Patent Publication Number: US-2022227444-A1

Title: Ride-on saddle vehicle with an interface for integrating the on-board instruments with a mobile device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to ride-on saddle vehicles, in particular motorcycles provided with a saddle. Embodiments described herein relate in particular to improvements to on-board instruments of motorcycles. 
     Background Art 
     All motorcycles are provided with on-board instruments, more or less advanced, according to the price level of the motorcycle and to the trim chosen by the customer purchasing it. Some instruments are mandatory by law and must be present on all motorcycles, regardless of model and trim chosen. Other instruments are optional and are only installed on some motorcycles, for example as a function of the customer&#39;s requests and/or of the category of motorcycle. These instruments can be very simple, but in some cases also particularly sophisticated. 
     The functions that can be required by on-board instruments of the motorcycle can vary over time, as technology advances, providing motorcycle manufacturers with increasingly advanced technological solutions at increasingly accessible costs. The on-board instruments of a vehicle that may be considered particularly sophisticated and advanced at the time of purchase are therefore prone to rapid obsolescence. 
     Moreover, the need to offer the market different configurations, also in the form of different trims of the same motorcycle, poses organizational and logistic problems for the manufacturer. 
     Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide instruments that entirely or in part overcome the limits and drawbacks of current instruments. 
     WO2013/154099 discloses a ride-on saddle vehicle comprising a handlebar connected to the front steered wheel. A dashboard with the on-board instruments is placed in front of the handlebar, in a fixed position relative to the frame of the vehicle. A housing for a portable terminal, such as a smartphone, which can interact with the on-board instruments of the vehicle, is integral with the handlebar. This configuration is only possible on vehicles of large size, in particular on large motorcycles which have a dashboard fixed to the frame of the vehicle. 
     NL2018466 discloses a ride-on saddle vehicle, in particular a scooter, with a seat for a double display provided on its handlebar. The first display, i.e. the first portion of display, is connected to a central controller, which shows on the first display, or portion of display, information relating to the vehicle and relating to driving. A second display, or display portion, is of the touch type and provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the driver. The use of a portable terminal, such as a smartphone, is not envisaged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To overcome or alleviate the drawbacks of the state of the art, a ride-on saddle vehicle is provided, comprising a frame, at least one rear drive wheel and at least one front steered wheel associated with a handlebar to control steering of the front steered wheel. The vehicle further comprises a first set di instruments, integrated with the handlebar. The vehicle also comprises an electronic control unit of the vehicle, connected to a plurality of electronic devices on board the vehicle. Advantageously, the vehicle comprises a housing associated with the handlebar for a mobile device of a user of the vehicle and an electronic interface adapted to interface the electronic control unit with a mobile device inserted in the housing. The electronic control unit is adapted to provide the mobile device, by means of the electronic interface, with information viewable on the mobile device and relating to a plurality of functions of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the electronic control unit is adapted to transfer commands or instructions given by means of the mobile device to devices on board the vehicle. 
     In the present context, reference will be made specifically to a motorcycle. This term, in the present description and in the appended claims generally means a ride-on saddle vehicle, which can have two, three or four wheels. 
     With the combination of dashboard and housing for a mobile device, interfaceable with the electronic control unit of the vehicle, it is possible to provide part of the instruments on the dashboard, and to use the mobile device as supplementary means to provide the user with additional instruments relative to those on the dashboard. By means of the electronic interface between electronic control unit of the vehicle and mobile device it is possible not only to transfer data from the vehicle to the mobile device, by means of which to provide the driver with information on the vehicle; it is also possible to use the mobile device (advantageously by means of a graphical user interface, of the mobile device) to act on the vehicle, for example giving commands or selecting functions. As will be explained below, this can advantageously be obtained using an interaction member between user and mobile device, which makes it unnecessary to use a touch screen of the mobile device. 
     By having the first set of instruments integrated in the handlebar, where the housing for the mobile device is also integrated, it is possible to expand and complete with a portable device the on-board instruments also on a vehicle of small size, for example a scooter, with a practical, inexpensive and compact solution. 
