Gear stage estimation method, gear stage estimation device, gear stage estimation program, and storage medium

Abstract

A gear stage estimation method for estimating a gear stage of a switching transmission device (30) of an electric bicycle (10), the electric bicycle (10) comprising: a motor (M); and a switching transmission device (30) that is provided on a power transmission path between the motor (M) and the rear wheel (78) and that can switch n gear stages. The shift range estimation method includes: acquiring, at a first time, a detection gear ratio (Rd), which is a gear ratio of a transmission section that is the whole or part of a power transmission path including a switching transmission device (30); and a step for comparing n preset gear ratios (Ri) set within the range of gear ratios that can be taken by the n gear stages with the acquired detected gear ratio (Rd), and estimating the gear stage of the shift transmission device (30) as the m gear stage when the detected gear ratio (Rd) matches the m-th preset gear ratio (Ri).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a speed gear estimating method, a speed gear estimating device, a speed gear estimating program and a storage medium, which are used for estimating the speed gear of a switching speed gear in a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] There is known an electric power-assisted bicycle that uses the power of a motor to assist the pedaling force of a crank pedal. In addition, there is also an electric power-assisted unit that can be retrofitted to an existing bicycle frame. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric power-assisted bicycle that is configured such that the electric power-assisted unit, which is formed by unitizing a motor and a crankshaft, can be retrofitted to a bicycle frame.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2021 / 049646 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, in the electric assist bicycle of Patent Document 1, in order for the user to confirm the selected gear stage, the user needs to operate and actually visually confirm the gear number display and position of the switching unit for switching the gear stage, and there is room for improvement in terms of visual confirmation.

[0008] The present invention provides a speed gear estimation method, a speed gear estimation device, a speed gear estimation program and a storage medium, which can estimate at any time which speed gear a user has selected to switch a speed shift device.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] The present invention relates to a gear shift estimating method for estimating a gear shift of a vehicle switching gear shifting device, wherein the vehicle has:

[0011] Power source; and

[0012] The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0013] in,

[0014] The gear shift gear estimation method comprises the following steps:

[0015] At a first time, a first speed ratio is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0016] comparing n reference values ​​set within the range of the speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained,

[0017] When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0018] In addition, the present invention relates to a gear stage estimating program for estimating a gear stage of a switching transmission device of a vehicle, the vehicle having:

[0019] Power source; and

[0020] The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0021] in,

[0022] The gear stage estimation program causes the processor to execute the following processing:

[0023] At a first time, a first speed ratio is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0024] comparing n reference values ​​set within the range of the speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained,

[0025] When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a storage medium storing the above-mentioned gear stage estimating program.

[0027] In addition, the present invention relates to a gear shift stage estimating device for estimating a gear shift stage of a switching gear shifting device of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle has:

[0028] Power source; and

[0029] The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0030] in,

[0031] The gear stage estimation device comprises:

[0032] an acquisition unit that acquires, at a first time, a first speed ratio which is a speed ratio of a transmission section that is the entirety or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0033] an estimating unit that compares n reference values ​​set within a range of speed ratios that the n shift speeds can take with the first speed ratio acquired by the acquiring unit,

[0034] When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0035] Effects of the Invention

[0036] According to the present invention, it is possible to estimate at any time which shift speed of the transmission device has been switched by the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 It is a side view of the electric assist bicycle 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a power transmission mechanism around the power unit 20 , the crankshaft 83 , and the rear wheel 78 .

[0039] Figure 3 1 is a diagram for explaining electrical paths and communication paths of the power unit 20 , the battery 2 , and the control device 40 in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0040] Figure 4 4 is a block diagram of the control device 40 in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0041] Figure 5 1 is a flowchart of the gear stage estimation process in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0042] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the gear stage estimation process in the electric assist bicycle 10 (part 2).

[0043] Figure 7 3 is a flowchart of the gear stage estimation process in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0044] Figure 8 1 is a flowchart of illegal gear detection processing in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0045] Fig. 9 1 is a time-series change graph showing a first example of the case where the gear stage estimation process is executed in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0046] Fig.10 1 is a time-series change graph showing a second example of the case where the gear stage estimation process is executed in the electric assist bicycle 10 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] [Vehicle structure]

[0048] Hereinafter, an electric assist bicycle will be described as an example of one embodiment of the vehicle of the present invention.

[0049] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the electric assist bicycle 10 includes a front wheel 73, a rear wheel 78, a bicycle frame 67, a power unit 20 for driving the rear wheel 78, and a battery unit 4 electrically connected to the power unit 20, and is configured to output the assist force generated by the power unit 20.

[0050] The bicycle frame 67 includes: a head tube 68 at the front end; a down tube 69 extending from the front of the vehicle body to the rear from the head tube 68 to the rear; a support tube 66 fixed to the rear end of the down tube 69 and extending left and right (see Figure 2 ); a seat post 71 rising upward from the support tube 66; and a pair of left and right rear forks 70 extending rearward from the support tube 66.

[0051] A front fork 72 is supported on the head pipe 68 in a steerable manner, and a front wheel 73 is axially supported at the lower end of the front fork 72. A steering handle 74 is provided at the upper end of the front fork 72. The steering handle 74 is provided with a portable terminal holder 6 for holding a portable terminal 8 owned by a passenger (for example, a driver) (see Figure 3 ). In addition, the portable terminal holder 6 is not essential, and the portable terminal 8 can also be worn (stored) by the passenger himself or the passenger's wearing items (clothing, bag). A rear wheel 78 as a driving wheel is axially supported between the rear ends of a pair of left and right rear forks 70 extending rearward from the seat post 71. A support shaft 75 having a seat 76 at the upper end is mounted on the seat post 71 in a manner that allows the seat 76 to be adjusted in an up-and-down position.

[0052] The battery unit 4 that supplies power to the power unit 20 is detachably fixed to the down tube 69. More specifically, the battery unit 4 includes a base 3 attached to the upper surface of the down tube 69 and a battery 2 detachably provided with respect to the base 3 and having a plurality of cells therein.

[0053] Figure 3 1 is a diagram for explaining electrical paths and communication paths of the power unit 20 , the battery 2 , and the control device 40 in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0054] The control device 40 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40a capable of executing various calculations, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 40b used as a work area of ​​the CPU 40a, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 40c storing various information and other storage media. The control device 40 calculates the torque (also referred to as power) generated by the motor M of the power unit 20 to generate an assist force determined by a pedaling force described later and an assist ratio corresponding to the vehicle speed V [km / h] of the electric assist bicycle 10. Thus, the motor M operates according to the CPU 22 of the power unit 20 that receives the calculation result (drive request) from the control device 40. The DC / DC converter steps down the supplied DC voltage while maintaining it in a DC state, and generates power supply voltages for a control device 40 , an inertial measurement unit (IMU in the figure) 41 , a memory 42 , a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) 43 , and a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)) communication device 44 .

