Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Taiwan patent application No. 102102839, filed on Jan. 25, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an electromechanical control system of electric bicycle and more particularly to an electromechanical control system integrating smart mobile communication device and cloud services 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Cycling is popular almost everywhere. More and more people are riding bikes regularly. As physical strength varies from person to person, to cope with various riding conditions, cyclists may experience different loading conditions. Hence, the electric power driving mechanism has been brought into play to lower cyclists&#39; loads upon riding bikes. Meanwhile, since personal smart mobile devices have gradually become one of the most often carried items of people in their daily life, some programs associated with cycling are already developed and are supported to run on personal smart mobile devices. On the one hand, cyclists can acquire desired cycling information upon riding bikes, and on the other hand, given the functions of the personal smart mobile devices, cyclists can also enjoy the access to the Internet, GPS features, social networking websites and the like. 
         [0006]    Each conventional electric bike is usually equipped with a control panel and a controller for the cyclists to know the remaining power of the battery or other parameters controlling functions of the electric bike. If a personal smart mobile device is additionally equipped in the bike for the purpose of accessing other information therethrough, the electric bike needs one more device for cyclists to read and manipulate the information. This requirement not only causes space allocation concern on the handle bar of the bike but also diverts riders&#39; attention to different devices to meet different operation demands. Hence, integrating the control panel of the electric power driving mechanism of the electric bike on a personal smart mobile device as an extended function of the personal mobile device has become a trend recently. However, such personal smart mobile device only replaces the control panel of the electric power driving mechanism without truly combining both advantages of the personal smart mobile device and the electric power driving mechanism. As a result, the present invention fully integrates a personal smart mobile device with an electric power driving mechanism from the aspects of hardware structure and communication software, thereby providing complementary and extended functions for cyclists to ride all kinds of bikes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An objective of the present invention is to provide an electromechanical control system of an electric bike integrating a smart mobile device and cloud services therewith. 
         [0008]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the electromechanical control system of an electric bike integrating a smart mobile device has an electromechanical assembly, a cycling status detection assembly, a controller and a smart mobile device. 
         [0009]    The electromechanical assembly is adapted to have an electric motor and a battery mounted on an electric bike to drive a wheel axle of the electric bike. 
         [0010]    The cycling status detection assembly detects cycling status of the electric bike and outputs the cycling status. 
         [0011]    The controller is electrically connected to the electromechanical assembly and the cycling status detection assembly to control operation of the electric motor, receives the cycling status, and processes the cycling status into cycling information and bike information. The controller has a communication interface and is built in with a cycling control procedure and an export control procedure. The cycling control procedure configures cycling control parameters for controlling the operation of the electric motor to simulate different road conditions for cycling, and controls the operation of the electric motor according to the cycling information, the bike information and the cycling control parameters, and the export control procedure makes a part of cycling control parameters openly available for external configuration, and makes the cycling information and the bike information openly available for output. 
         [0012]    The smart mobile device is connected to the communication interface of the controller to perform bidirectional communication therewith, and provides a user interface for launching the export control procedure of the controller, sets up the openly available cycling control parameters, and obtains the cycling information and bike information for storage and display. 
         [0013]    The controller of the electric bike can independently monitor and control the operation of the electric motor and can be integrated with an external smart mobile device, such as a smart phone, through the use of a communication interface of the controller. Cyclists can set up the cycling control parameters of the controller through a user interface provided by the smart mobile device to adapt to different physical strength of cyclists. Besides, the cycling information and the bike information can be displayed on the smart mobile device or make them openly available through the online function of the smart mobile device for cyclists to easily record or manage related information. Accordingly, the controller of the present invention displays the cycling information and the bike information in collaboration with the smart mobile device. Cyclists do not get distracted by watching different devices at the same time during bike cycling. After the smart mobile device transmits a control command to the controller, even if there is no smart mobile device, the operation of the electric motor can still be smoothly monitored and controlled by the controller alone. 
         [0014]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the electromechanical control system of an electric bike integrating a smart mobile device has an electromechanical assembly, a cycling status detection assembly, a controller, a smart mobile device, and a network platform. 
         [0015]    The electromechanical assembly is adapted to have an electric motor and a battery mounted on an electric bike to drive a wheel axle of the electric bike. 
         [0016]    The cycling status detection assembly detects cycling status of the electric bike and outputs the cycling status. 
         [0017]    The controller is electrically connected to the electromechanical assembly and the cycling status detection assembly to control operation of the electric motor, receives the cycling status, and processes the cycling status into cycling information and bike information. The controller has a communication interface and is built in with a cycling control procedure and an export control procedure. The cycling control procedure configures cycling control parameters for controlling the operation of the electric motor to simulate different road conditions for cycling, and controls the operation of the electric motor according to the cycling information, the bike information and the cycling control parameters, and the export control procedure makes a part of cycling control parameters openly available for external configuration, and makes the cycling information and the bike information openly available for output. 
