Control device for human-powered vehicles

Abstract

To provide a control device for a man-powered vehicle that can appropriately control a motor that applies propulsion force to the man-powered vehicle.SOLUTION: A control device for a man-powered vehicle comprises a control part configured to control a motor, where the man-powered vehicle includes the motor for applying propulsion force to the man-powered vehicle. The control part is configured to determine a passing difficulty level of a travelling road in front of the man-powered vehicle, from information on a foreside of the travelling road in front of the man-powered vehicle obtained by a first detecting part and is configured to, when the passing difficulty level is higher than a predetermined difficulty level, control the motor differently from when the passing difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for a human-powered vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a control device for a human-powered vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 controls a motor that provides a propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle in accordance with the running state of the human-powered vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-110402 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The control device for a human-powered vehicle in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the surrounding environment. One object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device for a human-powered vehicle that can suitably control a motor that provides propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a human-powered vehicle, wherein the human-powered vehicle includes a motor that provides propulsion force to the human-powered vehicle and is equipped with a control unit configured to control the motor, and the control unit is configured to determine the difficulty of passing through the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle from forward information of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle acquired by a first detection unit, and is configured to control the motor differently when the passing difficulty is higher than a predetermined difficulty level than when the passing difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level. According to the control device of the first aspect, the motor can be suitably controlled according to the degree of difficulty of passing through the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle.

[0006] In the control device of the second aspect according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to determine the difficulty of passage based on at least one of information regarding the road surface condition of the driving path, information regarding obstacles, information regarding curves in the driving path, and information regarding the inclination angle of the driving path. According to the control device of the second aspect, the motor can be suitably controlled based on the degree of difficulty of passage, which is determined based on at least one of information regarding the road surface condition of the road, information regarding obstacles, information regarding curves in the road, and information regarding the inclination angle of the road.

[0007] In the control device of the third aspect according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to determine the difficulty of passage based on at least two of information regarding the road surface condition, information regarding the obstacle, information regarding the curve, and information regarding the inclination angle. According to the control device of the third aspect, the motor can be controlled based on the difficulty of passage determined in accordance with at least two of the following information: information regarding the road surface condition of the road, information regarding obstacles, information regarding curves in the road, and information regarding the inclination angle of the road.

[0008] In a control device of a fourth aspect according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, the passing difficulty level includes a driving force difficulty level corresponding to the driving force required by the human-powered vehicle to pass through the travel path, the predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined driving force difficulty level, and the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level than when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level. According to the control device of the fourth aspect, the control of the motor when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level can be made different from the control of the motor when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level.

[0009] In the control device of the fifth aspect according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to increase the assist level by the motor when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level, more than when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level. According to the control device of the fifth aspect, the assist level when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level can be made higher than the assist level when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level. As a result, when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level, the driving force of the human-powered vehicle can be made larger, making it easier for the human-powered vehicle to pass through the road.

[0010] In the control device of a sixth aspect according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, the passing difficulty level includes a technical difficulty level corresponding to the difficulty level of operating the human-powered vehicle to pass through the roadway, the predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined technical difficulty level, and the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level than when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level. According to the control device of the sixth aspect, the control of the motor when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level can be made different from the control of the motor when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

[0011] In the control device of the seventh aspect according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to reduce the level of assistance by the motor when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level compared to when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level. According to the control device of the seventh aspect, the assist level when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level can be made smaller than the assist level when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level. technical When the level of difficulty is higher than a predetermined technical level, the rider can easily perform delicate operations, and the human-powered vehicle can easily pass through the road.

[0012] In the control device of the eighth aspect according to the fourth or fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the passing difficulty level includes a technical difficulty level corresponding to the difficulty level of operating the human-powered vehicle to pass through the roadway, the predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined technical difficulty level, and the control unit is configured to control the motor according to the driving force difficulty level when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level. According to the control device of the eighth aspect, when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level, the motor can be controlled by prioritizing the driving force difficulty level over the technical difficulty level.

[0013] In the control device of the ninth aspect according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor according to the technical difficulty level when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or less than the predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level. According to the control device of the ninth aspect, when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than a predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level, the motor can be controlled by prioritizing the technical difficulty level over the driving force difficulty level.

[0014] In the control device of a tenth aspect according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor so that the propulsive force corresponds to the human-powered driving force applied to the human-powered vehicle, and is configured to determine the propulsive force at a first time interval, and when the technical difficulty is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty, the first time is shorter than when the technical difficulty is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty. According to the control device of the tenth aspect, when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level, the propulsive force of the motor can be determined more precisely than when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

[0015] In the control device of aspect 11 according to any one of aspects 1 to 9 of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor so that the propulsive force corresponds to the human-powered driving force applied to the human-powered vehicle, is configured to determine the propulsive force at a first time interval, and is configured to change the first time according to the result of the determination of the difficulty of passage. According to the control device of the eleventh aspect, the propulsive force of the motor can be determined using different first time intervals depending on the result of the determination of the passage difficulty level.

[0016] In the control device of a twelfth aspect according to the tenth or eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the human-powered vehicle further includes a battery, and the control unit is configured to change the first time period depending on the remaining charge of the battery. According to the control device of the twelfth aspect, the propulsive force of the motor can be determined using different first times depending on the remaining charge of the battery.

[0017] In the control device of the thirteenth aspect according to the twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor so that the assist level by the motor is below a predetermined assist level when the remaining charge of the battery is below a predetermined remaining charge. According to the control device of the thirteenth aspect, when the remaining battery charge is below a predetermined level, the motor is controlled so that the assist level provided by the motor is below the predetermined assist level, thereby reducing battery consumption according to the remaining battery charge.

[0018] In the control device of a fourteenth aspect according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to determine whether the human-powered vehicle has passed through the roadway where the passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level, in accordance with information relating to the traveling state of the human-powered vehicle acquired by the second detection unit, and is configured to control the motor based on the determination result of whether the human-powered vehicle has passed through the roadway where the passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level. According to the control device of the fourteenth aspect, the motor can be controlled based on the determination result of whether the human-powered vehicle has passed through a roadway with a passage difficulty higher than a predetermined difficulty level, based on information regarding the traveling state of the human-powered vehicle obtained by the second detection unit.

[0019] In the control device of a fifteenth aspect according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor when the passing difficulty level changes ahead of the human-powered vehicle, depending on the distance to the point where the passing difficulty level changes. According to the control device of the fifteenth aspect, when the passage difficulty level changes ahead of the human-powered vehicle, the motor can be controlled in accordance with the distance to the point where the passage difficulty level changes.

[0020] In the control device of aspect 16 according to aspects 1 to 15 of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the human-powered vehicle is traveling on an unpaved road and the passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level than when the passing difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level. According to the control device of the sixteenth aspect, the control of the motor when the difficulty of travelling on an unpaved road is higher than a predetermined difficulty level can be made different from the control of the motor when the difficulty of travelling on an unpaved road is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level.

