Bicycle, A Method of Managing a Fleet of Bicycles, and A System of Managing Such a Fleet

• US 20080027794A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JCDecaux SA (JCDecaux Group)
• Original Assignee: JCDecaux SA (JCDecaux Group)
• Inventors: Paris, Jacques, Tavernier, Patrick, Le Gars, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US11/781,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027794A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/00 Separate supports or holders for parking or storing cycles cycle supports used during maintenance B25H; building aspects E04H
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property

Abstract

A bicycle including an impact detection device and a monitoring central processing unit connected to said impact detection device.

Claims

1. A bicycle including a monitoring central processing unit and an impact detection device connected to said monitoring central processing unit, said monitoring central processing unit being adapted to communicate with a bicycle management device.

2. A bicycle according to claim 1, adapted to be locked to a fixed locking station which communicates with at least one bicycle management device, said monitoring central processing unit being adapted to communicate with said locking station.

3. A bicycle according to claim 2, in which the monitoring central processing unit is adapted to indicate to the bicycle management device that an impact has been detected.

4. A bicycle according to claim 1, in which the monitoring central processing unit is adapted to store a parameter as a function of the number of impacts detected by the impact detection device and/or of the magnitude of said impacts.

5. A bicycle according to claim 4, in which the monitoring central processing unit is adapted to transmit said parameter to a bicycle management device.

6. A bicycle according to claim 1, further including an interface adapted to deliver information to a user, and in which the monitoring central processing unit is adapted to deliver information relating to the past impact detections to the user, via said interface.

7. A bicycle according to claim 1, including a frame, a front wheel and a back wheel, and in which the impact detection device is fixed to the frame in the vicinity of the back wheel.

8. A bicycle according to claim 7, in which the impact detection device comprises an accelerometer.

9. A bicycle according to claim 1, in which the impact detection device is adapted to detect an impact when it measures an acceleration greater than a predetermined value.

10. A bicycle according to claim 8, in which the monitoring central processing unit is adapted to determine that an impact has taken place when the impact detection device measures an acceleration that is greater than a predetermined value.

11. A management method for managing a fleet of bicycles including at least one bicycle according to claim 1, said method comprising the following steps:

hiring a bicycle; and

detecting an impact on the hired bicycle.

12. A management method according to claim 11, further comprising a transmission step for transmitting a parameter indicative of an impact to a system for managing a fleet of bicycles.

13. A management method according to claim 11, further comprising a step for determining a transaction amount as a function of at least one parameter indicative of the impact detections during use.

14. A management method according to claim 11, further comprising a step for determining pricing to be applied to the user as a function of the past impact detections.

15. A management method according to claim 11, further comprising a step for selectively triggering a maintenance operation as a function of the past impact detections.

16. A management system for managing a fleet of bicycles including at least one bicycle according to claim 1, said system comprising at least one management device suitable for implementing the management method comprising the following steps:

hiring a bicycle; and

detecting an impact on the hired bicycle.

17. A management system according to claim 16, said management system further comprising at least one fixed locking station which communicates with at least one bicycle management device and which is adapted to communicate with a bicycle of the fleet when said bicycle is locked to said locking station.

18. A management method for managing a fleet of bicycles including at least one bicycle according to claim 5, said method comprising the following steps:

hiring a bicycle; and

detecting an impact on the hired bicycle.

19. A management method for managing a fleet of bicycles including at least one bicycle according to claim 9, said method comprising the following steps:

hiring a bicycle; and

detecting an impact on the hired bicycle.

20. A management system for managing a fleet of bicycles including at least one bicycle according to claim 5, said system comprising at least one management device suitable for implementing the management method comprising the following steps:

hiring a bicycle; and

detecting an impact on the hired bicycle.