A low battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic derailleur

Abstract

The present application relates to the control technical field of bicycle electronic derailleur, and discloses a low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic derailleur, which comprises an operation module, a derailleur battery, a derailleur and a controller. The controller is used for receiving and responding to a gear shifting instruction output by a user through the operation module; setting a target gear of the derailleur reset according to a proportion of the derailleur in a high interval gear and a proportion of the derailleur in a low interval gear within a predetermined time period; acquiring a current voltage value of the derailleur battery, and judging whether the current voltage value is less than a low-battery voltage threshold; when the current voltage value is less than the low-battery voltage threshold, controlling the derailleur to switch from a current gear to the target gear of the derailleur reset; and after the derailleur switches to the target gear, shielding a subsequently received gear shifting instruction, so that the derailleur is kept in the target gear. The present application can actively reset the derailleur to the most suitable gear and lock the derailleur at low battery, thereby guaranteeing the safety and experience of riding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of control technology for bicycle electronic gearboxes, and more specifically to a low battery reset control system for bicycle electronic gearboxes. Background Technology

[0002] Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation and transportation, and it has also become a popular competitive sport for both amateur and professional athletes. Whether used for recreation, transportation, or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving various bicycle components. One component that has been extensively redesigned is the bicycle operating system, which is constructed to mechanically and / or electrically control the bicycle components. In existing technology, when the battery is low, the vehicle control system lacks an effective response strategy, which may lead to a sudden loss of gear shifting during riding due to insufficient power. This can cause the bicycle to remain stuck in too high or too low a gear, severely impacting the user's riding experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a low-battery reset control system for bicycle electronic derailleurs. The controller intelligently determines the optimal bottoming-out time and reset target gear. When the battery is low, it actively resets the derailleur to the most suitable gear and locks it, ensuring riding safety and experience.

[0004] The objective of this invention can be achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0005] A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic derailleur includes: an operating module, a derailleur battery, a derailleur, and a controller, wherein:

[0006] A transmission system battery is used to power the derailleur and controller;

[0007] The controller is used to receive and respond to the shift command output by the user through the operation module, and control the derailleur to switch gears;

[0008] The controller is also used to: obtain the current voltage value of the transmission system battery, determine whether the current voltage value is less than a low charge voltage threshold; when the current voltage value is less than the low charge voltage threshold, control the derailleur to switch from the current gear to the target gear for derailleur reset, and after the derailleur switches to the target gear, block subsequent received gear shift commands so that the derailleur remains in the target gear.

[0009] Specifically, the controller is used to divide all the shifting positions of the derailleur into high-range positions and low-range positions, and to set the target position for derailleur reset according to the proportion of the derailleur in the high-range position and the proportion in the low-range position within a predetermined time period.

[0010] Specifically, setting the target gear for derailleur reset based on the percentage of the derailleur in the high gear range and the percentage in the low gear range within a predetermined time period includes:

[0011] If the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is greater than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the high gear ranges; if the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is less than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the low gear ranges; if the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is equal to the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the controller sets the target gear to a preset intermediate gear.

[0012] Specifically, the low battery voltage threshold is dynamically set based on the proportion of the derailleur being in the high range gear and the proportion being in the low range gear within a predetermined time period.

[0013] Set a preset reference voltage. When the percentage of the derailleur in the high range gear is greater than the percentage in the low range gear within a predetermined time period, set a first threshold coefficient value k1. Multiply the preset reference voltage and the first threshold coefficient value to obtain the low power voltage threshold.

[0014] When the percentage of the derailleur in the high range is less than the percentage in the low range within a predetermined time period, a second threshold coefficient value k2 is set, and the preset reference voltage is multiplied by the second threshold coefficient value to obtain the low power voltage threshold.

[0015] When the percentage of times the derailleur is in the high gear range equals the percentage of times it is in the low gear range within a predetermined time period, a third threshold coefficient value k3 is set. The low-power voltage threshold is obtained by multiplying the preset reference voltage by the third threshold coefficient value, where k1... <k3<k2。

[0016] Specifically, the controller is further configured to record multiple voltage values ​​of the battery at several time intervals, calculate a voltage drop rate of the battery based on the recorded multiple voltage values, and increase the low charge voltage threshold based on the voltage drop rate when the voltage drop rate exceeds a preset slope threshold.