[0021] In the control device of a seventeenth aspect according to any one of the first to sixteenth aspects of the present disclosure, the first detection unit includes an imaging device, and the forward information includes a forward image acquired by the imaging device. According to the control device of the seventeenth aspect, the passage difficulty level can be suitably determined based on the forward image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the control device for a human-powered vehicle of the present disclosure, it is possible to suitably control the motor that provides propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a human-powered vehicle including a control device for a human-powered vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the control device for the human-powered vehicle and components for the human-powered vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a learning model included in the artificial intelligence processing unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing a process for controlling a motor executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for controlling a motor executed by a control unit of a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for controlling a motor executed by a control unit of a third embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for controlling a motor executed by a control unit according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] First Embodiment A control device 70 for a human-powered vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. A human-powered vehicle is a vehicle that has at least one wheel and can be propelled at least by human driving force. Human-powered vehicles include various types of bicycles, such as mountain bikes, road bikes, city bikes, cargo bikes, hand bikes, and recumbents. There is no limit to the number of wheels a human-powered vehicle has. Human-powered vehicles also include, for example, one-wheeled vehicles and vehicles with two or more wheels. Human-powered vehicles are not limited to vehicles that can be propelled solely by human driving force. Human-powered vehicles also include e-bikes that use not only human driving force but also the driving force of an electric motor for propulsion. E-bikes include electrically assisted bicycles whose propulsion is assisted by an electric motor. In the following embodiments, a human-powered vehicle will be described as an electrically assisted bicycle whose propulsion is assisted by an electric motor.

[0025] The human-powered vehicle 10 includes a body 12, a crank 14, and at least one wheel 16. The body 12 includes a frame 18. The crank 14 includes a crankshaft 20, a crank arm 22, and a pedal 24. The crankshaft 20 is rotatably mounted on the frame 18. A crank arm 22 is mounted on each end of the crankshaft 20. One end of the crank arm 22 is connected to the respective end of the crankshaft 20. A pedal 24 is connected to the other end of the crank arm 22. When human-powered driving force is input to the pedal 24, the crank 14 rotates.

[0026] The at least one wheel 16 includes a front wheel 16F and a rear wheel 16R. The front wheel 16F and the rear wheel 16R are each supported by a frame 18. In this embodiment, the rear wheel 16R is connected to the crank 14 by a drive mechanism 26. For example, the rear wheel 16R is driven by the rotation of the crank 14.

[0027] The drive mechanism 26 includes a first rotor 28, a second rotor 30, and a connecting member 32. For example, the first rotor 28 includes a front sprocket. For example, the first rotor 28 may include a pulley or a bevel gear. The first rotor 28 may be connected to the crankshaft 20 so as to rotate integrally with it, or may be connected via a first one-way clutch. The first one-way clutch rotates the first rotor 28 forward when the crank 14 is rotated in the direction in which the human-powered vehicle 10 moves forward. The first one-way clutch is configured to allow relative rotation between the crank 14 and the first rotor 28 when the crank 14 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the human-powered vehicle 10 moves forward. The first one-way clutch includes, for example, at least one of a roller clutch, a sprag clutch, and a pawl clutch.

[0028] The second rotating body 30 is connected to the rear wheel 16R. For example, the second rotating body 30 includes a rear sprocket. The second rotating body 30 may also include a pulley or a bevel gear. For example, a second one-way clutch is provided between the second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R. The second one-way clutch rotates the rear wheel 16R forward when the second rotating body 30 is rotated in the forward direction of the human-powered vehicle 10. The second one-way clutch is configured to allow relative rotation between the second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R when the second rotating body 30 is rotated in the opposite direction to the forward direction of the human-powered vehicle 10. The connecting member 32 engages with the first rotating body 28 and the second rotating body 30 and transmits the rotational force of the first rotating body 28 to the second rotating body 30. The second one-way clutch includes, for example, at least one of a roller clutch, a sprag clutch, and a pawl clutch. The connecting member 32 includes, for example, a chain, a belt, or a shaft.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first rotating body 28 and the crankshaft 20 are arranged coaxially. The first rotating body 28 and the crankshaft 20 do not have to be arranged coaxially. If the first rotating body 28 and the crankshaft 20 are not arranged coaxially, the first rotating body 28 and the crankshaft 20 are connected via a first transmission mechanism. The first transmission mechanism includes at least one of a gear, a pulley, a chain, a shaft, and a belt. In this embodiment, the second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R are arranged coaxially. The second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R do not have to be arranged coaxially. If the second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R are not arranged coaxially, the second rotating body 30 and the rear wheel 16R are connected via a second transmission mechanism. The second transmission mechanism includes at least one of a gear, a pulley, a chain, a shaft, and a belt.

[0030] A front fork 34 is attached to the frame 18. A front wheel 16F is attached to the front fork 34. A stem 36 is attached to the front fork 34. A handlebar 38 is connected to the stem 36. In this embodiment, the rear wheel 16R is connected to the crank 14 by the drive mechanism 26, but at least one of the rear wheel 16R and the front wheel 16F may be connected to the crank 14 by the drive mechanism 26.

[0031] The human-powered vehicle 10 includes a motor 40 that provides propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle 10. The motor 40 includes one or more electric motors. The electric motor included in the motor 40 is, for example, a brushless motor. The motor 40 is mounted on the frame 18 of the human-powered vehicle 10. The motor 40 is configured to drive the connecting member 32. For example, the motor 40 drives the connecting member 32 via the first rotating body 28. For example, the motor 40 is configured to provide propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle 10 in response to human-powered driving force input to the crank 14. For example, the motor 40 is configured to transmit an assist force to a power transmission path of the human-powered driving force from the pedals 24 to the rear wheel 16R. For example, the motor 40 is configured to transmit rotational force to the first rotating body 28.

[0032] The human-powered vehicle 10 further includes a housing in which the motor 40 is housed. For example, the housing is attached to the frame 18. The motor 40 and the housing together form a drive unit 42. The housing rotatably supports the crankshaft 20. For example, the motor 40 may be configured to transmit rotational force directly to the connecting member 32. In this case, for example, a sprocket that engages with the connecting member 32 is provided on the output shaft of the motor 40 or on a transmission member to which the force of the output shaft of the motor 40 is transmitted.

[0033] A reducer may be provided between the motor 40 and the power transmission path of the human-powered driving force. The reducer may include, for example, a plurality of gears. For example, a third one-way clutch may be provided between the motor 40 and the power transmission path of the human-powered driving force. For example, the third one-way clutch is configured to prevent the rotational force of the crank 14 from being transmitted to the motor 40 when the crank 14 is rotated in the direction in which the human-powered vehicle 10 moves forward. The third one-way clutch may include, for example, at least one of a roller clutch, a sprag clutch, and a pawl clutch.

