Shifting controller and shifting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927952-B2
Application number	US-201916292746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A shifting controller controls a shifting device of a human-powered vehicle and includes a data acquisition interface, a data storage device, and a control unit. The data acquisition interface is configured to acquire a first reference value of a first variable in relation to the human-powered vehicle. The data storage device has stored therein a shifting condition specified by at least one of a direction of change, an amount of change, and a rate of change that are information on a change in the first variable. The control unit includes a processor that is configured to control the shifting device based on a change in the first reference value and the shifting condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shifting controller that controls a shifting device of a human-powered vehicle, the shifting controller comprising:
a data acquisition interface configured to acquire a first reference value of a first variable including at least one of traveling information and environmental information on a traveling environment in relation to the human-powered vehicle, the traveling information including at least one of a cadence, torque acting on a crank of the human-powered vehicle, and power;
a data storage device having stored therein a shifting condition specified by an amount of change of the first variable; and
a control unit including a processor configured to control the shifting device based on the amount of change of the first variable from the first reference value and the shifting condition.

2. The shifting controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the data acquisition interface is configured to acquire a plurality of the first reference values of a plurality of different ones of the first variables, and
the processor is configured to control the shifting device based on the first reference values and the shifting condition.

3. The shifting controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the traveling information further includes at least one of a speed of the human-powered vehicle and an acceleration.

4. The shifting controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the environmental information includes at least one of road surface information on a road surface state, and
the road surface information includes an inclination, traveling resistance information on a traveling resistance, weather information on weather, and atmospheric temperature information on an atmospheric temperature.

5. A shifting system comprising the shifting controller according to claim 1 and further comprising:
a shifting device; and
a user input operatively connected to the shifting device.

6. A shifting controller that controls a shifting device of a human-powered vehicle, the shifting controller comprising:
a data acquisition interface configured to acquire a first reference value of a first variable that includes traveling information on a traveling state in relation to the human-powered vehicle and a second reference value of a second variable that includes environmental information on the traveling state in relation to the human-powered vehicle;
a data storage device having stored therein a shifting condition specified by an amount of change of the first variable, the data storage device further having stored therein a switching condition specified by the second variable; and
a control unit including a processor configured to
maintain a current shift stage in a first state where the second reference value acquired by the data acquisition interface does not satisfy the switching condition, and
control the shifting device based on the amount of change of the first variable from the first reference value and based on the shifting condition in a second state where the second reference value acquired by the data acquisition interface satisfies the switching condition.

7. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the data acquisition interface is configured to acquire a plurality of the first reference values of a plurality of different ones of the first variables, and
the processor is configured to control the shifting device based on the first reference values and the shifting condition.

8. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the data acquisition interface is configured to acquire a plurality of the second reference values of a plurality of different ones of the second variables, and
the processor is configured to maintain the current shift stage in a state where at least one of the second reference values does not satisfy the switching condition.

9. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the switching condition is information on a change in the second variable.

10. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the switching condition is specified to differ for each shift stage of the shifting device.

11. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the first variable and the second variable differ from each other.

12. The shifting controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the first variable and the second variable are identical.

13. A shifting system comprising:
a shifting device of a human-powered vehicle;
a user input operatively connected to the shifting device;
a data acquisition interface configured to acquire a first reference value of a first variable that includes traveling information on a traveling state in relation to the human-powered vehicle and a second reference value of a second variable that includes environmental information on the traveling state in relation to the human-powered vehicle;
a data storage device having stored therein a shifting condition specified by an amount of change of the first variable, the data storage device further having stored therein a switching condition specified by the second variable; and
a control unit including a processor configured to
control the shifting device based on only a shifting operation of the user input in a first state where the second reference value acquired by the data acquisition interface does not satisfy the switching condition, and
control the shifting device based on the amount of change of the first variable from the first reference value and based on the switching condition in a second state where the second reference value acquired by the data acquisition interface satisfies the switching condition.

14. The shifting system according to claim 13 , wherein
the processor is further configured to control the shifting device based on the shifting operation in the second state.

15. The shifting system according to claim 13 , further comprising
a notification device configured to notify a user of a current state being in at least either the first state or the second state.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Shahana Satoshi
• Nakajima Takehiko

Classifications

• B62J45/415

  Inclination sensors · CPC title

• B62J45/414

  Acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B62J45/411

  Torque sensors · CPC title

• B62J45/412

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B62M9/122

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title