Bicycle fitting system

• US 9,381,417 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: Inoue, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/968,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 700/91
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A bicycle fitting system includes a controller programmed to determine whether a current rider position of a rider is appropriate based on a flexibility level of a rider body of the rider.

Claims

1. A bicycle fitting system comprising:

a controller programmed to determine whether a current rider position of a rider satisfies a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition being based on a flexibility level of a rider body of the rider, the flexibility level expressing a flexibility of at least one joint of the rider body in terms of a flexibility category selected from at least two different flexibility categories; and

a motion capturing apparatus electrically connected to the controller, the motion capturing apparatus including

at least three markers configured to be attached to a rider body of a rider,

a sensor configured to detect positions of the at least three markers while the rider is on a bicycle fitting equipment configured to simulate riding a bicycle;

the controller being programmed to determine the current rider position by measuring at least one rider body parameter of the rider body using the motion capturing apparatus while the rider is on the bicycle fitting equipment, the at least one rider body parameter including at least one angle between three of the markers,

the controller being programmed to determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied by determining whether the at least one angle lies within a parameter range selected based on the flexibility level of the rider body, and

the controller being programmed to calculate bicycle fitting information indicating a bicycle component position of a bicycle component based on the current rider position and the selected parameter range, and output the bicycle fitting information to an output apparatus.

2. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine the flexibility level using the motion capturing apparatus.

3. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 2, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine the flexibility level by measuring an angle of the at least one joint using the motion capturing apparatus while the rider lies on the rider'"'"'s back.

4. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 2, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine the flexibility level by comparing an angle of the at least one joint measured using the motion capturing apparatus to a table of data.

5. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 2, wherein

the at least one joint includes at least a knee joint or a hip joint of the rider.

6. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to

acquire category information indicative of at least one of a bicycle type and a riding type, and

set the parameter range of the one of the at least one rider body parameter based on the flexibility level and the category information.

7. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine a setting position of at least one of a bicycle seat and a bicycle handle as the bicycle component position.

8. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine a temporal bicycle component position of a bicycle component based on the rider body parameters in response to the one of the rider body parameters falling outside the parameter range of the one of the rider body parameters and,

the bicycle fitting equipment is adjusted based on the temporal bicycle component position.

9. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to output the bicycle component position on the output apparatus.

10. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 9, wherein

the controller is further programmed to acquire an initial bicycle component position of the bicycle component, and

the controller is further programmed to output the bicycle component position and the initial bicycle component position.

11. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to determine an adjustment direction of the bicycle component and an adjustment amount of the bicycle component based on the bicycle component position, and

the controller is further programmed to output the adjustment direction and the adjustment amount on the output apparatus.

12. The bicycle fitting sys e according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further programmed to display an indicator with a first predetermined status in response to the one of the rider body parameters falling within the parameter range of the one of the rider body parameters on a display screen, and

the controller is further programmed to display the indicator with a second predetermined status in response to the one of the rider body parameters falling outside the parameter range of the one of the rider body parameters on the display screen, the second predetermined status being different from the first predetermined status.

13. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined condition is a range of angles determined based on the flexibility level, the predetermined condition being satisfied if an angle of the at least one joint is within the range of angles while the rider is on a bicycle fitting equipment.

14. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the flexibility level is selected manually by a user.

15. The bicycle fitting system according to claim 1, wherein

the flexibility level is inputted to the bicycle fitting system electrically.