[0034] The drive unit 42 includes an output section. The output section is connected to, for example, the crankshaft 20 and a reducer. The output section receives the manual driving force input to the crank 14 and the rotational force of the motor 40. The first rotor 28 is connected to the output section so as to rotate integrally with the output section.

[0035] The human-powered vehicle 10 includes a control device 70 for the human-powered vehicle. For example, the control device 70 is provided in the housing of the drive unit 42. The control device 70 may also be provided on the frame 18. The control device 70 includes a control unit 72. The control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40. The control unit 72 includes an arithmetic processing device that executes a predetermined control program. The arithmetic processing device included in the control unit 72 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The arithmetic processing devices included in the control unit 72 may be provided in multiple locations that are separate from each other. The control unit 72 may include one or multiple microcomputers.

[0036] Preferably, the control device 70 further includes a storage unit 74. The storage unit 74 stores a control program and information used in the control process. The storage unit 74 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory. The nonvolatile memory includes, for example, at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and a flash memory. The volatile memory includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM).

[0037] For example, the control device 70 further includes a drive circuit 76 for the motor 40. For example, the control unit 72 and the drive circuit 76 are provided in the housing of the drive unit 42. The control unit 72 and the drive circuit 76 may be provided on the same circuit board, for example. The drive circuit 76 includes an inverter circuit. The drive circuit 76 controls the power supplied from the battery 44 to the motor 40. The drive circuit 76 is connected to the control unit 72 by a conductive wire, an electric cable, a wireless communication device, or the like. The drive circuit 76 drives the motor 40 in response to a control signal from the control unit 72.

[0038] The human-powered vehicle 10 further includes a battery 44. The battery 44 supplies power to the control unit 72. For example, the battery 44 is provided on the frame 18. The battery 44 includes one or more battery elements. The battery elements include rechargeable batteries. The battery 44 is configured to supply power to the control unit 72. The battery 44 is communicatively connected to the control unit 72 via an electric cable or a wireless communication device. The battery 44 can communicate with the control unit 72 via, for example, power line communication (PLC), a controller area network (CAN), or a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART).

[0039] The human-powered vehicle 10 further includes a first detection unit 46. For example, the first detection unit 46 includes an imaging device 48. The imaging device 48 captures an image of the area ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10. For example, the imaging device 48 is provided on the frame 18 or the handlebars 38. The imaging device 48 may also be provided on the rider. For example, if the imaging device 48 is provided on the rider, the imaging device 48 is provided on a helmet worn by the rider.

[0040] For example, the imaging device 48 includes a camera. The imaging device 48 may be capable of capturing only a forward image. The imaging device 48 may be capable of simultaneously capturing peripheral images other than a forward image. The imaging device 48 may be capable of capturing an image of the entire periphery of the human-powered vehicle 10. The imaging device 48 is configured to be able to communicate with the control unit 72 via at least one of a wireless communication device and an electric cable. The imaging device 48 is configured to transmit the captured forward image to the control unit 72.

[0041] The human-powered vehicle 10 further includes a second detection unit 50. For example, the second detection unit 50 includes at least one of a vehicle speed sensor 52, a crank rotation sensor 54, a human-powered driving force detection unit 56, and an inclination detection unit 58. The vehicle speed sensor 52 is configured to detect information related to the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 52 is configured to be able to communicate with the control unit 72 via at least one of a wireless communication device and an electric cable. In this embodiment, the vehicle speed sensor 52 is configured to detect information related to the rotational speed of at least one wheel 16 of the human-powered vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 52 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel 16. The control unit 72 can calculate the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10 based on the signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel 16 and information related to the circumference of the wheel 16. Information related to the circumference of the wheel 16 is stored in the memory unit 74.

[0042] For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 includes a magnetic reed that forms a reed switch, or a magnetic sensor such as a Hall element. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 is attached to the chain stay of the frame 18 and configured to detect a magnet attached to the rear wheel 16R. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 may be provided on the front fork 34 and configured to detect a magnet attached to the front wheel 16F. In this embodiment, the vehicle speed sensor 52 is configured so that the reed switch detects the magnet once for each rotation of the wheel 16. The vehicle speed sensor 52 may have any configuration as long as it can acquire information related to the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10.

[0043] The vehicle speed sensor 52 is not limited to a configuration that detects a magnet provided on the wheel 16. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 may be configured to detect a slit provided in a sensor ring. The sensor ring is a member that rotates integrally with the wheel 16. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 may be configured to include an optical sensor or the like. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 52 may be configured to include a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. If the vehicle speed sensor 52 includes a GPS receiver, the control unit 72 can calculate the vehicle speed according to the time and the traveled distance.

[0044] The crank rotation sensor 54 is configured to detect information related to the rotational speed of the crank 14. The crank rotation sensor 54 is configured to be able to communicate with the control unit 72 via at least one of a wireless communication device and an electric cable. The crank rotation sensor 54 is provided, for example, on the frame 18 or the drive unit 42 of the human-powered vehicle 10. The crank rotation sensor 54 may also be provided on the housing of the drive unit 42. The crank rotation sensor 54 is configured to include a magnetic sensor that outputs a signal according to the strength of a magnetic field. An annular magnet whose magnetic field strength varies circumferentially is provided on the crankshaft 20, a member that rotates in conjunction with the crankshaft 20, or in the power transmission path from the crank 14 to the first rotor 28. The member that rotates in conjunction with the crankshaft 20 may include the output shaft of the motor 40.

[0045] The crank rotation sensor 54 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the crank 14. For example, if a first one-way clutch is not provided between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28, the magnet may be provided on the first rotating body 28. The crank rotation sensor 54 may have any configuration as long as it can acquire information related to the rotation speed of the crank 14. The crank rotation sensor 54 may include an optical sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a torque sensor, or the like instead of a magnetic sensor.

[0046] The human-powered driving force detection unit 56 is configured to detect information related to the human-powered driving force. The human-powered driving force detection unit 56 is configured to be able to communicate with the control unit 72 via at least one of a wireless communication device and an electric cable. For example, the human-powered driving force detection unit 56 is provided on the frame 18, drive unit 42, crank 14, or pedal 24 of the human-powered vehicle 10. The human-powered driving force detection unit 56 may also be provided on the housing of the drive unit 42.

[0047] The manual driving force detection unit 56 includes, for example, a torque sensor. The torque sensor is configured to output a signal corresponding to the torque applied to the crank 14 by the manual driving force. For example, if a first one-way clutch is provided between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28, the torque sensor is provided upstream of the first one-way clutch in the power transmission path between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28. The torque sensor includes a strain sensor, a magnetostrictive sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. The strain sensor includes a strain gauge.

