Patent Abstract:
A cyclocomputer includes: a body; a display provided on an upper surface of the body and displaying prescribed information; a storage provided in the body and storing therein data including at least a portion of the prescribed information; and an NFC tag provided in the body and allowing data communication with an NFC reader writer incorporated in a mobile wireless communication terminal. The cyclocomputer can transmit via the NFC tag to the mobile wireless communication terminal at least a portion of the data stored in the storage, and the cyclocomputer can receive from the mobile wireless communication terminal via the NFC tag at least a portion of other data stored in the mobile wireless communication terminal or input to the mobile wireless communication terminal via an operation unit of the mobile wireless communication terminal.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a cyclocomputer attachable to a bicycle. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Background Art 
         [0004]    Japanese Utility Model Laying-open No. 02-83574 discloses displaying on a display device installed in a vehicle a variety of information that is stored in an IC card brought into the vehicle. 
         [0005]    A cyclocomputer attached to a bicycle and displaying a variety of information such as a travelling speed in a manner visible by the rider, has also been conventionally known. 
         [0006]    In recent years, near field communication (NFC) technology is increasingly prevalent. A basic study of the NFC technology has been started with the technology under the name of Felica (registered trademark). The basic study of the NFC was started in the late 1980&#39;s, and the technology, started by Sony Corporation, has been standardized in recent years as contactless IC card communication (or the NFC communication). While NFC communication includes Felica, ISO/IEC 14443 TypeA (MIFARE (registered trademark)), ISO/IEC 14443 TypeB, and ISO15693 for differences in communication specifications, a chip embedded in a card accommodating all specifications (an NFC LSI chip) and a reader writer have appeared in recent years. The NFC communication is put in practical use as a commutation ticket for public transportation facilities, or electronic money used to pay small sums of money and also having a function as a commutation ticket, or Suica (registered trademark) (Felica) and taspo (registered trademark) (TypeA). In Japan, the technology has also been applied to driver&#39;s license, and the NFC standard of the TypeB specification has been applied thereto. The NFC standard of the ISO15693 specification is used for a tag for business use and the like. In Japan, a My Number Card, a successor to a basic resident registry card, is scheduled to be introduced in January, 2016, with an NFC LSI chip embedded therein. 
         [0007]    A cyclocomputer is attached to a bicycle, and accordingly, it is desirable that the cyclocomputer be small in size. On the other hand, it is desirable that the cyclocomputer have a display having a size of some extent to display information. As the small-size cyclocomputer is required to ensure a display having an area of a size of some extent, the cyclocomputer is limited in terms of the size of a user interface used for input to and output from the cyclocomputer. For example, it is difficult to provide the cyclocomputer at an external surface thereof with numeric key pads, as it is necessary to ensure the display&#39;s area. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, cyclocomputer dealers have a setting device installed in their shops and dedicated to cyclocomputers for initializing them, such as inputting data such as a cumulative travelled distance, a circumferential length of a tire of a bicycle, a current time, a date, and the like. The setting device can be used to input predetermined information to a new cyclocomputer device. 
         [0009]    Furthermore, some riders may ride different bicycles for different purposes, and in such a case, it is desirable that a cyclocomputer can be shared among the different bicycles. Sharing a cyclocomputer among different bicycles, however, requires rewriting information such as a tire&#39;s circumferential length stored in the cyclocomputer, and it is unrealistic to visit a dealer whenever such a rewriting operation is required. Conventionally, such rewriting necessitates using a limited user interface, such as a few number of switches. For example, when a user is required to use two switches to enter a 4-digit number, the user must press the switches repeatedly. As a result, it is difficult to share a single cyclocomputer among a plurality of bicycles or rewrite information such as a tire&#39;s circumferential length. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, a cyclocomputer is attached to a bicycle, which is human-powered, and accordingly, the cyclocomputer is required to be lightweight. Sometimes, a bicycle travels hundreds of kilometers for tens of hours at once, and while the bicycle is thus traveling, the cyclocomputer cannot be removed from the bicycle, and accordingly, the cyclocomputer is required to operate on a small-size power source such as a coin cell battery. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention contemplates a cyclocomputer that facilitates inputting and outputting information and is also miniaturized and lightweighted, and continues to operate for a long period of time without exchanging batteries or charging a battery. 
         [0012]    The present cyclocomputer is attachable to and detachable from a bicycle. 