     Moreover, having both the first set of instruments and the mobile device integrated in the handlebar, the driver obtains greater visibility. 
     The mobile device, typically a smartphone or a tablet, in general comprises a screen on which to view information relating to the operation of the vehicle and of parts thereof, and relating to the route being traveled. Moreover, in some embodiments, the mobile device, with its graphical user interface (GUI), can allow communication with the electronic control unit entering commands or instructions, relating both to the way in which the data are presented on the screen, and relating to operation of the vehicle. For example, it is possible to use the mobile device as a tool for selecting an operating mode of the engine, of the suspensions, of the transmission or of other elements, components or assemblies of the vehicle 
     In general, the electronic devices on board the vehicle comprise sensors for detecting data, parameters or conditions to be communicated to the driver. In some embodiments, the electronic devices on board the vehicle can comprise one or more transducers and one or more actuators. For example, the electronic devices can comprise transducers for setting an operating condition of the engine, of the transmission, of the suspensions or of other assemblies. The electronic devices can also comprise devices for switching on and off lights or other components of the vehicle. 
     Advantageously, in embodiments described herein, the housing and the dashboard are both placed on the handlebar of the vehicle and are preferably integral therewith. In advantageous embodiments, the dashboard and the housing are preferably placed one next to the other, so that the driver has all the instruments available in the same zone, for greater visibility and to allow all the instruments available, both those integrated in the dashboard and those implemented by means of the mobile device, to be checked simultaneously. 
     Advantageously, the housing can comprise mechanical retaining members of the mobile device and a transparent closure, which allows viewing of the screen of the mobile device when it is placed in the housing and protected by the closure. The closure can be provided with a door or cover, or the housing and the transparent closure can be integrated to form a pocket into which the mobile device can be inserted laterally. 
     In some embodiments, the following instruments can be provided on the dashboard fixed to the vehicle: speedometer, full beam warning light, position light warning light, indicator lights, low fuel warning light. 
     In some embodiments, the control unit is adapted to provide, by means of the electronic interface, the mobile device with information adapted to view, on a screen of the mobile device and by means of a graphical user interface, one or more of the following functions or information: a revolution counter, an odometer, a front fog lights warning light, a rear fog lights warning light, a dipped beam warning light, a fuel level indicator, an indicator of the tire pressure based on direct or indirect information, voyage data and the like. Measurement of the tire pressure can be direct, by means of pressure sensors, or indirect, by means of detection of the revolutions of the wheels of the vehicle. The voyage data can, for example, comprise instantaneous or average fuel consumption, average speed, length of the route traveled, etc. 
     The voyage data can be calculated by the electronic control unit based on signals coming from on-board electronic devices. For example, the average speed and average consumption can be calculated by the electronic control unit integrating the instantaneous speed or instantaneous consumption data, provided by a speed sensor and by a flow meter, respectively. In other embodiments, one, some or all the voyage data can be calculated by an application residing in the mobile device, based on instantaneous data provided by means of the electronic interface by the electronic control unit. 
     In addition to simple viewing of information coming from devices, sensors, transducers or other on-board instruments, the mobile device can interact with the electronic control unit also in order to give instructions or commands to the vehicle, or more in general in order to allow interaction between driver and vehicle. For this purpose, a graphical user interface of the mobile device, an interaction member between driver and mobile device, the electronic interface and the electronic control unit can be used in combination. 
     The interaction member allows the driver to interact with the mobile device without the need to use, for this purpose, the touch screen provided on the mobile device. In fact, the touch screen may not be accessible due to the cover that protects the mobile device when installed on the vehicle. An application installed on the mobile device allows the graphical user interface of the mobile device to be used by means of the interaction member, which can be mounted on the handlebar, advantageously close to the grips of the handlebar, so as to allow the driver to use the interaction member in safe driving conditions, without removing the hands from the handlebar. For example, the interaction member can comprise a plurality of buttons, or a joy-stick. 
