Bicycle stability control methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718465-B2
Application number	US-201514807706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Methods, devices and apparatuses pertaining to stability control of a bicycle. A method may involve a control system associated with a bicycle monitoring one or more parameters related to a movement of the bicycle. The method may also involve the control system detecting an impending occurrence of an event based on the monitoring. The method may further involve the control system adjusting one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle, including braking of the bicycle, to prevent the occurrence of the event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
detecting, by a control system installed on a bicycle, an impending occurrence of an event related to the bicycle based at least in part on one or more parameters related to a movement of the bicycle, the one or more parameters comprising a measurement of brake effort, a measurement of pedal effort, or both; and
adjusting, by the control system, one or more operations of a plurality of operations related to the movement of the bicycle, including braking of the bicycle, to prevent the occurrence of the event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the impending occurrence of an event related to the bicycle comprises:
monitoring, by the control system, the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle; and
determining, by the control system, that an occurrence of the event related to the bicycle is imminent based on the monitoring, the event comprising falling of the bicycle due to a lean angle of the bicycle exceeding a threshold angle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle further comprises a lean angle of the bicycle, a speed of the bicycle, an acceleration of the bicycle, a steering angle of the bicycle, a wheel speed of the bicycle, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring by using a plurality of sensors of the control system, the sensors comprising one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a steering angle position sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a brake effort sensor, and a pedal effort sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle comprises:
identifying at least one operation of the plurality of operations related to the movement of the bicycle for adjustment;
determining an amount of adjustment to apply to the at least one operation;
applying the determined amount of adjustment to the at least one operation;
monitoring a result of the adjustment of the at least one operation;
determining whether an additional adjustment to the at least one operation is required or whether at least one other operation of the plurality of operations related to the movement of the bicycle needs to be adjusted;
applying the additional adjustment to the at least one operation in response to a determination that the additional adjustment to the at least one operation is required; and
adjusting the at least one other operation in response to a determination that the at least one other operation needs to be adjusted.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operations related to the movement of the bicycle comprise steering, braking, and pedaling of the bicycle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle comprises adjusting the one or more operations to control either or both of a balance and a speed of the bicycle.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a control system for a bicycle, comprising:
a controller configured to monitor one or more parameters related to a movement of the bicycle, the controller further configured to detect an impending occurrence of an event based on the monitoring; and
a stability adjustment mechanism controlled by the controller and configured to adjust one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle, including braking of the bicycle, to prevent the occurrence of the event,
wherein the one or more parameters comprise a measurement of brake effort, a measurement of pedal effort, or both.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle further comprise one or more of a lean angle of the bicycle, a speed of the bicycle, an acceleration of the bicycle, a steering angle of the bicycle, a wheel speed of the bicycle, or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle comprise one or more of steering, braking, and pedaling of the bicycle.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the control system further comprises a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle to detect the impending occurrence of the event using data received from the plurality of sensors.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a steering angle position sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a brake effort sensor, and a pedal effort sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, in adjusting of the one or more operations of the bicycle, the stability adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust either or both of a balance and a speed of the bicycle by a steering mechanism of the control system.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the event comprises falling of the bicycle due to a lean angle of the bicycle exceeding a threshold angle.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a bicycle; and
a control system installed on the bicycle, comprising:
a controller configured to monitor one or more parameters related to a movement of the bicycle, the controller further configured to detect an impending occurrence of an event based on the monitoring; and
a stability adjustment mechanism controlled by the controller and configured to adjust one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle, including braking of the bicycle, to prevent the occurrence of the event
wherein the one or more parameters comprise a measurement of brake effort, a measurement of pedal effort, or both.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle further comprise one or more of a lean angle of the bicycle, a speed of the bicycle, an acceleration of the bicycle, a steering angle of the bicycle, a wheel speed of the bicycle, or a combination thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more operations related to the movement of the bicycle comprise one or more of steering, braking, and pedaling of the bicycle.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein control system further comprises a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to monitor the one or more parameters related to the movement of the bicycle to detect the impending occurrence of the event using data received from the plurality of sensors.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a steering angle position sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a brake effort sensor, and a pedal effort sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein, in adjusting of the one or more operations of the bicycle, the stability adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust either or both of a balance and a speed of the bicycle by a steering mechanism of the control system.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Seagraves Jamel
• Aghai-Yazdi Darioush

Classifications

• B60W2300/36

  Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters · CPC title

• B60W2710/20

  Steering systems · CPC title

• B60W2030/043

  about the roll axis · CPC title

• B60W2520/18

  Roll · CPC title

• B60W2520/14

  Yaw · CPC title