[0055] The inertial measurement device 41 is, for example, a nine-axis sensor having the functions of a three-axis acceleration sensor, a three-axis angular velocity sensor, and a three-axis orientation sensor, and is used to detect the mounting posture of the control device 40. The GNSS 43 is used to obtain the position information of the electric assist bicycle 10. The memory 42 is, for example, an SD card, and is used to temporarily or permanently store information, driving data, etc. of the electric assist bicycle 10. The BLE communication device 44 is a communication device for BT connection (Bluetooth communication: Bluetooth communication) with the portable terminal 8 or the like.

[0056] In the electrical system and communication system thus configured, the power from the battery 2 is supplied to the motor M of the power unit 20 via the power lines 51 and 55, and the power stepped down from the power unit 20 via the converter DC / DC is supplied to the control device 40, the inertial measurement device 41, the GNSS 43, the memory 42, and the BLE communication device 44 via the power lines 56 and 52. Furthermore, when there is a start request for the power unit 20 via the portable terminal 8 while the power is supplied to the control device 40, a power-on signal is sent to the power unit 20 via the signal lines 53 and 57, and the CPU 22 of the power unit 20 is started. As a result, the electric assist function capable of outputting the auxiliary force generated by the power unit 20 is activated. When the power unit 20 is started, information can be exchanged between the power unit 20 and the control device 40 via the signal lines 54 and 58, and information can be exchanged between the control device 40 and the portable terminal 8, etc. via the BLE communication device.

[0057] return Figure 1 and Figure 2 A pair of crank pedals 79 are connected to the left and right ends of a crankshaft 83 that coaxially passes through a support tube 66 of a bicycle frame 67. The pedaling force (hereinafter referred to as pedaling force) applied by the rider to the crank pedals 79 is transmitted to the crankshaft 83 and input to an endless chain 82 via a drive sprocket 80. The chain 82 is wound around the drive sprocket 80 and a driven sprocket 81 provided on the axle of the rear wheel 78.

[0058] The output shaft 21 of the motor M of the power unit 20 is arranged in parallel with the crankshaft 83. The crankshaft 83 is rotatably supported on the inner side of the cylindrical sleeve 26 via the first one-way clutch 28, and the driven gear 26a and the drive sprocket 80 that mesh with the motor output gear 21a provided on the output shaft 21 of the motor M are fixed to the outer peripheral side of the sleeve 26. Therefore, the torque of the motor M is transmitted to the drive sprocket 80 via the motor output gear 21a, the driven gear 26a and the sleeve 26. That is, the motor M and the crank pedal 79 are arranged in parallel.

[0059] Furthermore, a second one-way clutch 32 is provided between the driven sprocket 81 and the rear wheel 78 .

[0060] In the thus constructed electric assist bicycle 10, when the crank pedal 79 is pedaled in the forward direction (also referred to as the forward rotation direction, the forward direction), the first one-way clutch 28 is engaged, and the forward rotation power of the crankshaft 83 is transmitted to the drive sprocket 80 via the sleeve 26, and then transmitted to the driven sprocket 81 via the chain 82. At this time, the second one-way clutch 32 is also engaged, and the forward rotation power transmitted to the driven sprocket 81 is transmitted to the rear wheel 78.

[0061] On the other hand, when the crank pedal 79 is pedaled in the reverse direction (also referred to as the reverse direction), the first one-way clutch 28 is not engaged, the reverse power of the crankshaft 83 is not transmitted to the sleeve 26, and the crankshaft 83 idles.

[0062] In addition, when the forward rotation power in the forward direction (forward rotation direction) is input from the rear wheel 78, for example, as when the electric assist bicycle 10 is propelled in the forward direction, the second one-way clutch 32 is not engaged, and the forward rotation power of the rear wheel 78 is not transmitted to the driven sprocket 81. Therefore, the rear wheel 78 rotates relative to the driven sprocket 81. On the other hand, when the reverse rotation power in the backward direction (reverse rotation direction) is input from the rear wheel 78, as when the electric assist bicycle 10 is propelled in the backward direction, the second one-way clutch 32 is engaged, and the reverse rotation power of the rear wheel 78 is transmitted to the driven sprocket 81, and then transmitted to the drive sprocket 80 via the chain 82. In addition, at this time, the first one-way clutch 28 is also engaged, so the reverse rotation power transmitted to the drive sprocket 80 is transmitted to the crankshaft 83 and the crank pedal 79, so that the crankshaft 83 and the crank pedal 79 are reversed.

[0063] The power unit 20 is provided with a motor rotation speed sensor SE1 for detecting the rotation speed of the motor M. The motor rotation speed sensor SE1 is composed of a magnet provided on the outer periphery of the output shaft 21 of the motor M and a Hall IC.

[0064] The sleeve 26 is provided with a torque sensor SE2 for detecting a pedal torque value Tq generated by a pedaling force. The torque sensor SE2 is composed of a magnetic displacement type torque sensor disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the sleeve 26 .

[0065] The control device 40 for controlling the power unit 20 calculates the pedal force based on the output value of the torque sensor SE2, that is, the pedal torque value Tq, and performs PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control on the motor M to generate an assist force determined by the pedal force and the assist ratio corresponding to the travel distance of the electric assist bicycle 10 per unit time (hereinafter also referred to as the vehicle speed).

[0066] A rear wheel speed sensor SE3 is provided at the rear fork 70. The rear wheel speed sensor SE3 is, for example, a magnetic detection sensor, which is used to detect a magnetic pulse when a magnet installed on the spoke of the rear wheel 78 passes through the sensor. The rear wheel speed sensor SE3 sends the detected magnetic pulse as a vehicle speed pulse to the control device 40, and the control device 40 calculates the vehicle speed based on the pulse interval. Usually, there is only one magnet installed on the rear wheel 78, so a magnetic pulse is detected every time the rear wheel 78 rotates one circle. Therefore, if the vehicle speed is V [km / h] and the circumference of the rear wheel 78 is Ct [m], the vehicle speed V [km / h] is expressed by the following formula (1).

[0067] V[km / h]={Ct[m] / magnetic pulse interval (s)}×3600 / 1000 (1)

[0068] A cadence sensor SE4 is installed around the driving sprocket 80. The driving sprocket 80 rotates integrally with the crank pedal 79 when the first one-way clutch 28 is engaged, so the rotation of the driving sprocket 80 can be regarded as the rotation of the crank pedal 79. The cadence sensor SE4 is, for example, a magnetic detection sensor. Eight magnets are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction on the driving sprocket 80, and the cadence sensor SE4 detects magnetic pulses when the magnets pass through the sensor. The cadence sensor SE4 sends the detected magnetic pulses as cadence pulses (cadence-related information) to the control device 40 described later, and the control device 40 calculates the cadence representing the speed of rotation (movement) of the crank pedal 79 based on the pulse interval. Eight cadence pulses are detected for every rotation of the crank pedal 79. Therefore, the cadence C [rpm] is expressed by the following formula (2).

[0069] C[rpm]={1 / (8×magnetic pulse interval (s))}×60(2)

[0070] [Switch the gear]

[0071] In the electric assist bicycle 10, a switching transmission device 30 capable of switching eight gears is provided on a power transmission path between a power unit 20 including a motor M and a rear wheel 78. In the present embodiment, the switching transmission device 30 is provided with eight front gears with different numbers of teeth on the driving sprocket 80, and a front gear is selected from the eight front gears by a user's operation. In addition, the gear ratio of the electric assist bicycle 10 is determined by (the number of teeth of the selected front gear) / (the number of teeth of the driven sprocket 81).

