E-bike Pedal Control System for Redundant Input and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing e-bikes require manual operation of the dashboard and control handle for controlling functions, which can lead to safety issues, increased costs due to complex assembly, and malfunction risks when these components fail.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses pedaling actions as input commands to control e-bike functions, integrating sensors and a driver unit to manage locking and unlocking modes, allowing for redundant input when the dashboard and control handle are malfunctioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If dashboard and control handle are equipped for manual operation, then e-bike control functionality is improved, but device complexity and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control function from the traditional dashboard and control handle, and relocates it to the pedal itself. By integrating the sensor and control unit directly into the pedal assembly, the patent eliminates the need for separate dashboard and control handle components, thereby reducing device complexity and assembly complexity while maintaining control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal is transformed from a single-function component (propulsion) to a multi-functional component that also serves as the control interface. The pedal integrates both the propulsion function and the control function (mode switching, acceleration control) within a single component, eliminating the need for separate control devices and simplifying the overall system.
2Ease of operation
If dashboard and control handle are equipped for manual operation, then e-bike control functionality is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dashboard and control handle components entirely, extracting their control functions and integrating them into the pedal assembly. This elimination of redundant components directly reduces material costs and assembly costs, thereby lowering the overall production cost while maintaining full control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the pedal multi-functional (both propulsion and control), the patent eliminates the need for separate control components, reducing the total number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled. This consolidation directly reduces production costs while preserving operational capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If dashboard and control handle are used for control, then e-bike functionality is improved, but rider safety deteriorates due to manual operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service control where the pedal itself performs the control function without requiring separate manual operation of dashboard or control handle. The sensor detects pedal actions and automatically triggers appropriate control responses, allowing the rider to control the e-bike through natural pedaling motions without diverting attention to separate control interfaces, thereby enhancing safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal serves as both the propulsion device and the control interface, allowing riders to perform control operations through their natural pedaling actions. This integration eliminates the need for separate control handle operations, enabling riders to maintain focus on the road while controlling the e-bike through pedal movements, thus improving rider safety.
4Device complexity
If only single input source (dashboard) is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates when component malfunctions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements redundancy in advance by integrating the control function directly into the pedal assembly, creating a backup control path. If the traditional dashboard or control handle malfunctions, the rider can still control the e-bike through the pedal-based control system, thereby cushioning against the impact of component failures and improving overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal is designed to serve multiple functions (propulsion and control), creating a redundant control pathway. This multi-functionality ensures that if one control system (dashboard/control handle) fails, the other (pedal-based control) can take over, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for e-bike including a sensor and a driver is disclosed. The sensor senses a pedal of the bike being pedaled to generate a sensing signal. The driver continuously identifies whether the sensing signal matches with an unlocking condition during a first time-duration and whether the sensing signal matches with a mode-determination condition during a second time-duration. The driver controls the e-bike to enter a normal operation mode where a motor of the e-bike is unlocked when the sensing signal matches the unlocking condition, controls the e-bike to enter a standby mode when the sensing signal matches the mode-determination condition under the normal operation mode, or controls the e-bike to return to the normal operation mode when the sensing signal matches the mode-determination condition again under the standby mode.