SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A BICYCLE

• US 20130144464A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dorogusker, Jesse L., Fadell, Anthony M., Hodge, Andrew, Haughay, Allen P. Jr., Krueger, Scott, Novotney, Donald J., Schubert, Emily Clark, Johnson, Timothy M., Mason, James Eric, Wood, Policarpo B.
• Application Number:
  US13/748,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/54 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 : with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/065 : within a certain range
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 : for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/20 : Cycle computers as cycle accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 : electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 : Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 : received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 : Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 : for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 : Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided to sense unauthorized use of a vehicle. For example, an electronic device may include sensors to detect an operational parameter of a bicycle and communications circuitry to couple the electronic device to a second electronic device associated with user of the bicycle according to authorization information. Control circuitry may determine when the bicycle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter, identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the electronic device when the bicycle is in operation, and generate an alert indicating unauthorized operation when the second electronic device is not identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect an operational parameter of a bicycle;

communications circuitry configured to communicatively couple the electronic device to a second electronic device according to authorization information, wherein the second electronic device is associated with a user of the bicycle; and

control circuitry configured to;

determine when the bicycle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter;

identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the electronic device when the bicycle is in operation; and

generate an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized operation of the bicycle when the second electronic device is not identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the alert comprising a current location of the bicycle, a timestamp corresponding to the unauthorized operation of the bicycle, or a combination thereof.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device by searching a wireless communications network for one or more broadcast identifiers associated with the second electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communications circuitry is configured to:

communicatively couple the electronic device to a third electronic device, wherein the third electronic device comprises an unauthorized electronic device; and

transmit the alert to the third electronic device, wherein the alert comprises an instruction to relay the alert from the third electronic device to a remote server.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive an authorization threshold parameter corresponding to a physical region for authorized operation of the bicycle; and

generate the alert when the bicycle travels beyond the physical region.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a user-configurable authorization threshold parameter corresponding to the physical region for authorized operation of the bicycle.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate a second alert comprising an indication to disregard the alert when the second electronic device is identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communications circuitry is configured to transmit the alert to the second electronic device or to a third electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second electronic device comprises a mobile electronic device, and wherein the third electronic device comprises a remote server.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is associated with an authorized user of the bicycle, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the alert comprising an indication of a possible theft of the bicycle.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a strain gauge, a cadence sensor, a speedometer, an accelerometer, a magnetic sensor, a switch, a Hall Effect sensor, a photo-electric sensor, an audio sensor, or any combination thereof, coupled to the bicycle.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter comprises a speed, a pace, an acceleration, a distance, a point in time, an incline, a decline, an altitude, a torque, a generated power, a cadence, gear and derailleur settings, or any combination thereof.

13. A method, comprising:

detecting a motion of a bicycle via one or more sensors coupled to the bicycle;

determining whether an external electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the one or more sensors when the bicycle is in motion, wherein the external electronic device is configured to communicatively pair with the one or more sensors according to authorization information stored in association with the one or more sensors;

determining whether the external electronic device is authorized based at least in part on the authorization information; and

generating an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized use of the bicycle when the external electronic device is determined to be beyond the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors or when the external electronic device is determined to be unauthorized.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the motion of the bicycle comprises detecting a speed, a pace, an acceleration, a distance, a point in time, an incline, a decline, an altitude, a torque, a generated power, a cadence, gear and derailleur settings, or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the external electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors comprises detecting or attempting to detect a broadcast identifier associated with the external electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the external electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors comprises:

generating a request to communicatively pair with the external electronic device;

transmitting the request to the external electronic device via a wireless communications network; and

receiving a reply from the external electronic device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the external electronic device is authorized comprises determining whether the external electronic device is one of a stored plurality of authorized electronic devices.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising:

generating the alert comprising an indication of a possible theft of the bicycle; and

transmitting the alert to a second electronic device or to a third electronic device, or both, wherein the second electronic device or the third electronic device, or both, are associated with an authorized user of the bicycle.

19. A system, comprising:

a vehicle; and

an electronic device communicatively coupled to the vehicle, comprising;

one or more sensors configured to detect an operational parameter of the vehicle;

communications circuitry configured to communicatively couple the electronic device to a second electronic device according to authorization information stored to the electronic device, wherein the authorization information is configured to indicate whether the second electronic device is associated with a user of the vehicle; and

control circuitry configured to;

determine when the vehicle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter;

identify whether the second electronic device is authorized based at least in part on the authorization information when the vehicle is in operation; and

generate an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized operation of the vehicle when the second electronic device is unauthorized.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the vehicle comprises a bicycle, and wherein the electronic device is communicatively coupled to an external portion of the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

generate the alert, wherein the alert comprises an indication of a possible theft of the vehicle, a current location of the vehicle, and a timestamp corresponding to the unauthorized operation of the vehicle; and

transmit the alert via the communications circuitry to a third electronic device, wherein the third electronic device is configured to present the alert to an authorized user of the vehicle.