[0072] [Regulations related to power assist ratio]

[0073] According to Japanese regulations, the upper limit of the power assist ratio is 2 until the vehicle speed reaches 10 [km / h], and the power assist ratio needs to be gradually reduced from 2 to 0 between the vehicle speed of [10km / h] and 24 [km / h]. Therefore, when the electric power assist function is turned on, the power assist ratio of the control device 40 cannot exceed the Japanese legal provisions.

[0074] [Speed ​​Shift Estimation Process]

[0075] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 8, a gear estimation process for estimating the gear used in the gear-changing device 30 in the electric assist bicycle 10 is described. The gear estimation process is performed by causing the CPU 40a in the control device 40 to execute a gear estimation program stored in the storage medium ROM 40c. In addition, the gear estimation program is provided by the communication unit, or is provided by storing it in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, or can be stored in a dedicated terminal and provided as a gear estimation device.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, the control device 40 includes: a vehicle state acquisition unit 401, which is used to receive signals output from the motor speed sensor SE1, the torque sensor SE2, the rear wheel speed sensor SE3, the cadence sensor SE4, the inertial measurement device 41 and the GNSS 43, and obtain the state of the electric power-assisted bicycle 10 including the vehicle speed V [km / h], the cadence C [rpm] and the pedal torque value Tq [W]; a gear ratio acquisition unit 402, which is used to obtain the detected gear ratio Rd described later; and a gear gear estimation unit 403, which is used to estimate the gear gear selected by the switching gear device 30.

[0077] like Figures 5 to 8 As shown, the gear stage estimation process starts when the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is turned on.

[0078] In the gear stage estimation process, the process first proceeds to step S110 . In step S110 , each gear stage of the switching transmission device 30 is acquired. In this embodiment, preset gear ratios Ri (i=natural number 1 to 8) of the first to eighth gears are acquired.

[0079] In the present embodiment, in step S110 , for each gear stage, a preset speed ratio Ri (i=a natural number from 1 to 8) is calculated using the following formula (3), thereby obtaining the preset speed ratios Ri of the first gear to the eighth gear.

[0080] Preset gear ratio Ri = number of teeth on the front gear / number of teeth on the driven sprocket (3)

[0081] (i = natural number from 1 to 8)

[0082] Then, the process proceeds to step S120. In step S120, the timer for measuring the elapsed time t[ms] is reset to the elapsed time t[ms]=0.

[0083] Then, the process proceeds to step S130. In step S130, a timer for measuring the elapsed time t [ms] is started, and the measurement of the elapsed time t [ms] begins.

[0084] Then, the process proceeds to step S140. In step S140, based on the state of the electric assist bicycle 10 including the vehicle speed V [km / h], the cadence C [rpm], and the pedal torque value Tq [W] acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit 401, it is determined whether the vehicle state meets the following conditions:

[0085] Vehicle speed V [km / h] = 0.0 [km / h]

[0086] Cadence C[rpm]≤20[rpm]

[0087] · Pedal torque value Tq[W]≤50.0[W]

[0088] At least one of the three conditions. If at least one of the three conditions is met (step S140: Yes), the process proceeds to step S151. If none of the three conditions is met (step S140: No), the process proceeds to step S152.

[0089] In step S151, the speed ratio acquisition unit 402 calculates the detected speed ratio Rd as 0.0. Then, the process proceeds to step S160.

[0090] In step S152, the speed ratio acquisition unit 402 calculates the detected speed ratio Rd using the following equation (4). Then, the process proceeds to step S160.

[0091] Detection gear ratio Rd = vehicle speed V [km / h] × (1000 / 60) / (circumference of rear wheel 78 Ct [m] / pedaling frequency C [rpm]) (4)

[0092] In step S160 , the detected speed ratio Rd calculated in step S151 or step S152 and the preset speed ratio Ri (i=natural number 1 to 8) of each shift speed obtained in step S110 are obtained. Then, the process proceeds to step S170 .

[0093] In step S170, it is determined whether there is an i value = m that satisfies ΔRi (=|Rd-Ri|) ≤ the consistency determination allowable value. In the present embodiment, the consistency determination allowable value is different for each gear stage and is a value calculated by Ri×0.05 (i=a natural number from 1 to 8). Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is determined whether there is a preset speed ratio Ri (i=a natural number from 1 to 8) whose error with the detected speed ratio Rd is within 5[%].

[0094] In step S170 , if there is an i value=m satisfying ΔRi(=|Rd−Ri|)≤coincidence determination allowable value (step S170 : YES), the process proceeds to step S191 , where the shift speed direct reading value D=m is stored in the storage medium RAM 40 b , and then the process proceeds to step S200 .

[0095] Thus, the detected speed ratio Rd can be calculated based on the vehicle speed V and the pedaling frequency C, and the shift speed of the transmission 30 selected by the user can be estimated at any time based on the detected speed ratio Rd.

[0096] In step S170 , when there is no i value=m that satisfies ΔRi (=|Rd−Ri|)≤coincidence determination allowable value (step S170 : No), the process proceeds to step S180 .

[0097] In step S180 , it is determined whether the detected speed ratio Rd satisfies the following equation (5). In the present embodiment, the coincidence determination allowable value is a value calculated by using the preset speed ratio R8×0.05 of the fastest gear (the eighth gear in the present embodiment).

[0098] Detection speed ratio Rd / preset speed ratio R8 of the fastest gear (the eighth gear in this embodiment)>1.0+coincidence determination allowable value (5)

[0099] In step S180, when the detected speed ratio Rd satisfies the above-mentioned formula (5) (step S180: Yes), the process proceeds to step S192, and the speed gear direct reading value D=9 is stored in the storage medium RAM 40b. Then, the process proceeds to step S200. In addition, in the present embodiment, the speed gears provided by the switching speed change device 30 are the first gear to the eighth gear, and the ninth gear does not exist in the switching speed change device 30. The speed gear direct reading value D=9 indicates that the detected speed ratio Rd is an illegal value.

[0100] In this way, when the detected speed ratio Rd is an illegal value, the speed gear direct reading value D is set to 9, and the mark indicating that the detected speed ratio Rd is an illegal value is set to one of the speed gear direct reading values ​​D. As a result, data processing, data management, and display are easy to perform in the processing including the speed gear estimation processing and the illegal gear detection processing described later.

[0101] In step S180, if the detected speed ratio Rd does not satisfy the above formula (5) (step S180: No), the process proceeds to step S193, where the speed gear direct reading value D = 0 is stored in the storage medium RAM 40b. The speed gear direct reading value D = 0 indicates that the speed gear corresponding to the detected speed ratio Rd cannot be read, and the speed gear is unknown.

[0102] In this way, when the gear is unknown, the gear direct reading value D is set to 0, and the unknown gear mark is set to one of the gear direct reading values ​​D. Thus, data processing, data management, and display are easy to perform in the processing including the gear estimation processing and the illegal gear detection processing described later.

[0103] In step S200, it is determined whether the data of the shift speed direct reading value D for the immediately previous 20 times is stored in the storage medium RAM 40b.

