BICYCLE SHIFTING CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20160031526A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: WATARAI, Etsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66236 using electrical or electronical sensing or control means

Abstract

A bicycle shifting control apparatus comprises a transmission controller and a speed changing part. The transmission controller is configured to control a bicycle transmission with an operating speed. The speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on input information.

Claims

1. A bicycle shifting control apparatus comprising:

a transmission controller configured to control a bicycle transmission with an operating speed; and

a speed changing part configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on input information.

2. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing device configured to sense a pedaling state of a bicycle as the input information, wherein

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the pedaling state sensed by the sensing device.

3. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the sensing device comprises a cadence sensor configured to sense a cadence of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor.

4. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the sensing device comprises a power sensor configured to sense a pedaling power applied to a crank assembly of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor.

5. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the speed changing part includes an operating-speed receiving part configured to receive an input operating speed as the input information from an input device, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the input operating speed received by the operating-speed receiving part.

6. A bicycle shifting control apparatus comprising:

a transmission controller configured to control a bicycle transmission with an operating speed and a response speed;

a sensing device configured to sense a pedaling state of a bicycle; and

a speed changing part configured to change one of the operating speed and the response speed based on the pedaling state sensed by the sensing device.

7. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the sensing device comprises a cadence sensor configured to sense a cadence of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor.

8. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the speed changing part decreases the operating speed of the bicycle transmission if the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor is lower than a cadence threshold.

9. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the sensing device comprises a power sensor configured to sense a pedaling power applied to a crank assembly of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the operating speed of the bicycle transmission based on the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor.

10. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the speed changing part decreases the operating speed of the bicycle transmission if the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor is higher than a power threshold.

11. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the transmission controller is configured to control the bicycle transmission to continuously change a current gear position among a plurality of gear positions based on a shifting signal which has a signal duration and which is output from a shifter.

12. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the response speed of the bicycle transmission comprises a determination interval, and

the transmission controller includes

a determination part configured to determine at the determination interval whether the shifting signal is continuous, and

a command generator configured to output a shifting command to the bicycle transmission at the determination interval if the determination part determines at the determination interval that the shifting signal is continuous.

13. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the sensing device comprises a cadence sensor configured to sense a cadence of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the determination interval based on the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor.

14. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the speed changing part increases the determination interval if the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor is lower than a cadence threshold.

15. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the sensing device comprises a power sensor configured to sense a pedaling power applied to a crank assembly of the bicycle, and

the speed changing part is configured to change the determination interval based on the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor.

16. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the speed changing part increases the determination interval if the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor is higher than a power threshold.

17. A bicycle shifting control apparatus comprising:

a sensing device configured to sense a pedaling state of a bicycle; and

a transmission controller configured to control a bicycle transmission to continuously change a current gear position among a plurality of gear positions based on a shifting signal which has a signal duration and which is output from a shifter, the transmission controller including a restricting part configured to restrict the bicycle transmission from continuously changing the current gear position based on the pedaling state sensed by the sensing device.

18. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the sensing device comprises a cadence sensor configured to sense a cadence of the bicycle, and

the restricting part is configured to restrict the bicycle transmission from continuously changing the current gear position if the cadence sensed by the cadence sensor is lower than a cadence threshold.

19. The bicycle shifting control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the sensing device comprises a power sensor configured to sense a pedaling power applied to a crank assembly of the bicycle, and

the restricting part is configured to restrict the bicycle transmission from continuously changing the current gear position if the pedaling power sensed by the power sensor is higher than a power threshold.