     Advantageously, the control unit can be programmed to view, on a screen of the mobile device, a graphical user interface by means of which the user can set, by means of the interaction member, one or more functions, for example: the behavior of the engine (sport, comfort, eco . . . ); the behavior of the suspensions of the vehicle; enabling and disabling of a quick shift function; the behavior of the automatic transmission; management of multimedia contents of the mobile device; management of telephone calls or messaging. For the purposes indicated above, the electronic control unit can interact with an application installed in the mobile device. 
     As mentioned, the mobile device can be a smartphone or in general a device equipped with a SIM card, to provide telephone functions. The control unit can be adapted to send, by means of the mobile device, an emergency call as a function of signals coming from one or more sensors installed on the vehicle and interfaced with the control unit. For this purpose, it is possible to provide, for example, one or more accelerometers, one or more tilt sensors, or equivalent instruments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood by following the description and accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment of the invention. More in particular, in the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of a motorcycle; 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of the instruments of the motorcycle; 
         FIG. 3  shows a section of a housing for a mobile device that can be combined with the motorcycle; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a functional block diagram of the control unit and of the connections to the sensors and to the on-board instruments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a view of a two-wheeled saddle motorcycle, in the case in hand a scooter, which can be provided with instruments according to the present invention. The motorcycle, indicated as a whole with  1 , comprises a frame  3  with a saddle  5 , a rear wheel  7  and at least one front steered wheel  9  controlled by a handlebar  11 . It must be understood that the motorcycle represented is merely an example. The instruments described below can also be installed on different motorcycles, for example motorcycles with two or three wheels, three-wheeled scooters, quad bikes and the like. 
     A panel on which a dashboard  13  is mounted is associated with the handlebar  11  of the motorcycle  1 . The dashboard  13  comprises instruments for viewing and controlling various functions of the motorcycle  1 . An embodiment of the dashboard  13  is shown in  FIG. 2 . By way of example, in  FIG. 2  the dashboard  13  comprises a speedometer  15 , a low fuel warning light, full beam and position light warning lights  17 , and indicator lights. 
     In general, the instruments provided on the dashboard  13  can be limited to those indicated as mandatory by the current legislation in the country of sale and use of the motorcycle  1 . 
     To allow the user of the vehicle to have available additional instruments, without impacting on the production cost of the motorcycle, advantageously the motorcycle  1 , and more precisely an electronic control unit thereof, better described below, can be interfaced with a mobile device belonging to the user or owner of the motorcycle  1 . The mobile device can be any device provided with viewing means and with the possibility of interfacing with the electronic control unit of the motorcycle  1 . Typically, but not exclusively, the mobile device can be a smartphone. 
     Hereinafter, specific reference will be made to a smartphone, as mobile device provided with Internet connection. However, it must be understood that this type of mobile device, although currently preferred, could be substituted by other mobile devices with similar features. In some cases, a mobile device without an Internet connection could be used, although in this case some of the functions described herein would not be available. 
     As will be clear below, in order to be used in the context of the present invention, the mobile device will advantageously have some features and functions, which can also be provided on different mobile devices to a current smartphone. 
     In particular, advantageously the mobile device is provided with a possibility of interfacing with external electronics, in particular the electronic control unit of the vehicle, and is also provided with a screen on which a graphical user interface can be viewed, for the purposes described below. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , with the handlebar  11  is associated a housing  19 , which is provided in the panel integral with the handlebar  11 .  FIG. 3  shows a section of the housing  19 , into which a smartphone  21  is inserted. The housing  19  can advantageously be closed by a cover, a covering or a door  23  ( FIG. 3 ) to protect the smartphone  21 , for example from rain or from accidental impacts. The door  23  is advantageously transparent, so as to allow the user to view the screen of the smartphone  21 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The door  23  can be provided with a closing system, to prevent the smartphone  21  from accidentally falling out, for example in the event of dynamic stresses occurring while the motorcycle  1  is traveling. In other embodiments, not illustrated, the smartphone  21  can be housed in a sort of pocket provided with a transparent wall to allow viewing of the screen of the smartphone. Said pocket (not illustrated) allows lateral insertion of the smartphone through an opening of the pocket to a limit stop position in which the smartphone is almost completely inserted into the pocket. If necessary, release means of the smartphone can be provided to facilitate removal of the smartphone from the pocket once the vehicle is parked. 