         [0013]    In one aspect, the present cyclocomputer includes: a body; a display provided on an upper surface of the body and displaying prescribed information; a storage provided in the body and storing therein data including at least a portion of the prescribed information; and an NFC tag provided in the body and allowing data communication with an NFC reader writer incorporated in a mobile wireless communication terminal. The NFC tag is composed of an NFC LSI chip and an antenna coil, and often has them both laminated for better handlability. The NFC tag may have the NFC LSI chip and the antenna coil unlaminated. 
         [0014]    The above NFC LSI chip is composed of an interface with a microcomputer (e.g., UART, I2C, synchronous serial), an RF front end circuit, a microcomputer, a memory (ROM, RAM, EEPROM), and a power feeding capacitor. The NFC LSI chip can receive electric power from the NFC reader writer and communicate therethrough, via the antenna coil that is connected to the NFC LSI chip. The NFC LSI chip can also receive electric power from a battery of the cyclocomputer. The NFC LSI chip is only required to operate when it receives electric power, and no power source is connected to the NFC tag. 
         [0015]    “Mobile wireless communication equipment” as referred to herein includes a multifunctional mobile phone such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a setting device dedicated to the cyclocomputer. 
         [0016]    The cyclocomputer can perform data communication with a mobile wireless communication terminal, the mobile wireless communication terminal can extract data that is stored in the storage of the cyclocomputer via the NFC LSI chip, and the cyclocomputer can receive, via the NFC reader writer of the mobile wireless communication terminal, data that is stored in the mobile wireless communication terminal or input to the mobile wireless communication terminal via an operation unit of the mobile wireless communication terminal. 
         [0017]    The present invention allows a mobile wireless communication terminal&#39;s operation unit to be used to perform the above described data communication, and thus allows information to be easily input and output without the necessity of providing the cyclocomputer with an operation unit. More specifically, the present invention facilitates initializing the cyclocomputer and accordingly, sharing the cyclocomputer among a plurality of bicycles having tires with different circumferential lengths. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the cyclocomputer has a function to indicate that the cyclocomputer has completed data communication with the mobile wireless communication terminal, or a function to cause the mobile wireless communication terminal to indicate that wireless communication is completed. This can facilitate confirming that the data communication is completed. 
         [0019]    When the cyclocomputer is provided with the function to indicate that the data communication is completed, the function can be implemented for example by flashing the display of the cyclocomputer, operating a piezoelectric buzzer, a vibration function and/or the like incorporated in the cyclocomputer, and/or the like. The cyclocomputer provided with the above function allows the user to be informed that the communication is completed while the user holds the bicycle by one hand and operates the mobile wireless communication device by the other hand. 
         [0020]    When the mobile wireless communication terminal is provided with the function to indicate that the data communication is completed, the function can be implemented for example by flashing a display of the mobile wireless communication terminal, operating any of a vibration function, a flash function and a speaker function incorporated in the mobile wireless communication terminal, and/or the like. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the cyclocomputer establishes the data communication to transmit information including at least one of a circumferential length of a tire of a bicycle, a cumulative travelled distance, a cumulative travelling time, a current time, an average speed, a maximum speed, a cadence, and GPS information. 
         [0022]    “GPS information” as referred to herein includes information regarding satellite orbits (almanac data), and information regarding a locus of movement. For example, transmitting almanac data from the mobile wireless communication terminal to the cyclocomputer immediately after the cyclocomputer is powered on allows the cyclocomputer to rapidly determine a current position. Furthermore, transmitting to the mobile wireless communication terminal a locus of movement that is accumulated in the cyclocomputer having a GPS function incorporated therein allows the mobile wireless communication terminal to be used to visually observe the locus of movement. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the cyclocomputer includes the display to be capable of implementing a first display state to display first information, and a second display state to display second information, and pushing the body downward to tilt the body allows one of the first and second display states to be switched to the other of the first and second display states. 
         [0024]    This allows a display of a limited size to display more information and thus the cyclocomputer to be miniaturized. Furthermore, tilting the body allows a display state to be switched to another, and the cyclocomputer is thus not required to have the body with an upper surface provided with a switch button, and can thus further be miniaturized. 
         [0025]    In another aspect, the present cyclocomputer includes: a body; a display provided on an upper surface of the body and displaying prescribed information; a storage provided in the body and storing therein data including at least a portion of the prescribed information; and an NFC tag provided in the body and allowing data communication with an NFC reader writer of a mobile wireless communication terminal. 
