Electric bike motor using sensed air speed

• US 9,845,133 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Craven, Richard, Thompson, Thomas Robert George
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US14/688,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20160304157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/50 Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/50 characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/90 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric bike is described and includes an air speed sensor to sense air speed at the bike, an electric motor to impart motive force to the bike, and a controller operatively connected to the motor, the controller to control the electric motor using the air speed sensed by the air speed sensor. The controller includes a set electric-motor parameter for the output power of the motor. The electric-motor parameter can be bike speed. The controller can also use ground inclination to determine the power to be output by the motor to assist in powering the bike. The controller can use ground inclination to determine the power to be output by the motor to charge a battery in the bike. The controller can set the power of motor assist to be greater in a greater headwind than in a lighter headwind. The controller uses rider weight and rider height as parameters for controlling the motor.

Claims

1. An electric bike comprising:

an air speed sensor to sense air speed;

an electric motor to impart motive force to the bike; and

a controller operatively connected to the motor, the controller to control the electric motor using the air speed sensed by the air speed sensor and to switch to a regeneration mode charging a battery from the electric motor when an inclination is negative and gravity assists powering the bike forward.

2. The bike of claim 1, wherein the controller has a set electric-motor parameter for output power of the motor.

3. The bike of claim 2, wherein the electric-motor parameter is bike speed.

4. The bike of claim 3, wherein the controller uses ground inclination to determine power to be output by the motor to assist in powering the bike.

5. The bike of claim 4, wherein the controller uses ground inclination to determine the power to be output by the motor to charge a battery in the bike.

6. The bike of claim 5, wherein the controller sets the power to be output by the motor to be greater in a greater headwind than in a lesser headwind.

7. The bike of claim 6, wherein the controller uses rider weight and rider height as parameters for controlling the motor.

8. The bike of claim 1, wherein the controller sets a constant rider power input and adjusts the power provided by the electric motor to maintain the constant rider power input.

9. The bike of claim 1, wherein the air speed sensor is mounted to a frame of the bike forward of a rider and wherein the battery is mounted to the frame.

10. The bike of claim 1, wherein the controller is a portable electronic device in electronic communication with the air speed sensor and electric motor.

11. The bike of claim 1, wherein the regeneration mode includes a bike freewheeling.

12. The bike of claim 1, wherein the air speed sensor is to supply air speed data sensor to supply an air speed to the controller and wherein the controller is further programmed to provide a selection of a no power assist mode, a variable power assist mode, and a negative assist mode.

13. An electric bicycle method comprising:

setting a rider effort level;

sensing relative air speed using an airspeed sensor at the bicycle while the bicycle is in motion forwardly; and

assisting the rider effort level with an electric motor providing motive force to a wheel based on the relative air speed sensed by the airspeed sensor, wherein assisting includes;

sensing inclination of a bikeway and adjusting electric motor assist based on the inclination and the relative air speed,

increasing the electric motor assist by at least twice when the bikeway is at an incline relative to a flat bikeway, and

using the electric motor to charge a battery with the bikeway being a decline relative to a flat bikeway.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein assisting the rider effort level includes maintaining an essentially constant rider effort level based on the air speed.