     Advantageously, the motorcycle  1  can comprise, for example, a warning light and/or horn, to inform the driver of the presence of the smartphone on board the motorcycle when one of the following conditions occurs: switching off the engine of the motorcycle, interruption of the power supply to the dashboard, motorcycle placed on the kickstand. In this way, the driver is informed of the fact of having forgotten the smartphone  21  on the motorcycle  1 . The warning device is operatively connected to the electronic control unit of the motorcycle  1  as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the warning device can be activated when the electronic control unit detects an active connection with the smartphone  21  and the simultaneous occurrence of at least one of the aforesaid conditions. In some embodiments, a presence sensor, or another detection means, for example a simple button for detecting the presence of the smartphone  21  in its housing  19 , can be provided. In this case, the presence of the smartphone  21  is indicated even if it is switched off or not connected to the electronic control unit. 
     Advantageously, elements adapted to retain and/or protect the smartphone  21  can be provided inside the housing  19 . For example,  FIG. 3  schematically shows an inner covering  25  made of elastomeric material, preferably of expanded elastomeric material, which can deform to accommodate and retain the smartphone  21  with slight peripheral pressure inside the housing. The covering  25  can be sufficiently pliable to adapt to the different shapes and sizes of various smartphones  21 , without the need to substitute the covering. In some cases, the covering  25  can be replaceable, for example in the event of damage or wear, or also to accommodate different smartphone models, with variations in size and/or shape that cannot be accommodated in a single covering  25 . 
     The use of a pliable covering, typically made of expanded elastomeric material, is a possible solution to the need to retain and protect the smartphone while the vehicle is traveling. However, other solutions, such as the use of snap fastening blocking devices, or other suitable means, would also be possible. 
     A system for charging the battery of the smartphone  21  can be associated with the housing  19 . To avoid the need to connect the smartphone  21  to a cable, battery charging can take place with an induction supply system, indicated schematically with  27 . The induction supply system  27  is universal and can power smartphones of different brands without the need for power cable adaptors. 
     An electronic interface, adapted to interface the electronic control unit of the motorcycle  1  with the smartphone  21  housed in the housing  19 , is also associated with the housing  19 . In some embodiments, the electronic interface can comprise an antenna  29 , for example a Bluetooth antenna or a Wi-Fi antenna adapted to transfer data between the electronic control unit of the motorcycle  1  and the smartphone  21 . 
     As will be clarified below, by means of the electronic interface between electronic control unit and smartphone  21  it is possible to configure and use the latter as supplementary and integrating on-board instrument relative to the instruments installed on the dashboard  13  of the motorcycle. This offers many advantages. Firstly, it simplifies the structure of the dashboard  13 , eliminating the need to provide it with additional instruments to those indicated as mandatory by current legislation. In fact, the information to be made available to and viewable by the user will appear on the screen of the smartphone. In this way the cost of manufacturing the motorcycle  1  is reduced. 
     Moreover, the possibility of representing only some supplementary instruments on the smartphone allows easier viewing by the driver while riding. To clarify the concept, the screens of smartphones are normally relatively small in size, for example a few inches, and consequently the graphic surface available is generally smaller than that used for the conventional analog instruments of motorcycle dashboards. Concentrating all the instruments of the vehicle on the screen of a smartphone would make it very difficult to view the information while riding. Smartphones are conceived to be read at a distance of around 30-40 cm from the eyes, while during riding the dashboard is almost double this distance from the driver&#39;s eyes. Consequently, the characters and images on the screen of the smartphone must be at least double the size to allow the instruments to be easily read while riding. This means that the screen of the smartphone cannot on its own represent all the instruments of the motorcycle, especially those mandatory by law, which must be clearly visible while riding. For this reason, the present invention divides the instruments of the motorcycle between the dashboard of the motorcycle  1  and the smartphone  21 . In this way, the supplementary instruments represented on the smartphone are more visible. 
