Gear shift controller and gear shifting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981629-B2
Application number	US-201916692788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A gear shift controller includes a detection circuit and a control unit. The detection circuit is configured to determine traveling state information about a traveling state of a human-powered vehicle. The control unit is configured to receive the traveling state information from the detection circuit to control a shift standby time of a transmission of the human-powered vehicle. The traveling state information includes information other than traveling speed information about a traveling speed of the human-powered vehicle and crank information about crank rotation information of the human-powered vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gear shift controller comprising:
a detection circuit configured to determine traveling state information about a traveling state of a human-powered vehicle; and
a control unit configured to receive the traveling state information from the detection circuit and to control a shift standby time of a transmission of the human-powered vehicle based on the traveling state information,
the traveling state information including information other than traveling speed information about a traveling speed of the human-powered vehicle and crank information about crank rotation information of the human-powered vehicle,
the control unit being configured to transmit a control signal including shift direction information about a shift direction to the transmission, and
the control unit being configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the shift direction and information outputted from the detection circuit.

2. The gear shift controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection circuit determines, as the traveling state information, at least one of:
torque information about torque input to the human-powered vehicle;
power information about power input to the human-powered vehicle;
tilt-angle information about a tilt angle of a road on which the human-powered vehicle travels;
acceleration information about acceleration in a propulsive direction of the human-powered vehicle; and
motion information of the human-powered vehicle about at least one of angular velocity, angular acceleration, and an amount of change in a posture position around at least one of a yaw axis, a roll axis, and a pitch axis, and

the control unit being configured to control the shift standby time based on at least one of the torque information, the power information, the tilt-angle information, the acceleration information and the motion information that is received from the detection circuit.

3. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is configured to determine at least the torque information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the torque information.

4. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is configured to determine at least the power information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the power information.

5. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is configured to determine at least the acceleration information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the acceleration information.

6. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is configured to determine at least the tilt-angle information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the tilt-angle information.

7. The gear shift controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least a change in the tilt-angle information.

8. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is configured to determine at least the motion information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the motion information.

9. The gear shift controller according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection circuit is further configured to determine the crank information, and
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the tilt-angle information and the crank information.

10. The gear shift controller according to claim 9 , wherein
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the tilt-angle information, the crank information, and the torque information.

11. The gear shift controller according to claim 9 , wherein
the control unit is configured to control the shift standby time based on at least the tilt-angle information, the crank information, and the power information.

12. The gear shift controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is configured to transmit a first control signal to the transmission before the shift standby time has elapsed and transmit a second control signal to the transmission after the shift standby time has elapsed.

13. A shifting system comprising the gear shift controller according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
a shifting device of the transmission.

14. The shifting system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a gear shift operating device,
the control signal corresponding to an operation input, and
the gear shift controller being configured to output the control signal to the gear shift operating device.

15. A gear shift controller comprising:
a detection circuit configured to determine traveling state information about a traveling state of a human-powered vehicle; and
a control unit configured to receive the traveling state information from the detection circuit and to control a shift standby time of a transmission of the human-powered vehicle based on the traveling state information,
the traveling state information including information other than traveling speed information about a traveling speed of the human-powered vehicle and crank information about crank rotation information of the human-powered vehicle, and
the shift standby time being a time between transmitting a first control signal to the transmission and transmitting a second control signal to the transmission, the first control signal being based on a first input to a shifting operation device, and the second control signal being based on a second input to the shifting operation device.

16. The gear shift controller according to claim 15 , wherein the shift standby time is controlled by selecting the shift standby time from among a plurality of predetermined times.

17. The gear shift controller according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the first control signal to the transmission before the shift standby time has elapsed and transmit the second control signal to the transmission after the shift standby time has elapsed.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Shahana Satoshi

Classifications

• B62J45/4152

  for sensing longitudinal inclination of the cycle · CPC title

• B62J45/414

  Acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B62J45/411 Primary

  Torque sensors · CPC title

• B62M9/123

  changing gears automatically · CPC title

• B62M9/122

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title