         [0026]    The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  shows a bicycle to which a cyclocomputer according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached. 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  shows a sensor device, which is attached to the bicycle together with the cyclocomputer shown in  FIG. 1 , secured to a chain stay of the bicycle. 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  shows the cyclocomputer being attached to a fixture for securing the cyclocomputer to the bicycle. 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  shows the cyclocomputer completely attached to the fixture. 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  shows the cyclocomputer secured to the bicycle. 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram of the cyclocomputer when it performs data communication. 
           [0033]      FIG. 7  is a functional block diagram of a mobile wireless communication terminal when it performs data communication. 
           [0034]      FIG. 8  shows the cyclocomputer and the mobile wireless communication terminal communicating data therebetween. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in embodiment. Note that identical or corresponding components are identically denoted and may not be described repeatedly. 
         [0036]    In describing the following embodiments when a number, an amount and the like are referred to, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto in scope unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, each component is not necessarily essential to the present invention unless otherwise specified. 
         [0037]      FIG. 1  shows a bicycle to which a cyclocomputer according to the present embodiment is attached. 
         [0038]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a bicycle  1  includes a front wheel  2  and a rear wheel  3 , a chain wheel and crank  4  rotating with a pedal, and a chain stay  5 . Bicycle  1  has a cyclocomputer  100  attached thereto. 
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows a sensor device, which is attached to the bicycle together with a display device shown in  FIG. 1 , secured to the chain stay of the bicycle. With reference to  FIG. 2 , a sensor device  200  includes a speed sensor  210  and a cadence sensor  220 . Rear wheel  3  has a spoke with a magnet  3 A attached thereto and chain wheel and crank  4  has a magnet  4 A attached thereto. Speed sensor  210  senses passage of magnet  3 A, and cadence sensor  220  senses passage of magnet  4 A. At what speed bicycle  1  travels and at what pace it is pedaled are thus sensed. More specifically, as magnet  3 A passes, rear wheel  3 ′s rotation period T (sec) is detected and bicycle  1 &#39;s travelling speed V (m/sec) is calculated from rotation period T and rear wheel  3 &#39;s circumferential length L (m) as V=L/T. 
         [0040]    When sensor device  200  is attached to bicycle  1 , speed sensor  210  is pivoted in a direction indicated by an arrow DR 210 , and cadence sensor  220  is pivoted in a direction indicated by an arrow DR 220 . This can adjust a spacing between speed sensor  210  and magnet  3 A and that between cadence sensor  220  and magnet  4 A. 
         [0041]    Appropriately adjusting the spacings allows speed sensor  210  to sense passage of magnet  3 A appropriately, and cadence sensor  220  to sense passage of magnet  4 A appropriately. 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  shows cyclocomputer  100  being attached to a fixture  300  for securing cyclocomputer  100  to the bicycle. Furthermore,  FIG. 4  shows cyclocomputer  100  completely attached to fixture  300 . 
         [0043]    With reference to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , cyclocomputer  100  is attached to bicycle  1  via fixture  300 . Cyclocomputer  100  includes a body  110  and a display  120 . Fixture  300  includes a fixture body  310 , a band  320 , an engagement portion  330 , and a rotary operation unit  340 . The cyclocomputer  100  body  110  is slid in a direction indicated by an arrow shown in  FIG. 3 , to detachably engage an engagement portion  110 A of body  110  with engagement portion  330  of fixture  300  to attach cyclocomputer  100  to fixture  300 . 
         [0044]    Cyclocomputer  100  causes display  120  to for example display a cumulative travelled distance, a cumulative travelling time, a current time, a current speed, an average speed, a maximum speed, a cadence, GPS information, and other similar information. These pieces of information may or may not be displayed on display  120  all at once. When a plurality of pieces of information are not displayed all at once, display  120  implements a “first display state” to display a portion of the plurality of pieces of information, and a “second display state” to display other information. Note that the present invention is not limited to two display states and can implement any plurality of display states. 
         [0045]    Note that as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , fixture  300  is a worm gear type-fixture having rotary operation unit  340 . In other words, rotary operation unit  340  can be rotated to tighten/loose band  320 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 5  shows cyclocomputer  100  secured to the bicycle via fixture  300 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , fixture  300  has band  320  wound on and thus clamping a bar  400  of the bicycle to attach the display device to the bar. 
         [0047]    Note that while the  FIG. 5  example shows cyclocomputer  100  attached to bar  400  extending along bicycle  1  (e.g., a stem), cyclocomputer  100  may be attached to a bar extending across the bicycle (e.g., a handle bar). 