[0048] The torque sensor is provided in the power transmission path between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28, or near a component included in the power transmission path between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28. For example, the component included in the power transmission path between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28 is the crankshaft 20, the crank arm 22, the pedal 24, or a component that transmits manual driving force between the crank 14 and the first rotating body 28. The manual driving force detection unit 56 may have any configuration as long as it can acquire information about the manual driving force. For example, the manual driving force detection unit 56 may include a sensor that detects the pressure applied to the pedal 24, a sensor that detects the tension of the chain, or the like.

[0049] The inclination detection unit 58 is configured to detect information related to the inclination of the human-powered vehicle 10. For example, the inclination detection unit 58 includes a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor. For example, the inclination detection unit 58 may include a GPS receiver. The control unit 72 may calculate the inclination angle of the road surface on which the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling based on the GPS information acquired by the GPS receiver and the road surface gradient included in the map information pre-recorded in the memory unit 74.

[0050] The control unit 72 may determine a decrease in the manual driving force, for example, based on the output of the manual driving force detection unit 56. When the control unit 72 determines a decrease in the manual driving force based on the output of the manual driving force detection unit 56, the control unit 72, for example, acquires a detected value of the manual driving force at a predetermined period and compares the detected value detected last time with the detected value detected this time. The control unit 72 determines that the manual driving force has decreased if the detected value detected this time is smaller than the detected value detected last time. The control unit 72 may also determine that the manual driving force has decreased if the detected value detected this time is smaller than the detected value detected last time multiple times in a row. For example, the predetermined period is shorter than the period required for the crank 14 to rotate 5 degrees. The manual driving force may be expressed in terms of torque or power.

[0051] For example, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 in accordance with at least one of the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10, the rotation speed of the crank 14, and the human-powered driving force. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the propulsion force corresponds to the human-powered driving force applied to the human-powered vehicle 10.

[0052] For example, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 so that the assist level by the motor 40 becomes a predetermined assist level. For example, the assist level includes at least one of the ratio of the assist force by the motor 40 to the manual driving force, the upper limit of the output of the motor 40, the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 when the manual driving force decreases, the increase rate of the output of the motor 40 when the manual driving force increases, and the output of the motor 40.

[0053] The ratio of the assist force of the motor 40 to the human-powered driving force may be referred to as the assist ratio. The control unit 72 may be configured, for example, to control the motor 40 so that the assist force of the motor 40 is a predetermined ratio to the human-powered driving force. The human-powered driving force corresponds to the propulsive force of the human-powered vehicle 10 generated by the user rotating the crank 14. The assist force corresponds to the propulsive force of the human-powered vehicle 10 generated by the rotation of the motor 40. The predetermined ratio does not have to be constant. For example, the predetermined ratio may change depending on the human-powered driving force, the rotational speed of the crank 14, or the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10. For example, the predetermined ratio may change depending on any two or all of the human-powered driving force, the rotational speed of the crank 14, and the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10.

[0054] When the manual driving force and the assisting force are expressed in terms of torque, the manual driving force is referred to as manual torque, and the assisting force is referred to as assisting torque. When the manual driving force and the assisting force are expressed in terms of power, the manual driving force is referred to as manual power, and the assisting force is referred to as assisting power. The ratio of the assisting force by the motor 40 to the manual driving force may be the torque ratio of the assisting torque to the manual torque of the human-powered vehicle 10, or may be the ratio of the assisting power by the motor 40 to the human power.

[0055] In the drive unit 42 of this embodiment, the crank 14 is connected to the first rotating body 28 without a speed reducer or a speed increaser, and the output of the motor 40 is input to the first rotating body 28. In this embodiment, the manual driving force corresponds to the driving force input to the first rotating body 28 by the user rotating the crank 14. In this embodiment, the assist force corresponds to the driving force input to the first rotating body 28 by the rotation of the motor 40. When the output of the motor 40 is input to the first rotating body 28 via a speed reducer, the assist force corresponds to the output of the speed reducer.

[0056] The control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist force is equal to or less than the upper limit of the output of the motor 40. When the output of the motor 40 is input to the first rotating body 28 and the assist force is expressed by torque, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist torque is equal to or less than the upper limit of the output torque of the motor 40. For example, the upper limit of the output torque of the motor 40 is a value in the range of 20 Nm to 200 Nm. When the output of the motor 40 is input to the first rotating body 28 and the assist force is expressed by power, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist power is equal to or less than the upper limit of the power of the motor 40.

[0057] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to be able to change the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40. The higher the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40, the smaller the amount of change per unit time in the output of the motor 40 relative to the amount of change per unit time in the control parameter of the motor 40. The lower the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40, the larger the amount of change per unit time in the output of the motor 40 relative to the amount of change per unit time in the control parameter of the motor 40.

[0058] In this embodiment, the control parameter of the motor 40 corresponds to the manual driving force. The control parameter of the motor 40 may also correspond to the rotational speed of the crank 14. For example, the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 corresponds to the restriction level when the manual driving force or the rotational speed of the crank 14 is reduced. The restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 is inversely proportional to the response speed of the motor 40. The response speed of the motor 40 is represented by the amount of change per unit time in the output of the motor 40 relative to the amount of change per unit time in the control parameter of the motor 40. As the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 increases, the response speed of the motor 40 decreases.

[0059] The control unit 72 changes the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40, for example, by using a filter circuit. The filter circuit includes, for example, a low-pass filter having a time constant. The control unit 72 changes the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 by changing the time constant of the filter. The control unit 72 may also change the restriction level of the output change of the motor 40 by changing a gain used to calculate the output of the motor 40 from the manual driving force. The filter circuit is configured, for example, by executing predetermined software on a processing unit.

[0060] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the traversal difficulty of the road. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to determine the traversal difficulty of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 from front information about the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 acquired by the first detection unit 46. The front information includes a front image acquired by the imaging device 48. The front image may be an image in front of the human-powered vehicle 10, an image below the human-powered vehicle 10, or an image of the area around the human-powered vehicle 10.

[0061] For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to determine the traversal difficulty level based on at least one of information on the road surface condition of the road, information on obstacles, information on the curve of the road, and information on the inclination angle of the road. For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to determine the traversal difficulty level based on at least two of information on the road surface condition, information on obstacles, information on the curve, and information on the inclination angle. For example, when the traversal difficulty level is determined based only on information on the inclination angle, the information on the inclination angle does not include information on a simple uphill slope. Determination of the traversal difficulty level based on information on a simple uphill slope is, for example, a determination based only on whether the road is an uphill slope or whether the inclination angle of the road is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle corresponds to a steep inclination angle that is not included on public roads. For example, when the traversal difficulty level is determined only on information on the inclination angle, the information on the inclination angle includes, for example, information on a steep slope that is not included on public roads.

