Light vehicle and methods for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal and a bicycle screen

Abstract

The invention relates to a light vehicle and to methods for navigating using a portable wireless communication terminal (1) and a bicycle screen. One of the methods comprises the steps: computing (200) a first data packet (3) representing map information (5) by means of the wireless communication terminal (1) and transmitting (400) the first data packet (3) to the bicycle screen, and computing (700) a second data packet (4) representing an ego position (6) of the wireless communication terminal (1) by means of the wireless communication terminal (1) and transmitting (800) the second data packet (3) to the bicycle screen (2), receiving a first data packet (3) representing map information (5) from the wireless communication terminal (1) and displaying the map information (5) on the bicycle screen (2), and receiving a second data packet (4) representing an ego position (6) of the wireless communication terminal (1) from the wireless communication terminal (1) and displaying the ego position (6) on the bicycle screen (2).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Light vehicle and method for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal and a bicycle display

[0004] State of the art

[0005] The present invention relates to a lightweight vehicle and a method for navigation using a portable wireless communication device and a bicycle display. In particular, the present invention relates to a user-friendly and visually appealing solution for using a smartphone with a bicycle display (display) attached to the bicycle.

[0006] Smartphones are now equipped with navigation systems that can handle the display and audio output of navigation tasks completely independently. The smartphone's sensors determine the position, and the map material for displaying the road map is provided via antennas or internal memory. However, smartphones are usually quite fragile and susceptible to moisture, so using them on the handlebars of a light vehicle (e.g., e-bike, speed pedelec, pedelec, etc.) is not always advisable. This is particularly true for uneven or off-road terrain. However, not making the smartphone's capabilities, which the user may have purchased, available for navigation tasks means a reduction in the user experience and the need to purchase appropriate map material for more robust, possibly brighter and / or larger bicycle screens.

[0007] Disclosure of the invention Starting from the aforementioned prior art, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages also for users of light vehicles.

[0008] The aforementioned object is achieved according to the invention by a method for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a smart wearable, or similar) and a bicycle screen. A first method relates to the method steps according to the invention, which are carried out in the wireless communication terminal. In this method, a first data packet representing map information is calculated using the portable wireless communication terminal. The first data packet can also be understood as a data stream or the result of a data processing process that is carried out in an evaluation unit of the wireless communication terminal. The map information can be independent of the current orientation of the smartphone, the bicycle screen, and in particular of a light vehicle.In other words, the map information represented by the first data packet is the same for every user using the corresponding software package. In particular, the map information is identical regardless of the current position and / or the current orientation and / or the display size used. The map information therefore contains no information that has been determined or adapted depending on the current navigation intention. The first data packet is then sent to the bicycle screen. This can be done, for example, via a Bluetooth connection, a Bluetooth Low Energy connection, a WiFi / WLAN connection, or similar. In particular, a separate channel can be established between the wireless communication device and the bicycle screen for the first data packet and the data packets following the first data packet (updated first data packets).The bicycle monitor can be connected to the wireless communication device directly or (via an electronic control unit with an evaluation unit arranged on the light vehicle). (Partially) wired communication between the wireless communication device and the bicycle monitor is also possible. For example, the wireless communication device can establish a wireless connection to a light vehicle or light motorcycle, in which a communication unit receives the data packets and then forwards them via cable to the bicycle monitor. In addition, a second data packet is calculated by the wireless communication device, which represents an ego position of the wireless communication device. The information contained in the second data packet is therefore to be understood as additional information, which provides the bicycle monitor with information about the ego position and / or the orientation and / or the zoom level.The ego position includes, for example, a position parameter, a direction parameter, and a speed parameter. The speed parameter can be provided by the smartphone and / or by the electric bicycle. The ego position information can be sent directly from bicycle sensors to the vehicle or the bicycle screen and / or from bicycle sensors to the smartphone. For this purpose, the vehicle can have a Bluetooth receiver which wiredly forwards the data packets to the bicycle screen. The second data packet is sent to the bicycle screen separately from the first data packet. The second data packet does not contain any map data, so that updates to the map data, the ego position, or other riding situation-related information can update the bicycle screen completely independently of the map material. The second data packet can also be sent wirelessly or.sent to the bicycle screen via a separate channel, as was explained in connection with the first data packet. The bicycle screen or the bicycle or a control unit thereof can now combine the information contained in the first and second data packets so that a display representing the current riding situation and position of the wireless communication terminal or the bicycle screen is produced on the bicycle screen. The means of transport, in particular the bicycle screen, therefore determines a bicycle screen display based on the provided first and second data packets and displays it. In particular, no map data need be sent to the bicycle screen if the information (map material) required to display the riding situation on the bicycle screen is available.Conversely, if the user simply adjusts the zoom level of the bicycle screen, no new information or route information needs to be sent to the bicycle screen. However, this may require new map material to be sent from the wireless communication device to the bicycle screen via initial data packets. This reduces the data communication between the wireless communication device and the bicycle screen and reduces the computing effort required to send, receive, and process the data.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the steps of the inventive method to be carried out on the bicycle screen are protected. The bicycle screen can have an evaluation unit or interact with such an evaluation unit, so that the bicycle screen communicates either directly or indirectly with the wireless communication terminal described above. In a first step, the first data packet representing the map information, calculated and sent by the wireless communication terminal, is received, and the map information is then stored on the bicycle screen. In other words, the map information represented in the first data packet is kept ready to create a display of the map information. To complete the information to be displayed, the second data packet, which contains the ego position but no map data, is additionally received from the wireless communication terminal.The above otherwise applies correspondingly to the wireless communication terminal, the bicycle screen, and the data packets, communication, and hardware of the second aspect of the invention, so that reference is made to the above statements to avoid repetition. After merging the information contained in the first and second data packets, a navigation display (map or route with ego position or arrow navigation display) is rendered and displayed on the bicycle screen.

