Bicycle user information apparatus

• US 8,219,263 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: Takeda, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/963,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A bicycle user information apparatus comprises an information receiver that receives information corresponding to the bicycle user through the Internet; and an administration control unit that manages the information received through the information receiver and enables external access to the managed information in response to predetermined criteria. The administration control unit includes a user registration unit that registers identifying information corresponding to the bicycle user.

Claims

1. A bicycle computer comprising:

a control unit structured to be mounted to a bicycle;

a location information detecting unit that detects information corresponding to a current location of the bicycle computer;

a search signal receiver that receives a search signal from another bicycle computer;

a location information transmitter that directly wirelessly transmits information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer, upon request of an operator of the bicycle computer in response to receipt of the search signal by the search signal receiver, for locating another bicycle computer within wireless transmission range of the bicycle computer;

a location information receiver that directly wirelessly receives information corresponding to a current location of the other bicycle computer from a location information transmitter of the other bicycle computer; and

a search signal transmitter that transmits a search signal adapted to search for another bicycle computer;

wherein the location information transmitter transmits information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer when the search signal transmitter transmits the search signal.

2. The computer according to claim 1 further comprising a display unit that displays information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer.

3. The computer according to claim 2 wherein the display unit displays information corresponding to the current location of the other bicycle computer.

4. The computer according to claim 1 wherein the display unit displays at least one of the information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer or the information corresponding to the current location of the other bicycle computer on a map.

5. The computer according to claim 1 wherein the search signal is adapted to search for another cyclist having predetermined characteristics within the transmission range of the search signal transmitter.

6. The computer according to claim 5 wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises a same type of bicycle computer.

7. The computer according to claim 1 wherein the search signal transmitter includes a manually operated member for requesting the transmission of the search signal.

8. The computer according to claim 1 further comprising a response signal receiver that receives a response signal that was sent in response to the search signal.

9. The computer according to claim 8 further comprising a notifying unit that provides a notifying signal to the operator when the response signal receiver receives the response signal.

10. The computer according to claim 9 wherein the notifying signal comprises a notifying sound.

11. The computer according to claim 9 wherein the notifying signal comprises a notifying light.

12. The computer according to claim 9 further comprising a display unit that displays information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer that transmitted the response signal.

13. The computer according to claim 12 wherein the display unit shows, on a map, the location of the bicycle computer that transmitted the response signal.

14. The computer according to claim 1 further comprising a notifying unit that provides a notifying signal to the operator when the search signal receiver receives the search signal.

15. The computer according to claim 14 wherein the notifying signal comprises a notifying sound.

16. The computer according to claim 14 wherein the notifying signal comprises a notifying light.

17. The computer according to claim 14 further comprising a display unit that displays information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer that transmitted the search signal.

18. The computer according to claim 17 wherein the display unit shows, on a map, the location of the bicycle computer that transmitted the search signal.

19. The computer according to claim 1 further comprising a response signal transmitter that transmits a response signal to acknowledge the receipt of the search signal.

20. The computer according to claim 19 wherein the response signal transmitter includes a manually operated member for requesting the transmission of the response signal.

21. The computer according to claim 19 wherein the response signal is transmitted automatically in response to receipt of the search signal.

22. The computer according to claim 19 wherein the response signal has the same frequency as the search signal.

23. The computer according to claim 19 wherein the location information transmitter transmits information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer when the response signal transmitter transmits the response signal.

24. The computer according to claim 1 wherein the location information transmitter transmits information corresponding to the current location of the bicycle computer only upon request of the operator.