Method for protecting components of a bicycle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for protecting components, to an associated computer program product, to an associated device, and to an associated bicycle. The method for protecting components of a bicycle (10) comprises the steps: receiving (S1) sensor information from a sensor device; determining (S2), on the basis of the sensor information, whether the bicycle (10) is currently in mid-air; and if the bicycle (10) is currently in mid-air, inhibiting (S3b) a shifting operation of the gearing of the bicycle (10).

Description

[0001] ZF Friedrichshafen AG

[0002] Method for protecting bicycle components

[0003] Technical area

[0004] The present invention relates to a method for component protection as well as an associated computer program product, an associated device and an associated bicycle.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] Bicycles, especially motor-assisted bicycles such as pedelecs, continue to enjoy growing popularity. In addition to being a means of transportation, they also serve as sporty e-mountain bikes. These are also used in bike parks and similar settings to overcome obstacles, such as jumps.

[0007] Such jumps can place enormous stress on the bicycle's mechanical components. Especially during flat landings from great heights, peak loads occur near the rider's contact points, such as the handlebars and cranks. If a landing occurs awkwardly on a pedal and / or in a high gear, these peak loads are transmitted to the pedal drive. If a gear shift occurs during these peak loads, the components involved in the gear change can be overloaded. Especially if the bicycle has an automatic mode, a gear shift must be expected at any time.

[0008] Description of the invention

[0009] In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for protecting components in a bicycle. Component protection here refers to the reduction of stress to prevent a component from failing. A component can be, for example, a component involved in a gear shifting process, hereinafter referred to as a gear shifting device. The bicycle can be, for example, a bicycle with an auxiliary motor to assist progress, such as a pedelec. The bicycle can also have an automatic gear shifting system and / or an electronically controlled gear shift.

[0010] In a first step of the method, sensor information is received from a sensor device. Sensor information can be an output from a sensor, such as a sensor signal. Receiving here means, on the one hand, receiving such a signal, but also, for example, reading out corresponding sensor information from a memory. Such reception can occur both wired and wirelessly. A sensor device here is understood to mean one or more sensors, which can be provided either on the bicycle itself or on a component remote from it, such as a user terminal of the user. Sensor information can, for example, be acceleration information from an acceleration sensor. Alternatives to this are described in more detail below.

[0011] The method then comprises the step of determining whether the bicycle is currently in a flight phase based on the aforementioned sensor information. A flight phase is understood to be a phase in which the wheels of the bicycle are not touching the ground and thus there is no connection to the ground. Such a determination can be made, for example, based on the aforementioned acceleration information. For this purpose, the acceleration information from an acceleration sensor can be sampled at a predetermined frequency and subjected to analysis using a fast Fourier transformation. However, alternatively, information about vibrations derived from the acceleration information, for example, can also be used, since such vibrations are generally significantly reduced in a flight phase compared to a riding phase.A derivation based on a change in inclination derived from the inclination information of an inclination sensor is also possible. A combination of various such information, such as the evaluation of a relationship between torque information on a bicycle crank and acceleration information, is also possible for the evaluation and determination of the flight phase. If it is determined in the previous step that the bicycle is currently in a flight phase, a switching operation of a switching device can be prevented. Such a prohibition can, for example, be the setting of a corresponding identifier, such as a corresponding flag in a memory, whereby a switching device is instructed not to allow a switching operation.However, this may also mean that a corresponding switching process is not triggered despite a user's request to do so or despite a corresponding instruction from an automatic switching system.

[0012] Thus, the above-mentioned method makes it possible to prevent any gear shifting in the event of a flight phase of the bicycle, thus drastically reducing the load on the parts or components involved in the gear change, which in turn reduces the wear of the corresponding components.

[0013] In a further embodiment, the method may further comprise the step of, if the bicycle is not currently in a flight phase, canceling the inhibition of the shifting operation of the bicycle's shifting device. Such cancellation may involve deleting the aforementioned identifier or flag in the memory. However, another flag may also be set accordingly, indicating that gear changes may be performed. Alternatively, it is also possible to configure cancellation such that, upon receipt of a gear change request, a corresponding gear change is performed.

[0014] Accordingly, a method according to a further embodiment first comprises receiving a gear shift request from a gear shift control device. Such a gear shift control device can, for example, be a unit that controls a corresponding gear shifting process. However, it can also be an automatic gear shifting system of the bicycle or a device that can be controlled by the user via an actuating device, such as a gear lever or the like. If a corresponding gear shift request signal is received from this gear shift control device, no gear shift signal based on the gear shift request signal is output in the inhibiting step, whereas in the canceling step, a gear shift signal for controlling the gear shifting device is output based on the gear shift request signal.In one embodiment, this also includes reading the corresponding identifier or the corresponding flag, as described above, from the memory and outputting or not outputting a switching signal to the circuit device based thereon.

