Multiprocessor control system for cycles, for example for competition bicycles

• US 6,757,567 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Inventors: Campagnolo, Valentino, Guderzo, Gianfranco
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/805,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 710/33, 340/432, 280/288.4, 482/901, 482/4, 482/57, 700/2, 700/83, 701/1, 701/48, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/045 having single actuating means operating both front and rear derailleur
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An electronic control system for cycles, for use in association to a set of sensors, a set of actuators, and a set of control members associated to the cycle, comprises:

a first processor unit having the function of processing and displaying information;

a second processor unit with the function of communication control unit and of interfacing with said set of control members; and

a third processor unit having the function of interfacing with said set of sensors and said set of actuators. The first processor unit, the second processor unit, and the third processor unit are connected together via asynchronous bi-directional communication channels.

Claims

1. An electronic control system for a cycle having, a set of sensors to acquire information regarding conditions of use, a set of actuators that control cycle gear-shift functions, and a set of control members that receive input, said electronic system comprising:

a plurality of processor units that communicate via asynchronous bi-directional communication channels wherein;

a first processor unit that receives, processes and displays information provided from the other processor units;

a second processor unit that communicates and interfaces with said set of control members; and

a third processor unit that interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators, wherein said first processor, said second processor and said third processor are in operative communication with each other.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising communication channels which respectively connect said second processor unit to said first processor unit and said second processor unit to said third processor unit, in the absence of direct communication channels between said first processor unit and said third processor unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said first processor unit is configured for being mounted on the handlebars of the cycle.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said first processor carries, associated thereto, a respective autonomous power-supply source.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third processor unit comprises at least one processor configured for interfacing with at least one subset of said set of sensors via a wireless network.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said communication channels carries, associated thereto, sensor means for detecting interruption of the corresponding communication channel.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said sensing means comprise a resistor associated to at least one receiving end of the respective connection, the absence of signal across said resistor indicating the interruption of the corresponding communication channel.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one communication channel is the communication channel between said first processor unit and said second processor unit, and wherein first processor unit is selectively separable from the system;

the interruption of said at least one communication channel indicating the fact that said first processor unit has been separated from the system.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second processor unit and said third processor unit are configured in such a way as to perform at least one of the functions selected from the group consisting of:

transmission, from said third processor unit to said second processor unit, of data gathered by said set of sensors;

querying of said third processor unit from said second processor unit to ascertain the state of operation of said third processor unit;

forwarding from said second processor unit to said third processor unit of requests for commands coming from said set of control members;

operation, at least partial, of said third processor unit in a state of quiescence with the faculty of selective re-activation from said second processor unit; and

selective enabling of transfer of information from said third processor unit to said second processor unit via a control signal.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second processor unit comprises:

a communication processor configured for managing said communication channels; and

an input circuit acting as interface with said set of control members.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third processor unit comprises:

a respective first processor acting as a wireless-type interface in regard to a subset of said set of sensors; and

a respective second control processor which is able to act as interface in regard to at least one between another subset of said set of sensors and said set of actuators.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first processor unit and said second processor unit are configured for exchanging information organized in byte frames having a variable length according to the type of information to be transmitted.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said byte frames comprise at least one header byte.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said byte frames comprise at least one control byte.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said bytes comprise a trailing edge for the initial bit and two stop bits.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third processor unit and said second processor unit are configured for exchanging information organized in byte frames having a variable length according to the type of information to be transmitted.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third processor unit is configured for being mounted in the vicinity of the bottle-cage support of the cycle.

18. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one power-supply source for electrical supply of said second processor unit and said third processor unit, said at least one power-supply source being configured for being mounted on the cycle.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein associated to the communication channel connecting said second processor unit to said third processor unit is at least one lead for transmission of power supply.

20. An electronic control system for a cycle having a set of sensors that acquire information regarding conditions of use, a set of actuators that control cycle functions, and a set of control members that receive user input associated with the cycle'"'"'s operation, said electronic system comprising:

a plurality of processor units that communicate via asynchronous bi-directional communication channels wherein;

a processor unit interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators;

another processor unit communicates and interfaces with said set of control members; and

a third processor unit receives, processes and displays information received from the other processor units.

21. An electronic control system for a cycle having a set of sensors that acquire information regarding conditions of use, a set of actuators that control cycle gear shift functions, and a set of control members that receive user input associated with the cycle'"'"'s operation, said electronic system comprising:

a plurality of processor units that communicate via asynchronous bi-directional communication channels wherein;

a processor unit interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators;

another processor unit communicates and interfaces with said set of control members; and

a third processor unit receives, processes and displays information received from the other processor units.

22. An electronic control system for a cycle that includes, a set of sensors to acquire information regarding conditions of use, a set of actuators to control cycle gear-shift functions, and a set of control members for receiving input from a user, said electronic system comprising:

at least three processor units which are interconnected via asynchronous bi-directional communication channels wherein;

a first selected processor unit processes and displays information provided from the other processor units;

a second selected processor unit controls communication and interfaces with said set of control members; and

a third selected processor unit interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators,

whereby said first processor, said second processor and said third processor are in operative communication with each other and whereby said third processor unit comprises at least one processor configured for interfacing with at least one subset of said set of sensors via a wireless network.

23. An electronic control system for a cycle having a set of sensors that acquire information regarding conditions of use, a set of actuators that control cycle functions, and a set of control members that receive user input associated with the cycle'"'"'s operation, said electronic system comprising:

a plurality of processor units that communicate via a wireless network wherein;

a processor unit interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators;

another processor unit communicates and interfaces with said set of control members; and

a third processor unit receives, processes and displays information received from the other processor units.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said another processor unit comprises:

a communication processor configured for managing said wireless network; and

an input circuit acting as interface with said set of control members.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein said processor unit interfaces with said set of sensors and said set of actuators via a wireless network.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein said processor units are configured for exchanging information organized in byte frames having a variable length according to the type of information to be transmitted.

27. The system according to claim 26 wherein said byte frames comprise at least one header byte.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein said byte frames comprise at least one control byte.

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein said bytes comprise a trailing edge for the initial bit and two stop bits.

30. The system according to claim 23, wherein said third processor unit is configured for being mounted on the handlebars of the cycle.

31. The system according to claim 23, wherein said processor unit is configured for being mounted in the vicinity of the bottle-cage support of the cycle.

32. The system according to claim 23, comprising at least one power-supply source for electrical supply of said processor units, said at least one power-supply source being configured for being mounted on the cycle.