     Moreover, it is possible to provide the driver with a larger or smaller number of control and management functions by means of the smartphone through suitable programming of the electronic control unit, without the need to produce different versions of the same motorcycle. Therefore, it will be possible to customize the instruments viewed on the smartphone  21  according to the driver&#39;s needs. For example, a sports driver could desire a revolution counter while a city driver prefers traffic information, which could be viewed by means of a navigation function. 
     It is also possible to overcome the problem of rapid obsolescence of the on-board instruments of motorcycles. In fact, it is sufficient to use different more advanced smartphones  21  to obtain increased or additional functions, if necessary simply reprogramming the electronic control unit, which can take place, for example, during servicing or vehicle inspection of the motorcycle  1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a functional block diagram of an electronic control unit  31  on board the motorcycle  1 , with which instruments, such as sensors, transducers, actuators, or generic instruments adapted to detect one or more operating parameters or conditions of the motorcycle or parts thereof, are interfaced. Some of these instruments are represented schematically by the functional blocks  33 . 1 ,  33 . 2 , . . .  33 . n    
     The instruments  33 . 1  . . .  33 . n  can provide the electronic control unit  31  with information on the status of the various devices, apparatus, components or assemblies on board the motorcycle  1 . By way of non-limiting example, the instruments  33 . 1  . . .  33 . n  can comprise the following: a transducer of the fuel level in the tank; a speed transducer; a sensor for direct or indirect detection of the tire pressure; a thermometer for detecting the temperature of the lubricant; a pressure transducer for measuring the pressure of the lubricant, an odometer; a coolant temperature sensor (when the motorcycle has a liquid rather than air cooling system); sensors for detecting whether lamps and lights, such as position lights, dipped beam, full beam, fog lights, direction indicators, are switched on or off; a flow meter for measuring fuel consumption; one or more accelerometers; a tilt sensor. 
     Moreover, transducers or other control members  35 . 1 ,  35 . 2 , . . .  35 . n  can be associated with the electronic control unit  31  to transfer commands or operating settings for one or more devices or assemblies of the motorcycle  1 . By way of non-limiting example, by means of the transducers or other control members  35 . 1 , . . .  35 . n  the following functions of the motorcycle  1  can be implemented: setting of the behavior of the engine  39  (sport, comfort, eco mode, etc.) by means of the control unit  37  of the engine  39 ; setting of the behavior of one or more suspensions (in sport, comfort, normal mode, etc.), by means of actuators of the suspensions; setting of the behavior of the automatic transmission, if present (in sport, comfort, eco mode, etc.); enabling or disabling of the quick shifter. 
     As mentioned above, the motorcycle  1  can be provided with an alarm system that warns the user of the presence of the smartphone in the housing  19  when given conditions occur, for example switching off the engine, placing the motorcycle  1  on the kickstand, interrupting the power supply to the dashboard. The diagram of  FIG. 4  illustrates a generic warning device  36 , for example a warning horn and/or warning light, that generates an alarm signal controlled by the electronic control unit  31  based on the combination of the aforementioned conditions. The presence of the smartphone  21  can be detected in any suitable way, but preferably so as to inhibit the emission of an alarm when the smartphone has been removed from the housing  19  thereof, even if still connected to the electronic control unit  31 . For this purpose, a detection member of the physical presence of the smartphone  21  in the housing can be associated with said housing  19 . 
     The electronic control unit  31  can be connected to the aforementioned devices directly or indirectly, for example by means of connection to a further control unit. For example, the motorcycle  1  can be provided with a controller  37  of the engine  39  (see diagram of  FIG. 4 ). In this case, the electronic control unit  31  can dialog with the controller  37  in order to exchange data with the controller  37  of the engine and manage the engine  39  of the motorcycle  1 . Based on the setting selected by the user by means of the smartphone  21 , it is possible to operate the engine in one of various selectable modes (sport, comfort, eco, etc.). Similar settings can be selected for the suspensions, for example. 
     The electronic control unit  31  is interfaced by means of an electronic interface  41  with the smartphone  21  when this is inserted in its housing  19 . 