         [0048]    Cyclocomputer  100  has body  110  supported on fixture  300  such that body  110  can be tilted in directions DR 1  and DR 2 . When switching an indication to another on the display of cyclocomputer  100 , body  110  is pressed downward and thus tilted in direction DR 1 . This allows a switch button (not shown) that is provided at a lower surface of body  110  to be pressed by fixture  300  into body  110  to activate a switch to switch a display state to another. When the user removes his/her hand from body  110 , body  110  tilts back in direction DR 2  to its initial state. 
         [0049]    When a rider purchases a new cyclocomputer, it is necessary to input prescribed data such as a circumferential length of a tire of a bicycle, a cumulative travelled distance, a current time and the like to that new cyclocomputer (i.e., initialize the cyclocomputer). Furthermore, if the rider rides different bicycles for different purposes, it is necessary to re-initialize the cyclocomputer whenever the rider rides a different bicycle. With a tire&#39;s circumferential length referred to to calculate speed and travelled distance, if the rider rides bicycles having tires with different circumferential lengths, in particular, failing to re-initialize the cyclocomputer will result in the cyclocomputer displaying an erroneous indication. On the other hand, cyclocomputer  100  is also required to be simplified in structure and reduced in size, which necessitates cyclocomputer  100  to have a simplified operation unit for entering information. The simplified operation unit is poor in operability for initialization. 
         [0050]    Accordingly, the present embodiment provides cyclocomputer  100  to be capable of communicating data with a smart phone to communicate information therewith to allow the smart phone&#39;s operation unit to be utilized to initialize cyclocomputer  100 . Furthermore, a smart phone can be carried by a rider when the rider leaves for a bicycle tour, and information (time information, positional information, and the like) obtained via the smart phone during the tour can also be transmitted to cyclocomputer  100 . Furthermore, the information can also be shared by a plurality of cyclocomputers  100  via the smart phone. 
         [0051]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  are functional block diagrams of cyclocomputer  100  and a smart phone (or mobile wireless communication terminal)  500 , respectively, performing data communication. 
         [0052]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , cyclocomputer  100  includes body  110  and display  120 , and in addition, a storage  130  internal to body  110 , a wireless communication unit  140  (a radio frequency, wireless circuit unit  140 A, and an analog front end, analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog conversion processing unit  140 B), and a control unit  150  that controls display  120 , storage  130 , and wireless communication unit  140  operatively. Storage  130  stores data displayed on display  120 . Wireless communication unit  140  is a component that performs data communication with speed sensor  210  and cadence sensor  220 . NFC tag  160  communicates data that is stored in storage  130  with an NFC reader writer  540  in accordance with a specification of NFC communication. 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , smart phone  500  includes an operation unit  510  operated by a user to input prescribed operation information, and a display  520  that displays prescribed information. For example, a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display may serve as both operation unit  510  and display  520 . 
         [0054]    Storage  530  is a component that stores prescribed information, and NFC reader writer  540  is a component that performs data communication with NFC tag  160  of cyclocomputer  100 . Wireless communication unit  560  is a component that establishes physical connection with a mobile phone communication network or a WiFi communication network. Control unit  550  operates in response to how operation unit  510  is operated and the like to control display  520 , storage  530 , and wireless communication unit  560  operatively. 
         [0055]    NFC tag  160  of cyclocomputer  100  receives from smart phone  500  via NFC reader writer  540  data that is stored in smart phone  500  at storage  530  or input to smart phone  500  via operation unit  510 . The received data is transmitted to storage  130 . 
         [0056]      FIG. 8  shows cyclocomputer  100  and smart phone  500  communicating data therebetween. As shown in  FIG. 8 , smart phone  500  is held still near cyclocomputer  100  for a period of time (for example of about 0.5 second) to perform designated, desired wireless data communication. Once the data communication has been completed, cyclocomputer  100  and/or smart phone  500  inform/informs the user accordingly. For example, displays  120 ,  520  may be flashed or turned on or a flash function, a vibration function, and/or the like may be used. 
         [0057]    Note that the above wireless data communication&#39;s contents, e.g., a tire&#39;s circumferential length, a current time, a cumulative traveled distance, and the like, are designated on smart phone  500 . In order to do this operation, it is necessary to previously install dedicated application software in smart phone  500 . 
         [0058]    Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scope of the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1