[0017] Specifically, increasing the low-power voltage threshold based on the voltage drop rate includes: determining a correction amount based on the voltage drop rate, the correction amount being positively correlated with the voltage drop rate; adding the correction amount to the product of a preset reference voltage and the threshold coefficient; and using the sum as the low-power voltage threshold.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0019] This invention provides a low-battery reset control system for bicycle electronic derailleurs, including an operation module, a derailleur battery, a derailleur, and a controller. The controller acquires the current voltage value of the derailleur battery and determines whether the current voltage value is less than a low-battery voltage threshold. When the current voltage value is less than the low-battery voltage threshold, the controller controls the derailleur to switch from its current gear to a target gear for derailleur reset. After the derailleur switches to the target gear, subsequent gear shift commands are blocked, keeping the derailleur in the target gear. By intelligently determining the optimal bottoming-out timing and setting the reset target gear, the controller actively resets the derailleur to the most suitable gear and locks it when the battery is low, ensuring riding safety and experience. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox, as described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of dynamically setting the low-power voltage threshold in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments, and the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Example 1:

[0025] like Figure 1-2As shown, the present invention discloses a low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic derailleur, comprising an operation module, a derailleur battery, a derailleur, and a controller. The derailleur battery powers the derailleur and the controller. The derailleur battery is either a derailleur battery built into or externally connected to the derailleur, or an operation module battery built into or externally connected to the operation module.

[0026] Specifically, the operation module can be one of a gear shift lever, shifter, or electronic switch, used to output shift commands to the controller. The operation module and the controller are connected wirelessly.

[0027] Specifically, the derailleur is a rear derailleur corresponding to multiple chainrings in a rear chainring assembly, with multiple gears from low to high corresponding to the multiple chainrings in the rear chainring assembly from large to small. The higher gears with smaller chainrings are often used for riding on flat roads or downhill, while the lower gears with larger chainrings are often used for riding uphill.

[0028] Specifically, the controller is used to receive and respond to the shift command output by the user through the operation module, and control the derailleur to switch gears.

[0029] Furthermore, the controller is also used to obtain the current voltage value of the transmission system battery, determine whether the current voltage value is less than a low charge voltage threshold; when the current voltage value is less than the low charge voltage threshold, control the derailleur to switch from the current gear to the target gear for derailleur reset, and after the derailleur switches to the target gear, block the subsequently received gear shifting commands so that the derailleur remains in the target gear.

[0030] Specifically, after obtaining the current voltage value of the transmission system battery, the controller determines whether the current voltage value is less than a low battery voltage threshold. The low battery voltage threshold can be set to a suitable fixed value, or it can be dynamically set according to the proportion of the derailleur in the high gear range and the proportion in the low gear range within a predetermined time period.

[0031] The controller is also used to divide all the shifting positions of the derailleur into high-range positions and low-range positions, and to set the target position for derailleur reset based on the percentage of the derailleur in the high-range position and the percentage in the low-range position within a predetermined time period.

[0032] In practical applications, the shifting gears of the derailleur are determined based on the overall characteristics of the size of the chainring to which it is switched; the smaller the chainring, the higher the gear number. All shifting gears of the derailleur are statistically analyzed within a predetermined time period, and the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range and the percentage in a low gear range within that time period are calculated.

[0033] Specifically, if the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is greater than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period (meaning the derailleur is mostly in a high gear range), the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the high gear ranges to ensure riding efficiency on flat roads. If the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is less than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period (meaning the derailleur is mostly in a low gear range), the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the low gear ranges to ensure climbing ability. When the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is equal to the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the controller sets the target gear to a preset intermediate gear to avoid frequent shifts in the target gear under critical conditions.

[0034] In this embodiment, on a 12-speed bike, gears 5-12 of the derailleur are set as the high range, and gears 1-4 are set as the low range. The percentage of the derailleur in gears 5-12 and 1-4 within a predetermined time period is calculated. If the percentage of the derailleur in gears 5-12 is greater than the percentage in gears 1-4, meaning gears 7-12 are more frequent, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to gear 8 (a relatively high, middle gear) to ensure efficiency on flat roads. If the percentage of the derailleur in gears 5-12 is less than the percentage in gears 1-4, meaning gears 1-4 are more frequent, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to gear 3 (a relatively low gear) to ensure climbing ability. The predetermined time period can be a rolling time window, such as the most recent 1 hour, 2 hours, or 24 hours, preferably the most recent 2 hours, as it better reflects the most recent road conditions during the ride. When the percentage of the derailleur in gears 5-12 is equal to the percentage in gears 1-4 within a predetermined time period, the controller will set the target gear to gear 6 to avoid frequent changes in the target gear under critical conditions.