     The smartphone  21  can be provided with a suitable application to dialog with the electronic control unit  31  and therefore display on its screen the information relating, for example, to the reading of one or more operating parameters or states of the motorcycle  1 , if necessary with the possibility of selecting one or more consecutive screenshots if all the information required cannot be viewed on a single screenshot. 
     One or more pages that can be viewed on the screen of the smartphone  21  can be used to select one or more behaviors of components of the motorcycle, such as engine, transmission and suspensions. 
     The display logic of the information and of scrolling of the video screens can be the same as that already provided for on the on-board instruments di motor vehicles provided with a large number of functions. The application of the smartphone can if necessary by adapted to organize a plurality of screenshots, each of which groups together a certain amount of information organized and structured according to the user&#39;s needs, who in this way can prepare a kind of “pages” that can be browsed, i.e. viewed in sequence on the screen and each of which contains, if necessary with a distribution that can be set by the user, a certain amount of information. The information is displayed on the screen of the smartphone  21  by means of a suitable graphical user interface. 
     By means of the electronic interface  41  between the electronic control unit  31  and the smartphone  21  it is also possible to display on the screen thereof one or more video screens for activation/deactivation, control, selection or operation of one or more operating modes or functions. For example, it is possible to display on the screen of the smartphone a video screen by means of which it is possible to set the behavior of an automatic transmission, the behavior of the suspensions, the behavior of the engine, or other selectable operating modes, for example the activation or deactivation of the quick-shifter, where present. 
     The smartphone  21  is normally equipped with a touch screen. However, this cannot be used practically by the user for a series of reasons. Firstly, the housing  19  is advantageously provided with a cover  23  that makes the surface of screen of the smartphone  21  inaccessible. Moreover, the user could be wearing gloves and in any case interaction with the smartphone by means of the touch screen could be dangerous while riding, as the user would need to release at least one of the grips  11 . 1  of the handlebar  1 . 
     In order to make interaction between user and smartphone practical and safe, the handlebar  11  can be provided with an interaction member  43  (see  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) that allows the user to interact with the smartphone  21 . In the example illustrated, the interaction member  43  comprises a joy-stick. The interaction member  43  is connected to the electronic control unit  31  and allows controls to be given to the smartphone  21  through the electronic control unit  31  and the electronic interface  41 . 
     The interaction member  43  is placed adjacent to one of the grips  11 . 1  of the handlebar  11 , so that the user can maneuver it without removing the hand from the grip of the handlebar and thus continuing to safely control the motorcycle  1 . 
     For example, with the joy-stick it is possible to give upward or downward, left and right movements to a cursor moving on a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the screen of the smartphone  21 . The joy-stick can be used to act on the graphical user interface of the smartphone  21  substituting contact on the screen with a pressure control on the lever of the joy-stick or on another button of the interaction member  43 . 
     In some embodiments, the interaction member  43  can be used to scroll (with an upward or downward movement, for example) a list of selectable pages and to open, for example with a pressure control, a selected page, on which information relating to the driving conditions can appear, such as instantaneous speed, average speed, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, length of route traveled, total number of kilometers traveled by the motorcycle, gear engaged, tire pressure, oil temperature, oil pressure. 
     One or more pages can be provided to display on the graphical user interface the possibility of selecting one or more operating modes of one or more components of the motorcycle  1 , such as the transmission, the suspensions and the engine. By means of the interaction member  43 , the user can select the desired function and set it according to the desired driving conditions (for example: sport, comfort or eco behavior of the engine; sport, comfort or eco behavior of the automatic transmission, sport, comfort or normal behavior of the suspensions) using the interface member. 
     The interaction member  43  also allows the user to access the functions of the smartphone, and in particular to manage calls, messages, music and multimedia files, to access the Internet, to manage satellite navigation functions available by means of the smartphone, and in general to make use of any function with which the smartphone is provided. 
     Interfacing of the smartphone  21  with tilt sensors and/or with accelerometers with which the motorcycle  1  is provided can allow, by means of suitable programming of the electronic control unit  31 , emergency calls to be made by means of the smartphone  21  when the signals supplied by these sensors indicate an accident. 
     The invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that many modifications, changes and omissions are possible without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, defined in the appended claims.