[0010] The subclaims show preferred developments of the invention.

[0011] The second data packet can further (in addition to the ego position) include or represent a target orientation of the map information or map display and / or a zoom command (e.g., intersection zoom) and / or a display setting or display information such as a bicycle screen resolution, a bicycle screen size, the bicycle screen aspect ratio, or similar. In this way, the second data packet can better prepare the display of the map information on the bicycle screen, and the display content can already be adapted to the requirements and properties of the bicycle screen in the wireless communication terminal.

[0012] The first data packet and / or the second data packet can be sent to the bike's display as vector data. This has the advantage that, regardless of the pixel display actually used, the control unit receiving the data packets can ensure a flexible, visually appealing, and fluid display of the navigation task.

[0013] In particular, the vector data in the bicycle screen can be used to display smooth edges and a high level of detail, regardless of the current zoom level.

[0014] Accordingly, the first data packet and / or the second data packet can be sent to the bicycle screen as rasterized data (pixel data or pixel representation). Rasterizing the data can reduce the computing power required in the bicycle screen by already taking the display options into account in the wireless communication terminal. For this purpose, the wireless communication terminal can initially and / or during the navigation process receive information regarding the display properties of the bicycle screen in order to be able to adapt the size, resolution, aspect ratio, and other parameters to the hardware of the bicycle screen as best as possible. This can apply in particular to the navigation map, but alternatively or additionally also to the display of the ego position and the upcoming route (sometimes highlighted in blue, for example).

[0015] The first data packet can, for example, be sent to the bicycle display based on an event. For example, it can be determined that the bicycle display needs segments of the map information in order to be able to display regions traveled by the wireless communication device in the future at this time. To do this, the bicycle display can send a third data packet to the wireless communication device, which causes it to send an (updated) first data packet with corresponding map data to the bicycle display. Alternatively, the first and second data packets are actively "pushed" from the wireless communication device to the bicycle display. In this case, the smartphone automatically detects whether it needs to send more data. The second data packet can, for example, be sent to the bicycle display at regular intervals.In particular, the time intervals can be selected depending on the current travel speed in order to ensure a smooth display of the current position of the wireless communication terminal. The time intervals can be regular, preferably 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz, more preferably 0.5 Hz to 20 Hz, particularly preferably 1-2 Hz, or irregular. All data packets of the method according to the invention can alternatively or additionally be sent event-based. Another event for sending an (updated) first data packet can be the (manually or automatically executed) zoom of the map information on the bicycle screen. This event can also lead to map data being required on the bicycle screen that was previously not required. This can also be used as an event for transmitting (updated) first map data to the wireless communication terminal.

[0016] Preferably, a further (updated) navigation display can be determined by the bicycle screen based on a speed parameter, which is determined based on the previously received (previous) second data packet. For example, a speed can be determined from the position information of first data packets received at different times, without having to use speed or position sensors of the means of transport or the bicycle screen. The use of speed or position sensors of the means of transport or the bicycle screen is of course possible alternatively or additionally. In particular, a speed can be determined via wheel speed sensors, an orientation via a digital compass, and / or a direction via a satellite-based positioning device.

[0017] The wireless communication device can independently determine the ego position, as is typically the case with stand-alone applications in smartphones. The wireless communication device receives the time-stamped data from satellites and uses this to determine the position and the respective timestamp to determine its own position. Alternatively or additionally, an ego position and / or orientation can be received from a (for example, electrically powered) light vehicle, in particular a pedelec, an e-bike, an S-pedelec, or the bicycle screen itself, and incorporated into the second data packet. This allows positioning to be based on a broader information basis and / or conserves the energy resources of the wireless communication device.