[0104] In step S200 , when the data of the gear stage direct reading value D for the immediately previous 20 times is not stored in the storage medium RAM 40 b (step S200 : No), the process returns to step S120 .

[0105] In step S200 , if the data of the gear stage direct reading value D for the 20 immediately preceding times is stored in the storage medium RAM 40 b (step S200 : Yes), the process proceeds to step S210 to obtain the gear stage direct reading value D for the 20 immediately preceding times. Then, the process proceeds to step S220 .

[0106] In step S220, the gear direct reading value D of the 20 gears immediately before is referred to, and the gear direct reading value Dm that appears the most times is estimated as the currently selected gear, and is set as the estimated gear G = Dm. Then, the process proceeds to step S230.

[0107] In this way, by referring to a plurality of gear shift direct readings D, the gear shift direct reading Dm that appears the most times is estimated as the currently selected gear shift, which can reduce the frequency of erroneous estimation. In particular, during the gear shift transition, erroneous estimation caused by the detection value error of the gear ratio Rd can be avoided. As a result, it is possible to more accurately estimate which gear shift the user has selected for the switching transmission 30.

[0108] In step S230 , it is determined whether the estimated shift speed G estimated in step S220 is 9 , that is, whether the estimated shift speed G=9 .

[0109] If it is determined in step S230 that the estimated gear stage G estimated in step S220 is 9, that is, estimated gear stage G=9 (step S230: Yes), the process proceeds to step S300 to execute illegal gear detection processing. Details of the illegal gear detection processing in step S300 will be described later.

[0110] If it is determined in step S230 that the estimated shift speed G estimated in step S220 is not 9, that is, not estimated shift speed G=9 (step S230: No), the process proceeds to step S240, and the violation value duration te[s] described later is reset to 0. Then, the process proceeds to step S250.

[0111] In step S250, it is determined whether the estimated shift speed G estimated in step S220 is 0, that is, whether the estimated shift speed G=0.

[0112] If it is determined in step S250 that the estimated shift speed G estimated in step S220 is 0, that is, the estimated shift speed G=0 (step S250: Yes), the process proceeds to step S261. In step S261, the estimated shift speed G stored in the storage medium ROM 40c immediately before is output to the portable terminal 8. Then, the estimated shift speed G is displayed as the selected shift speed on the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8. Then, the process proceeds to step S270.

[0113] In this way, when the estimated gear gear G estimated in step S220 is 0, that is, when the gear gear is unknown, the estimated gear gear G estimated immediately before is estimated as the estimated gear gear G. Thus, when, for example, the electric assist bicycle 10 temporarily becomes an idling state, the estimated gear gear G estimated immediately before is also estimated as the estimated gear gear G, thereby reducing the situation in which the user feels uncomfortable with the estimated result of the gear gear.

[0114] If it is determined in step S250 that the estimated speed gear G estimated in step S220 is not 0, that is, it is not the estimated speed gear G=0, further based on step S230, in other words, if the estimated speed gear G is 1 to 8 (step S250: No), the process proceeds to step S262. In step S262, the estimated speed gear G estimated in step S220 is output to the portable terminal 8. Then, the estimated speed gear G is displayed as the selected speed gear on the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8. Then, the process proceeds to step S263. In step S263, the estimated speed gear G estimated in step S220 is stored in the storage medium ROM 40c. Then, the process proceeds to step S270.

[0115] Thus, even for the electric assist bicycle 10 that does not have the gear position indicating function, the gear position indicating function can be easily provided by post-installation by outputting the estimated gear position G to the portable terminal 8 .

[0116] In step S270, it is determined whether the elapsed time t[ms] started in step S130 is equal to or greater than the elapsed time t[ms]≥50[ms]. In step S270, the system is in a standby state until the elapsed time t[ms]≥50[ms] is satisfied (step S270: No loop). If the elapsed time t[ms]≥50[ms] is satisfied, the system proceeds to step S280.

[0117] In step S280, it is determined whether the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is turned off. In step S280, if the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is not turned off (step S280: No), the process returns to step S120. If the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is turned off (step S280: Yes), the process proceeds to step S290.

[0118] The above-described processing from step S170 to step S280 is performed by, for example, the gear stage estimating unit 403 .

[0119] In step S290, the number of illegal state detection times En [times] is reset to the number of illegal state detection times En [times] = 0 [times], and a series of processing is ended.

[0120] Thus, before the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is turned off, the gear stage direct reading value D is acquired at predetermined time intervals (50 [ms] in this embodiment) to estimate at any time which gear stage of the transmission 30 the user has selected for switching.

[0121] However, when the user stops the electric-assisted bicycle 10 after idling for a predetermined time, the user often changes the gear. In the gear estimation process, as described above, in step S140 and step S151, when any one of the three conditions of vehicle speed V [km / h] = 0.0 [km / h], cadence C [rpm] ≤ 20 [rpm], and pedal torque value Tq [W] ≤ 50.0 [W] is satisfied, the detected gear ratio Rd = 0.0 is calculated. Therefore, when the user stops the electric-assisted bicycle 10 after idling for a predetermined time, the gear G = 0 is estimated. Therefore, when the user stops the electric-assisted bicycle 10 after idling for a predetermined time, the detected gear ratio Rd = 0.0 is calculated, and the estimated gear G = 0 is estimated, thereby resetting the detected gear ratio Rd and the estimated gear G.

[0122] [Illegal gear detection and processing]

[0123] Next, refer to Figure 8 The illegal gear detection process in step S300 described above will be described in detail. The illegal gear detection process is performed by, for example, the gear stage estimation unit 403 .

[0124] In the illegal gear detection process, the process first proceeds to step S310. In step S310, it is determined whether the illegal value duration te[s]=0.

[0125] In step S310 , when the illegal value duration te[s]=0 (step S310 : Yes), the process proceeds to step S311 . In step S311 , the timing of the illegal value duration te[s] is started. Then, the process proceeds to step S320 .

[0126] In step S310 , when the illegal value duration te[s]=0 (step S310 : No), the process proceeds to step S320 .

[0127] In step S320, in step S310, it is determined whether the illegal value duration te[s] ≥ 5[s], that is, whether the illegal value duration te[s] has exceeded 5 seconds.

[0128] In step S320, if the illegal value duration te[s] ≥ 5[s] (step S310: Yes), the process proceeds to step S321. In step S321, the number of illegal state detections En[times] is set to En+1[times]. That is, the number of illegal state detections En[times] is added by 1[time]. Then, the process proceeds to step S330.

[0129] In step S320 , if the duration of the illegal value te[s]≥5[s] is not (step S310 : No), the process directly proceeds to step S330 .

[0130] In step S330 , it is determined whether the number of illegal state detection times En[times]≥3[times], that is, whether the number of illegal state detection times En[times] is 3[times] or more.

[0131] In step S330 , when the number of illegal state detection times En[times]≥3[times], that is, when the number of illegal state detection times En[times] is 3[times] or more (step S330 : Yes), the process proceeds to step S340 .

[0132] In step S340, illegality determination processing is performed. The illegality determination processing performs at least one of the following (i) to (iii). In this embodiment, the following (i) to (iii) are performed in sequence. Then, the process proceeds to step S341.

