Handlebar control system

• US 8,447,436 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Incorporated (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group LLC (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Inventors: Molinaro, Frank, Williams, Jim, Hodge, Benjamin IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/825,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 743/35, 744/81, 744/78, 744/88, 744/91, 745/016, 745/28, 745/511, 477/79, 477/80, 477/65, 192/3.58, 192/3.62, 192/3.6, 180/333
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/14 Handlebar constructions, or arrangements of controls thereon, specially adapted thereto hand controls per se B62K23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 23/02 hand actuated arrangements of controls on handle-bars of engine-driven cycles B62K11/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/068 with switches mounted on a handlebar, e.g. for motorcycles, fork lift trucks, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20189 Foot operated

Abstract

A handlebar control system for a motorcycle. The system includes a controller, a network interface, a plurality of user actuated devices coupled to the controller, an electronic switch coupled to the controller, a first connector having terminals linking to motorcycle power and a network bus, and a second connector coupled to a device external to the control system.

Claims

1. A handlebar control system for a machine, the system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of user actuated devices coupled to the controller;

an electronic control device;

a first connector having terminals coupling the controller to machine power and a network bus; and

a second connector coupling the controller and the electronic control device,

wherein the controller continuously transmits a status of at least one of the plurality of user actuated devices over the network bus to a control module of the machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network bus is a controller area network bus.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller selectively-drives the electronic control device based on a status of the plurality of user actuated devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of devices is a turn-signal switch.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller sends a message to the control module of the machine indicative of the position of the turn-signal switch.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller cyclically drives the electronic control device when the turn-signal switch is engaged, and wherein the electronic control device provides power to a front turn-signal lamp.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the control module cyclically lights a rear turn-signal lamp when the turn-signal switch is engaged.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connector includes a redundant terminal coupled to the controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the redundant terminal is coupled to a control module of the machine.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a second electronic control device-is driven by the controller and is coupled to the redundant terminal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control device drives a grip warmer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a network interface coupled to the first connector.

13. A handlebar control system, comprising:

a first handlebar controller including

a controller,

a network interface coupled to the controller,

a plurality of user-actuated devices coupled to the controller,

an electronic control device coupled to the controller,

a first connector having terminals coupled to machine power and a network bus, the first connector coupled to the network interface, and

a second connector coupled to the electronic control device; and

a second handlebar controller including

a second controller,

a second network interface coupled to the second controller,

a second plurality of user-actuated devices coupled to the second controller,

a second electronic control device coupled to the second controller,

a third connector having terminals coupled to machine power and the network bus, the third connector coupled to the second network interface, and

a fourth connector coupled to the second electronic control device,

wherein the controller sends a status of the plurality of devices to a machine control module via the network interface and the second controller sends a status of the second plurality of devices to the machine control module via the second network interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the third connector includes a first terminal for supplying power to the second handlebar controller, a second terminal for coupling the second handlebar controller to ground, a third terminal for coupling the second handlebar controller to a first network bus line, a fourth terminal for coupling the second handlebar controller to a second network bus line, and a fifth terminal for coupling a redundant output of the second handlebar controller to a machine control module.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first connector includes a first terminal for supplying power to the first handlebar controller, a second terminal for coupling the first handlebar controller to ground, a third terminal for coupling the first handlebar controller to a first network bus line, and a fourth terminal for coupling the first handlebar controller to a second network bus line.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second connector is connected to a left turn-signal and the fourth connector is connected to a right turn-signal.

17. A handlebar control system for a machine, the system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of user-actuated devices coupled to the controller;

an electronic control device;

a first connector having terminals coupling the controller to machine power and a network bus; and

a second connector coupling the controller to the electronic control device,

wherein the first connector includes a first terminal for supplying power to the controller, a second terminal for coupling the controller to ground, a third terminal for coupling the controller to a first network bus line, a fourth terminal for coupling the controller to a second network bus line, and a fifth terminal for coupling a redundant output of the controller to a machine control module.

18. A handlebar control system, comprising:

a first handlebar controller including

a controller,

a plurality of user-actuated devices coupled to the controller,

an electronic control device,

a first connector having terminals coupling the controller to machine power and a network bus, and

a second connector coupling the controller to the electronic control device; and

a second handlebar controller including

a second controller,

a second plurality of user-actuated devices coupled to the second controller,

a second electronic control device,

a third connector having terminals coupling the controller to machine power and the network bus, and

a fourth connector coupling the second controller to the second electronic control device,

wherein the electronic control device includes a left turn-signal switch and the second electronic control device includes a right turn-signal switch.

19. A handlebar control system for a machine, the system comprising:

a controller;

a user-actuated device coupled to the controller;

an electronic control device;

a first connector having terminals coupling the controller to machine power and a network bus; and

a second connector coupling the controller to the electronic control device,

wherein the controller drives the electronic control device based on a status of the user-actuated device and sends the status of the user-actuated device to a machine control module via the network bus.