[0018] In particular, the first data packet and the second data packet were not calculated or sent by an identical IT entity. Rather, they may have been generated by the same program or app, while the underlying routines and processes may correspond to different constraints and / or timings. However, the first and second data packets may be sent essentially simultaneously or interleaved, but are also decoded or assembled logically separately by the receiver (the light vehicle or its bicycle screen) and only then combined into a common screen display.

[0019] The second data packet can be calculated and / or transmitted more frequently, in particular five times, especially ten times, preferably one hundred times, than the first data packet. Alternatively or additionally, the first data packet can have a data volume that is at least ten times, preferably one hundred times, the data volume of the second data packet. Thus, the current ego position can always be visually updated "smoothly" without unnecessarily high data traffic.

[0020] By means of the method according to the invention, the computing performance provided by a possibly fragile or moisture-sensitive smartphone can be used on robust and possibly smaller-volume produced external bicycle screens without unnecessarily increasing the data communication.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a lightweight vehicle, in particular an electrically powered bicycle, is proposed, which has a bicycle screen and is configured to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims in conjunction with a wireless communication terminal (e.g., smartphone, tablet, smart wearable, or similar) of a user. The lightweight vehicle can be configured, for example, as a bicycle, electrically powered bicycle, cargo bike, pedelec, S-pedelec, e-bike, or similar. In particular, it can be a lightweight vehicle without a closed passenger compartment, so that the bicycle screen can be configured to be dust- and moisture-resistant.

[0022] Short description of the drawing

[0023] Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a driving situation of a

[0025] User on a light vehicle designed according to the invention when carrying out a method according to the invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the instances that are

[0027] Connection with a smartphone designed according to the invention as a wireless communication terminal and a bicycle screen are involved in the execution of the inventive method; and

[0028] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a

[0029] Embodiment of a method according to the invention.

[0030] Embodiment of the invention

[0031] Figure 1 shows a cyclist undertaking an off-road ride on a light vehicle 10 in the form of an e-bike. In order to use the software and hardware of their smartphone as a wireless communication terminal 1 for navigation, while preventing it from being exposed to dust, liquids, and vibrations, they carry the wireless communication terminal 1 on their back in a backpack that has been partially cut away for clarity. The wireless communication terminal 1 is in wireless communication with a bicycle screen 2 mounted on the handlebars of the e-bike. This is designed to be liquid-, dust-, and fluid-resistant, but has a less powerful processor and no expensive data for map material. Figure 2 shows the entities already presented in Figure 1: wireless communication terminal 1 (smartphone) and bicycle screen 2, which exchange data packets 3, 4 via two data streams 15, 16.The first data packet 3 comprises four segments 11-14 as components of map material 5, which the wireless communication terminal 1 has received from a stationary server 8 via a transmission mast 7. The wireless communication terminal 1, in turn, has requested the map material 5 based on data representing an ego position 6, which was calculated using a satellite 9. In order to be able to send the ego position 6 and the map material 5 to the bicycle screen 2 with the lowest possible bandwidth, the four segments 11-14 are sent to the bicycle screen 2 as vector data in the first data packet 3, while the second data packet 4 representing the ego position is sent to the bicycle screen 2 as geo-coordinates and is used by the latter to mark the ego position within map information using a predefined icon.

[0032] Figure 3 shows steps of a method for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal in the form of a smartphone and a bicycle screen, which can be implemented for a navigation project of a light vehicle. In step 100, a display property of the bicycle screen is determined. Possible display properties of the bicycle screen include, for example, resolution, aspect ratio, size, etc. The determination can be performed by a wireless communication terminal (smartphone) that is linked to the bicycle screen for data purposes. The link can be established via Bluetooth, for example. In step 200, a first data packet is then calculated by the wireless communication terminal, which represents map information. In step 300, the first data packet is adapted based on the display property of the bicycle screen.For example, information can be removed from the first data packet that does not appear suitable for displaying the map due to the display properties of the bicycle screen. In step 400, the first data packet is then sent by the wireless communication terminal to the bicycle screen and received by the bicycle screen in step 500. In step 600, the map data just received via the first data packet is displayed on the bicycle screen. However, an ego position or a marker of the upcoming route was not included in the first data packet. For this purpose, in step 700, a second data packet is calculated by the wireless communication terminal, which represents an ego position of the wireless communication terminal and the upcoming route.The second data packet is sent to the bicycle screen in step 800, received by it in step 900, and used in step 1000 to display the ego position and the upcoming route on the bicycle screen corresponding to the map information. In step 1100, it is then determined that a segment required for the map information on the bicycle screen is not available or will soon be unavailable (with the route being tracked unchanged). This can be determined, for example, via the bicycle screen, or alternatively or additionally by the wireless communication terminal itself. In step 1200, the bicycle screen optionally sends a request to the wireless communication terminal, requesting the required map segment from the wireless communication terminal.Finally, in step 1300, the segment required for the map information is sent from the wireless communication terminal to the bicycle screen, so that the map to be displayed there is always presented in its entirety. If the wireless communication terminal determines that a segment stored on the bicycle screen is no longer required for navigation display, it can send a command to the bicycle screen to delete the segment.

