Detecting a rocking motion on a vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle (105) comprises a pedal crank (120) by means of which a person (110) can propel the vehicle (105). A method (200) for determining that the vehicle (105) is propelled in an out-of-seat pedaling mode comprises steps of sensing (210) a force acting on the pedal crank (120) or a torque acting on the pedal crank (120); determining (215) a profile of the force or torque; determining (220) a feature of the profile that indicates an out-of-seat pedaling mode; and determining (225) the out-of-seat pedaling mode based on the feature.

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle driven by a person by means of a crank. In particular, the invention relates to the detection that the vehicle is driven in the swing pedal.A bicycle comprises a crank by means of which it can be driven. Typically, the crank has pedals for feet of a person and acts on a chain which in turn acts on a drive wheel of the bicycle. Often, the chain is part of a shiftable reduction gear. A person driving the bicycle by means of the crank can do this with different techniques or in different sequences of movements. For example, in the sprint or driving up an uphill, the person can lift from a saddle of the bicycle in order to use as much of his entire weight as possible for providing a torque at the crank. This type of actuation is known as a cradle step.DE 10 2023 105 183 A1 proposes determining a weighing step on the basis of pulsating yaw and roll angles on a vehicle.DE 10 2023 105 185 A1 shows a control of a transmission of a vehicle depending on a posture of a driver in which he is standing on pedals.It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved technique for recognizing that a vehicle is being propelled in a swing walk. The invention achieves this object by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Dependent claims represent preferred embodiments.A vehicle comprises a crank, by means of which a person can drive the vehicle, and a steering handle with a handle, on which the person guides the steering handle. The steering arm is preferably configured to control a steering angle of a wheel of the vehicle. A method for determining that the vehicle is being propelled in the step of weighing comprises steps of sensing a force or torque acting on the crank; determining a course of the force or torque; determining a feature of the course indicative of a step of weighing; and determining the step of weighing based on the feature.A swing walk may be characterized in that the person has left a seating of the vehicle and continues to actuate the pedal crank. A weight of the person can essentially rest on pedals which are attached to the crank and via which the person actuates the crank with his feet. Usually, the person can hold himself on the vehicle with his hands, wherein a smaller part of his weight can be supported via the hands. If the feet are lying unsecured on the pedals, the person can exert a torque on the crank which can be limited by the weight of the person. If the feet are connected to the pedals in a traction-proof manner, for example by the feet plugging into special shoes which are fastened to the pedals by means of straps or a separable coupling ("click closure"), the torque which can be produced can be increased by the person stepping down a pedal running downward and at the same time pulling up an pedal running upward.The cradle step is usually adopted to generate a high driving torque. Exemplary driving states in which a weighing step is expedient comprise a sprint or driving uphill. In the rocker pedal, the person always steps into the pedals, moves the crank in a uniform direction and provides torque for driving.The rocker pedal is to be distinguished from a standing posture in which the person is also standing on the pedals, but without twisting them to provide torque. In the standing posture, a pedal is usually located at the front and a rear. The person can take the standing posture, for example, to move his own center of gravity forward or rearward when driving a sharp gradient, to cushion down bumps with their legs, to prepare a jump, or to prepare for landing after a jump.A torque can be determined which acts directly between the person and the vehicle or a chassis. A weighing step can be determined simply and with sharp separation. Based on a particular weight step, a measure to assist a driving characteristic of the vehicle may be determined later. Furthermore, the person can be given an indication for optimizing his driving or driving behavior.A feature may include a frequency component of the history. For determining the frequency component, a frequency analysis of the curve can be carried out. A predetermined frequency filter, for example a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter, can also be applied to the profile in order to isolate a frequency component which lies in a predetermined range from the profile. A frequency analysis can comprise a Fourier transformation, which can be carried out efficiently on a digital processing device, in particular as a fast Fourier transformation (FFT).In one embodiment, a short time fourier transform (STFT) is performed to determine a characteristic feature of the history. The course may be several seconds, for example at least about 10 seconds, preferably at least about 5 seconds or more preferably at least about 3 seconds.The frequency component may be related