[0062] For example, the passing difficulty level includes a driving force difficulty level corresponding to the driving force required for the human-powered vehicle 10 to pass through the travel path. The predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined driving force difficulty level. For example, the passing difficulty level includes a technical difficulty level corresponding to the difficulty of operating the human-powered vehicle 10 to pass through the travel path. The predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined technical difficulty level.

[0063] For example, the control unit 72 includes an artificial intelligence processing unit 78. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to determine the traversal difficulty of a road from a forward image. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 includes an arithmetic processing device. For example, the memory unit 74 stores software, and the arithmetic processing device executes the software stored in the memory unit 74. The arithmetic processing device includes, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The arithmetic processing device includes a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in addition to the CPU or MPU. The arithmetic processing device may include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 may include one or more arithmetic processing devices. The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 may include multiple arithmetic processing devices located at multiple locations.

[0064] For example, the memory unit 74 stores a control program, a learning program, and a learning model. The learning model may be a trained model trained by a predetermined learning algorithm, or may be configured to be updated by a learning algorithm. The learning algorithm includes machine learning, deep learning, or deep reinforcement learning. For example, the learning algorithm includes at least one of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. The learning algorithm may use a method other than those described in this specification as long as it is configured to update the learning model using a method belonging to the field of artificial intelligence. For example, the learning process for updating the learning model is performed by a GPU. The learning algorithm may use a neural network (NN). The learning algorithm may use a recurrent neural network (RNN).

[0065] For example, the human-powered vehicle 10 may include a storage device separate from the memory unit 74. The storage device may be provided external to the human-powered vehicle 10. The storage device may include, for example, a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory. If the human-powered vehicle 10 includes a storage device, software, control programs, learning programs, learning models, and the like may be stored in the storage device.

[0066] 3, an example of a learning model of the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 includes an input layer 80, an intermediate layer 82, and an output layer 84. Input information is input to the input layer 80. The learning model is trained in advance so that when information is input to the input layer 80, output information is output from the output layer 84. By using training data, the intermediate layer 82 learns the relationship between the information input to the input layer 80 and the output information output by the output layer 84.

[0067] For example, the learning model may be configured to be updatable by an external device. The external device may be, for example, a smartphone or a personal computer. For example, if the learning model is updatable by an external device, the external device may update the number of convolutional layers 86, pooling layers 88, and fully connected layers 90 in the intermediate layer 82. For example, if the learning model is updatable by an external device, the external device may update the relationship learned by the intermediate layer 82 between input information input to the input layer 80 and output information output by the output layer 84.

[0068] For example, a forward image is input to the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 as forward information. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to output an estimated driving path based on the forward image. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 outputs an estimated driving path on which the human-powered vehicle 10 can travel or an estimated driving path on which the rider is likely to travel, based on the forward image. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 outputs the state of the estimated driving path based on the forward image. The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 outputs a state of whether or not the estimated driving path has at least one of a curve, a step, a slope, and an obstacle, based on the forward image. When the forward image is input, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to output an estimated driving path based on the feature amounts of the forward image. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 outputs the estimated driving path by processing the forward image. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 outputs the estimated driving path by detecting edges in the forward image.

[0069] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 identifies an object on the driving path based on the forward information. The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to acquire an estimated driving path based on the object. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 detects edges in the forward image and identifies the detected edges as the object. For example, the object is a characteristic part in the forward image. For example, the object includes at least one outline of a characteristic ground surface that is different from the surrounding ground surface, a tree, a rock, and an artificial object.

[0070] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 identifies a boundary B between an area that is a driving path and an area that is not a driving path in the forward information based on the object. The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to acquire an estimated driving path based on the boundary B between an area that is a driving path and an area that is not a driving path in the forward information. For example, the area that is a driving path in the forward image includes an area of ​​the ground surface in the forward image that is suitable for driving. For example, the area that is suitable for driving includes a flat dirt road surface and a flat paved road.

[0071] For example, areas in the forward image that are not the driving path include areas in the forward image that are not the ground surface and areas in the forward image that are the ground surface but are not suitable for driving. For example, areas that are not the ground surface include water surfaces, sky, and open space. For example, areas that are not suitable for driving include green spaces, impassable slopes, and cliffs. For example, areas that are not suitable for driving include uneven dirt road surfaces and uneven paved roads. For example, the estimated driving path acquired by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 has a width in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the driving direction of the human-powered vehicle 10. For example, if there is an obstacle that the human-powered vehicle 10 cannot pass through, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 will not identify that portion as part of the estimated driving path.

[0072] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines whether an area has a flat soil surface or a green area based on color. For example, when an area with a flat soil surface and an area with a green area are adjacent to each other in the forward image, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 identifies the adjacent portion of the flat soil surface and the green area as an object. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 connects the identified objects to identify a boundary B between an area that is a travel path and an area that is not a travel path.

[0073] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 identifies two boundaries B from the forward image. Of the two boundaries B, the portion between one boundary B1 and the other boundary B2 is output as the estimated driving path. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates, from the shape of the boundary B, whether or not the estimated driving path has at least one of a curve, a step, a slope, and an obstacle.

[0074] For example, if one boundary B1 and the other boundary B2 curve in the same direction, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines that the estimated driving path has a curve. For example, if the boundary B is interrupted in the traveling direction of the human-powered vehicle 10, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines that the estimated driving path has a step. For example, if the boundary B extends laterally forward and one boundary B1 and the other boundary B2 overlap, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines that the estimated driving path has a step. For example, if the boundary B is distorted, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines that the estimated driving path has a slope.

[0075] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that the estimated driving path has a slope based on the position on the forward image of boundary B that borders the portion corresponding to the sky. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that the estimated driving path has a change in slope in accordance with the distortion of boundary B. For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that the estimated driving path has a change in slope based on the position on the forward image of boundary B that borders the portion corresponding to the sky. For example, if boundary B surrounds a certain area, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines that there is an obstacle on the estimated driving path.

[0076] For example, the control unit 72 determines whether the slope of the estimated driving path is uphill, flat, or downhill, depending on the slope of the estimated driving path. Whether the slope of the estimated driving path is uphill, flat, or downhill may be estimated by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78. The artificial intelligence processing unit 78 may be configured to output the slope angle of the estimated driving path. In this case, the control unit 72 determines whether the slope of the estimated driving path is uphill, flat, or downhill, depending on the slope angle of the estimated driving path output by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78.

