Method and apparatus for controlling a bicycle transmission with combined shift commands

• US 20030160420A1
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: Fukuda, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,834,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/260
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/04 hand actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems

Abstract

A gear shift control apparatus comprises a shift command input that receives shift commands indicating a desired gear shift operation, a control output that outputs controls signals that control a gear shift unit to shift the bicycle transmission, a gear shift monitor that monitors a progress of a gear shift operation by the gear shift unit, and a gear shift controller operatively coupled to the shift command input, to the control output, and to the gear shift monitor. The gear shift controller receives a shift command and outputs a control signal that controls the operation of the gear shift unit to shift the bicycle transmission to a target gear. The gear shift controller modifies the control signal when the gear shift controller receives a second shift command corresponding to a second target gear that differs from a first target gear corresponding to a first shift command and the gear shift operation initiated by the first shift command has not completed.

Claims

1. A bicycle gear shift control apparatus for controlling a gear shift unit that shifts a bicycle transmission among a plurality of gears, wherein the gear shift control apparatus comprises:

a shift command input that receives shift commands indicating a desired gear shift operation;

a control output that outputs control signals that control the gear shift unit to shift the bicycle transmission;

a gear shift monitor that monitors a progress of a gear shift operation by the gear shift unit;

a gear shift controller operatively coupled to the shift command input, to the control output, and to the gear shift monitor, wherein the gear shift controller receives a shift command and outputs a control signal that controls the operation of the gear shift unit to shift the bicycle transmission to a target gear; and

wherein the gear shift controller modifies the control signal when the gear shift controller receives a second shift command corresponding to a second target gear that differs from a first target gear corresponding to a first shift command and the gear shift operation initiated by the first shift command has not completed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shift commands comprise:

an upshift command that causes the gear shift controller to output a control signal to upshift the bicycle transmission by one gear; and

a downshift command that causes the gear shift controller to output a control signal to downshift the bicycle transmission by one gear.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shift command includes a multiple-gear shift command that corresponds to multiple gears of bicycle transmission.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a manual gear shift command unit for providing a shift command generated by a manual operation of a user.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the manual gear shift command unit comprises:

a manually operated upshift command member; and

a manually operated downshift command member.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the manual gear shift command unit comprises a plurality of manually operated direct gear shift command members, each manually operated direct gear shift command member corresponding to one of the plurality of gears of the bicycle transmission.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a rotation speed detector operatively coupled to the gear shift controller, wherein the rotation speed detector detects a rotation speed of a rotating member of the bicycle and provides a rotation speed signal to the gear shift controller, and wherein the gear shift controller provides a control signal that controls the gear shift unit in response to the rotation speed signal.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the rotation speed detector detects a rotation speed of a wheel of the bicycle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the rotation speed detector detects a rotation speed of a hub of the bicycle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the rotation speed detector detects a rotation speed of a crank of the bicycle.

11. A method for controlling a bicycle gear shift unit that shifts a bicycle transmission among a plurality of gears, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

receiving shift commands indicating desired gear shift operations;

outputting a control signal that controls the gear shift unit to shift the bicycle transmission;

monitoring a progress of a gear shift operation by the gear shift unit; and

modifying the control signal when a second shift command corresponding to a second target gear that differs from a first target gear corresponding to a first shift command is received and the gear shift operation initiated by the first shift command has not completed.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the shift commands comprise:

an upshift command to upshift the bicycle transmission by one gear; and

a downshift command to downshift the bicycle transmission by one gear.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the shift command includes a multiple-gear shift command that corresponds to multiple gears of bicycle transmission.

14. The method according to claim 11 further comprising the step of receiving manual shift commands generated by manual operations of a user.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the step of receiving manual shift commands comprise the steps of:

receiving upshift commands from a manually operated upshift command member; and

receiving downshift commands from a manually operated downshift command member.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the step of receiving manual shift commands comprise the step of receiving manual shift commands from a plurality of manually operated direct gear shift command members, each manually operated direct gear shift command member corresponding to one of the plurality of gears of the bicycle transmission.

17. The method according to claim 111 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a rotation speed of a rotating member of the bicycle;

providing a rotation speed signal; and

outputting a control signal to control the gear shift unit in response to the rotation speed signal.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of detecting a rotation speed comprises the step of detecting a rotation speed of a wheel of the bicycle.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of detecting a rotation speed comprises the step of detecting a rotation speed of a hub of the bicycle.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of detecting a rotation speed comprises the step of detecting a rotation speed of a crank of the bicycle.