to a stepping frequency of the person. The treading frequency can be defined as the speed of the crank or as twice the speed of the crank. The tread frequency can also be called kadenz. By referring the frequency component to the pedaling frequency, ordering analysis can be performed which can more effectively give insight into effects on the handlebar resulting from pedaling of the person. Other frequencies, which originate, for example, from a road wheel of the vehicle, can be removed from consideration in an improved manner.Preferably, a spectrum of several frequency components of the curve is determined. For this purpose, a number of frequency components or frequency ranges can be predetermined. A feature may include a relationship between strengths of different frequency components. Thus, a type of "fingerprint" of frequency components that indicate a weighing step can be recognized in the course.In a first variant, the torque is detected at a shaft of the vehicle that transmits the torque to a drive wheel. Such a shaft can be comprised, for example, by the pedal crank, by a transmission or a drive wheel. Thus, the torque exerted by the person can be determined directly and accurately. If a drive machine is also acting on the shaft, its torque can be known on the basis of its actuation and can be subtracted from the torque determined on the shaft in order to determine the torque of the person.In a second variant, the torque is determined on the basis of a force which is transmitted by the person to the vehicle. The torque may be determined based on an applicable lever of the force. The force can be detected at various points, for example at a pedal or a pedal arm of the pedal crank.The torque may be determined based on forces transmitted from the person to the vehicle on different sides. The sides are preferably to the left or right of a longitudinal plane through the vehicle. In particular, a force exerted by the person on the left and a force exerted by the person on the right can be determined. On the basis of the interaction of the curves of the forces, the torque can then be determined. The curves can have a predetermined phase relationship in the step. A predetermined relationship between amplitudes of the curves or frequency components of the curves associated with one another can also be considered.A feature can be determined by means of an observer. In control technology, an observer is a system which reconstructs an unmeasurable variable from known input variables and output variables of an observed reference system. Thus, on the basis of one or more courses or certain features, it is possible to infer a movement sequence of the person, which is known as a weighing step.A feature can be determined in particular by means of an adaptive filter. Such a filter can preferably be designed as a Kalman filter, which implements a mathematical method for estimating parameters for describing system states on the basis of error-prone observations. Thus, the presence of a weighing step can be determined on the basis of one or more curves.In a particularly preferred embodiment, a feature is determined by means of a machine learning model. For this purpose, pattern recognition can be carried out, which works on the basis of an artificial neural network (ANN), for example. The ANN can be presented with force and / or torque profiles, each of which is known whether or not it points to a step. The ANN can then be configured iteratively, for example by means of error feedback (back propagation), in such a way that it can identify a step in a more improved manner on the basis of corresponding curves. Thus, some form of supervised learning may be implemented. If a determination error is small enough, the training can be ended and the ANN can be used to determine a weight step.For training the ANN, a wide variety of training data may be used, which may be collected on comparable vehicles. The vehicles can differ, for example, in dimensions, shapes or installation positions of their control arms. In addition, the training data can be determined when traveling different routes or by different persons.The weight entry can be determined purely qualitatively or additionally also quantitatively. For example, a frequency, a phase, an amplitude or a form of a cyclic profile can be determined. In this case, a specific course can correspond to a recurring movement of the crank.In one specific embodiment, a driving situation of the vehicle is determined; the step of weighing is determined as a function of the determined driving situation. For example, in a first exemplary driving situation, the vehicle may travel on a gradually increasing gradient. The person does not change an engaged gear step and at some time changes to the step of weighing in order not to fall below a minimum speed.In a second exemplary driving situation, the person can suddenly decide to accelerate as much as possible, for example in order to leave a dangerous situation. The person then changes to the step of weighing, which he can maintain even at an increased speed. Under certain circumstances, the person changes a gear ratio engaged in a transmission in order to further increase the travel speed of the vehicle. The change of the gear stage can be detected by means of a sensor or on the basis of a corresponding transition in the frequency of a scanned profile.On the basis of a recognized weight step, a measure for improving a driving behavior of the vehicle in the