[0077] For example, if the inclination angle of the estimated traveling path is equal to or greater than a first angle, the control unit 72 determines that the inclination of the estimated traveling path is uphill. For example, if the inclination angle of the estimated traveling path is less than the first angle and is equal to or greater than a second angle, the control unit 72 determines that the inclination of the estimated traveling path is flat. For example, if the inclination angle of the estimated traveling path is less than a second angle, the control unit 72 determines that the inclination of the estimated traveling path is downhill. For example, the first angle is equal to or greater than 0°, and the second angle is equal to or less than 0°. The absolute values ​​of the first angle and the second angle may be equal to or different from each other.

[0078] For example, the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 is configured to estimate the distance between the object and the human-powered vehicle 10 based on forward information. For example, the control unit 72 detects the distance between the object and the human-powered vehicle 10 from the forward image using color aperture imaging technology. For example, the control unit 72 estimates the distance between a specific position of boundary B and the human-powered vehicle 10 based on the forward information. For example, the control unit 72 detects the distance between the human-powered vehicle 10 and at least one of a curve, a step, a slope, and an obstacle on the estimated driving path output from the artificial intelligence processing unit 78. For example, the control unit 72 may detect the distance between the object and the human-powered vehicle 10 from the forward image using a method other than color aperture imaging technology.

[0079] For example, the control unit 72 determines the traversal difficulty level of the travel route from the estimated travel route. For example, the control unit 72 determines the type of traversal difficulty level of the travel route from the estimated travel route. For example, if the driving force required for the human-powered vehicle 10 to traverse the estimated travel route is large, the control unit 72 determines the type of traversal difficulty level to be a driving force difficulty level. For example, if the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that the estimated travel route has steps and rocky areas, the control unit 72 determines the type of traversal difficulty level to be a driving force difficulty level. For example, if the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that the estimated travel route has a steep uphill slope, the control unit 72 determines the type of traversal difficulty level to be a driving force difficulty level.

[0080] For example, if the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 estimates that there are multiple obstacles on the estimated driving path, the control unit 72 determines the type of passing difficulty to be technical difficulty. For example, if the estimated driving path is uneven due to exposed rocks or tree roots on the estimated driving path, the control unit 72 determines the type of passing difficulty to be technical difficulty. For example, the control unit 72 may determine the type of passing difficulty according to the type of obstacle that the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 determines to be on the driving path.

[0081] The passage difficulty may be expressed in two stages, a high difficulty and a low difficulty, or may be expressed in three or more stages. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to determine whether the passage difficulty is higher than a predetermined difficulty. When the passage difficulty is expressed in three or more stages, an arbitrary passage difficulty may be set in advance as the predetermined difficulty.

[0082] When the passage difficulty level is higher than a predetermined difficulty level, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 differently from when the passage difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to be able to change the assist level provided by the motor 40 depending on the passage difficulty level.

[0083] For example, when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 differently from when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level. For example, when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level, the control unit 72 is configured to increase the assist level by the motor 40 more than when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level.

[0084] For example, the driving force difficulty level becomes high when the driving force of the human-powered vehicle 10 required to traverse the road is large. For example, the driving force difficulty level becomes low when the driving force of the human-powered vehicle 10 required to traverse the road is small.

[0085] For example, when the assist level includes an assist ratio, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level is greater than the first assist level. For example, when the assist level includes an assist ratio, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than a predetermined driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the first assist level. When the assist level is equal to or lower than the first assist level, this includes when the assist level is zero.

[0086] For example, when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 differently from when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level. For example, when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level, the control unit 72 is configured to reduce the assist level by the motor 40 more than when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

[0087] For example, the technical difficulty level is high when the difficulty of operating the human-powered vehicle 10 to traverse the road is high. The technical difficulty level is low when the difficulty of operating the human-powered vehicle 10 to traverse the road is low.

[0088] For example, when the assist level includes an assist ratio, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level is lower than the second assist level. For example, when the assist level includes an assist ratio, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level is higher than the second assist level. An assist level lower than the second assist level includes a case where the assist level is zero. The second assist level may be equal to or different from the first assist level.

[0089] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the driving force difficulty when the driving force difficulty is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty and the technical difficulty is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the technical difficulty when the driving force difficulty is equal to or lower than a predetermined driving force difficulty and the technical difficulty is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty. For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the manual driving force when the driving force difficulty is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty and the technical difficulty is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty.

[0090] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to determine whether the human-powered vehicle 10 has passed through a roadway with a passage difficulty level higher than a predetermined level, based on information relating to the traveling state of the human-powered vehicle 10 acquired by the second detection unit 50. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 based on the determination result of whether the human-powered vehicle 10 has passed through a roadway with a passage difficulty level higher than a predetermined level.

[0091] For example, the information relating to the driving state includes information relating to the vehicle speed, acceleration, human-powered driving force, the inclination of the road, the pitch angle of the human-powered vehicle 10, and the rotation angle of the crank 14. For example, when the control unit 72 determines that the human-powered vehicle 10 has passed over a road with a passing difficulty level higher than a predetermined level, it controls the motor 40 so that the assist level is the same as before the human-powered vehicle 10 passed over the road with a passing difficulty level higher than the predetermined level.

[0092] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to determine the propulsive force generated by the motor 40 at a first time interval. For example, the first time interval may be constant or may vary. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to determine the propulsive force generated by the motor 40 every first time interval and control the motor 40 so that the propulsive force generated by the motor 40 corresponds to the determination result.

[0093] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to change the first time period in accordance with the determination result of the passage difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to shorten the first time period when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level, compared to when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to shorten the first time period when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level, compared to when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level.

[0094] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to change the first time period if the traversal difficulty level of the road that the human-powered vehicle 10 has traveled is higher than a predetermined difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 lengthens the first time period if the traversal difficulty level of the road that the human-powered vehicle 10 has traveled is higher than a predetermined difficulty level. For example, if the traversal difficulty level of the road that the human-powered vehicle 10 has traveled is higher than a predetermined difficulty level, the control unit 72 changes the first time period so that it becomes the first time period before the human-powered vehicle 10 traveled on a road with a traversal difficulty level higher than the predetermined difficulty level.

[0095] The process by which the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 in accordance with the passage difficulty level will be described with reference to Fig. 4. For example, when power is supplied to the control unit 72, the control unit 72 starts the process and proceeds to step S11 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. When the flowchart of Fig. 4 ends, the control unit 72 repeats the process from step S11 of Fig. 4 after a predetermined period, for example, until the supply of power is stopped.

[0096] In step S11, the control unit 72 determines whether the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state. Whether the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state is determined by the control unit 72 based on the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10, the acceleration of the human-powered vehicle 10, the pitch angle of the human-powered vehicle 10, the human-powered driving force, the angle of the crank 14, the rotational speed of the crank 14, and the assist torque of the motor 40, etc. For example, if the vehicle speed of the human-powered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined vehicle speed, the control unit 72 determines that the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is not in a traveling state, the control unit 72 ends the processing. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S12.