         [0018]    The smart mobile device is connected to the communication interface of the controller to perform bidirectional communication therewith, and provides a user interface for launching the export control procedure of the controller, sets up the openly available cycling control parameters, and obtains the cycling information and bike information for storage and display. 
         [0019]    The network platform provides at least one application program for the smart mobile device to download and execute. The smart mobile device uploads its stored cycling information and bike information to the network platform through the executed application program. 
         [0020]    The foregoing electromechanical control system additionally has a network platform for the smart mobile device to execute an application program provided by the network platform and then to download more diversified monitoring and control modes. The operation of the electric motor of the electric bike can be remotely monitored and controlled, thereby easily managing bike information and sharing cycling information among cyclists. Accordingly, many types of cloud services can be provided through the network platform in collaboration with the development of application programs to increase the fun of riding the electric bike. 
         [0021]    Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electromechanical control system applied to an electric bike in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of the electromechanical control system in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are associated with a flow diagram of a connection procedure for connecting the controller of the electromechanical control system with a smart mobile device in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is system architecture diagram of another electromechanical control system in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5A  is a system architecture diagram of the electromechanical control system in  FIG. 4  applied to an application of uploading bike information and cycling information; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen of the application in  FIG. 5A  for uploading bike information and cycling information to a database; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6A  is a system architecture diagram of the electromechanical control system in  FIG. 4  applied to an application of sharing bike information and cycling information with social networking websites; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen of the application in  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7A  is a system architecture diagram of the electromechanical control system in  FIG. 4  applied to an application of downloading cycling modes; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen of the application in  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 8A  is a system architecture diagram of the electromechanical control system in  FIG. 4  applied to an application of downloading games with a level design; and 
           [0033]      FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen of the application in  FIG. 8A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of an electromechanical control system of an electric bike integrating a smart mobile device and cloud services therewith in accordance with the present invention has an electromechanical assembly  10 , a cycling status detection assembly  20 , a controller  30 , and a smart mobile device  40 . 
         [0035]    The electromechanical assembly  10  has an electric motor  11  and a battery  12  mounted on an electric bike to drive a wheel axle of the electric bike. The electric motor  11  can optionally have an electric motor lock  13  preventing the electric motor  11  from being rotated with a mechanism. The electric motor  11  can drive a front wheel axle or a rear wheel axle directly or through a transmission mechanism to rotate. 
         [0036]    The cycling status detection assembly  20  detects cycling status of the bike and output the cycling status, and has a pedal detector  21 , a speed detector  22 , and a temperature detector  23 . 
         [0037]    The controller  30  is mounted on the bike and is electrically connected to the electromechanical assembly  10  and the cycling status detection assembly  20  to control the operation of the electric motor  11 , lock or unlock the electric motor lock  13 , receive the cycling status including cycling distance, cycling speed and the like, and process the cycling status into cycling information and bike information. The bike information has an average motor speed, an average motor temperature, and a remaining battery capacity. The controller  30  has a communication interface  31  and is built in with a cycling control procedure and an export control procedure. The cycling control procedure configures cycling control parameters for controlling the operation of the electric motor  11 , such as rotation speed, torque and load of the electric motor, to simulate different road conditions for cycling, and controls the operation of the electric motor  11  according to the cycling information, bike information and the cycling control parameters. The export control procedure makes a part of cycling control parameters openly available for external configuration, and makes the cycling information and the bike information openly available for output. The communication interface  31  may be a small-scale wired connection interface, such as USB port and the like, or a short-distance wireless connection interface, such as Bluetooth module, WiFi module and the like. 
         [0038]    The smart mobile device  40  may be a smart phone, a small-scale tablet computer and the like. As already having the small-scale wired connection interface, such as USB and the like, or the short-distance wireless connection interface, such as Bluetooth module, WiFi module and the like, the smart mobile device  40  can connect to the communication interface  31  of the controller  30  to perform bidirectional communication, and provides a user interface for user to launch the export control procedure of the controller  30 , set up the cycling control parameters, and obtain the cycling information and bike information for storage and display. The smart mobile device  40  has a mobile Internet module  41 , a GPS module  42 , a touch panel  43 , a communication interface  44 , and a processor  401 . The processor  401  is electrically connected to the mobile Internet module  41 , the GPS module  42 , the touch panel  43  and the communication interface  44 , and is connected to the Internet through the mobile Internet module  41 , controls the touch panel  43  to display an electronic map, and marks a current location on the electronic map according to a current geographical location of the smart mobile device  40 . 