specific weight step may be determined. The aim of controlling the driving behavior is generally to improve stability, traction or lane fidelity of the vehicle in the road. Furthermore, it is possible to attempt to improve the introduction or transmission of force or torque by the person in order to provide a drive torque which can be used in an improved manner for conversion into propulsion of the vehicle.The measure can be provided in the form of a pointer. The indication may comprise a specific change of a setting of a component of the vehicle. The setting can be changed during the trip or within the scope of a service intervention. The indication may be provided to the person or a service person for the vehicle. For example, the setting of a strength of a damping force, a spring rate or a spring rate profile of a wheel suspension of the vehicle can be included in the indication. The indication can also comprise an engaged gear stage of a controllable transmission of the vehicle. In a further embodiment, a specific change can also be automatically controlled by means of a corresponding actuator.According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining that a vehicle having a crank is driven by a person in the swing pedal while the person guides a handlebar of the vehicle through a handle includes a sensor for sensing a force acting on the crank or a torque acting on the crank; and a processing device. The processing device is configured to determine a profile of the force or of the torque; to determine a characteristic of the profile which points to a weighing step; and to determine the weighing step on the basis of the characteristic.The processing device can be configured to execute a method described herein in whole or in part. For this purpose, the processing device can be electronically embodied and comprise a programmable microcomputer or microcontroller, and the method can be present in the form of a computer program product having program code means. The computer program product can also be stored on a computer-readable data carrier. Features or advantages of the method can be transferred to the device or vice versa.In yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes an apparatus described herein. The vehicle can be driven either partially or exclusively with muscle power via the crank and in particular comprise a single-track vehicle. Thus, the vehicle can comprise a bicycle or a pedelec or e-bike. A load wheel or a tandem can also be included in the vehicle. The vehicle can also have more than two wheels or more than one track. With some vehicles, it is also possible to transport more than two persons, wherein pedal cranks are provided for at least one person, but usually for a plurality of the persons.A further aspect of the present invention relates to the use of a sensor which is configured to determine a torque or a force provided by a person for driving a vehicle by means of a pedal crank, for determining that the vehicle is driven in the step. In particular, a method described herein can be used to determine the weight step on the basis of a curve of a force or a torque scanned at the pedal crank.The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle driven by a driver; FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method; FIG. 3 is a muscle-powered vehicle; and FIG. 4 shows a system for determining a weight stepis.FIG. 1 shows a system 100 that includes a vehicle 105 having a person 110, which is also driver 110 of the vehicle 105 by way of example. The vehicle 105 includes a powertrain 115 including a crank 120 with pedals 125 and a drive wheel 130. The drive train 115 comprises a shiftable transmission 135, for example in the form of a derailleur. Feet of the driver 110 rest on the pedals 125 so that he can provide with his legs a torque on the crank 120 that serves to propel the vehicle 105.Hands of the driver 110 may rest on a handlebar 140, via which the driver 110 may steer the vehicle 110 and / or hold on the vehicle 110. During travel, the rider 110 typically sits on a saddle 145 or corresponding seating.If the driver 110 wishes to provide a high torque for driving the vehicle 110, he can execute a swing step, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. In the process, it rises from the saddle 145, so that essentially only its hands and feet still have contact with the vehicle 110. By omitting a vertical support force of the saddle 145 on the driver's torso 110, the latter can use a greater part of his body weight in order to periodically move the pedals 125 downward and thus provide increased torque at the pedal crank 120. If the feet are connected to the pedals 125 in a traction-proof manner, for example by the driver 110 wearing shoes which can be connected to the pedals 125 by means of couplings, the driver 110 can additionally assist the movement of a pedal 125 upwards by pulling upwards his foot resting thereon. The torque which can be provided at the pedal crank 120 can thereby be further increased.The cradle step can be carried out for various reasons and not in any case the provision of a maximum torque is the primary motivation for this. For example, the driver 110 may temporarily release the seating position to promote blood circulation to the seating surface thereof. In this case, he can continue to drive with medium use of the body, so that the vehicle 105 can follow a planned driving line without any difficulties. A roll angle, i.e. an inclination