Control device for human-powered vehicle, control system for human-powered vehicle, and method for setting control state of control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097928-B2
Application number	US-202117459401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A human-powered vehicle control device includes an electronic controller that is configured to control an electric component of the human-powered vehicle in at least one control state selected from multiple control states that at least partially differ from each other. A number of the at least one control state is changeable. A human-powered vehicle control system includes the human-powered vehicle control device. Also, a method is carried out to set a control state of the human-powered vehicle control device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for a human-powered vehicle, the control device comprising:
a storage storing a plurality of controls states, the storage including a first storage storing first control information specifying a first subset of the plurality of control states, the first subset including at least one control state among the plurality control states, each of the plurality of control states being at least partially different from other control states among the plurality of control states;
an electronic controller configured to receive a selection of one control state included in the first subset and control an electric component of the human-powered vehicle in the one control state,
the electronic controller being configured to change the at least one control state of the first subset by changing the first control information in response to an input by a user, and
the electronic controller being configured to change a size of the first subset, the size being a number of control states included in the first subset.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to change the first control information stored in the first storage in response to an operation of a first operating device.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second storage configured to store second control information specifying a second subset of the plurality of control states,
the first control information including at least some of the second control information.

4. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to change the first control information stored in the first storage using the second control information.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication device configured to communicate with an external device and receive the first control information from the external device,
the electronic controller being configured to change the first control information stored in the first storage with the first control information received by the communication device.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third storage configured to store third control information specifying a third subset related to two or more control states among the plurality of control states and fourth control information specifying a fourth subset related to at least one or more controls states among the plurality of control states, wherein
at least one control state in the third subset being different from at least one control state in the fourth subset,
the electronic controller being configured to receive a selection of the third control information or the fourth control information,
the electronic controller being configured to control the electric component based on the two or more control states included in the third subset in a case where the third control information is selected, and
the electronic controller is configured to control the electric component based on the at least one or more control states included in the fourth subset in a case where the fourth control information is selected.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electric component includes a motor configured to apply a propulsion force to the human-powered vehicle, and
the at least one control state relates to control of the motor.

8. The control device according to claim 6 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to select the third control information or the fourth control information in accordance with operation of an operating device.

9. The control device according to claim 6 , wherein
at least one of the third control information and the fourth control information is changeable.

10. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein
the at least one control state includes three or more control states, each of the three or more control states differing from each other with respect to an assist level of the motor, the three or more controls states including a maximum control state in which the assist level is maximum, a minimum control state in which the assist level is minimum, and one or more intermediate control states in which the assist level is lower than the maximum control state and higher than the minimum control state,
the electronic controller is configured to change the assist level in the maximum control state and the assist level in the minimum control state in a case where the three or more control states are selected from the plurality of control states, and
the electronic controller is configured to change the assist level in the intermediate control states in accordance with the assist level in the maximum control state and the assist level in the minimum control state.

11. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to change the assist level in the maximum control state and the assist level in the minimum control state in accordance with operation of an operating device.

12. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to change the assist level in the intermediate control states in accordance with operation of an operating device.

13. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein
the assist level includes at least one of a maximum ratio of an assist force produced by the motor to a human driving force that is input to the human-powered vehicle, an upper limit value of an output of the motor, and a change ratio of a change rate of the output of the motor to a change rate of the human driving force.

14. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein
the assist level is an upper limit value of an output of the motor,
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that as the human driving force input to the human-powered vehicle increases, the assist force produced by the motor increases until the output of the motor reaches the upper limit value, and
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that human driving force at a maximum ratio of the assist force produced by the motor to human driving force input to the human-powered vehicle decreases as the assist level increases.

15. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of control states differ in at least one of a ratio of an assist force produced by the motor to human driving force input to the human-powered vehicle, an upper limit value of an output of the motor, and a change ratio of a change rate of the output of the motor to a change rate of the human driving force.

16. The control device according to claim 15 , wherein
the ratio increases as the human driving force increases.

17. A control system comprising the control device according to claim 15 , and the control system further comprising:
a display device,
the display device being configured to show display information corresponding to the plurality of control states.

18. The control system according to claim 17 , wherein
the display information includes a graph showing the ratio.

19. A control device for a human-powered vehicle, the control device comprising:
an electronic controller configured to control an electric component of the human-powered vehicle in at least one control state selected from multiple control states in which the multiple control states are at least partially different from each other,
a number of the at least one control state be

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Nakamura Jumpei
• Kawakami Kenta
• Tetsuka Toshio
• Kakinoki Nobuyuki
• Nishihara Taihei
• Fujii Kazuhiro
• Takeshita Hiroaki

Classifications

• B62J45/20

  Cycle computers as cycle accessories · CPC title

• B62J50/22

  electronic, e.g. displays · CPC title

• B62J45/00

  Electrical equipment arrangements specially adapted for use as accessories on cycles, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B62K23/02

  hand actuated (arrangements of controls on handle-bars of engine-driven cycles B62K11/14) · CPC title

• B62J45/411

  Torque sensors · CPC title