltage (Vth) and a variable speed signal (N), by the input module (11) of the TPS Controller (1); and conversion of analog input vehicle data into digital format;
- processing of the converted digital data to extract Throttle position P(t) and speed (N) of the vehicle by the control unit (12) ;
- comparing the digital data with the set data of Is, Ns, Vth, and processing the action signal to modify the throttle response signal by the processing module (25);
- converting the processed data to analog format by the output module (13) and sending of throttle response signal to the motor controller (30)
- regulating by the control unit (12), the motor current (It), constant at steady cruise speed Ns, by turning “ON” cruise control mode by regulating Vth through a control signal (e);
- setting the cruise mode “OFF” by the control unit (12), at an event of
a) the throttle position sensor (21) sensing a variation in throttle position (Pt) with respect to time; and
b) Vth (t) >Vth (set) or Vth(t) t (set), and the built in TPS controller (51) senses almost constant instantaneous throttle Voltage, the cruise mode is set ‘ON’ at that speed and the vehicle parameters are displayed on the display unit (52). The vehicle parameters include the “cruise speed mode status”, vehicle speed, distance covered, battery status, route etc. of the vehicle in real time. The motor controller (50) regulates the speed to be constant by adjusting the voltage across the throttle module of the vehicle, till, there is a change in position of the throttle (53). The cruise control mode is turned OFF and the vehicle speeds corresponding to the twist of the Throttle (53).
The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of the electric motor vehicle comprises of an input module, a control unit and an output module. The proposed TPS Controller increases the overall range of the electric vehicle. The range is a measure of distance covered by the vehicle in one charge cycle. i.e. the distance covered in kilometres for an electric vehicle with TPS Controller is higher than the range of electric vehicle without the TPS Controller (fig3). Some of the components of the proposed Throttle Position Sensor controller (1) are discussed.
In an embodiment of the controller hardware components used are a Raspberry Pi V4, 16-bit 4- channel ADS1115 ADC and 12-bit DAC MCP4725.
The specifications of the hardware components used in one or more embodiments of the Throttle Position Sensor Controller are:
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
The Raspberry Pi 4 uses a Broadcom BCM2711 SoC with a 1.5 GHz 64-bit quad-
core ARM Cortex-A72 processor, with 1 MB shared L2 cache. Unlike previous
models, which all used a custom interrupt controller poorly suited for virtualisation, the interrupt controller on this SoC is compatible with the ARM Generic Interrupt Controller (GIC) architecture 2.0, providing hardware support for interrupt distribution when using ARM virtualisation capabilities. The version of Raspberry Pi used for an embodiment of the controller uses 2GB RAM.
ADS1115 16-bit ADC
For microcontrollers without an analog-to-digital converter or when you want a
higher-precision ADC, the ADS1115 provides 16-bit precision at 860 samples/second over I2C. The chip can be configured as 4 single-ended input channels, or two differential channels. It even includes a programmable gain amplifier, up to x16, to help boost up smaller single/differential signals to the full range. The ADC can be powered with a Reference voltage of 2V-5V, giving us a maximum resolution of 0.000151 V/bit.
MCP4725 DAC
The MCP4725 is a low-power, high accuracy, single channel, 12-bit buffered voltage output Digital-to Analog Convertor (DAC) with non-volatile memory (EEPROM).
Its on-board precision output amplifier allows it to achieve rail-to-rail analog output swing. The MCP4725 has a two-wire I2C™ compatible serial interface for standard (100 kHz), fast (400 kHz), or high speed (3.4 MHz) mode. An embodiment of the TPS Controller would utilize the standard 100 kHz I2C interface. The DAC can be powered with a Reference voltage of 2V-5V, giving us a maximum resolution of 0.00122 V/bit.
The proposed TPS controller is an external device that can transform the working of an existing electric motor vehicle. In an example, normally the throttle module of the vehicle is connected to the motor controller. To adjust the speed to a particular value the rider has to make conscious efforts by adjusting the throttle twist such that the speed remains more or less constant to achieve a cruise mode type experience.
