Integrated power, lighting, and instrumentation system for bicycles

• US 20040189722A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John F. Acres
• Original Assignee: John F. Acres
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,495,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/015 using electrical power not supplied by the cycle motor generator, e.g. using batteries or piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic system for use on vehicles. Some embodiments of the system use an integrated power supply to power all of the electronic components of the electronic system. The electronic system may include various microprocessors, sensors, communication systems, displays, lights, speakers, switches, power control systems, and expansion ports.

Claims

1. An information system for a vehicle, comprising:

a stored information manual;

an input node structured to accept a signal to display the stored information manual;

a display circuit coupled to the input node and structured to convert the stored information manual to an image after it receives the signal; and

a display coupled to the display circuit for portraying the image.

2. The information system of claim 1 wherein the information manual is stored in a memory.

3. The information system of claim 2 wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

4. The information system of claim 3 wherein the memory is a flash memory.

5. The information system of claim 1 wherein the display is mounted on the vehicle.

6. The information system of claim 1 wherein only a first portion of the image is visible on the display at a time, the information system further comprising a second input node structured to accept a signal to cause a second portion of the image to be portrayed on the display.

7. The information system of claim 1 wherein the image contains illustrations.

8. The information system of claim 1 wherein the image contains text.

9. The information system of claim 1 wherein content of the image comprises a repair procedure.

10. A method for displaying an instruction manual of a vehicle, comprising:

accepting an input signal for displaying the instruction manual;

retrieving the instruction manual from a stored source;

converting the retrieved instruction manual to an image; and

displaying the image on a display that is mounted on the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein retrieving the instruction manual comprises retrieving stored codes from a non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein retrieving the instruction manual comprises retrieving stored codes from a flash memory.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the image comprises displaying the image on an LCD panel that is mounted on the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the image comprises showing a first portion of the instruction manual, the method further comprising:

accepting an input for displaying a second portion of the instruction manual; and

displaying a second portion of the instruction manual.

15. A wheeled vehicle, comprising:

a data display having on and off states; and

a motion sensing circuit having a motion sensor other than a wheel sensor and structured to switch the data display from an on state to an off state when no motion is sensed for a period of time.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the motion sensor comprises a mechanical sensor structured to sense motion in three axes.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the motion sensor comprises both an accelerometer and a mechanical sensor.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the motion sensing circuit remains active after turning the data display to the off state.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a microprocessor unit coupled to the data display and to the motion sensing circuit, the microprocessor unit having an input terminal and being structured such that when a signal is sensed on the input terminal, the microprocessor turns the data display to an off state and turns the motion sensing circuit to an off state.

21. A method, comprising:

monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle in a manner other than monitoring wheel rotation; and

disabling a data display that is mounted to the wheeled vehicle after no movement has been detected for an amount of time.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

continuing to monitor movement of the vehicle after disabling the data display.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein monitoring movement comprises monitoring motion in at least two axes.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring an accelerometer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle further comprises monitoring a mechanical motion sensor.

26. A wheeled vehicle, comprising:

a data display having on and off states; and

a motion sensing circuit having a motion sensor other than a wheel sensor and structured to switch the data display from an off state to an on state when motion of the vehicle is sensed.

27. The vehicle of claim 26 wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

28. The vehicle of claim 26 wherein the motion sensor is structured to sense motion in at least two axes.

29. The vehicle of claim 26 wherein the motion sensor comprises both an accelerometer and a mechanical sensor.

30. The wheeled vehicle of claim 26 wherein the motion sensing circuit is further structured to switch the data display from an on state to an off state when no motion is sensed for a period of time.

31. The vehicle of claim 30 wherein the motion sensing circuit remains active after turning the data display to the off state.

32. A method, comprising:

monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle in a manner other than monitoring wheel rotation; and

enabling a data display that is mounted to the wheeled vehicle after movement of the wheeled vehicle has been detected.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring movement comprises monitoring motion in three axes.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring an accelerometer.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring a mechanical motion sensor.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring movement of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring an accelerometer and monitoring a mechanical motion sensor.

37. An altimeter for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor structured to detect changes in atmospheric pressure;

a motion detector other than a wheel sensor; and

a determiner coupled to sensor and to the motion detector and structured to determine that changes in atmospheric pressure are due to altitude gain when the motion detector senses motion while the sensor detects changes in atmospheric pressure.

