	US 9,400,505 C1 (12,937th)
	Self-stabilizing skateboard
Kyle Jonathan Doerksen, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Future Motion, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to FUTURE MOTION, INC., Mountain View, CA (US)
Reexamination Request No. 90/020,151, Jan. 31, 2023.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 9,400,505, issued Jul. 26, 2016, Appl. No. 14/805,044, Jul. 21, 2015.
Application 90/020,151 is a continuation of application No. 14/266,641, filed on Apr. 30, 2014, granted, now 9,101,817.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/820,043, filed on May 6, 2013.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on Jun. 12, 2025.
Int. Cl. A63C 17/01 (2006.01); A63C 17/12 (2006.01); A63C 17/22 (2006.01); A63C 17/26 (2006.01)

CPC A63C 17/014 (2013.01) [A63C 17/12 (2013.01); A63C 17/223 (2013.01); A63C 17/26 (2013.01)]

AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:

Claims 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 14-17 are cancelled.

Claims 2, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 18 and 19 are determined to be patentable as amended.

Claims 6, 12 and 20, dependent on an amended claim, are determined to be patentable.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 [ 5] , wherein the motor assembly includes a [ direct-drive brushless ] hub motor.

5. ~~The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:~~ [ An electric vehicle, comprising:

a board including first and second deck portions each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the board;

a wheel assembly including a rotatable ground-contacting element disposed between and extending above the first and second deck portions;

a motor assembly mounted to the board and configured to rotate the ground-contacting element around an axle to propel the electric vehicle;

at least one sensor configured to measure orientation information of the board;

a motor controller configured to receive orientation information measured by the sensor and to cause the motor assembly to propel the electric vehicle based on the orientation information;]

a first light assembly disposed at a first end portion of the board; and

a second light assembly disposed at a second end portion of the board;

[ wherein the electric vehicle includes exactly one ground-contacting element;]

wherein the first light assembly is configured to output light of a first color when the board is being propelled generally in a first direction and to output light of a second color when the board is being propelled generally in a second direction; and

wherein the second light assembly is configured to output light of the second color when the board is being propelled generally in the first direction and to output light of the first color when the board is being propelled generally in the second direction.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 [ 5] , wherein the at least one sensor includes a gyro and an accelerometer collectively configured to estimate a lean angle of the board.

10. ~~The skateboard of claim 8, further comprising:~~ [ An electric skateboard, comprising:

a foot deck having first and second deck portions each configured to support a rider's foot parallel to a pitch axis of the foot deck;

exactly one ground-contacting wheel disposed between and extending above the first and second deck portions and configured to rotate about the pitch axis to propel the skateboard;

at least one sensor configured to measure an orientation of the foot deck;

an electric motor configured to cause rotation of the wheel based on the orientation of the foot deck;]

a first light assembly disposed at a distal end of the first deck portion; and

a second light assembly disposed at a distal end of the second deck portion;

11. The skateboard of claim 8 [ 10] , wherein the at least one sensor includes a gyro configured to measure pivotation of the foot deck about a pitch axis.

13. The skateboard of claim 8 [ 10] , further including a rider detection device configured to determine if a rider's feet are disposed on the foot deck, and to send a signal causing the motor to enter an active state when the rider's feet are determined to be disposed on the foot deck.

18. ~~The electric vehicle of claim 17,~~ [ A self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:

a frame defining a plane;

a first deck portion mounted to the frame and configured to support a first foot of a rider generally parallel to a pitch axis lying in the plane of the frame;

a second deck portion mounted to the frame and configured to support a second foot of a rider generally parallel to the pitch axis;

a wheel mounted to the frame between the deck portions, extending above and below the plane and configured to rotate about the pitch axis;

at least one sensor mounted to the frame and configured to sense orientation information of the frame;

a motor controller configured to receive the orientation information from the sensor and to generate a motor control signal in response to the orientation information;

a motor configured to receive the motor control signal from the motor controller and to rotate the wheel in response, thus propelling the skateboard;

a first skid pad and a first illuminator disposed at a distal end of the first deck portion and a second skid pad and a second illuminator disposed at a distal end of the second deck portion, wherein each skid pad includes an aperture configured to allow light from the corresponding illuminator to shine through while preventing the illuminator from contacting the ground,]

wherein the first illuminator is configured to output light of a first color when the frame is being propelled generally in a first direction and to output light of a second color when the frame is being propelled generally in a second direction, and wherein the second illuminator is configured to output light of the second color when the frame is being propelled generally in the first direction and to output light of the first color when the frame is being propelled generally in the second direction.

19. The electric vehicle of claim 14 [ 18] , further comprising a fender attached to at least one of the deck portions and configured to prevent water traversed by the wheel from splashing onto a rider.