[0133] (i) It is determined that the power transmission mechanism T has an abnormality.

[0134] In the present embodiment, it is determined that the power transmission mechanism T is equipped with an illegal gear.

[0135] (ii) Information for suppressing or prohibiting driving using the power transmission mechanism T is generated.

[0136] In the present embodiment, information for prohibiting the driving of the motor M is generated.

[0137] (iii) generating information for notifying at least one of a passenger (user) of the electric-assist bicycle 10, an installer of the vehicle body and the power unit 20, a manufacturer of the electric-assist bicycle 10, a manufacturer of the power unit 20, a manager of the electric-assist bicycle 10, a manager of the power unit 20, an approver of the electric-assist bicycle 10, and a supervisor of the electric-assist bicycle 10.

[0138] In the present embodiment, information for notifying the rider (user) of the electric assist bicycle 10 that an illegal gear is mounted in the power transmission mechanism T is generated.

[0139] In step S341, a signal including information for prohibiting the driving of the motor M generated in the process (ii) of step S340 is output. When a signal including information for prohibiting the driving of the motor M is output in step S341, the assistance of the motor M is prohibited in the electric assist bicycle 10. In addition, the user cannot cancel the assistance prohibition state. For example, the assistance prohibition state cannot be canceled unless the user brings the bicycle to a store or other dedicated equipment is used for operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S342.

[0140] In step S342, a signal including information generated in the process (iii) of step S340 for notifying that an illegal gear is mounted in the power transmission mechanism T is output to the portable terminal 8. Then, the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8 displays that an illegal gear is mounted in the power transmission mechanism T. For example, "error" is displayed in the area indicating the selected gear stage of the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8.

[0141] In this way, by processing (i) in step S340, it is possible to detect that the electric-assisted bicycle 10 is not in compliance with regulations. By processing (ii), it is possible to avoid using the electric-assisted bicycle 10 in a non-compliant state. By processing (iii), it is possible to enable a user or the like to recognize that the electric-assisted bicycle 10 has been modified or altered in a non-compliant manner.

[0142] On the other hand, in step S330 , if the number of illegal state detections En[times] ≥ 3[times], that is, the number of illegal state detections En[times] is 2[times] or less (step S330 : No), the process proceeds to step S360 .

[0143] In step S360, the estimated shift speed G stored in the storage medium ROM 40c as the immediately preceding shift speed in the immediately preceding step S263 is output to the portable terminal 8. Then, the estimated shift speed G is displayed as the selected shift speed on the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8. Then, the process proceeds to step S370.

[0144] In step S370, the illegal value duration te[s] is reset to illegal value duration te[s] = 0. Then, the process proceeds to step S380.

[0145] In step S380, the counting of the illegal value duration te [s] is started again. Then, the illegal gear detection process is terminated and the process proceeds to step S270 of the gear stage estimation process.

[0146] Fig. 91 is a time-series change graph showing a first example of the case where the above-mentioned gear stage estimation process is executed in the electric assist bicycle 10 .

[0147] exist Fig. 9 The topmost graph is a graph showing a time series of vehicle speed V [km / h]. The second graph from the top is a graph showing a time series of cadence C [rpm]. The third graph from the top is a graph showing a time series of detected gear ratio Rd calculated in step S151 or step S152 of the gear estimation process. The fourth graph from the top is a graph showing a time series of estimated gear G estimated by the gear estimation process.

[0148] And, in Fig. 9 In the graph of the fifth layer from the top, a time series of the number of occurrences of the speed gear direct reading value D=0 in the speed gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the speed gear estimation process is shown. The graph of the sixth layer from the top is a time series of the number of occurrences of the speed gear direct reading value D=1 in the speed gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the speed gear estimation process is shown. The graph of the seventh layer from the top is a time series of the number of occurrences of the speed gear direct reading value D=2 in the speed gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the speed gear estimation process is shown. The graph of the eighth layer from the top is a time series of the number of occurrences of the speed gear direct reading value D=3 in the speed gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the speed gear estimation process is shown. The ninth graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the speed direct reading value D=4 in the 20 previous speed direct reading values ​​D in step S220 of the speed estimation process. The tenth graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the speed direct reading value D=5 in the 20 previous speed direct reading values ​​D in step S220 of the speed estimation process. The eleventh graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the speed direct reading value D=6 in the 20 previous speed direct reading values ​​D in step S220 of the speed estimation process. The twelfth graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the speed direct reading value D=7 in the 20 previous speed direct reading values ​​D in step S220 of the speed estimation process. The thirteenth graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the gear direct reading value D=8 among the gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the gear estimation process. The fourteenth graph from the top is a graph showing the time series of the number of occurrences of the gear direct reading value D=9 among the gear direct reading values ​​D of the immediately preceding 20 times in step S220 of the gear estimation process.

[0149] Therefore, in the graph of the fourth layer from the top, based on the graphs of the fifth layer to the fourteenth layer from the top, the shift speed direct reading value Dm that appears the most times is shown as the estimated shift speed G=Dm.

[0150] For example, in Fig. 9 At time T0, the pedaling frequency C [rpm] starts to increase, and then the vehicle speed V [km / h] also starts to rise. Then, at time T1, the gear direct reading value D=1 appears the most frequently among the 20 gear direct reading values ​​D immediately before, and it is estimated that the gear G=1.

[0151] Then, at time T2, the gear direct reading value D=2 among the 20 gear direct reading values ​​D immediately before has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=2. Similarly, at time T3, the gear direct reading value D=3 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=3. At time T4, the gear direct reading value D=4 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=4. At time T5, the gear direct reading value D=5 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=5.

[0152] When passing the time T6, the cadence C [rpm] drops sharply. During the period from time T6 to time T7, although there is a time when the cadence C [rpm] temporarily rises, the cadence C [rpm] is near zero for most of the time. This indicates that the user stops the pedal operation of the electric power-assisted bicycle 10, and the electric power-assisted bicycle 10 is in an idling state. When the electric power-assisted bicycle 10 is in an idling state, the vehicle speed V [km / h] and the cadence C [rpm] are no longer correlated with each other. Therefore, during most of the period from time T6 to time T7, the direct reading value D=0 of the gear shift gear appears the most times, and it is estimated that the gear shift gear G=0, that is, it is estimated that the gear shift gear is unknown. At this time, as described above, in step S261, the estimated gear shift gear G=5 saved immediately before is output to the portable terminal 8 as the selected gear shift gear.

[0153] When passing through time T7, the pedaling frequency C [rpm] rises sharply, and then the vehicle speed V [km / h] also starts to rise. Immediately after time T7, the number of occurrences of the gear direct reading value D = 0 among the 20 gear direct reading values ​​D immediately before is the largest, and the estimated gear G = 0 is maintained unchanged. However, when the specified time passes and reaches time T8, the number of occurrences of the gear direct reading value D = 4 is the largest, and the estimated gear G = 4 is transferred. It is believed that this is because the electric power-assisted bicycle 10 has just transferred from the idling state to the pedal-driven driving, so the correlation between the vehicle speed V [km / h] and the pedaling frequency C [rpm] is still low, and the user switches the gear from the fifth gear to the fourth gear between time T7 and time T8.