38. The altimeter of claim 37 wherein the determiner is structured to determine that changes in atmospheric pressure are due to weather when the motion detector does not sense motion while the sensor detects change in atmospheric pressure.

39. The altimeter of claim 37 wherein the motion detector comprises an accelerometer.

40. The altimeter of claim 37 wherein the motion detector comprises a mechanical device.

41. The altimeter of claim 37 wherein the motion detector comprises an accelerometer and a mechanical device.

42. A method of determining altitude comprising:

monitoring a change in atmospheric pressure;

monitoring motion of a wheeled vehicle other than by monitoring wheel motion; and

when the change in atmospheric pressure occurs while the wheeled vehicle is in motion, calculating a change in altitude from the change in atmospheric pressure.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein monitoring motion of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring acceleration of a vehicle.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein monitoring motion of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring a mechanical device.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein monitoring motion of a wheeled vehicle comprises monitoring acceleration of a vehicle and monitoring a mechanical device.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

when the change in atmospheric pressure occurs while the wheeled vehicle is not in motion, holding an indication of altitude level constant.

47. An acceleration system on a vehicle, comprising:

a motion sensor;

a motion calculator coupled to the motion sensor for determining a change in motion of the vehicle; and

a motion indicator coupled to the motion calculator and structured to indicate that the vehicle is accelerating when the calculated change in motion is above a threshold amount of change in motion.

48. The acceleration system of claim 47, wherein the motion indicator has more than one state, and each state correlates to a range of calculated change in motion.

49. The acceleration system of claim 48 wherein the indicator is a light, and where states differ by an intensity of the light.

50. The acceleration system of claim 48 wherein the indicator is a flashing light, and where states differ by the number of flashes of the light per unit time.

51. The acceleration indicator of claim 48 wherein each state correlates to a same-size range.

52. The acceleration indicator of claim 48 wherein at least two states correlate to different sized ranges.

53. The acceleration system of claim 47 wherein the motion detector is operative only when the vehicle is decelerating.

54. The acceleration system of claim 47 wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

55. The acceleration system of claim 47 wherein the motion sensor comprises a wheel motion sensor.

56. The acceleration system of claim 47 wherein the motion indicator is a wireless sending unit structured to send a signal to a wireless receiving unit.

57. A method of indicating acceleration of a vehicle, comprising:

measuring an acceleration of the vehicle; and

indicating the measured acceleration amount.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the measured acceleration amount is only indicated if the measured amount is above a threshold amount.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein the measured acceleration amount is only indicated if the acceleration is deceleration.

60. The method of claim 57 wherein indicating the measured acceleration amount comprises illuminating a light.

61. The method of claim 57 wherein indicating the measured acceleration amount comprises flashing a light.

62. The method of claim 57 wherein indicating the measured acceleration amount comprises sending a wireless signal to a wireless receiving unit.

63. The method of claim 57 wherein indicating the measured acceleration amount comprises making a different indication for different measured deceleration amounts.

64. An alarm system for a bicycle, comprising:

a data storage unit for storing a key value;

a key reading unit for sensing one of a plurality of possible key values;

an arming unit for initiating the alarm system when a sensed key value matches the stored key value;

an accelerometer for detecting vehicle motion; and

an alarm generator coupled to the accelerometer.

65. The alarm system of claim 64 wherein the alarm generator is structured to generate an alarm when the accelerometer indicates a motion value above a threshold amount of motion.

66. The alarm system of claim 64 wherein the alarm generator is an audible alarm generator.

67. The alarm system of claim 64 wherein the alarm generator is a wireless sending unit.

68. The alarm system of claim 64 further comprising a signal for indicating an alarm status.

69. A method, comprising:

reading an alarm key value;

arming an alarm system when the read key value matches a stored key value;

monitoring motion of a bicycle;

when a motion of the bicycle exceeds a first threshold amount a first time within a time period, generating a first indication; and

when a motion of the bicycle exceeds a second threshold amount a second time within the time period, generating a second indication.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the first threshold amount equals the second threshold amount.

71. The method of claim 69, further comprising waiting a certain amount of time after the read key value is matched to the stored key value before arming the alarm system.

72. The method of claim 69 wherein generating a first indication comprises making an audible sound.

73. The method of claim 69 wherein generating a second indication comprises making a second audible sound that is louder than the first audible sound.

74. The method of claim 69 wherein generating a second indication comprises sending a wireless signal.