         [0039]    The controller  30  has a message processing unit  301  and a control unit  302 . The message processing unit  301  is electrically connected to the communication interface  31  to further connect to and communicate with the communication interface  44  of the smart mobile device  40  in a bidirectional mode, stores a control command outputted by the smart mobile device  40 , converts the control command into a control signal, and outputs the control signal. 
         [0040]    The control unit  302  is electrically connected to the message processing unit  301  to receive the control signal outputted from the message processing unit  301 , controls the electromechanical assembly  10 , receives a status detection signal of the cycling status detection assembly  20 , converts the status detection signal into status detection data, and outputs the status detection data to the message processing unit  301  for the message processing unit  301  to further transmit the status detection data to the connected smart mobile device  40 . The control unit  302  can be integrally formed with the message processing unit  301  as a common device being mountable inside a handle bar of the bike or integratable inside the electromechanical assembly  10 . 
         [0041]    As can be integrated into the smart mobile device, such as a smart phone and the like, the controller  30  should be able to correctly identify the smart mobile device  40  during operation. The message processing unit  301  of the controller  30  therefore further has a connection procedure built therein. The connection procedure is performed only after the communication interface  31  of the controller  30  detects a connection request issued from an external smart mobile device  40 , and has an initialization stage, an authentication stage, and an operation stage performed in sequence. 
         [0042]    With reference to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the smart mobile device executes an application, enters the initialization stage S 10  after the application program is activated, determines if connected to the controller  30  S 11 , and sends an authentication notification to the controller  30  after confirming the connection S 12 , and the controller  30  acknowledges the connection confirmation with an indicator signal or a sound and then enters the authentication stage S 20 . To provide anti-theft, misconnection-free and monitoring functions, two types, namely, authenticated access type and unauthenticated access type, are checked during the authentication stage. As the touch panel of the smart mobile device provides convenient and diversified input interfaces, the touch panel can serve as an interface for password input to prevent the theft of the bike. If the password authentication fails to pass, the electric motor lock  13  of the electric bike is in a locked state and it is not allowed to pedal the electric bike. As the password is directly stored in the controller  30 , whoever intends to use the bike or whichever type of smart mobile device is employed, the controller  30  can only unlock the electric motor lock  13  after completing the initialization stage and passing the authentication stage. Following is detailed description for an unauthenticated processing procedure and an authenticated processing procedure. 
         [0043]    1. When an unauthenticated access type is identified in the authentication stage, if the bike is used for the first time, the message processing unit  301  of the controller  30  determines that no password is stored therein S 21  and that the current access is not authenticated S 22 . The message processing unit  301  then returns a response to the smart mobile device indicating that the bike is used for the first time. An application program of the smart mobile device  40  will display a password setting interface on a user interface of the smart mobile device  40  for users to set up a password used in first time authentication S 23 . When users finish inputting the password for the first time authentication, the password is stored in the message processing unit  301  of the controller  30  for later authentication of the password. 
         [0044]    2. When an authenticated access type is identified in the authentication stage S 24 , it indicates that the message processing unit  301  of the controller  30  already has a password stored therein. The message processing unit  301  then returns a response to the smart mobile device  40  indicating that authentication can be performed. The application program of the smart mobile device  40  will display a password input interface for cyclists to input a password. The message processing unit  301  compares the inputted password with the stored password to determine if they match each other, and if negative, asks cyclists to input a password again until the inputted password and the stored password match each other S 25 . 
         [0045]    After a correct password is inputted, the controller  30  unlocks the electric motor lock  13  to allow cyclists to ride the bike. Meanwhile, the controller  30  generates a check code with a random number S 26  to be stored in the smart mobile device  40  as the basis of determining status of authentication performed in the controller  30 . If the smart mobile device  40  is a smart phone, an application program currently running on the smart phone may be terminated by executing another application program, such as an incoming call, and the smart phone may be also disconnected from the controller  30 . However, since the message processing unit of the controller  30  already stores a control command sent from the smart mobile device  40  and independently monitors and controls the operation of the electric motor  11  so that the electric bike can still be operated according to the control command from the smart mobile device  40 . 
         [0046]    Although the controller  30  can still normally control the operation of the electric bike when losing communication with a smart phone, if any other smart phone of a cyclist in the nearby issues a connection request attempting to connect to the controller  30  of the current smart phone S 30 , the controller  30  will ask the smart phone attempting to connect thereto to return the check code S 31  as the controller  30  has been authenticated. If the smart phone attempting to connect to the controller  30  returns an incorrect check code or there is no check code in the controller  30  S 32 , the current smart phone will not connect to the smart phone attempting to connect thereto S 33  to avoid the cycling risk arising from the unexpected connection to the smart mobile device  40  during bike cycling. 