of the vehicle 105 about its longitudinal axis, can be substantially unchanged in this case.If the driver 110 in the rocker pedal causes a large torque, the vehicle 105 can then enter into an oscillation about its longitudinal axis, which can result from the off-center feeding of force via the pedals 125. By holding the driver 110 firmly on the steering arm 140, an oscillating steering movement can additionally be initiated, which can cause an oscillating change in direction of the vehicle 105 about a vertical axis. In other words, the vehicle 105 may describe serpentines. Such an oscillation can also be observed when driving around a curve or during a maneuver such as a lane change. Driving stability, traction, or lane fidelity of the vehicle 105 may be impaired by the oscillation.In the swing walk, oscillating forces or torques can act on the vehicle 105 at various points. For example, an oscillating force may act between a foot of the person 110 and the crank 120. As a result, an oscillating torque can be introduced into the transmission 135, converted there and ultimately provided to the drive wheel 130. The introduced force may also act about a longitudinal axis of the vehicle 105. A force oscillating about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 105 can likewise act between a hand of the driver 110 and the steering arm 140. An oscillating force introduced into the vehicle 105 may be propagated or translated by various portions of the vehicle 105.It is proposed to determine that the driver 110 is performing a swing pedal and to control the driving behavior of the vehicle 105 depending on the swing pedal to improve driving comfort, driving safety, controllability, or efficiency.FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a method 200 for determining a step of a person 110, in particular a driver 110, on a vehicle 105 on a vehicle 105, which step can be driven by a person 110, in particular a driver 110, by means of a pedal crank 120. The method 200 may be performed by a suitable device onboard the vehicle 105.In a step 205, a driving situation of the vehicle 105 may be determined. The driving situation of the vehicle 105 can be determined, for example, on the basis of a driving speed, an engaged gear stage, a frequency of the oscillation of a sensed variable, the amplitude of the oscillation, an average value of the variable, the strength of a torque introduced into the crank 120, the degree of an inclination or a gradient of a driven-on underlying surface or the actuation of a brake of the vehicle 105. Optionally, a development of one or more parameters over a predetermined time can be taken into account. It can thus be detected, for example, that a slope being traveled increases gradually over a considered time range and a stepping frequency has decreased in proportion thereto.In a step 210, a force and / or a torque at a crank of the vehicle 105 may be determined. It is also possible to determine a plurality of forces and / or a plurality of torques on a pedal crank which can differ in particular in their effective directions. The pedal crank usually comprises a shaft which is mounted opposite a chassis of the vehicle and comprises a pedal arm at each of the left and right ends. The pedal arms each extend in the radial direction offset from one another by 180° about the axis of rotation of the shaft as far as pedals which are available to the person 110 for the introduction of a driving force. A torque can be determined, for example, on the chassis in the region of a bearing for the shaft or on the shaft itself.Alternatively, a force introduced by the person into a pedal may be determined. The force can be converted on the basis of prevailing geometric conditions at the pedal crank into a torque which is provided for driving the vehicle 105. Such a force can be detected, for example, on the pedal or on the pedal arm. Preferably, forces are determined on both sides of the pedal crank, i.e. for example on both pedal arms or both pedals. The torque may be determined based on superposition of the forces.Note that, in addition, a force or a torque acting on a handle attached to the handlebar 140 may also be considered. For this purpose, the force or the torque can be calculated on the basis of other specific forces or torques or can be determined by means of a sensor attached to the handle. Different and in particular differently directed forces or torques can be determined. In a corresponding manner, forces or torques can be determined and evaluated, which act on more than one handle on the steering arm of the vehicle.A force or torque acting on the link 140 may also be considered. To this end, the force or the torque can be calculated on the basis of other specific forces or torques or can be determined by means of a sensor attached to the link 140. As with the handles, here too different and in particular differently directed forces or torques can be determined.Further, a force or a torque acting in a steering stem configured to control a steering angle of a wheel 130 of the vehicle 105 may be considered. In this case, the steering front part can connect the steering arm 140 to a steering column which is mounted on a chassis of the vehicle 105 such that it can rotate about a steering axis. The steering column acts on a fork on which the wheel 130 is mounted. The force or the torque in the front arm can likewise be calculated on the basis of other forces or torques or can be determined directly