[0015] According to a further aspect, the switching request signal can be received, as already described above, either by an automatic switching device or by a user actuating device.

[0016] In a further aspect, the sensor information can be either acceleration information, inclination information, angular velocity information, torque information, rotational speed information, or even position information output by a corresponding sensor. A combination of the aforementioned sensor information to determine the flight phase is also possible. For possible detection configurations, reference is made to the above explanations.

[0017] A further aspect of the present invention further comprises a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding aspects.

[0018] According to a further aspect, a device for carrying out the method according to one of the aforementioned aspects is also provided. Such a device can, for example, be a control device of the bicycle.

[0019] Accordingly, an associated bicycle comprises the device as just described, as well as a gearshift device. The bicycle may also have a motor for assisting propulsion, such as an electric motor, as well as an electronic gearshift and / or an automatic gearshift device. Furthermore, according to one aspect, the bicycle may further comprise the above-mentioned sensor device, which in turn comprises one or more sensors.

[0020] In one embodiment, however, the sensors can also be sensors of a user terminal, such as a smartphone, which are then used in the method described above. For this purpose, the bicycle has a receiving device for receiving the sensor information from said user terminal.

[0021] Short description of the characters

[0022] Figure 1 shows a representation of a flight phase of a bicycle.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a flow chart of a process.

[0024] Detailed description of embodiments

[0025] Figure 1 shows a bicycle 10 which moves both in a riding and in a flying phase.

[0026] Between point A1 and point A2, the bicycle is not in a flight phase, but is moving along the ground. The section between point A2 and point A3 is the flight phase, with the corresponding trajectory marked with reference number 11. At point A3, the bicycle lands on the ground again and continues along it until point A4.

[0027] Fig. 2 shows the method for component protection in a bicycle. Here, sensor information is first received from a sensor device in step S1. Then, in step S2, a determination is made as to whether the bicycle is currently in a flight phase. This determination is made based on the sensor information received in step S1. If step S2 is carried out in the phase between point A1 and point A2 or between point A3 and point A4 in Figure 1, no flight phase is detected. In this case, the inhibition of the shifting operation of the bicycle's gearshift device is lifted in step S3a. For this purpose, in step S3a, a corresponding flag or a corresponding identifier is set in a memory, which indicates to a gearshift device of the bicycle that a shifting operation can be carried out if requested by an automatic gearshift system or the user.However, if step S2 is executed in the area between points A2 and A3, a flight phase is detected, and then, in step S3b, a gear shifting operation of a gearshift device of the bicycle is prevented. For this purpose, a corresponding flag or identifier is set in the memory. This identifier indicates to a gearshift device that, even if an automatic gearshift or the user requests the gear shifting operation, the gearshift device may not be activated to perform a gear change.

[0028] Reference symbol

[0029] 10 bicycles

[0030] 11 Flight curve

[0031] A1, A2, A3, A4 points of the locomotion curve

[0032] 51 Receiving sensor information

[0033] 52 Determining a flight phase

[0034] S3a Revoking a ban

[0035] S3b Preventing a switching operation

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for protecting components in a bicycle (10), comprising the steps of: Receiving (S1) sensor information from a sensor device; Determining (S2), based on the sensor information, whether the bicycle (10) is currently in a flight phase; and if the bicycle (10) is currently in a flight phase, preventing (S3b) a switching operation of a switching device of the bicycle (10).

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of: if the bicycle (10) is not currently in a flight phase, canceling (S3a) the inhibition of the switching operation of the switching device of the bicycle (10).

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: Receiving a switching request signal from a switching control device; wherein in the inhibiting step (S3b) no switching signal is output based on the switching request signal, and wherein in the canceling step (S3a) a switching signal for controlling the switching device is output based on the switching request signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shift request signal is received either from an automatic shifting system or from a user actuating device.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor information comprises one or more of: - acceleration information from an acceleration sensor; - inclination information from an inclination sensor; - angular velocity information from a gyroscope; - torque information from a torque sensor; - speed information from a speed sensor; and / or - position information from a position sensor.

6. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims.

8. Bicycle (10), comprising: - the device according to claim 7; and - the switching device.

9. Bicycle (10) according to claim 8, wherein the bicycle (10) further comprises the sensor device comprising one or more sensors.

10. Bicycle (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the bicycle (10) further comprises a receiving device for receiving the sensor information from a user terminal.

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