Patent ID: 11865927
Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  Y | IPC B  H

Claim 17:
18. A motor controller, comprising:
a lithium battery interface;
an electric motor interface; and
controller circuitry constructed and arranged to operate in (i) a normal mode in which the controller circuitry provides electric power from a lithium battery coupled with the lithium battery interface to an electric motor coupled with the electric motor interface to turn one or more ground engaging members, and (ii) a walkaway mode in which the controller circuitry configures the electric motor coupled with the electric motor interface to provide braking torque; and
wherein the controller circuitry is further constructed and arranged to receive an accelerator signal from an accelerator pedal, the accelerator signal indicating a current amount of pedal depression encountered by the accelerator pedal;
wherein the motor controller is constructed and arranged to enter the walkaway mode when the accelerator signal indicates that the accelerator pedal is not depressed; and
wherein the motor controller is further constructed and arranged to enter the walkaway mode when a keyed switch of the utility vehicle is set to an OFF position, the keyed switch being electronically coupled with a battery management system (BMS) of the lithium battery.