Abstract: An inverted vehicle comprises a first sensor that detects an angular speed around an axis inclined from a pitch axis by a first predetermined angle, a second sensor that detects an angular speed around an axis inclined from the pitch axis by a second predetermined angle, a third sensor that detects an angular speed around the pitch axis, an acceleration detection unit that detects accelerations along the axes, and a control unit that performs the inversion control based on the detected angular speeds. A control unit puts a specific safety function in motion based on a mutual relation among a first angular speed around the pitch axis calculated based on the angular speeds detected by the first and second sensors, a second angular speed around the pitch axis detected by the third sensor, and a third angular speed around the pitch axis calculated based on the detected accelerations.

Abstract: A safety controller includes a first interrupt signal output unit outputting a first interrupt signal in a cycle synchronous with that of a first carrier signal defining a control cycle of a control target; a second interrupt signal output unit outputting a second interrupt signal in a cycle synchronous with that of a second carrier signal defining a control cycle of the control target, the first and second carrier signals having the same cycle and a predetermined phase difference; and a control unit executing tasks and controlling the control target by switching and scheduling time partitions according to outputs of the first and second interrupt signals from the first and second interrupt signal output units. The control unit stops controlling the control target upon detecting, as an abnormality related to the first and second interrupt signals, that the first and second interrupt signals are not output in a predetermined order.

Abstract: An inverted vehicle according to the present invention includes: a riding portion; an output portion; an input portion that receives an input of the signal output from the output portion; a passing/blocking portion which includes a passing portion and a blocking portion; a main support portion that elastically supports the riding portion so that the blocking portion is located between the output portion and the input portion to block passage of the signal when no load is applied to the riding portion, and is compressed and deformed so that the passing portion is located between the output portion and the input portion to allow passage of the signal when a load is applied to the riding portion; and a control portion that performs an inverted traveling control of the inverted vehicle when the signal is passing through a path between the output portion and the input portion.

Abstract: An inverted vehicle comprises a first sensor that detects an angular speed around an axis inclined from a pitch axis by a first predetermined angle, a second sensor that detects an angular speed around an axis inclined from the pitch axis by a second predetermined angle, a third sensor that detects an angular speed around the pitch axis, an acceleration detection unit that detects accelerations along the axes, and a control unit that performs the inversion control based on the detected angular speeds. A control unit puts a specific safety function in motion based on a mutual relation among a first angular speed around the pitch axis calculated based on the angular speeds detected by the first and second sensors, a second angular speed around the pitch axis detected by the third sensor, and a third angular speed around the pitch axis calculated based on the detected accelerations.

Abstract: An inverted vehicle according to the present invention includes a plurality of multiplexed control systems, and performs inversion control and thereby moves by providing torque to a wheel and thereby driving the wheel by using the plurality of control systems. The control systems include a switching detection unit that detects switching to inversion control in which at least one of the plurality of control systems is disabled, and an inversion control unit that performs inversion control of the inverted vehicle while restricting at least one of a speed and a posture angle of the inverted vehicle when the switching of the inversion control is detected by the switching detection unit.

Abstract: A two-wheeled inverted pendulum vehicle includes: single-winding first and second motors respectively rotating one of two wheels; first and second control systems respectively supplying drive currents to the first and second motors; a sensor detecting a physical quantity that varies with a turn of the vehicle; a dynamic brake unit being able to switch between active and inactive states of dynamic brake being applied to the first motor; and a control unit, when the control unit has determined that the vehicle is turning about the second motor side on the basis of the physical quantity while supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor is inhibited, activating dynamic brake in the dynamic brake unit. The first control system, when an abnormality has been detected in the first control system, inhibits supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor.

Abstract: To perform control in synchronization with a control cycle of a control target while maintaining safety. A safety controller includes: a processor; a system program for controlling allocation of an execution time of the processor to tasks; a signal generation unit that generates a periodic carrier signal; a control unit that updates a control content for the control target with a control content instructed by instruction information output from the processor, every first predetermined cycle of the carrier signal, and performs PWM control for the control target; and an interrupt signal generation unit that outputs an interrupt signal to the processor every second predetermined cycle of the carried signal.

Abstract: A safety controller includes a first interrupt signal output unit outputting a first interrupt signal in a cycle synchronous with that of a first carrier signal defining a control cycle of a control target; a second interrupt signal output unit outputting a second interrupt signal in a cycle synchronous with that of a second carrier signal defining a control cycle of the control target, the first and second carrier signals having the same cycle and a predetermined phase difference; and a control unit executing tasks and controlling the control target by switching and scheduling time partitions according to outputs of the first and second interrupt signals from the first and second interrupt signal output units. The control unit stops controlling the control target upon detecting, as an abnormality related to the first and second interrupt signals, that the first and second interrupt signals are not output in a predetermined order.

Abstract: A safety control apparatus includes: control means that controls a control object; control monitoring means that monitors the control means, and upon determination that the control means is abnormal, outputs an abnormal signal; delay means that generates a delay signal and outputs the delay signal, the delay signal being obtained by delaying the abnormal signal output from the control monitoring means for a predetermined period of time; and stop means that stops the control object according to the delay signal output from the delay means. The control monitoring means may output the abnormal signal of pulse form to the delay means upon determination that the control means is abnormal, and the delay means may output the delay signal with pulse interval wider than that of the abnormal signal.