[0097] In step S12, the control unit 72 determines whether the driving force difficulty level of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 determines whether the type of passing difficulty level is a driving force difficulty level based on the estimation result of the passing difficulty level of the road ahead by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78. If the type of passing difficulty level includes a driving force difficulty level, the determined driving force difficulty level is compared with the predetermined driving force difficulty level. If the driving force difficulty level of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S13. If the type of passing difficulty level does not include a driving force difficulty level, the control unit 72 may determine that the driving force difficulty level is not higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level. In step S13, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 to increase the assist level, and proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the control unit 72 shortens the first time period, and proceeds to step S15.

[0098] If the driving force difficulty of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the control unit 72 determines whether the technical difficulty of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty. For example, the control unit 72 determines whether the type of passing difficulty is technical difficulty based on the result of estimation of the passing difficulty of the road ahead by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78. If the type of passing difficulty includes technical difficulty, the determined technical difficulty is compared with the predetermined technical difficulty. The control unit 72 General If the type of excessive difficulty does not include a technical difficulty, the control unit 72 may determine that the technical difficulty is not higher than a predetermined technical difficulty. If the technical difficulty is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty, the control unit 72 ends the process.

[0099] If the technical difficulty level of the road ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10 is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 to reduce the assist level, and proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the control unit 72 shortens the first time period, and proceeds to step S15.

[0100] For example, the amount by which the assist level is decreased in step S17 is equal to the amount by which the assist level is increased in step S13. For example, the amount by which the assist level is decreased in step S17 may be different from the amount by which the assist level is increased in step S13. For example, the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S18 is different from the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S14. For example, the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S18 is greater than the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S14. For example, the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S18 may be equal to the amount by which the first time period is decreased in step S14.

[0101] In step S15, the control unit 72 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed through a roadway whose passing difficulty level is higher than a predetermined passing difficulty level. If the control unit 72 has not passed through a roadway whose passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty level, the control unit 72 repeats the processing of step S15. If the vehicle has passed through a roadway whose passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty level, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S19. Until proceeding to step S19, the control unit 72 maintains the assist level changed in step S13 and the first time period changed in step S14. Until proceeding to step S19, the control unit 72 maintains the assist level changed in step S17 and the first time period changed in step S18.

[0102] In step S19, the control unit 72 resets the assist level and the first time period and ends the process. For example, in step S19, the control unit 72 returns the assist level to the assist level before it was changed in step S13, and returns the first time period to the first time period before it was changed in step S14. For example, in step S19, the control unit 72 returns the assist level to the assist level before it was changed in step S17, and returns the first time period to the first time period before it was changed in step S18.

[0103] Second Embodiment A control device 70 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The control device 70 of the second embodiment is similar to the control device 70 of the first embodiment except that it executes processing to control the motor 40 in accordance with the remaining charge of the battery 44. In the second embodiment, components common to the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0104] The control unit 72 of this embodiment is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the remaining charge of the battery 44 when the passage difficulty level is higher than a predetermined difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the remaining charge of the battery 44 when the driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level by the motor 40 is equal to or lower than a predetermined assist level when the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or lower than a predetermined remaining charge. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level is equal to or lower than the predetermined assist level when the passage difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level and the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or lower than a predetermined remaining charge.

[0105] For example, the control unit 72 is configured to change the first time period in accordance with the remaining charge of the battery 44. For example, the control unit 72 is configured to change the first time period to a predetermined time period when the passage difficulty level is higher than a predetermined difficulty level and the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining charge. The predetermined time period is, for example, longer than the first time period after change in step S14 of FIG. 4. The predetermined time period is, for example, longer than the first time period after change in step S18 of FIG. 4. When the first time period is longer, the calculation frequency decreases, thereby suppressing power consumption.

[0106] 4 and 5, a process in which the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 in accordance with the remaining charge of the battery 44 will be described. For example, when power is supplied to the control unit 72, the control unit 72 starts the process and proceeds to step S11 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. When the flowcharts of Fig. 4 and 5 end, the control unit 72 repeats the process from step S11 of Fig. 4 after a predetermined period, for example, until the supply of power is stopped.

[0107] If the front driving force difficulty level is higher than a predetermined driving force difficulty level in step S12, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the control unit 72 determines whether the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining charge. If the remaining charge of the battery 44 is greater than the predetermined remaining charge, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S13. If the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or less than the predetermined remaining charge, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S22.

[0108] In step S22, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 so that the assist level is equal to or less than a predetermined assist level, and then proceeds to step S23. In step S23, the control unit 72 changes the first time period to a predetermined time period and ends the process.

[0109] For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to change the first time period to a predetermined time period when the technical difficulty level is higher than a predetermined technical difficulty level and when the remaining charge of the battery 44 is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining charge. When the assist level is changed in step S22, the control unit 72 may be configured to control the motor 40 so that the assist level is equal to or less than the predetermined assist level, regardless of the passage difficulty level, until the remaining charge of the battery 44 becomes greater than the predetermined remaining charge. When the first time period is changed in step S23, the control unit 72 may be configured to determine the propulsive force of the motor 40 at predetermined time intervals until the remaining charge of the battery 44 becomes greater than the predetermined remaining charge.

[0110] Third Embodiment A control device 70 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The control device 70 of the third embodiment is similar to the control device of the first embodiment except that it executes processing to control the motor 40 in accordance with the distance to the point where the passage difficulty level changes. In the third embodiment, components common to the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0111] In this embodiment, the control unit 72 is configured to control the motor 40 in accordance with the distance to the point where the passing difficulty level changes when the passing difficulty level changes ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10. For example, the distance to the point where the passing difficulty level changes is estimated by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78 from the forward image. The distance to the point where the passing difficulty level changes is the distance from the current position of the human-powered vehicle 10 to the point where the passing difficulty level is estimated to change.

[0112] For example, when the passing difficulty of the current travel route is higher than a predetermined passing difficulty and the distance until the passing difficulty of the travel route changes to a state where it is equal to or lower than the predetermined passing difficulty is equal to or shorter than a first distance, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 when the passing difficulty of the travel route is equal to or lower than the predetermined passing difficulty.For example, when the passing difficulty of the current travel route is equal to or lower than the predetermined passing difficulty and the distance until the passing difficulty of the travel route changes to a state where it is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 when the passing difficulty of the travel route is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty.

[0113] For example, when the passing difficulty of the current travel route is higher than a predetermined passing difficulty and the distance until the passing difficulty of the travel route changes to a state where it is equal to or lower than the predetermined passing difficulty is longer than a first distance, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 when the passing difficulty of the travel route is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty. For example, when the passing difficulty of the current travel route is lower than the predetermined passing difficulty and the distance until the passing difficulty of the travel route changes to a state where it is higher than the predetermined passing difficulty is longer than a first distance, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 when the passing difficulty of the travel route is lower than the predetermined passing difficulty.

