Outdoor power equipment with distributed motor controllers

Abstract

Outdoor power equipment includes a drive motor configured to operate a drive wheel, a drive motor controller configured to control the drive motor, a first chore motor configured to drive a first chore device, and a first chore motor controller communicatively coupled to the drive motor controller. The first chore motor controller is configured to receive an operational state of the drive motor including a drive motor speed from the drive motor controller and operate the first chore motor based on the operational state of the drive motor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Outdoor power equipment comprising:
 a drive motor configured to operate a drive wheel;   a drive motor controller configured to control the drive motor;   a first chore motor configured to drive a first chore device; and   a first chore motor controller communicatively coupled to the drive motor controller, the first chore motor controller configured to:   receive an operational state of the drive motor including a drive motor speed from the drive motor controller; and   operate the first chore motor based on the operational state of the drive motor.   
     
     
         2 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the first chore motor controller is configured to operate the first chore motor at a first chore motor speed proportional to the drive motor speed. 
     
     
         3 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 2 , wherein the first chore motor controller is configured to operate the first chore motor at a first chore motor speed that is directly proportional to the drive motor speed. 
     
     
         4 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the first chore motor controller is configured to operate the first chore motor based on the operational state of the drive motor such that sound waves created by the first chore motor and the first chore device destructively interfere with sound waves created by the drive motor. 
     
     
         5 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 4 , wherein the outdoor power equipment is a mower and the first chore device is a mower blade. 
     
     
         6 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 4 , further comprising a second chore motor controller operatively coupled to the first chore motor and configured to drive a second chore motor, wherein the wherein the second chore motor controller is configured to operate the second chore motor based on an operational state of the first chore motor such that sound waves created by the second chore motor and the second chore device destructively interfere with sound waves created by the first chore motor and the first chore device. 
     
     
         7 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 6 , wherein the outdoor power equipment is a mower and the first and second chore devices are both mower blades. 
     
     
         8 . Outdoor power equipment comprising:
 a left drive motor configured to operate a left drive wheel on a left side of the outdoor power equipment;   a right drive motor configured to operate a right drive wheel on a right side of the outdoor power equipment;   a sensor configured to detect an incline of a surface over which the outdoor power equipment is travelling; and   at least one drive motor controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to control the left drive motor and the right drive motor, the at least one drive motor controller configured to:   receive the detected incline from the sensor;   determine a roll angle of the outdoor power equipment based on the detected incline; and   operate the left drive motor at a left drive speed and the right drive motor at a right drive speed based on the roll angle.   
     
     
         9 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 8 , wherein at least one motor drive controller includes a left drive motor controller configured to control the left drive motor and a right drive motor controller configured to control the right drive motor. 
     
     
         10 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer or a gyroscope. 
     
     
         11 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 8 , further comprising a user input device communicatively coupled to the at least one drive motor controller and configured to receive a user input indicating a direction of travel, wherein when the direction of travel is a straight line and the roll angle exceeds a predetermined threshold, the at least one drive motor controller is configured to operate the left drive motor and the right drive motor such that the left drive speed is different than the right drive speed. 
     
     
         12 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 11 , wherein when the roll angle indicates a counterclockwise roll, the at least one drive motor controller is configured to operate the left drive motor and the right drive motor such that the left drive speed is higher than the right drive speed, and when the roll angle indicates a clockwise roll, the at least one drive motor controller is configured to operate the left drive motor and the right drive motor such that the left drive speed is lower than the right drive speed. 
     
     
         13 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 12 , wherein a counterclockwise roll indicates that the left drive wheel is higher on the incline than the right drive wheel, and a clockwise roll indicates that the left drive wheel is lower on the incline than the right drive wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 8 , further comprising a user input device communicatively coupled to the at least one drive motor controller and configured to receive a user input indicating a direction of travel, wherein when the user input falls within a predetermined deviation threshold of a user input indicating a straight line direction of travel, the at least one drive motor controller is configured to operate the left and right drive motors such that the outdoor power equipment moves in a straight line. 
     
     
         15 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the user input device includes a steering wheel, the user input indicating a straight line direction of travel corresponds to a centered steering wheel position, and the predetermined deviation threshold comprises a range of steering wheel positions that are not the centered steering wheel position. 
     
     
         16 . The outdoor power equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the user input device includes two drive sticks, the user input indicating a straight line direction of travel corresponds to the two drive sticks receiving the same input, and the predetermined deviation threshold comprises a range of drive stick positions in which the two drive sticks do not receive the same input. 
     
     
         17 . A controller module comprising:
 an enclosure including an inner wall defining a volume;   a plurality of motor controllers, each motor controller comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;   a plurality of transistors located on the first side; and   a plurality of outputs located on the second side;   wherein the first side of the PCB is positioned adjacent to the inner wall of the enclosure to allow heat generated by the motor controller to dissipate via the enclosure.   
     
     
         18 . The controller module of  claim 17 , wherein the controller module comprises a heatsink positioned on an outside of the controller module, wherein the heatsink is structured to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of motor controllers within the controller module. 
     
     
         19 . The controller module of  claim 17 , wherein the controller module further comprises a mezzanine board that each of the plurality of motor controllers connect to;
 wherein the mezzanine board comprises a plurality of traces for making connections for a network communication bus between the plurality of motor controllers.   
     
     
         20 . The controller module of  claim 19 , wherein the network communication bus is a controller area network (CAN).