In an embodiment, the mode of working of the present invention shows Throttle Module of the Vehicle connected to the proposed the Throttle Position Sensor Controller module which is therein connected to the targeted vehicle’s Motor Controller (fig. 3(a)). The User needs to ride the vehicle normally and try to control the Relative Speed of the Vehicle and achieve some desired speed, like 50 Km/hr, and hold the throttle with relative stability. A test result of such an experiment is shown in Fig. 3(b). When the user holds the throttle with relative stability, TPS controller senses the constant throttle voltage. The throttle voltage received by the TPS controller activates the cruise control mode “ON” at the present speed of the vehicle. The control unit stores the values of Vth, N and tset for each value of motor current Is. If the throttle voltage response is within Vth(set) = {x: Vth(set) min = x = Vth(set)max}; wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ; and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2];
the feedback mechanism of the control unit of the TPS Controller increases the throttle voltage, in case, the instantaneous speed N(t) set speed, Ns.
This mechanism would maintain the speed at the desired level and also use much less current. But once the Throttle position sensor senses a change in throttle position, i.e. correspondingly a significantly large change in throttle voltage; the PS controller switches the cruise control mode “OFF”
In one the embodiments of the controller, the working of the controller involves the following model:
1. The user starts the Vehicle normally.
2. The user applies a twisting action on the Throttle, doing so adds acceleration to
the vehicle
3. Now when the user is comfortable with the attained Speed, the user will stop
further twisting the throttle and hold it with a constant grip, with relative
stability.
4. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller detects that the user is providing
relatively constant Throttle Response Vth(set)= {x: Vth(set) min = x = Vth(set)max} , wherein Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2; and Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and Vt is the normal operating voltage of a Hall-effect Twist throttle module and activates its internal algorithm.
5. Now the Vehicle will move with Constant Speed as previously set by the user.

The Throttle Position Sensor Controller will not operate when the user is providing Throttle Response data on the extreme ends of the total range i.e. +0.2V of the lower limit and -0.2V of the upper limit of the operating voltage of a Hall-effect Twist Throttle Module, is where the TPS Controller will be operable.

EXAMPLES :
Case 1 : Throttle Position Sensor Controller is coupled with a working Hall-effect Twist Throttle module which operates in 0.8 – 4.2 V.
- The Throttle module of the vehicle would send its corresponding Throttle Response Analog Signal to the Throttle Position Sensor Controller.
- The Analog Voltage Data would then be processed by the Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) and then sent to the Motor Controller (30) of the Vehicle.
- The sent Analog Voltage Data if it falls under the algorithms criteria, it is altered and changed as per the current Throttle Response of the User.
Case 2: Throttle Position Sensor Controller is in itself part of the Motor Controller and is coupled with a working Hall-effect Twist Throttle module which operates in 0.8 – 4.2 V.
- The Throttle module would send its corresponding Throttle Response Analog Signal to the Motor Controller.
- The Throttle Position Sensor Controller Algorithm detects the Analog Voltage Data and processes it directly.
- If the Analog Voltage Data falls under the algorithms criteria, it is altered and changed as per the current Throttle Response of the User.
Test results : Current Consumption over 0-100% SoC @40Kmph
For Simulation, the Electric Vehicle was tested for 5KMs and extrapolated the findings to fit the 0- 100% SoC requirement. The simulation was performed under two conditions, with the proposed TPS module and without the proposed TPS module.
Fig. 4, shows the test results (400). The following are the results:
• The Average Current Consumption over 5 KM without TPS module is 16.46362835 A).
• The Average Current Consumption over 5 KM with TPS module is (14.20634106 A).
• The Approximate Time it took for the Simulated test to be completed is 10 Minutes [without TPS module] and 10.5 minutes [with TPS module].
• With the average time and the average current in mind we can calculate the Ah used during the simulation [Average Current x Approximate Time in hours]. So, we used 2.73 Ah [16.46362835 x (10/60)] of Energy without the TPS module and 2.48 Ah [14.20634106 x (10.5/60)] with the TPS module.
• From Figure 4, we can estimate how much the overall distance travelled would be in each case. Without the TPS module we would travel - 182.22 KMs [(100/2.73) x 5] and with the TPS module – 201.12 KMs [(100/2.48) x 5], using - [(Total Ah/Ah consumed) x Distance Travelled]. Assuming we have a battery pack with Total Ah capacity of 100Ah.