[0033] When reference is made to a "bicycle screen" in the context of the present disclosure, a person skilled in the art understands this to include an external display and / or a combination of an evaluation and display unit and / or an electronic control unit linked to or provided with a display unit, which can be arranged temporarily, semi-temporarily, or permanently on a light vehicle, in particular an electrically powered light vehicle, for presenting a navigation project while driving. In particular, the external display can be configured to engage with a handlebar of the light vehicle by means of a simple snap / locking connection. For this purpose, a tool-free or tool-mediated connection between a base and the handlebar of the light vehicle can be provided.

Claims

Claims 1 . A method for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal (1), in particular a smartphone, and a bicycle screen (2), comprising the steps: - calculating (200) a first data packet (3) by means of the wireless communication terminal (1) representing a map information (5) and - Sending (400) the first data packet (3) to the bicycle screen and - Calculating (700) a second data packet (4) by means of the Wireless communication terminal (1) representing an ego position (6) of the wireless communication terminal (1) and - Sending (800) the second data packet (3) to the bicycle screen (2).

2. Method for navigation using a portable wireless communication terminal (1), in particular a smartphone, and a bicycle screen (2), comprising the steps: - receiving (500) a first data packet (3) representing map information (5) from the wireless communication terminal (1) - receiving (900) a second data packet (4) representing an ego position (6) of the wireless communication terminal (1) from the wireless communication terminal (1) and - Determine a navigation display based on the first data packet (3) and the second data packet (4).

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized by - Determining a further navigation display based on a speed characteristic which is determined using the second data packet (4). Method according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized by receiving a further second data packet (4) representing a further ego position and determining a further navigation display based on the first data packet (3) and the further second data packet (4). Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising - Creating a fourth data packet (4) by the wireless communication terminal (1), which represents an orientation of the map information and / or a zoom command and in particular - Sending the fourth data packet to the bicycle screen (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first data packet (3) is sent to the bicycle screen (2) as vector data and / or rasterized data. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first data packet (3) is sent to the bicycle screen (2) in an event-based manner and the second data packet (4) is sent to the bicycle screen (2) at regular time intervals. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first data packet (3) and / or the second data packet (4) are sent regularly or irregularly, preferably at a frequency of 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz, preferably 0.5 Hz to 20 Hz, particularly preferably 1-2 Hz, and / or wherein the second data packet (4) is calculated and / or sent more frequently, in particular five times, in particular ten times, preferably one hundred times more frequently, than the first data packet (3).Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless communication terminal (1). - the ego position is determined partially or completely independently using its own sensors and / or - the ego position and / or an orientation of a light vehicle (10), in particular a pedelec or an S-pedelec or a eBike or the bicycle screen (2), and includes it in the second data packet (4), preferably fused with independently determined ego position information. Method according to one of the preceding claims further comprising - Determining (1100) that a segment (11-14) required for displaying the map information (5) on the bicycle screen (2) is not or will not be available and in response thereto - Sending (1300) a further first data packet (4) comprising the required segment (11-14) from the wireless communication terminal (1) to the bicycle screen (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising - Determining a navigation display for the bicycle screen (2) based on the further first data packet (3) or based on the first data packet (3) and updated first data packets (3). Method according to one of the preceding claims further comprising - determining (100) a display property of the bicycle screen (2), in particular by a light vehicle (10); - Adapting (300) the first data packet (3), in particular a size of the first data packet (3), based on the display property of the bicycle screen (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second (4) data packet (4) is calculated and / or transmitted more frequently, in particular five times, in particular ten times, preferably one hundred times more frequently, than the first data packet (3). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first data packet (3) has a data volume that corresponds to at least ten times, preferably one hundred times, a data volume of the second data packet (4). Light vehicle (10), in particular an electrically driven bicycle, which has a bicycle screen (2) and is configured, based on a first data packet (3) and a second data packet (4), which are Communication interface can be received by a wireless communication terminal (1) to determine a navigation display for the bicycle screen (2).

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