[0035] Furthermore, the low battery voltage threshold is dynamically set based on the proportion of the derailleur in the high range and the proportion in the low range within a predetermined time period, including:

[0036] A preset reference voltage is set. When the proportion of the derailleur being in the high-range gear position within a predetermined time period is greater than the proportion of it being in the low-range gear position, a first threshold coefficient value is set, and the preset reference voltage is multiplied by the first threshold coefficient value k1 to obtain the low-battery voltage threshold. When the proportion of the derailleur being in the high-range gear position within a predetermined time period is less than the proportion of it being in the low-range gear position, a second threshold coefficient value k2 is set, and the preset reference voltage is multiplied by the second threshold coefficient value to obtain the low-battery voltage threshold. When the proportion of the derailleur being in the high-range gear position within a predetermined time period is equal to the proportion of it being in the low-range gear position, a third threshold coefficient value k3 is set, and the preset reference voltage is multiplied by the third threshold coefficient value to obtain the low-battery voltage threshold. Wherein, k1<k3<k2. When the proportion of the high range is relatively high, gear shifting is mainly performed between small flywheels, and the power consumption of a single gear shift is relatively low, so a lower low-battery voltage threshold can be used, and thus the first threshold coefficient value k1 can be set to be smaller.

[0037] The controller records the latest gear shift information, and the gear shift information is calculated through a preset function f(x) to obtain the threshold coefficient k. The final voltage threshold is the product V*k of the preset reference voltage V and k. When the current battery voltage is lower than V*k, a fallback operation is triggered.

[0038] Specifically, the preset function f(x) is: f(x)=V*k, let x=RH-RL, RH is the proportion of high-range gear positions, that is, the proportion of 7th to 12th gears, RL is the proportion of low-range gear positions, that is, the proportion of 1st to 5th gears, a is a tolerance threshold, which is a positive integer. When x>a, it indicates that the high-range gear positions are dominant, and k=k1; when x<-a, it indicates that the low-range gear positions are dominant, and k=k2; when |x|≤a, k=k3. Wherein k1<k3<k2. At this time, the trigger is advanced when the low range is dominant, the trigger is appropriately delayed when the high range is dominant, and the default threshold coefficient is adopted when the proportions are close. For example, for a lithium battery with a nominal 7.4V, the preset reference voltage V can be 6.5V. If the high range is dominant and k1=1.03, the low-battery threshold Vth=6.5×1.03≈6.7V; if the low range is dominant and k2=1.08, then Vth=6.5×1.08≈7V; if the proportions are close and k3=1.05, then Vth=6.5×1.05≈6.8V, and the specific values can be calibrated according to the battery specification, motor power consumption and the power required for the derailleur to complete resetting.

[0039] In this embodiment, on a 12-speed vehicle, if the user has a relatively high proportion of riding in 7th to 12th gears in a recent period of time, it indicates that the current road condition tends to be a high-speed flat road or a downhill, and the controller takes a smaller first threshold coefficient value k1 to delay the fallback timing, which favors user experience and ensures that the battery is fully utilized; if the user has a relatively high proportion of riding in 1st to 5th gears, it indicates that the current road condition tends to be climbing or low-speed riding, and the controller takes a larger second threshold coefficient value k2 to advance the fallback timing, which adopts a conservative strategy to ensure the success of fallback.

[0040] The controller is also used to periodically record multiple battery voltage values ​​at several time intervals, and calculate a voltage drop rate based on the recorded voltage values. When the voltage drop rate exceeds a preset slope threshold, the low-charge voltage threshold is increased. A faster voltage drop rate indicates a rapid decrease in the remaining usable battery energy. If the trigger is still based on a fixed low-charge threshold, the derailleur reset action may not be completed in time. Therefore, the controller increases the low-charge threshold during rapid power loss, allowing the fallback reset to trigger earlier and ensuring the battery still has sufficient power to drive the derailleur to switch to the target gear and lock.

[0041] A voltage drop rate of the battery is calculated based on multiple recorded voltage values; and a low charge voltage threshold is obtained based on the voltage drop rate, wherein the faster the voltage drop rate, the higher the obtained low charge voltage threshold.

[0042] Specifically, the current time window length is set to Tw. Battery voltage Vs is collected at the beginning of the time window, and battery voltage Ve is collected at the end of the time window. The controller calculates the voltage drop difference ΔV within the time window based on the difference between the starting voltage Vs and the ending voltage Ve.

[0043] ΔV=|Ve-Vs|

[0044] Where Vs is the battery voltage at the beginning of the time window, Ve is the battery voltage at the end of the time window, and ΔV is the voltage drop difference within the time window.