by means of a sensor attached to the front arm. Here too, different and in particular differently directed forces or torques can be determined.A roll angle of the vehicle 105 about its longitudinal axis can also be taken into account. It is also possible to take account of a carcass with which the person 110 actuates the crank 120.In a step 215, profiles of observed variables can be determined. A curve can be viewed over a predetermined time range, which is usually a few seconds. It should be noted that the time range over which the variable for determining the step of weighing is considered may deviate from a time range which is set for determining the driving situation. A sampled value can only be discarded if it is not to be further evaluated either for the determination of the step of the person or for the determination of the driving situation.In a step 220, a curve of sampled values can be analyzed. The analyzing can comprise, for example, filtering, normalizing, scaling, transforming or preparing a curve. Optionally, different profiles can also be compared with one another or set in context. This can be done, for example, by means of a cross-correlation or a mathematical convolution. These operations can edit features indicative of the presence of a walk-on or other form of drive.In a step 225, it can be determined on the basis of a profile or in a combination of a plurality of profiles whether or that a weighing step is present. For this purpose, a plurality of features can also be evaluated. In one embodiment, the weight step is detected using a filter or a machine learning method.It can be determined purely qualitatively whether or not there is a weighing step. Alternatively, it is quantitatively determined which properties the weighing step has. From this, a degree in which the step of weighing is present can be derived. For example, an amplitude, a frequency or a uniformity of the weight step can be determined. If a specific characteristic exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold value or if the characteristic lies in a predetermined range, the step of weighing can be determined as present.In a step 230, a measure may be determined to improve a driving behavior of the vehicle 105 in the step of weighing. The measure may comprise setting a component of the vehicle 105 depending on the determined step. The component can be adjusted during travel, for example by changing an engaged gear stage in a transmission. The component can also be changed only when the vehicle 105 is at a standstill, for example by changing a damping rate of a wheel suspension. The measure can also comprise a recommendation for the person 110, which, for example, relates to his movement sequence.In a step 235, an indication of the particular weighing step may be provided. The indication may comprise a predetermined action or recommendation. In a step 240, a certain measure can be automatically implemented. For this purpose, a controllable component of the vehicle 105 can be controlled. The component can in particular comprise a spring element, a damping element, a transmission or a preferably electric drive machine.FIG. 3 shows an example vehicle 105 in the form of a bicycle. The powertrain 115 includes the crank 120, the transmission 135, and the drive wheel 130. Optionally, a drive engine 305 is provided, which is arranged here, by way of example, in the region of the crank 125. The drive engine 305 can act like the pedal crank 120 on the drive wheel 130 via the transmission 135. Alternatively, the drive machine can also act on the drive wheel 130 in another way, for example directly or by means of a dedicated transmission. The prime mover may also be mounted on another drive wheel 130, such as a front wheel of the vehicle 105, rather than a rear wheel as shown.The transmission 135 is designed as a derailleur in the present case, but can also comprise another type of transmission in other embodiments, for example a planetary transmission, a spur gear transmission, a cycloid transmission or a sliding wedge transmission.The pedal crank 120 usually comprises a shaft 310 which is mounted opposite a chassis 315 of the vehicle 105 and is connected at each of a left and a right end to a pedal arm 320. A rotational axis of the shaft 310 extends generally transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle 105. The tread arms 320 each extend from the axis of rotation in the radial direction and offset relative to one another by 180° about the axis of rotation. Rotatably mounted on radially outer ends of the pedal arms 320 are the pedals 125 available to the person 110 for the introduction of a driving force.A drive torque available for propulsion of the vehicle 105 is provided at least partially by the person 110 by stepping with their feet on the pedals 125 and rotating the crank 120 about the axis of rotation. Optionally, a further drive torque can be contributed by the drive engine 305.Whether the person 110 is driving the vehicle 105 in the step of weighing may be determined based on a torque that the person 110 contributes to the movement. The torque may be determined either directly or based on a force acting about an axis of rotation and an effective lever. For the direct determination of the torque caused by the person 110, a corresponding sensor can be provided in or on the shaft of the crank 120. Alternatively, a sensor can be provided in the transmission 135, which sensor determines, for example, a tensile