Bicycle electronic system

• US 9,340,256 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
• Inventors: Fusari, Flavio, Cracco, Flavio
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/290,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 9/122 electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 9/132 electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bicycle electronic system, comprising:

• • a battery unit,
  • a manual command management unit,
  • a derailleur management unit, and
  • a supply and communication bus, each of said units being connected to said bus,
    wherein each of said manual command management unit and derailleur management unit comprises a processor and a voltage regulator arranged between the processor and said bus.

Claims

1. Bicycle electronic system, comprising:

a battery unit,

a manual command management unit,

a derailleur management unit, and

a supply and communication bus, each of said units being connected to said bus,

wherein each of said manual command management unit and derailleur management unit comprises a processor and a voltage regulator arranged between the processor and said bus.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said supply and communication bus comprises a ground cable, a power supply cable and a single serial communication cable.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein each of said manual command management unit and derailleur management unit further comprises at least one of:

a receiver, incorporated within said processor or external thereto, and a transmitter.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are connected to said serial communication cable.

5. System according to claim 3, wherein said transmitter comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and a resistor connected in series between the communication and ground cables of the bus, a gate of the MOSFET being driven by the processor.

6. System according to claim 3, wherein said receiver comprises a threshold comparator.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein said threshold comparator comprises a Schmitt trigger.

8. System according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to check, through the receiver, that the voltage on the communication cable is equal to a quiescence value for a minimum time and to transmit a message, through the transmitter, only in the affirmative case.

9. System according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to check, through the receiver, every bit transmitted through the transmitter and to retransmit at least one of the entire message and the single transmitted bit in case the check gives a negative outcome.

10. System according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to monitor, through the receiver, whether the voltage on the communication cable is equal to a quiescence value for a minimum time and, in the negative case, to receive a message, to check whether it is the receiving unit, and, in the positive case, to send an acknowledgement of receipt signal through the transmitter, to carry out a possible action in response to the message, and to send a further acknowledgement of receipt signal through the transmitter.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein each of said manual command management unit and derailleur management unit and optionally said battery unit comprises a polarizer arranged between power supply and communication cables of said bus.

12. System according to claim 11, wherein said polarizer comprises a resistor.

13. System according to claim 1, further comprising a second manual command management unit and a second derailleur management unit, each comprising a processor and a voltage regulator arranged between the processor and a ground cable and a power supply cable of said bus.

14. System according to claim 1, further comprising at least one other unit selected from the group consisting of a computer cycle, a sensor unit, a logging unit, a peripheral unit, each comprising a processor and a voltage regulator arranged between the processor and a ground cable and a power supply cable of said bus.

15. System according to claim 1, wherein each of said manual command management unit and derailleur management unit further comprises a capacitive device arranged between the regulator and a power supply cable and a ground cable of said bus.