[0045] When the voltage drop difference ΔV exceeds the preset voltage difference threshold ΔVth, the controller determines that the battery is losing power too quickly within that time window. The preset voltage difference threshold ΔVth can be calibrated based on the battery type, derailleur power consumption, the power required for the reset action, and actual test data.

[0046] When the controller determines that the battery is depleting too quickly, it raises the low battery voltage threshold to trigger the derailleur reset operation earlier. This ensures that the battery still has enough power to drive the derailleur to switch to the reset target gear and lock it.

[0047] In addition, the controller periodically records the battery voltage value. If it detects that the voltage drop rate is too fast (exceeding a preset slope threshold), it increases the low battery voltage threshold by a correction amount δ, further triggering the derailleur reset operation earlier. The final voltage threshold h(x) can be expressed as:

[0048] h(x) = V*k +δ;

[0049] Among them, the δ value is positively correlated with the voltage drop rate and can be calibrated according to the battery type, derailleur power consumption, power required for reset action, and actual test data to ensure timely protection when the battery degrades rapidly.

[0050] This invention can automatically control the derailleur to return to the target gear while riding when the battery level is low to a low voltage threshold, effectively compensating for the reduced user experience caused by gear failure. It ensures that core functions are prioritized under extreme conditions, reduces unexpected malfunctions caused by sudden power outages due to insufficient battery power, and improves overall system stability.

[0051] The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox, characterized in that, include: The operating module, transmission system battery, derailleur, and controller include: A transmission system battery is used to power the derailleur and controller; The controller is used to receive and respond to the shift command output by the user through the operation module, and control the derailleur to switch gears; The controller is also used to: obtain the current voltage value of the transmission system battery, determine whether the current voltage value is less than a low charge voltage threshold; when the current voltage value is less than the low charge voltage threshold, control the derailleur to switch from the current gear to the target gear for derailleur reset, and after the derailleur switches to the target gear, block subsequent received gear shift commands so that the derailleur remains in the target gear.

2. The low battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is used to divide all the shifting positions of the derailleur into high-range positions and low-range positions, and to set the target position for derailleur reset based on the proportion of the derailleur in the high-range position and the proportion in the low-range position within a predetermined time period.

3. The low battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The following describes setting the target gear for derailleur reset based on the percentage of the derailleur being in the high gear range and the percentage being in the low gear range within a predetermined time period: This includes: If the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is greater than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the high gear ranges; if the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is less than the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the target gear for derailleur reset is set to one of the low gear ranges; if the percentage of the derailleur in a high gear range is equal to the percentage in a low gear range within a predetermined time period, the controller sets the target gear to a preset intermediate gear.

4. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The low battery voltage threshold is dynamically set based on the percentage of the derailleur being in the high range and the percentage being in the low range within a predetermined time period. Set a preset reference voltage. When the percentage of the derailleur in the high range gear is greater than the percentage in the low range gear within a predetermined time period, set a first threshold coefficient value k1. Multiply the preset reference voltage and the first threshold coefficient value to obtain the low power voltage threshold. When the percentage of the derailleur in the high range is less than the percentage in the low range within a predetermined time period, a second threshold coefficient value k2 is set, and the preset reference voltage is multiplied by the second threshold coefficient value to obtain the low power voltage threshold. When the percentage of times the derailleur is in the high gear range equals the percentage of times it is in the low gear range within a predetermined time period, a third threshold coefficient value k3 is set. The low-power voltage threshold is obtained by multiplying the preset reference voltage by the third threshold coefficient value, where k1... <k3<k2。 5. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to record multiple voltage values ​​of the battery at regular intervals, calculate a voltage drop rate of the battery based on the recorded multiple voltage values, and increase the low charge voltage threshold based on the voltage drop rate when the voltage drop rate exceeds a preset slope threshold.

6. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The step of increasing the low-power voltage threshold based on the voltage drop rate includes: determining a correction amount based on the voltage drop rate, the correction amount being positively correlated with the voltage drop rate; adding the correction amount to the product of a preset reference voltage and the threshold coefficient; and using the sum as the low-power voltage threshold.

7. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The derailleur is a rear derailleur corresponding to multiple sprockets in a rear chainring group, with multiple gears from low to high corresponding to the multiple sprockets in the rear chainring group from large to small.

8. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The operation module is one of a gear shift lever, a shifter, or an electronic switch, and is used to output gear shift commands to the controller.

9. A low-battery reset control system for a bicycle electronic gearbox as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The operation module and the controller are connected wirelessly.

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