APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR A BICYCLE AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20080252297A1
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Inventors: Miglioranza, Federico
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/30 for providing power to equipment other than for propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/20 Cycle computers as cycle accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays

Abstract

In order to allow the cyclist to keep the state of the batteries under control during use of a bicycle equipped with an on-board electronic apparatus or during the recharging of the batteries, data is displayed to the cyclist relative to the batteries on the display device of the on-board electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. On-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle, comprising a display device, a battery power supply unit, and electronics for obtaining at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit and for displaying the at least one datum on the display device.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronics comprises a plurality of components connected in a network for data communication.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the components communicate through a half duplex asynchronous serial communication protocol through a data line.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery power supply unit is of the rechargeable type.

5. Electronic system for a bicycle comprising a bicycle electronic apparatus according to claim 1 and a battery-charger.

6. System according to claim 5, wherein the battery-charger is removably associable with the on-board electronic apparatus.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein the battery-charger has no display unit.

8. Method for managing an on-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle comprising a display device and a battery power supply unit, comprising the steps of obtaining at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit, and displaying the at least one datum on the display device.

9. Method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of recharging the battery power supply unit, wherein the step of obtaining at least one datum is carried out at least in part during the recharging step.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit is carried out at predetermined recurrence when the on-board electronic apparatus is in an active condition.

11. Method according to claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit is carried out at predetermined recurrence when the on-board electronic apparatus is in a stand-by condition.

12. Method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit is selected from the group consisting of a temperature, a voltage at the terminals, a remaining charge, an alarm state, a recharge state and a remaining autonomy of the battery power supply unit.

13. Method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying information other than the at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit on the display device.

14. Method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of manually selecting the information to be displayed.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit comprises an alarm state or a recharge state of the battery power supply unit, and wherein the method comprises a step of forcing the display of the at least one datum relative to the battery power supply unit.

16. Method for displaying data relative to a battery power supply unit of an on-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a charge consumption of the battery power supply unit per unit traveled distance,

detecting a remaining charge of the battery power supply unit,

calculating an available remaining distance as a ratio between the remaining charge and the charge consumption per unit traveled distance, and

displaying the available remaining distance.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein the step of obtaining a charge consumption per unit traveled distance comprises the steps of:

obtaining a consumed charge,

obtaining a traveled distance,

calculating the charge consumption per unit traveled distance as a ratio between the consumed charge and the traveled distance.

18. Method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining an average speed,

calculating an available remaining time as a ratio between the available remaining distance and the average speed, and

displaying the available remaining time.

19. Method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a travel time,

calculating remaining days as a ratio between the available remaining time and the travel time, and

displaying the remaining days.

20. Method according to claim 16, wherein the charge consumption per unit traveled distance, average speed and/or travel time are daily averages.

21. Method according to claim 16, wherein the charge consumption per unit traveled distance, average speed and/or travel time are values averaged over a predetermined number of days.

22. An on-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle comprising a battery power supply unit and display unit for displaying at least one datum indicative of a property of the battery supply unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one datum is a remaining charge.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one datum is a distance remaining related to current battery supply unit usage.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one datum is a time duration remaining related to current battery supply unit usage.

26. An on-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle, comprising a display device, a battery power supply unit, and electronics for obtaining at least one datum related to the battery power supply unit and for displaying the at least one datum on the display device, wherein the at least one datum related to the battery supply unit can be displayed on the display unit during operation of the cycle.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein displaying the at least one datum related to the battery supply unit is optional, and the displaying of the datum is controlled by a user.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the at least one datum is a remaining charge.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the at least one datum is a distance remaining related to current battery supply unit usage.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the at least one datum is a time duration remaining related to current battery supply unit usage.

31. A method for displaying data relative to a battery power supply unit of an on-board electronic apparatus for a bicycle, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a charge consumption of the battery power supply unit per unit traveled distance,

detecting a remaining charge of the battery power supply unit,

calculating an available remaining distance that can be traveled before the battery supply unit loses power as a ratio between the remaining charge and the charge consumption per unit traveled distance, and

displaying the available remaining distance.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of recharging the battery supply unit.