force on a load strand of the chain. Further, a torque sensor may be provided on the drive wheel 130.To determine a force that correlates to the torque provided, a sensor may be provided on chassis 315. The sensor may determine a force acting between the shaft 310 and the chassis 315. The force may be caused by the person 110 depressing a pedal 125. In this area, two sensors can also be used, which are arranged on different sides of a longitudinal plane of the vehicle 105, so that forces can be determined in an improved manner, which are each assigned to one of the pedals 125.A force applied by the person 110 to a pedal 125 may also be determined directly in the pedal 125. For this purpose, a corresponding sensor can be provided in the pedal 125, for example a compression sensor. Another possibility is to attach a sensor in or to a pedal arm 320. Preferably, a symmetrical procedure is also adopted here, in that a sensor is provided for each of a force acting on the left pedal 125 and a force acting on the right pedal 125.FIG. 4 shows a system 400 including a device 405 on a vehicle 105 and a mobile device 410. The apparatus 405 comprises a processing device 415, which is connected to a sensor 420 and an optional output apparatus 425. The sensor 420 is configured to determine a force or torque provided to a person 110 for propulsion on the vehicle 105. The force or the torque can act in particular on the crank 120. A sensor 420 may be attached to a pedal 125, a pedal arm 120, or a shaft 310 of the crank 120 in various embodiments. Alternatively, sensor 420 may be mounted in transmission 135, chassis 315, or drive wheel 130, for example.A plurality of sensors 420 may also be provided. A sensor 420 may be configured to determine a deformation of a rigid element and may include, for example, a piezoelectric sensor 420 or a strain gauge (DMS). The sensor 420 may provide a sensor signal in a wired or wireless manner. A power supply can be effected in a wired manner or the sensor 420 can be supplied locally by means of an energy store such as a battery or a capacitor. Alternatively, energy harvesting can be supplied, wherein a sensor element can provide an electrical voltage which is processed on the one hand for supplying the sensor and on the other hand points to the variable to be measured.The processing device 415 is configured to determine that the vehicle 105 is being propelled in the walk-off based on scans of quantities detected by the sensor 420. Optionally, further information relating to the vehicle 105 or a traveled area can also be included in the determination. Such information may include, for example, a road type, a travel speed, an incline or a slope, a material of the underlying surface, a prevailing weather, or a degree of exertion of the person 110. On the basis of the present information, a driving state of the vehicle 105 can be determined and the driving state can be evaluated for determining the weight step. To determine the weight entry, the processing device 415 may execute at least part of a method 200 described herein.In a variant in which a person walk is to be detected by means of machine learning, the device 405 or the system 400 can comprise an input device by means of which the person 110 can indicate whether he is driving the vehicle 105 in the person walk or in another driving technique. In a further embodiment, the person 110 can also confirm or mark as incorrect a determination of a weighing step-or an absent weighing step-provided by the device 405 or the system 400. Thus, values or curves of forces and / or torques can be collected for an input, which can be used together with the user information as training data in order, for example, to train an ANN for recognizing the weight step. Alternatively, input of the person 110 may cause an increase or decrease of a threshold value. If a predetermined measured value exceeds the threshold value, a step of weighing can be determined.If the weight step has been determined, a corresponding notice can be output to a person 110 on board the vehicle 105, in particular to a driver 110, by means of the output device 425. The indication can be made in a visual, acoustic or haptic manner. An indication can also be transmitted by means of the communication device 430.The indication may comprise a specific characteristic of the weight step, for example a frequency, an amplitude or the strength of its characteristic on an arbitrary scale. The indication may also include an instruction or suggestion for an action that may be implemented on the vehicle 105 to improve the operation of the vehicle 105 with respect to the walk-on.A transmitted notification can be received and optionally presented by means of the mobile device 410. The mobile device 410 preferably comprises a personal device of a person 110 on board the vehicle 105 and can in particular comprise a smartphone, a smart watch, a smart band or a smart ring. In another embodiment, the mobile device 410 may also be embodied as a dedicated display instrument. The mobile device 410 may be mounted on the vehicle 105, preferably such that it can be viewed by the person 110 while driving. In another embodiment, the cradle step may also be determined by the mobile device 410.A proposed measure may be implemented on the vehicle 105 by automatically or manually implementing a setting on an actuator of the vehicle 105. Exemplary actuators include a suspension or a damper of a wheel suspension of the vehicle 105. The