Shifting system for human-powered vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875604-B2
Application number	US-201916295555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A shifting system for a human-powered vehicle comprises a controller. The controller is configured to receive a driving torque and a cadence of the human-powered vehicle from at least one sensor. The controller is configured to determine a permitted shift timing based on the driving torque and the cadence. The controller is further configured to control a shift mechanism to perform a gear shift during the permitted shift timing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shifting system for a human-powered vehicle, comprising:
a controller configured to:
receive a driving torque and a cadence of the human-powered vehicle from at least one sensor;
determine a permitted shift timing based on the driving torque and the cadence; and
control a shift mechanism to perform a gear shift during the permitted shift timing.

2. The shifting system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to output a command signal for the gear shift to the shift mechanism if a current timing is in the permitted shift timing.

3. The shifting system according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is configured to refrain from outputting the command signal to the shift mechanism if the current timing is outside the permitted shift timing.

4. The shifting system according to claim 1 , wherein
the permitted shift timing includes a first timing interval that has a first start and a first end, and
the controller is configured to output a command signal for the gear shift to the shift mechanism if a current timing is between the first start and the first end of the first timing interval.

5. The shifting system according to claim 4 , wherein
the first start of the first timing interval is a timing at which the driving torque is detected to reach a first threshold as the driving torque is rising in a pedaling cycle.

6. The shifting system according to claim 5 , wherein
the first end of the first timing interval is a timing at which the driving torque is detected to reach a second threshold as the driving torque is rising in the pedaling cycle, and
the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

7. The shifting system according to claim 4 , wherein
the permitted shift timing includes a second timing interval that has a second start and a second end, and
the controller is configured to control the shift mechanism to perform the gear shift by outputting the command signal for the gear shift to the shift mechanism if the current timing is between the second start and the second end of the second timing interval.

8. The shifting system according to claim 7 , wherein
the second start of the second timing interval is a timing at which the driving torque is detected to reach the second threshold as the driving torque is falling in the pedaling cycle.

9. The shifting system according to claim 8 , wherein
the second end of the second timing interval is a timing at which the driving torque is detected to reach the first threshold as the driving torque is falling in the pedaling cycle.

10. The shifting system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive an input regarding the gear shift; and
temporarily hold the command signal in a memory of the controller until the permitted shift timing is reached if the input is received at an input timing that is outside the permitted shift timing.

11. The shifting system according to claim 10 , wherein
the controller is configured to output a preliminary signal to the shift mechanism to perform a preparation for the gear shift before outputting the command signal temporarily held in the memory.

12. The shifting system according to claim 1 , wherein
the permitted shift timing includes a first timing interval that has a first start and a first end, and
the controller is configured to control the shift mechanism to perform the gear shift by:
determining at least one of an estimated travel distance of the shift mechanism and estimated travel speed of the shift mechanism for performing the gear shift;
calculating an estimated duration of time that is required for performing the gear shift based on at least one of the estimated travel distance and the estimated travel speed;
determining that the gear shift can be commenced after the first start of the first timing interval and completed prior to the first end of the first timing interval; and
outputting the command signal to the shift mechanism based on the determination result.

13. The shifting system according to claim 12 , wherein
the estimated travel speed is calculated based on the cadence and the travel distance.

14. The shifting system according to claim 12 , wherein
the gear shift is one of a plurality of gear shifts, the estimated travel distance is one of a plurality of estimated travel distances, and the estimated travel speed is one of a plurality of estimated travel speeds, and
the controller is configured to:
store a map that maps each of the plurality of gear shifts to an associated one of the plurality of estimated travel distances and one of the plurality of estimated travel speeds in a memory, and
determine the at least one of the estimated travel distance and the estimated travel speed for performing the gear shift at least in part by using the map to identify at least one of the estimated travel distance and the estimated travel speed associated with the gear shift.

15. The shifting system according to claim 12 , further comprising:
the shift mechanism including a rear derailleur having a rear chain guide configured for lateral movement over the estimated travel distance in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of a rear sprocket assembly having a plurality of rear sprockets to urge a chain from the one of the rear sprockets to the other of the rear sprockets in the gear shift.

16. The shifting system according to claim 12 , further comprising:
the shift mechanism including a front derailleur having a front chain guide configured for lateral movement over the estimated travel distance in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of a front sprocket assembly having a plurality of front sprockets to urge a chain from the one of the front sprockets to the other of the front sprockets in the gear shift.

17. The shifting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an indication device, wherein
the controller is configured to cause the indication device to indicate the permitted shift timing by at least one of a visual manner, an aural manner, and a haptic manner.

18. The shifting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a manual input device, the controller being configured to receive a shift input requesting the gear shift via the manual input device.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Fujimoto Naoki
• Ueda Takeshi
• Fukumori Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B62M9/133

  changing gears automatically · CPC title

• F16H59/14

  Inputs being a function of torque or torque demand · CPC title

• F16H61/0248

  Control units where shifting is directly initiated by the driver, e.g. semi-automatic transmissions · CPC title

• F16H2059/003

  Detecting or using driving style of a driver, e.g. for adapting shift schedules · CPC title

• B62J45/413

  Rotation sensors · CPC title