Autonomous bus bicycle rack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072295-B2
Application number	US-201716487139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a bicycle lock and a processor. The processor is programmed to receive a bicycle slot reservation message, assign the bicycle slot reservation message to a bicycle slot of an autonomous bus, command the bicycle lock associated with the bicycle slot to an unlocked position, detect a bicycle placed in the bicycle slot, and command the bicycle lock to a locked position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle system comprising:
a bicycle lock that includes a first wheel support for a first wheel of a bicycle and an actuator configured to move the first wheel support along a rail mounted to a bus; and
a processor programmed to receive a bicycle slot reservation message, assign the bicycle slot reservation message to a bicycle slot of the bus, command the bicycle lock associated with the bicycle slot to an unlocked position, detect a bicycle placed in the bicycle slot, and command the bicycle lock to a locked position, including commanding the actuator to move the first wheel support along the rail mounted to the bus.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle lock includes a second wheel support for a second wheel of the bicycle spaced from the first wheel support.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the bicycle lock includes a second actuator configured to move the second wheel support in accordance with signals output by the processor.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3 , wherein the second wheel support is moveable relative to the rail.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4 , wherein a distance between the first wheel support and the second wheel support is changeable.

6. The vehicle system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is programmed to command the first actuator to move along the rail before commanding the second actuator to move along the rail.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor programmed to detect the bicycle placed in the bicycle slot and output a signal indicating that the bicycle has been placed in the bicycle slot, wherein the processor is programmed to detect the bicycle placed in the bicycle slot based at least in part on the signal output by the sensor.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising a camera programmed to capture an image.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is programmed to receive the image captured by the camera, process the image, determine that the image is of a bicycle owner, and command the bicycle lock to the unlocked position after determining that the image is of the bicycle owner.

10. A vehicle system comprising:
a first bicycle lock associated with a first bicycle slot of a bus, wherein the first bicycle lock includes a first wheel support for a first wheel of a bicycle and a first actuator configured to move the first wheel support along a rail mounted to the bus;
a second bicycle lock associated with a second bicycle slot of the bus; and
a processor programmed to receive a bicycle slot reservation message, assign the bicycle slot reservation message to the first bicycle slot, command the first bicycle lock to an unlocked position, detect a bicycle placed in the first bicycle slot, and command the first bicycle lock to a locked position, including commanding the first actuator to move the first wheel support along the rail mounted to the bus.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the second bicycle lock includes:
a second wheel support; and
a second actuator configured to move the second wheel support in accordance with signals output by the processor.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the first bicycle lock includes a third wheel support spaced from the first wheel support, and the second bicycle lock includes a fourth wheel support spaced from the second wheel support.

13. The vehicle system of claim 12 , wherein the first bicycle lock and the second bicycle lock include respective third and fourth actuators configured to move the third and fourth wheel supports, respectively, in accordance with signals output by the processor.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13 , wherein the second bicycle lock includes a second rail, and wherein the first wheel support and the second wheel support are moveable relative to the rail.

15. The vehicle system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is programmed to command the first actuator of the first bicycle lock to move along the rail of the first bicycle lock before commanding the third actuator of the first bicycle lock to move along the rail of the first bicycle lock.

16. The vehicle system of claim 10 , further comprising a first sensor programmed to detect the bicycle placed in the first bicycle slot and output a signal indicating that the bicycle has been placed in the first bicycle slot, wherein the processor is programmed to detect the bicycle placed in the first bicycle slot based at least in part on the signal output by the first sensor.

17. The vehicle system of claim 10 , further comprising a camera programmed to capture an image.

18. The vehicle system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is programmed to receive the image captured by the camera, process the image, determine that the image is of a bicycle owner of the bicycle in the first bicycle slot, and command the first bicycle lock to the unlocked position after determining that the image is of the bicycle owner of the bicycle in the first bicycle slot.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Perez Barrera Oswaldo
• Jimenez Hernandez Alvaro

Classifications

• B62H3/12 Primary

  Hanging-up devices · CPC title

• B60R9/10 Primary

  for cycles · CPC title

• B62H3/08

  involving recesses or channelled rails for embracing the bottom part of a wheel · CPC title

• B62H5/00

  Appliances preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of cycles; Locks integral with cycles (fittings for preventing or indicating use or theft of vehicles in general B60R; general features of locks E05B) · CPC title

• B60R9/06

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title