drive machine 305 or the transmission 135 can also be controlled for this purpose.Optionally, multiple settings of the vehicle 105 can be combined into a profile and assigned to a person 110. To utilize the vehicle 105, the person 110 may identify himself and the profile assigned to him may be displayed or automatically activated. The identification can be effected manually by a user input. Alternatively, an automatic identification can be carried out, for example on the basis of a radio transmitter which the person 110 carries with him. An automatically recognized person 110 may also be displayed only, and the person 110 may confirm or change the determination.The radio transmitter may comprise a dedicated device or the mobile device 410 may fill this function. An application that can support the identification of the person 110 can run on the mobile device 410, and the mobile device 410 can communicate wirelessly with the vehicle 105 or the device 405. A profile of a person 110 can also be stored on the mobile device 410 assigned to him.A specific weight step, an external information, a specific information item and / or a setting of a profile can also be collected and stored. Such data can be stored locally or outside the vehicle 105 or outside the mobile device 410, for example on a server or a service which can be provided, for example, in a cloud. The data can be transmitted there, for example, via a mobile radio network. Collected data may be further processed, for example to determine a long-term trend in the use of a vehicle 105 by a person 110.Reference numerals denote reference numerals100 System 105 Vehicle 110 Person, driver 115 Drive train 120 Pedal 125 Pedal 130 Drive wheel 135 Transmission 140 Steering rod 145 Seat 200 Method 205 Driving situation determine 210 Force or torque scan 215 Course determine 220 Course process 225 Rocker pedal recognize 230 Measure determine 235 Provide 240 Measure implement 305 Drive engine 310 Shaft 315 Chassis 320 Pedal arm 400 System 405 Device 410 Mobile device 415 Processing device 420 Sensor 425 Output device 430 Communication deviceReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 10 2023 105 183 A1

[0003] DE 10 2023 105 185 A1

[0004]

Claims

Method (200) for determining that a vehicle (105) is driven by a person (110) in the step of weighing; wherein the vehicle (105) comprises a crank (120) by means of which the person (110) drives the vehicle (105); wherein the method (200) has the following steps: - sensing (210) a force acting on the crank (120) or a torque acting on the crank (120); - determining (215) a profile of the force or of the torque; - determining (220) a feature of the profile which points to a step of weighing; and - determining (225) the step of weighing on the basis of the feature.The method (200) of claim 1, wherein a characteristic comprises a frequency component of the history.The method (200) of claim 2, wherein the frequency component is related to a stepping frequency of the person (110).The method (200) of claim 2 or 3, wherein a spectrum of frequency components of the history is determined.The method (200) of any preceding claim, wherein the torque is detected at a shaft (310) transmitting the torque to a drive wheel (130).The method (200) of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the torque is determined based on a force transmitted by the person (110) to the vehicle (105).The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the torque is determined based on forces transmitted from the person (110) to the vehicle (105) on different sides.Method (200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein curves of different forces and / or torques are determined and wherein a feature is determined on the basis of a correlation of the curves.Method (200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a feature is determined by means of an observer.Method (200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a feature is determined by means of an adaptive filter.The method (200) of any preceding claim, wherein a feature is determined using a machine learning model.Method (200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight step is determined on the basis of a driving situation of the vehicle (105).The method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight entry is quantified.Method (200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a measure for improving a driving behavior of the vehicle (105) in the specific step is determined.Device (405) for determining that a vehicle (105) is driven by a person (110) in the step of weighing; wherein the vehicle (105) comprises a crank (120) by means of which the person (110) drives the vehicle (105); wherein the device (405) comprises the following elements: - a sensor (420) for sensing a force acting on the crank (120) or a torque acting on the crank (120); and - a processing device (415) which is configured to determine a profile of the force or of the torque; to determine a characteristic of the profile which points to a step of weighing; and to determine the step of weighing on the basis of the characteristic.A vehicle (105) comprising a device (405) according to claim 15.Use of a sensor which is configured to determine a torque provided by a person (110) by means of a crank (120) for driving a vehicle (105) or a provided force for determining that the vehicle (105) is being driven in the step.

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