[0154] Then, at time T9, the gear direct reading value D=5 has the largest number of occurrences among the 20 gear direct reading values ​​D immediately before, and it is estimated that the gear is G=5. Similarly, at time T10, the gear direct reading value D=6 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=6. At time T11, the gear direct reading value D=7 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=7. At time T12, the gear direct reading value D=8 has the largest number of occurrences, and it is estimated that the gear is G=8.

[0155] When passing through time T13, both the vehicle speed V [km / h] and the pedaling frequency C [rpm] decrease. During the period from time T13 to time T14, the pedal torque value Tq [W] decreases, and it is considered that the pedal is in a state of approximately idling. Therefore, during the period from time T13 to time T14, the vehicle speed V [km / h] and the pedaling frequency C [rpm] are not in a state of being correlated with each other, and during most of the period from time T6 to time T7, the number of occurrences of the gear shift direct reading value D = 0 is the largest, and it is estimated that the gear shift G = 0, that is, the gear shift is estimated to be unknown.

[0156] When time T14 is passed, the pedaling frequency C [rpm] rises sharply, and the vehicle speed V [km / h] also starts to rise. Among the 20 gear shift direct readings D immediately before, the gear shift direct reading value D = 1 appears the most frequently, and it is estimated that the estimated gear shift G = 1. Then, at time T15, among the 20 gear shift direct readings D immediately before, the gear shift direct reading value D = 2 appears the most frequently, and it is estimated that the estimated gear shift G = 2.

[0157] Fig.10 1 is a time series change graph showing a second example when the gear stage estimation process described above is executed in the electric assist bicycle 10. Here, only the differences from the first example described above will be described in detail, and the description of the same aspects as the first example will be omitted or simplified.

[0158] In this example, the gear shift direct reading value D=9 appears the most times during the period from time T12 to time T13, and it is estimated that the gear shift G=9 is estimated. In this case, the aforementioned illegal gear detection process is executed, and when the time from time T12 to time T13 is more than 5 [s], the illegal state detection number En [times] is counted to 1 [times] through the aforementioned step S321. At this time, as described above, in step S360, the estimated gear shift G=7 saved immediately before is output to the portable terminal 8 as the selected gear shift. In addition, if the illegal state detection number En [times] becomes more than 3 [times] during the period before the power of the electric assist bicycle 10 is turned off, the aforementioned steps S340 to S342 are executed, and in the electric assist bicycle 10, the auxiliary force of the motor M is prohibited, and "error" is displayed in the area indicating the selected gear shift of the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8.

[0159] Above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is certainly not limited to this embodiment. Obviously, those skilled in the art can think of various variations or modifications within the scope of the technical solution, and it should be understood that these variations and modifications also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the various constituent elements in the above-mentioned embodiment can also be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the main purpose of the invention.

[0160] For example, in the present embodiment, the electric assist bicycle 10 is exemplified as the vehicle, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a two-wheeled vehicle without input from the crank pedal 79, a three-wheeled vehicle other than a two-wheeled vehicle, or a four-wheeled vehicle may also be used.

[0161] In addition, for example, in this embodiment, a case where a power assist device is installed on a non-electric power assist bicycle after it is sold is described, but it is not necessarily limited to non-electric power assist bicycles after they are sold, and it can also be applied to a complete vehicle installed with a power assist device in a non-electric power assist bicycle new vehicle sales store, etc. In addition, it can also be applied to a complete vehicle manufactured in a factory (i.e., an electric power assist bicycle complete vehicle factory) where a power assist device is installed at the same place where the vehicle body is manufactured.

[0162] In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, the gear stage estimation process is always executed during the period from power on to power off of the electric assist bicycle 10, but when the pedal torque value Tq[W] is less than a predetermined value, for example, when the pedal torque value Tq[W] ≤ 50.0[W], the gear stage estimation process may not be executed and may be set to a standby state. In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, in the gear stage estimation process, when step S140 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S151, but when step S140 is "Yes", the process may return to step S140 and standby until step S140 becomes "No". In this case, until step S140 becomes "No", the selected gear stage may be set to the estimated gear stage G estimated immediately before, and the estimated gear stage G estimated immediately before may be displayed as the selected gear stage on the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8.

[0163] In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, when the power of the electric-assisted bicycle 10 is turned on, the gear estimation process is started. In step S110, for each gear, the preset gear ratio Ri (i=a natural number from 1 to 8) is calculated using the aforementioned formula (3), thereby obtaining the preset gear ratio Ri of the first gear to the eighth gear. However, the preset gear ratio Ri (i=a natural number from 1 to 8) of each gear can also be pre-stored in the storage medium ROM 40c in a sales store of the electric-assisted bicycle 10, etc.

[0164] In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, in the gear estimation process, when the estimated gear G=0 (step S250: Yes), the estimated gear G stored immediately before is output as the selected gear to the portable terminal 8 (step S261), but step S261 may output the estimated gear G=0 to the portable terminal 8. In this case, nothing may be displayed in the area indicating the selected gear of the display unit 8a of the portable terminal 8.

[0165] For example, in the gear stage estimation process, when the gear stage G=0 is estimated in step S250 (step S250 : Yes), at least one of the following steps (i) to (iii) may be executed before or after step S261 .

[0166] (i) Determine the abnormality of the power transmission path,

[0167] (ii) generating information for suppressing or prohibiting driving using the power transmission path,

[0168] (iii) generating information for notifying at least one of a rider (user) of the electric-assist bicycle 10 , a manufacturer of the electric-assist bicycle 10 , a manager of the electric-assist bicycle 10 , an approver of the electric-assist bicycle 10 , and a supervisor of the electric-assist bicycle 10

[0169] In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, when the user stops the electric assist bicycle 10 after idling for a predetermined time, the estimated gear position G is estimated to be 0. However, when the vehicle speed V of the electric assist bicycle 10 becomes less than a predetermined threshold value, the estimated gear position G is not limited to 0, and the estimated gear position G may be estimated to be a preset initial value. Thus, when the user stops the electric assist bicycle 10 after idling for a predetermined time, the estimated gear position G is estimated to be the initial value, thereby resetting the detected gear ratio Rd and the estimated gear position G.

[0170] In addition, for example, in the present embodiment, the illegal gear detection process is performed by the speed estimation unit 403 , but the control device 40 may include an illegal gear detection unit for performing illegal gear detection process separately from the speed estimation unit 403 .

[0171] At least the following matters are described in this specification: In parentheses, corresponding components in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0172] (1) A gear stage estimating method for estimating a gear stage of a switching gear shifting device (switching gear shifting device 30 ) of a vehicle (electrically assisted bicycle 10 ), the vehicle having:

[0173] Power source (motor M); and

[0174] The switching transmission device is provided on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheel (the rear wheel 78), and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0175] in,

[0176] The gear shift gear estimation method comprises the following steps:

[0177] At a first time, a first speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0178] Comparing n reference values ​​(preset speed ratios Ri) set within the range of speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained,

[0179] When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0180] According to (1), it is possible to estimate at any time which gear shift position the user has selected to switch the transmission. In addition, for vehicles that do not have a gear position indication function, the gear position indication function can be easily provided by post-installation. In addition, the reference value can be a single value or a value with an upper limit and a lower limit.

