Dual motor feedback system for electric motorcycles

Abstract

The embodiments herein describe a feedback system for an electric motorcycle. The feedback system notifies a user of the electric motorcycle of various conditions of the electric motorcycle via one or more output devices. In one embodiment, the feedback system causes the left and right grips of the handlebar of the electric motorcycle to vibrate to communicate information to the rider of the electric motorcycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric motorcycle for providing feedback to a user of the electric motorcycle, the electric motorcycle comprising:
 a handlebar connected to a frame of the electric motorcycle, the handlebar including a left grip and a right grip;   a first vibration motor assembly inserted into the left grip;   a second vibration motor assembly inserted into the right grip;   a sensor configured to provide an indication of a condition of the electric motorcycle;   a feedback control device communicatively coupled to the sensor and to the first vibration motor and the second vibration motor, the feedback control device configured to:
 receive, from the sensor, the indication of the condition of the electric motorcycle; 
 access a plurality of feedback policies responsive to the indication, each feedback policy describing feedback to provide to the user in response to a corresponding condition of the motorcycle, the feedback described by the feedback policy being unique to the feedback policy; 
 identify, from the plurality of feedback policies, a feedback policy associated with the condition corresponding to the received indication, the identified feedback policy describing a pattern vibration type feedback at the handlebar of the electric motorcycle comprising vibrating the first vibration motor assembly and the second vibration motor assembly according to a pattern specified in the feedback policy, the pattern comprising the first vibration motor assembly vibrating while the second vibration motor assembly does not vibrate and the second vibration motor assembly vibrating while the first vibration motor assembly does not vibrate; and 
 cause the first vibration motor assembly and the second vibration motor assembly to vibrate according to the pattern described in the identified policy to alert the user of the condition. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the first vibration motor assembly is inserted into an inner diameter of the left grip a predetermined distance from an end of the left grip to maximize vibration in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly is inserted into an inner diameter of the right grip a predetermined distance from an end of the right grip to maximize vibration in the right grip. 
     
     
         3 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the first vibration motor assembly and the second vibration motor assembly include a collet style clamp. 
     
     
         4 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 3 , wherein the collet style clamp comprises:
 a cylindrical shaped outer clamp including a closed end, an open faced end that is opposite the closed faced end, and a threaded hole in the closed end of the cylindrical shaped outer clamp;   an inner clamp mounted inside the cylindrical shaped outer clamp, the inner clamp including a closed end that is adjacent to the closed end of the cylindrical shaped outer clamp;   a vibration motor mounted inside the inner clamp, the vibration motor including an output shaft connected to an offset weight, the output shaft and offset weight spinning freely within the inner clamp when rotated by the vibration motor; and   a screw inserted into the threaded hole, the screw pushing the closed end of the inner clamp in a direction towards the open end of the open faced end of the outer clamp thereby expanding the open faced end of the outer clamp within the handlebar to secure the first vibration motor assembly and the second vibration motor assembly inside the handlebars.   
     
     
         5 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the condition of the electric motorcycle is the electric motorcycle approaching an intersection where the electric motorcycle is supposed to turn according to directions generated by a global positioning system (GPS) navigation system of the electric motorcycle, and the feedback control device is further configured to:
 cause the first vibration motor assembly in the left grip to vibrate and prevent the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip from vibrating responsive to the directions indicating a left turn at the intersection; and   cause the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate and prevent the first vibration motor assembly in the left grip from vibrating responsive to the directions indicating a right turn at the intersection.   
     
     
         6 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining that the electric motorcycle is a threshold distance from the intersection based on GPS coordinates of the electric motorcycle; and   wherein the first vibration motor assembly or the second vibration motor assembly vibrates responsive to determining that the electric motorcycle is the threshold distance from the intersection.   
     
     
         7 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 5 , wherein the feedback control device is further configured to:
 cause both the first vibration motor assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to simultaneously vibrate responsive to the directions indicating a u-turn at the intersection.   
     
     
         8 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the condition of the electric motorcycle is a battery range of the electric motorcycle is less than a distance to a charging station nearest to the current position of the electric motorcycle, the feedback control device is further configured to:
 determine a threshold percentage of the battery range of the electric motorcycle according to a feedback policy associated with the condition; 
 determine a distance to the charging station nearest to the current position of the electric motorcycle based on GPS coordinates of the electric motorcycle according to the feedback policy associated with the condition; and 
 responsive to the distance to the charging station being greater than the threshold percentage of the battery range of the electric motorcycle, causing both the first vibration motor assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate according to the feedback policy associated with the condition. 
   
     
     
         9 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 8 , wherein the feedback control device causes the first vibration motor assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to alternately vibrate. 
     
     
         10 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback control device causes the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at different rates to convey information to a rider of the electric motorcycle, the different rates including a first rate, a second rate that is greater than the first rate, and a third rate that is greater than the first rate and the second rate. 
     
     
         11 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication that power of the electric motorcycle is reduced. 
     
     
         12 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication of a system error of the electric motorcycle. 
     
     
         13 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication that air pressure of at least one tire of the electric motorcycle is less than a threshold air pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication of a reduction of traction of the electric motorcycle. 
     
     
         15 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication that a temperature of a battery of the electric motorcycle exceeds a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 10 , wherein the feedback control device causes at least one of the first vibration assembly in the left grip and the second vibration motor assembly in the right grip to vibrate at either the first rate, the second rate, or the third rate responsive to the feedback control device receiving an indication that a temperature of a motor of the electric motorcycle exceeds a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         17 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback control device is configured to cause the first vibration assembly in the left grip to vibrate responsive to electric motorcycle related conditions and wherein the feedback control device is configured to cause the second vibration assembly in the second grip to vibrate responsive to non-electric motorcycle related conditions. 
     
     
         18 . The electric motorcycle of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback control device is configured to cause the first vibration assembly in the left grip to vibrate responsive to non-electric motorcycle related conditions and wherein the feedback control device is configured to cause the second vibration assembly in the second grip to vibrate responsive to electric motorcycle related conditions. 
     
     
         19 . A tactile feedback system for use with an electric motorcycle, the tactile feedback system comprising:
 left and right vibration motor assemblies located inside a left grip and inside a right grip of a motorcycle handlebar, respectively, each vibration motor assembly including a vibration motor;   a sensor that senses a condition of the electric motorcycle and provides an indication of the sensed condition; and   a feedback control device communicatively coupled to the sensor and to the vibration motor assemblies, the feedback control device controlling vibration of the vibration motors according to the condition indicated by the sensor, the vibration of the vibration motors determined by feedback policies that describe different vibrations corresponding to different conditions indicated by the sensor,   wherein at least one of the feedback policies describes that the vibration motors vibrate in a pattern comprising a first vibration motor vibrating while a second vibration motor does not vibrate and the second vibration motor vibrating while the first vibration motor does not vibrate.