• So, we get an increase of 10.37% (19 KMs) in Total Distance travelled over 0-100% SoC if we used the TPS module.
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of an electric motor vehicle (500) with a motor controller (50) that has main motor control (54) integrated with an inbuilt TPS Controller (51). The user twists the throttle (53) to change the speed of the vehicle. At a point, when the throttle position is unchanged for a time t >t (set), and the built in TPS controller (51) senses almost constant instantaneous throttle Voltage Vth (t), the cruise mode is set ‘ON’ at that speed and the vehicle parameters are displayed on the display unit (52). The vehicle parameters include the “cruise speed mode status”, distance covered, speed, battery status or State of Cherge, route etc. of the vehicle in real time. The inbuilt TPS controller employs the method of speed control (10). Once the TPS controller sets the cruise mode “ON” the Throttle voltage is regulated to be constant till the TPS controller (51) senses a change in position of the throttle (53) i.e it senses that the rider has twisted the throttle to change speed. The motor controller (50) having the TPS controller (51) integrated with the main motor control (54), switches OFF the cruise control mode. The integrated TPS Controller (51) is equivalent to a TPS Controller (1) inbuilt inside or integrated with the main motor controller (30).
The description, drawing and examples only illustrate embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed in limiting the scope of the invention.
ADVANTAGES
1. The proposed TPS Controller can convert any existing electric motor vehicle to a vehicle with cruise control mode. i.e it can provide cruise control functionality to even those vehicles which do not inherently support it.
2. The proposed TPS Controller can achieve cruise control at user defined speeds, multiple times during a ride.
3. The rider doesn’t have to make a conscious effort to activate cruise control.
4. The activation of the TPS Controller or the control of the TPS Controller is not in user’s control. Hence, it would seem effortless for the user.
5. For an embodiment with embedded TPS controller, the user would be indicated by activation of TPS Controller by a Green ECO sign on the dashboard, indicating that the battery pack’s overall range is being extended.
6. One of the best experience of cruise control by TPS Controller can be experienced when a user is riding on highways at a somewhat constant speed.
7. The proposed TPS Controller is a simple and cost effective solution of achieving better performance of the motor vehicle.
8. The proposed TPS Controller will increase the range of the motor vehicle. i.e. for a charge of 0-100% of the vehicle battery, the vehicle can be driven for more distance.
, Claims:We Claim:
1. A Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles comprising of an input module (11) , a control unit (12), and an output module (13);
wherein;
- the input module (11) comprises of :
- an analog to digital converter (22) that converts analog input vehicle functions (a, b) into digital input vehicle signals (c, d);
- the control unit (12) comprises of :
- a throttle position sensor (21) operable to detect the change in position (Pt) of the throttle by processing the digital input vehicle signal (c) from the input module (11);
- a vehicle speed sensing processor (23) for determining the instantaneous speed of the vehicle by processing the digital input vehicle signal (d), from the input module (11);
- a comparator (24) adept in comparing instantaneous Throttle voltage, Vth (t) with the set voltage Vth (set); and
- a processing unit (25) with feedback control to process the Throttle voltage Vth, the speed N, and a control action signal (e);
- a storage unit (28) to store the pre-set values of Vth (set), speed N, tset and instantaneous values of voltage, Vth (t) and speed, N(t); and
- the output module (13) comprises of a digital to analog converter (26) to convert the processed control action signal (e) into analog throttle response functions (f) to maintain a steady cruise speed Ns; and wherein;
the said TPS controller (1) is to be coupled to the throttle module (20) and the Motor Controller (30).
2. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing module (25) of the control unit (12) is a computing device selected from raspberry pi, micro-processor, multi-core microprocessor, 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit and 64 bit micro-controller, ATMega family microcontroller, STM microcontroller, ARM based microcontroller, embedded micro-processor.
3. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (12) sets a speed control mode ‘ON’ on an event of
a) the throttle position sensor (21) senses no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, while the vehicle is in motion; and
b) throttle voltage , at rpm lock position, Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set).
4. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein
a) the set throttle voltage Vth(set),depends on the Hall effect Twist Throttle module employed in the vehicle; and
b) Vth (set) = {x: Vth(set) min = x = Vth(set)max}; wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2;
Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ; and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2].
5. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein; in the speed control ‘ON’ mode,
- the instantaneous speed N= N(t) is recorded;
- N(t) is set as set speed, Ns.
6. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (12), processes the output throttle voltage to the Motor Controller, Vth (Pt) to Vth(set), at set speed Ns, through a control action signal (e).
7. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control action (e) of the control unit (12) regulates the output throttle voltage, Vth to
- increase Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec); when N(t) < Ns ; and
- decrease Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) ; when N(t) > Ns ;
such that N(t) = Ns ; and wherein ?V is the control response.
8. The Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the speed control mode ‘OFF’ when
a) the throttle position sensor (21) detects change in throttle position (Pt) with respect to time t; and
b) Vth (t) ? Vth (set).
9. A method (10) for maintaining speed of electric vehicles by a Throttle Position Sensor Controller (1) ; comprising:
- receiving a variable throttle voltage (Vth) and a variable speed signal (N), by the input module (11) of the controller (1); and conversion of analog input vehicle data into digital format;
- processing of the converted digital data to extract Throttle position
Pt and speed (N) of the vehicle by the control unit (12) ;
- comparing the digital data with the set data of Is, Ns, Vth, and processing the action signal (e) to modify the throttle response signal by the processing module (25);
- converting the processed data to analog format by the output module
(13) and sending of throttle response signal to the motor controller (30)
- regulating, by the control unit (12), the motor current (It), constant at steady cruise speed Ns, by turning “ON” cruise control mode in an event of :
a) the throttle position sensor (21) sensing no change in throttle position Pt, for time t = tset, while the vehicle is in motion; and
b) throttle voltage , at rpm lock position, Vth (Pt) ? Vth (set); wherein, Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; and wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2;
Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ;
and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2] ;
by regulating Vth through a control signal (e); wherein the said regulation is done by :
- increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec); when N(t) < Ns; and
- decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) ; when N(t) > Ns ;
such that N(t) = Ns ; and wherein ?V is the control response;
- setting the cruise mode “OFF” by the control unit (12), at an event
of :
a) the throttle position sensor (21) sensing a variation in throttle position (Pt ) with respect to time, t ; and
b) Vth (t) ? Vth (set).
10. An electric motor vehicle system (500) comprising : a Motor control unit (50); a display unit (52) to display the parameters of the vehicle; and a twist-throttle (53); wherein,
the motor control unit (50) consists of a Throttle Position Sensor Controller (51) integrated with main motor controller (54) adept in controlling the speed of the vehicle, at a user defined set speed Ns; by a method (10) of maintaining speed;
the speed of the vehicle, N, is set by the Throttle Position sensor controller (51) of the motor control unit (50) to a steady cruise speed Ns;
by controlling the throttle voltage, Vth(Pt) ? Vth(set); wherein Vth (set) = {x: Vth (set) min = x = Vth (set) max}; and wherein,
Vth (set) min = Vt (min) +0.2;
Vth (set) max = Vt (max) - 0.2; and
Vt is the normal operating Voltage of Hall Effect Twist Throttle ;
and wherein, Vt ? { y: Vt(min) = y = Vt (max)}= [0.8, 4.2]; till
i) Throttle position sensor sensing no change in throttle position, Pt for time t = tset, when the vehicle is in motion; and
ii) throttle voltage , Vth(Pt) ? Vth (set);
the cruise speed is set to the user defined set speed, Ns, by the control unit (12) of the TPS Controller (51,1), through a control signal (e) to regulate throttle voltage, Vth such that N(t) = Ns; by increasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) + ?Vdec) for N(t) < Ns ; and decreasing Vth to (Vth (Pt) - ?Vinc) for N(t) > Ns ; wherein ?V is the control response for throttle;

the parameters of the vehicle namely “cruise speed mode status”, distance covered, State of Charge (SoC), speed, route etc. are displayed on the display unit of the vehicle in real time.
Dated this 8th day of June, 2023.

Anjali Menon (IN/PA-2696)
IPRGENIE LLP
(AGENT FOR APPLICANT)