[0181] (2A) The gear stage estimating method according to (1), wherein:

[0182] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0183] At a second time after the first time, obtaining a second speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) of the transmission section;

[0184] comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained second speed ratio,

[0185] When the second speed ratio matches the pth reference value counted from the smallest of the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the pth speed, where p is a natural number not less than 1 and not more than n; and

[0186] The shift speed of the switching transmission device is estimated to be the m range or the p range based on the m range estimated at the first time and the p range estimated at the second time.

[0187] (2B) The gear stage estimating method according to (1), wherein:

[0188] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0189] At a second time after the first time, obtaining a second speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) of the transmission section;

[0190] comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained second speed ratio,

[0191] When the second speed ratio matches the pth reference value counted from the smallest of the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the pth speed, where p is a natural number not less than 1 and not more than n; and

[0192] Based on the M gear estimated at the first time and the P gear estimated at the second time, the gear shifting device at the second time, the current time after the second time, or any time between the second time and the current time is estimated to be the M gear or the P gear.

[0193] According to (2A) and (2B), the frequency of erroneous estimation can be reduced by estimating the shift speed of the switching transmission device as the M range or the P range based on the M range estimated at the first time and the P range estimated at the second time.

[0194] (3A) The gear stage estimating method according to (2A) or (2B), wherein:

[0195] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0196] At a third time after the second time, obtaining a third speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) of the transmission section;

[0197] comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained third speed ratio,

[0198] When the third speed ratio matches the qth reference value counted from the smallest of the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the qth speed, where q is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n; and

[0199] Based on the M range estimated at the first time, the P range estimated at the second time, and the Q range estimated at the third time, the speed range of the switching transmission device is estimated to be the speed range that appears most frequently among the M range, the P range, and the Q range.

[0200] (3B) The gear stage estimating method according to (2A) or (2B), wherein:

[0201] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0202] At a third time after the second time, obtaining a third speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) of the transmission section;

[0203] comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained third speed ratio,

[0204] When the third speed ratio matches the qth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the qth speed, where q is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n; and

[0205] Based on the M gear estimated at the first time, the P gear estimated at the second time, and the Q gear estimated at the third time, the gear shifting device at the third time, the current time after the third time, or any time between the third time and the current time is estimated to be the gear shifting device that appears most frequently among the M gear, the P gear, and the Q gear.

[0206] According to (3A) and (3B), the frequency of erroneous estimation can be reduced by estimating the shift speed of the switching transmission device as the shift speed that appears most frequently among the M range, the P range, and the Q range based on the M range estimated at the first time, the P range estimated at the second time, and the Q range estimated at the third time. In particular, erroneous estimation caused by an error in the detection value of the gear ratio can be avoided during the shift speed transition.

[0207] (4) The gear stage estimation method according to (3A) or (3B), wherein:

[0208] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0209] When the shift speed having the largest number of appearances does not exist, the shift speed of the switching speed change device is estimated to be the shift speed estimated as the shift speed of the switching speed change device immediately before.

[0210] According to (4), when the shift speed with the highest number of appearances does not exist, by estimating the shift speed of the switching transmission device as the shift speed estimated immediately before, it is possible to reduce the user's feeling of discomfort with the estimated result of the shift speed.

[0211] (5) The gear stage estimation method according to (1), wherein:

[0212] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0213] If the shift speed is estimated a plurality of times within a predetermined period before a fourth time, the shift speed of the switching transmission device is estimated as the shift speed that appears the most times at the fourth time.

[0214] According to (5), by estimating the shift speed that appears most frequently as the shift speed, the frequency of erroneous estimation can be reduced. In particular, during the shift speed transition, erroneous estimation caused by an error in the detected value of the detected speed ratio can be avoided.

[0215] (6) The gear stage estimating method according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein:

[0216] The gear stage estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0217] When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values,

[0218] When the first speed ratio is smaller than the reference value of the smallest speed gear among the n reference values ​​or larger than the reference value of the largest speed gear among the n reference values,

[0219] Perform at least one of (i) to (iii),

[0220] (i) determining a change in the power transmission path,

[0221] (ii) generating information for suppressing or prohibiting driving using the power transmission path,

[0222] (iii) generating information for notifying at least one of an occupant of the vehicle, a manufacturer of the vehicle, a manager of the vehicle, an approver of the vehicle, and a supervisor of the vehicle.

[0223] According to (6), the abnormality of the power transmission path can be detected by the processing of (i), the drive using the power transmission path can be avoided from being continued in a state where the abnormality has occurred in the power transmission path by the processing of (ii), and the user or the like can be made aware of the abnormality in the power transmission path by the processing of (iii).

[0224] (7) The gear stage estimating method according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein:

[0225] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0226] When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values,

[0227] When the first speed ratio is larger than the reference value of the largest speed speed among the n reference values, the speed speed is estimated to be the n+1 speed.

[0228] According to (7), when the first speed ratio is greater than the reference value of the maximum speed gear among n reference values, the speed gear is estimated to be n+1 gear and processed as one of the speed gears. In the process including the speed gear estimation process and the illegal gear detection process described later, data processing, data management, and display are easy to perform.

[0229] (8) The gear stage estimating method according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein:

[0230] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0231] When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values,

[0232] When the speed ratio of the transmission section cannot be obtained, or when the shift speed cannot be estimated, the shift speed is estimated to be 0 speed.

[0233] According to (8), when the speed ratio of the transfer range cannot be obtained or the speed gear cannot be estimated, the speed gear is estimated to be 0 gear and treated as one of the speed gears. In the process including the speed gear estimation process and the illegal gear detection process described later, data processing, data management, and display are easy to perform.

[0234] (9) The gear stage estimating method according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein:

[0235] The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps:

[0236] When the travel distance (vehicle speed V) of the vehicle per unit time becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value at a fifth time after the first time, the gear speed is estimated to be an initial value.

[0237] According to (9), when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the gear speed is estimated to be an initial value. Therefore, when the user stops the vehicle, the estimation result of the gear speed selected by the speed change device can be reset.

[0238] (10) The gear stage estimating method according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein:

[0239] The power source comprises an electric motor and a pedal force input unit.

[0240] The vehicle is an electric-assisted bicycle capable of generating an assist force of the motor based on an input value (pedal torque value Tq) applied from a user to the pedaling force input unit and a travel distance of the vehicle per unit time (vehicle speed V).

[0241] According to (10), in the electric-assisted bicycle, it is possible to estimate at any time which gear position of the transmission device the user has selected. In addition, even for an electric-assisted bicycle that does not have a gear position indication function, the gear position indication function can be easily provided by retrofitting.

[0242] (11) A gear stage estimation program for estimating a gear stage of a switching gear shifting device (switching gear shifting device 30) of a vehicle (electrically assisted bicycle 10), the vehicle having:

[0243] Power source (motor M); and

[0244] The switching transmission device is provided on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheel (the rear wheel 78), and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0245] in,

[0246] The gear stage estimation program causes the processor (CPU 40a) to execute the following processing:

[0247] At a first time, a first speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0248] Comparing n reference values ​​(preset speed ratios Ri) set within the range of speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained,

[0249] When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0250] According to (11), it is possible to estimate at any time which gear stage the user has selected to switch the transmission device. In addition, even for a vehicle that does not have a gear position indication function, the gear position indication function can be easily provided by retrofitting.