[0114] The process of the control unit 72 controlling the motor 40 in accordance with the distance to the point where the passage difficulty level changes will be described with reference to Fig. 6. For example, when power is supplied to the control unit 72, the control unit 72 starts the process and proceeds to step S31 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. When the flowchart of Fig. 6 ends, the control unit 72 repeats the process from step S31 after a predetermined period, for example, until the supply of power is stopped.

[0115] In step S31, the control unit 72 determines whether the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is not in a traveling state, the control unit 72 ends the processing. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S32.

[0116] In step S32, the control unit 72 determines whether the passing difficulty level changes ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10. If the passing difficulty level does not change ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10, the control unit 72 ends the processing. If the passing difficulty level changes ahead of the human-powered vehicle 10, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S33.

[0117] In step S33, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 in accordance with the distance to the point where the passage difficulty level changes, and then ends the process.

[0118] <Modification> The descriptions of each embodiment are intended to exemplify possible forms of a control device for a human-powered vehicle according to the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the forms. A control device for a human-powered vehicle according to the present disclosure can take the form of, for example, a modified version of each of the embodiments shown below, or a combination of at least two mutually consistent modified versions. In the following modified versions, parts that are common to each embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in each embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0119] The control unit 72 may be configured to control the motor 40 differently when the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling on an unpaved road and the passing difficulty level is higher than a predetermined level than when the passing difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined level. For example, the control unit 72 may execute the processing of FIG. 4 only when the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling on an unpaved road. For example, the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 regardless of the passing difficulty level when the human-powered vehicle 10 is not traveling on an unpaved road. For example, the control unit 72 may not determine the passing difficulty level when the human-powered vehicle 10 is not traveling on an unpaved road. For example, the determination of whether the road is an unpaved road is performed by the artificial intelligence processing unit 78. The control unit 72 may be configured to determine whether the road is an unpaved road by operating an operation unit for setting whether the road is an unpaved road. 4 and 7, a process in which the control unit 72 controls the motor 40 when the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling on an unpaved road and the passage difficulty level is higher than a predetermined difficulty level will be described. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is in a traveling state in step S11, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S41. In step S41, the control unit 72 determines whether the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling on an unpaved road. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is traveling on an unpaved road, the control unit 72 proceeds to step S12. If the human-powered vehicle 10 is not traveling on an unpaved road, the process ends.

[0120] As indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2 , the first detection unit 46 may include at least one of a laser device 60 and a position information detection unit 62 instead of or in addition to the imaging device 48. When the first detection unit 46 includes the laser device 60, the forward information includes obstacle information acquired by the laser device 60. For example, the obstacle information includes cars, motorcycles, other powered vehicles, people, animals, trees, rocks, houses, etc. When the first detection unit 46 includes the position information detection unit 62, the forward information includes map information of the driving route acquired by the position information detection unit 62.

[0121] The human-powered vehicle 10 may further include components. For example, the components may include at least one of a transmission, a suspension, and an electrically adjustable seatpost. For example, the control unit 72 may be configured to control the components according to the passage difficulty level.

[0122] The phrase "at least one" as used herein means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the phrase "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "both of two options" when the number of options is two. As another example, the phrase "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" when the number of options is three or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 10... human-powered vehicle, 40... motor, 44... battery, 46... first detection unit, 48... imaging device, 50... second detection unit, 70... control device, 72... control unit.

Claims

1. A control device for a human-powered vehicle, the human-powered vehicle includes a motor that provides a propulsive force to the human-powered vehicle; a controller configured to control the motor; The control unit includes an artificial intelligence processing unit, The artificial intelligence processing unit a first detection unit that detects a travel path ahead of the human-powered vehicle and a first forward detection unit that detects a travel path ahead of the human-powered vehicle; A control device configured to control the motor differently when the degree of difficulty of passage is higher than a predetermined degree of difficulty than when the degree of difficulty of passage is equal to or lower than the predetermined degree of difficulty.

2. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the passage difficulty level in accordance with at least one of information regarding a road surface condition of the traveling path, information regarding an obstacle, information regarding a curve of the traveling path, and information regarding an inclination angle of the traveling path.

3. 3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the passage difficulty level based on at least two of information related to the road surface condition, information related to the obstacle, information related to the curve, and information related to the inclination angle.

4. the passage difficulty level includes a driving force difficulty level corresponding to a driving force required for the human-powered vehicle to pass through the travel path; The predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined driving force difficulty level, The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level than when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to increase the assist level by the motor when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level, more than when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level.

6. the passage difficulty level includes a technical difficulty level corresponding to a difficulty level of operation of the human-powered vehicle for passing through the travel path; The predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined technical difficulty level, The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level than when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the level of assistance by the motor when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level compared to when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

8. the passage difficulty level includes a technical difficulty level corresponding to a difficulty level of operation of the human-powered vehicle for passing through the travel path; The predetermined difficulty level includes a predetermined technical difficulty level, The control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor according to the driving force difficulty level when the driving force difficulty level is higher than the predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor according to the technical difficulty level when the driving force difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined driving force difficulty level and the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

10. The control unit The motor is controlled so that the propulsive force corresponds to a human driving force applied to the human-powered vehicle, configured to determine the thrust at a first time interval; The control device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, configured to make the first time shorter when the technical difficulty level is higher than the predetermined technical difficulty level than when the technical difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined technical difficulty level.

11. The control unit The motor is controlled so that the propulsive force corresponds to a human driving force applied to the human-powered vehicle, configured to determine the thrust at a first time interval; The control device according to claim 1 , configured to change the first time period in accordance with a result of the determination of the passage difficulty level.

12. the human-powered vehicle further includes a battery; The control device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the control unit is configured to change the first time period depending on a remaining amount of the battery.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor so that an assist level by the motor is equal to or lower than a predetermined assist level when the remaining charge of the battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined remaining charge.

14. The control unit a second detection unit configured to determine whether the human-powered vehicle has passed through the roadway whose passage difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level, based on information about the traveling state of the human-powered vehicle obtained by the second detection unit; 14. The control device according to claim 1, configured to control the motor based on a determination result of whether the human-powered vehicle has passed through the road whose passage difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level.

15. 15. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor in accordance with a distance to a point where the passing difficulty level changes in front of the human-powered vehicle, when the passing difficulty level changes in front of the human-powered vehicle.

16. 16. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor differently when the human-powered vehicle is traveling on an unpaved road and the passing difficulty level is higher than the predetermined difficulty level than when the passing difficulty level is equal to or lower than the predetermined difficulty level.

17. the first detection unit includes an imaging device, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the forward information includes a forward image acquired by the imaging device.

Images