BICYCLE DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20100010709A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cannondale Bicycle Corporation (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cannondale Bicycle Corporation (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Song, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US12/562,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010709A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/044 Suspensions with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/048 with suspension manual adjustment details
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/20 resilient
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/08 for front wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/28 with pivoted chain-stay
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/50 characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof

Abstract

A bicycle is disclosed having a control system with a user interface and an active suspension system. The control system includes a one or more sensors arranged to measure and transmit a signal indicative of the terrain over which the bicycle is being ridden. The active suspension system includes a valve box that is fluidly coupled to each chamber of the lower cylinder. An orifice in the valve box is changed in size in response to a signal from a sensor associated with the front wheel that changes the response of the suspension system due to changing terrain conditions. The user interface includes a selection device mounted to the handlebars that allows the user to change parameters of the active suspension system during operation of the bicycle.

Claims

1. A distributed control system for a bicycle comprising:

a plurality of functional components, each functional component having an associated microcontroller having an address;

a controller having at least one input and at least one output;

a communication bus operably coupling said controller with each of said microcontrollers;

wherein said controller includes a first processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the first processor for transmitting a first signal comprised of an address and a first data on said communication bus.

2. The distributed control system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of functional components is comprised of:

a battery having a first microcontroller;

a user interface device having a second microcontroller; and

,

a display having a third microcontroller.

3. The distributed control system of claim 2 wherein said plurality of functional components is further includes a suspension device comprised of:

a cylinder;

a valve box having at least one valve fluidly coupled to said cylinder;

a sensor operably coupled to said cylinder; and

,

a fourth microcontroller electrically coupled to said sensor.

4. The distributed control system of claim 2 wherein said first microcontroller comprises a second processor and a memory device, said second processor being responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the second processor for retrieving a first data from said memory in response to a second signal from said controller.

5. The distributed control system of claim 4 wherein said first data is selected from a group comprising a serial number, a power cycle history, a temperature of said battery, a voltage of said battery, and a date of manufacture.

6. The distributed control system of claim 2 wherein said second microcontroller comprises a third processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the third processor for translating a second data in response to a third signal from said user interface device into a third data compatible with said controller.

7. The distributed control system of claim 2 wherein said third microcontroller comprises a fourth processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the fourth processor for translating a fourth data in response to a fourth signal from said controller into a fifth data compatible with said display.

8. The distributed control system of claim 3 wherein said fourth microcontroller comprises a fifth processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the fifth processor for transmitting a fifth signal to said at least one valve in response to said controller receiving a sixth signal from said sensor.

9. A distributed control system for a bicycle comprising:

a controller;

a battery electrically coupled to said controller;

at least one first sensor coupled to said battery, wherein said at least one first sensor coupled to measure a characteristic of said battery; and

,

a first microcontroller electrically coupled between said controller and said battery and operably coupled to said at least one first sensor, wherein said first microcontroller comprises a first processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the first processor for sending a first signal to said controller in response to a second signal being received by said first microcontroller from said at least one first sensor.

10. The distributed control system of claim 9 wherein said at least one first sensor is a temperature sensor.

11. The distributed control system of claim 9 wherein said at least one first sensor is a circuit arranged to calculate electrical properties of said battery.

12. The distributed control system of claim 9 further comprising:

a display operably coupled to said controller;

a second microcontroller operably coupled between said display and said controller;

wherein said second microcontroller comprises a second processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on said second processor for translating a first data received in a third signal to a second data compatible for displaying said first data on said display.

13. The distributed control system of claim 9 further comprising:

a user input device operably coupled to said controller, said user input device movable between a plurality of positions, said user input device having at least one second sensor associated with one of said plurality of positions;

a third microcontroller operably coupled between said user input device and said controller; and

,

wherein said third microcontroller comprises a third processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on said third processor for translating a third data indicating a position of said user input device to a fourth data compatible with said controller in response to a received in a fourth signal being received from said at least one second sensor.

14. The distributed control system of claim 9 further comprising:

a cylinder

a valve box having at least one valve fluidly coupled to said cylinder;

at least one third sensor operably coupled to said cylinder;

a fourth microcontroller operably coupled to said at least one valve and said at least one third sensor; and

,

wherein said fourth microcontroller comprises a fourth processor responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the fourth processor for sending a fifth signal to said at least one valve in response to a sixth signal being received by said fourth microcontroller from said at least one third sensor.

15. A method of operating a bicycle suspension system with a bicycle control system having a graphical user interface including a processor, a display and a selection device, the method comprising:

transmitting a first signal from a first functional component to a first microcontroller associated with said first functional component;

translating with said first microcontroller said first signal into a second signal compatible with a controller;

transmitting said second signal from said first microcontroller to said controller.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transmitting a third signal from said controller to a second microcontroller associated with a second functional component;

translating with said second microcontroller said third signal into a fourth signal compatible with said second functional component; and

,

transmitting said fourth signal from said second microcontroller to said second functional component.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said second functional component is a display;

said third signal is a first data representing a graphical image; and

,

said fourth signal is a second data with voltage values associated with pixels on said display.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said first functional component is a battery;

said first signal is a third data representing a charge capacity of said battery; and

,

said second signal is a fourth data representing a charge capacity value of said battery.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said first functional component is a user interface device;

said first signal is a fifth data representing the activation of a first sensor on said user interface device; and

,

said second signal is a sixth data representing a position value of said user interface device.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a fifth signal from a second sensor associated with said first functional component, wherein said first functional component is a valve fluidly coupled to a suspension cylinder and said second sensor is operably coupled to said suspension cylinder;

transmitting a sixth signal to said first microcontroller

translating with said first microcontroller said sixth signal into a seventh signal;

transmitting said seventh signal to said valve; and

,

wherein said fifth signal is a seventh data representing the position of a second sensor operably coupled to said cylinder; and

,

said sixth signal is a sixth data representing a position value of said valve.