[0251] (12) A storage medium (ROM 40c) wherein:

[0252] The storage medium stores the gear stage estimation program described in (11).

[0253] According to (12), the gear stage estimation program described in (11) can be executed by a processor mounted on the vehicle.

[0254] (13) A gear shift estimating device (control device 40) for estimating a gear shift of a switching gear shifting device (switching gear shifting device 30) of a vehicle (electrically assisted bicycle 10), the vehicle having:

[0255] Power source (motor M); and

[0256] The switching transmission device is provided on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheel (the rear wheel 78), and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2.

[0257] in,

[0258] The gear stage estimation device comprises:

[0259] an acquisition unit (speed ratio acquisition unit 402) that acquires, at a first time, a first speed ratio (detected speed ratio Rd) of a transmission section that is the entire or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and

[0260] an estimating unit (speed estimating unit 403) that compares n reference values ​​(preset speed ratios Ri) set within a range of speed ratios that the n speed ratios can take with the first speed ratio acquired by the acquiring unit,

[0261] When it is determined that the first speed ratio coincides with the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

[0262] According to (13), it is possible to estimate at any time which gear shift position the user has selected to switch the gear shift device. In addition, for vehicles that do not have a gear position indication function, the gear position indication function can also be easily provided by post-installation. In addition, the gear position estimation device can be a computer mounted on the vehicle or a computer on a remote server. In the case where the gear position estimation device is a computer on a remote server, the acquisition unit is equivalent to a receiving unit that acquires the gear ratio data sent from the vehicle.

[0263] In addition, this application is based on the application of Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-111449) filed on July 11, 2022, and the content is cited in this application as a reference.

[0264] Caption of the attached figure:

[0265] 10: Electric-assisted bicycles (vehicles, electric-assisted bicycles)

[0266] 30: Switch the gear

[0267] 40: Control device (speed gear estimation device)

[0268] 40a: CPU (processor)

[0269] 40c: ROM (storage medium)

[0270] 402: Speed ​​ratio acquisition unit (acquisition unit)

[0271] 403: Speed ​​estimation unit (estimation unit)

[0272] 78: rear wheel

[0273] 79: Crank pedal (power source)

[0274] M: Motor (power source)

[0275] Rd: Detection speed ratio (first speed ratio)

[0276] Rd: Detection speed ratio (second speed ratio)

[0277] Rd: Detection speed ratio (third speed ratio)

[0278] Ri: Preset speed ratio (reference value)

[0279] Tq: Pedal torque value (input value)

[0280] V: Vehicle speed (the distance traveled by the vehicle per unit time).

Claims

1. A gear shift gear estimation method, which is used to estimate the gear shift gear of a switching gear shifting device of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle has: Power source; and The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2. in, The gear shift gear estimation method comprises the following steps: At a first time, a first speed ratio is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and comparing n reference values ​​set within the range of the speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained, When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

2. The gear stage estimation method according to claim 1, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: At a second time after the first time, obtaining a speed ratio of the transmission interval, that is, a second speed ratio; comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained second speed ratio, When the second speed ratio matches the p-th reference value counted from the smallest of the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the p-th speed, where p is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n. as well as The shift speed of the switching transmission device is estimated to be the m range or the p range based on the m range estimated at the first time and the p range estimated at the second time.

3. The gear stage estimation method according to claim 2, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: At a third time after the second time, obtaining a third speed ratio of the transmission interval; comparing the n reference values ​​with the obtained third speed ratio, When the third speed ratio matches the qth reference value counted from the smallest of the n reference values, the shift speed is estimated to be the qth speed, where q is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n. as well as Based on the M range estimated at the first time, the P range estimated at the second time, and the Q range estimated at the third time, the speed range of the switching transmission device is estimated to be the speed range that appears most frequently among the M range, the P range, and the Q range.

4. The gear stage estimation method according to claim 3, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: When the shift speed having the largest number of appearances does not exist, the shift speed of the switching speed change device is estimated to be the shift speed estimated as the shift speed of the switching speed change device immediately before.

5. The gear stage estimation method according to claim 1, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: If the shift speed is estimated a plurality of times within a predetermined period before a fourth time, the shift speed of the switching transmission device is estimated as the shift speed that appears the most times at the fourth time.

6. The gear stage estimation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The gear stage estimation method further comprises the following steps: When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values, When the first speed ratio is smaller than the reference value of the smallest speed gear among the n reference values ​​or larger than the reference value of the largest speed gear among the n reference values, Perform at least one of (i) to (iii), (i) determining a change in the power transmission path, (ii) generating information for suppressing or prohibiting driving using the power transmission path, (iii) generating information for notifying at least one of an occupant of the vehicle, a manufacturer of the vehicle, a manager of the vehicle, an approver of the vehicle, and a supervisor of the vehicle.

7. The gear stage estimating method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values, When the first speed ratio is larger than the reference value of the largest speed speed among the n reference values, the speed speed is estimated to be the n+1 speed.

8. The gear stage estimating method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: When the first speed ratio is compared with the n reference values, When the speed ratio of the transmission section cannot be obtained, or when the shift speed cannot be estimated, the shift speed is estimated to be 0 speed.

9. The gear stage estimation method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The gear shift gear estimation method further comprises the following steps: When the travel distance of the vehicle per unit time becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value at a fifth time after the first time, the gear speed is estimated to be an initial value.

10. The gear stage estimating method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The power source comprises an electric motor and a pedal force input unit. The vehicle is an electric-assisted bicycle capable of generating an assist force of the motor based on an input value applied from a user to the pedaling force input unit and a travel distance of the vehicle per unit time.

11. A gear shift stage estimation program for estimating a gear shift stage of a switching transmission device of a vehicle, the vehicle having: Power source; and The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2. in, The gear stage estimation program causes the processor to execute the following processing: At a first time, a first speed ratio is obtained, which is a speed ratio of a transmission section as a whole or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and comparing n reference values ​​set within the range of the speed ratios that the n speed gears can take with the first speed ratio obtained, When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

12. A storage medium, wherein: The storage medium stores the shift speed estimating program according to claim 11 .

13. A gear shift gear estimation device for estimating a gear shift gear of a vehicle switching gear shift device, the vehicle comprising: Power source; and The switching transmission device is arranged on the power transmission path between the power source and the wheels, and is capable of switching n speed gears, where n is a natural number greater than 2. in, The gear stage estimating device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires, at a first time, a first speed ratio which is a speed ratio of a transmission section that is the entirety or a part of the power transmission path including the switching speed change device; and an estimating unit that compares n reference values ​​set within a range of speed ratios that the n shift speeds can take with the first speed ratio acquired by the acquiring unit, When the first speed ratio matches the mth reference value counted from the smallest one among the n reference values, the shift speed of the switching transmission is estimated to be the mth speed, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n.

Images