Abstract: Upon occurrence of an abnormality, a safety control can be executed more rapidly. An OS partially includes a partition scheduler that selects and decides a time partition to be subsequently scheduled according to a scheduling pattern including TP1 in which an execution time is allocated to a safety monitoring program, TP2 in which the execution time is allocated to a normal control program, and TP3 in which the execution time is allocated to a safety control program. A processor executes the OS to cause the partition scheduler to periodically operate. The partition scheduler is activated upon detection of an abnormality by one of the safety monitoring program executed in TP1 and the normal control program executed in TP2, and switches the time partition from TP1 or TP2 to TP3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to time partitioning to enable execution of tasks in a constant cycle while guaranteeing dependence of a safety-related system. A safety controller includes a processor and a system program for controlling allocation of an execution time of the processor to tasks. The processor executes the system program to schedule tasks in accordance with scheduling information indicating, in a constant cycle, a period of one of a safety-related TP to which a safety-related task belongs and a non-safety-related TP to which a non-safety-related task belongs. In a task of a TP in the constant cycle, the processor stores the end information upon completion of processing in the task and brings the task into a ready state.

Abstract: A two-wheeled inverted pendulum vehicle includes: single-winding first and second motors respectively rotating one of two wheels; first and second control systems respectively supplying drive currents to the first and second motors; a sensor detecting a physical quantity that varies with a turn of the vehicle; a dynamic brake unit being able to switch between active and inactive states of dynamic brake being applied to the first motor; and a control unit, when the control unit has determined that the vehicle is turning about the second motor side on the basis of the physical quantity while supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor is inhibited, activating dynamic brake in the dynamic brake unit. The first control system, when an abnormality has been detected in the first control system, inhibits supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor.

Abstract: Suppression of power consumption is made possible by a microcontroller. An OS includes, in part, a partition scheduler that selects and determines a time partition to be scheduled next according to a scheduling pattern including the time partition for assigning execution time to a task. A processor periodically operates the partition scheduler by executing the OS. The partition scheduler reduces an operating frequency of a microcontroller according to a proportion occupied by the execution time required by a task for execution in the time partition.

Abstract: Time partitions which need not be executed can be skipped. An OS partially includes a partition scheduler which selects and decides a time partition to be subsequently scheduled in accordance with a scheduling pattern including TP1 in which an execution time is allocated to a safety monitoring program, TP2 in which the execution time is allocated to a normal control program, and TP 3 in which the execution time is allocated to a safety control program. A processor executes the OS to cause the partition scheduler to periodically operate. The partition scheduler skips a TP including a program which need not be executed among TPs included in the scheduling pattern, in response to a notification of an execution result from a program executed in at least one of the time partitions TP1 to TP3.

Abstract: Upon occurrence of an abnormality, a safety control can be executed more rapidly. An OS partially includes a partition scheduler that selects and decides a time partition to be subsequently scheduled according to a scheduling pattern including TP1 in which an execution time is allocated to a safety monitoring program, TP2 in which the execution time is allocated to a normal control program, and TP3 in which the execution time is allocated to a safety control program. A processor executes the OS to cause the partition scheduler to periodically operate. The partition scheduler is activated upon detection of an abnormality by one of the safety monitoring program executed in TP1 and the normal control program executed in TP2, and switches the time partition from TP1 or TP2 to TP3.

Abstract: Time partitions which need not be executed can be skipped. An OS partially includes a partition scheduler which selects and decides a time partition to be subsequently scheduled in accordance with a scheduling pattern including TP1 in which an execution time is allocated to a safety monitoring program, TP2 in which the execution time is allocated to a normal control program, and TP 3 in which the execution time is allocated to a safety control program. A processor executes the OS to cause the partition scheduler to periodically operate. The partition scheduler skips a TP including a program which need not be executed among TPs included in the scheduling pattern, in response to a notification of an execution result from a program executed in at least one of the time partitions TP1 to TP3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to time partitioning to prevent a failure of processing while suppressing execution delay of interrupt processing even when the interrupt processing is executed. A safety controller includes: a processor; a system program for controlling allocation of an execution time of the processor to a safety-related task, a non-safety-related task, and an interrupt processing task; and an interrupt handler. Upon generation of an interrupt, the processor executes the interrupt handler to reserve execution of the interrupt processing task as an execution reserved task, and executes the system program to schedule the tasks in accordance with scheduling information on a safety-related TP to which the safety-related task belongs, a non-safety-related TP to which the non-safety-related task belongs, and a reservation execution TP to which the execution reserved task belongs.

Abstract: To perform control in synchronization with a control cycle of a control target while maintaining safety. A safety controller includes: a processor; a system program for controlling allocation of an execution time of the processor to tasks; a signal generation unit that generates a periodic carrier signal; a control unit that updates a control content for the control target with a control content instructed by instruction information output from the processor, every first predetermined cycle of the carrier signal, and performs PWM control for the control target; and an interrupt signal generation unit that outputs an interrupt signal to the processor every second predetermined cycle of the carried signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to time partitioning to enable execution of tasks in a constant cycle while guaranteeing dependence of a safety-related system. A safety controller includes a processor and a system program for controlling allocation of an execution time of the processor to tasks. The processor executes the system program to schedule tasks in accordance with scheduling information indicating, in a constant cycle, a period of one of a safety-related TP to which a safety-related task belongs and a non-safety-related TP to which a non-safety-related task belongs. In a task of a TP in the constant cycle, the processor stores the end information upon completion of processing in the task and brings the task into a ready state.