         [0047]    After the authentication stage S 20  is completed, the controller  30  enters the operation stage S 40 . The operation stage has three main processing procedures, namely, a cycling information processing procedure S 41 , a bike information processing procedure S 42 , and a cycling control parameters processing procedure S 43 . After the smart mobile device  40  sends a cycling information inquiry request to the controller  30 , the controller  30  processes the cycling status of the cycling status detection assembly  20  and then transmits the processed cycling status back to the smart mobile device  40  for the touch panel  43  of the smart mobile device  40  to display the processed cycling status. Besides, if the smart mobile device  40  is connected to the Internet, the processed cycling status can be simultaneously transmitted to an external database. Similarly, the smart mobile device  40  can also send a bike information inquiry request to the controller  30 , the controller  30  transmits the processed bike information back to the smart mobile device and also to an external database through the Internet. As the user interface provided by the smart mobile device  40  allows users to set up the cycling control parameters, when receiving the cycling control parameters that users intend to configure, the smart mobile device  40  transmits a control command containing the cycling control parameters to be configured to the controller  30 . The controller  30  then controls the electric motor  11  according to the cycling control parameters contained in the control command. 
         [0048]    The smart mobile device of the present invention can be further connected to a network platform  50 . With reference to  FIG. 4 , the network platform  50  provides at least one application program for the smart mobile device to download and execute. The smart mobile device  40  uploads its stored cycling information and bike information to the network platform  50  through the executed application program. Hence, the network platform  50  can be used to provide diversified cloud services to cyclists. 
         [0049]    With reference to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , to cyclists data related to bike operation that are transmitted to the database can be further analyzed to provide analysis for maintenance and service of the bike and reference for customized services, thereby predicting the possibility of trouble occurring in the bike in advance and reminding cyclists of feasible actions to take prior to the occurrence of the trouble. Therefore, bike repair shops can develop related application programs according to the present invention, and the network platform  50  provides a website collecting the cycling information and the bike information to be shared by cyclists and instant and complete repair services. 
         [0050]    With reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , as the present invention can transmit the bike information and cycling information to the network platform  50 , the network platform  50  can provide a social networking website collecting and sharing the bike information and cycling information. Cyclists can share their completed bike information and cycling information with other cyclists on social networks through the means of social networking websites. 
         [0051]    With reference to  FIG. 7A , when the controller  30  executes the cycling information processing procedure, the bike information processing procedure and the cycling control parameters processing procedure, users are allowed to select different cycling modes to attain a tailored workout effect. Hence, the network platform  50  of the present invention can be developed by fitness centers to provide an application program supporting multiple cycling modes each respectively having different cycling control parameters. After downloading the application program using a smart mobile device, users can connect to the network platform and selectively download desired cycling modes, and the controller  30  controls those cycling modes according to their respective cycling control parameters. With reference to  FIG. 7B , users can also select a competition mode for other cyclists to share and download the cycling modes for personal workout so that cyclists can compete with each other in terms of their workout performance and get more motivated to exercise by the joy of competition. Moreover, to prevent from exceeding personal physical strength during each cycling mode, the electric motor of the present invention has a regenerative braking function, and single or multiple physiological sensors to detect the heart beat rate, the breathing rate and the like for cyclists to ride the bike under an optimal mode in consuming energy of the body. 
         [0052]    With reference to  FIG. 8A , application programs of the network platform  50  can be developed by game developers. In other words, the network platform  50  is an online game server for cyclists to download game levels associated with corresponding cycling control parameters for increasing or decreasing the load of the electric bike so that cyclists can play game during the cycling course to interact with the electric bike for more bike-riding pleasure. Multiple electric bikes can even establish connection to the network platform  50  with their smart mobile devices  40 . An interactive game with multiple roles can be provided after logging in the network server. With reference to  FIG. 8B , the game records a role controlled by each respective bike. Each role performs according to the control parameters in the game, and feedback parameters in response to reaction of each role in the game are provided to the corresponding bike to increase the group bike-riding fun of the cyclists. 
         [0053]    The present invention targets at establishing a network platform for cyclists to download more diversified monitoring and control modes after the smart mobile device of the electromechanical control system executes the application program provided by the network platform. The operation of the electric motor of the electric bike can be remotely monitored and controlled, thereby realizing the objective of facilitating management of bike information and sharing cycling information among cyclists. Accordingly, diversified cloud services can be provided through the network platform, and the riding fun of electric bike can be further enhanced in collaboration with development of corresponding application program. 
         [0054]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Category: 7