# US 10,479,442 B2 · Vehicle having an electric drive, in particular an electrical bicycle, and method for operating such a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,442 B2 - Document ID: US10479442B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/529,446 - Filed: 2015-09-21 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-26 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Daniel Baumgaertner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479442B2 ## CPC - B62M 6/50: characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof - B62M 6/45: Control or actuating devices therefor - B62M 6/55: power-driven at crank shafts parts - B62M: RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR {SINGLE-TRACK} CYCLES; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of transmissions in vehicles in general B60K; transmission elements per se F16) ## Abstract A vehicle operable by muscle force and/or pedaling force including an electric drive, a control unit for actuating the electric drive, a crankshaft drive; a first detection device for detecting a cycle time across a predefined crank angle, a second detection device for detecting a force applied by a driver; and a third detection device for detecting a first time during which the force applied by the driver lies above a threshold value, or a second time during which the force applied by the driver lies below the threshold value, and the control unit is configured to calculate a quotient of the first time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the second time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the first time and the second time, and the control unit is further configured to control the electric drive as a function of the calculated quotient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle operable using at least one of a muscle force and a pedaling force, comprising: an electric drive; a control unit for actuating the electric drive; a crankshaft drive having a first crank and a second crank for driving the vehicle; a first detection device for detecting a cycle time over a predefined crank angle; a second detection device for detecting a force applied by a driver; and a third detection device for detecting a first time, during which the force applied by the driver lies above a threshold value, or a second time, during which the force applied by the driver lies below the threshold value; wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a quotient of the first time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the second time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the first time and the second time, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the electric drive as a function of the calculated quotient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second detection device is mounted on at least one of a pedal, one of the cranks, and a crankshaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predefined crank angle across which the cycle time is detected is a fixed value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to generate values for the cycle time for a plurality of passed-through crank angles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to use the acquired values for detecting an uneven pedal operation and to inform the driver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second detection device includes a spring element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6, wherein a complete compression of the spring element defines the threshold value of the driver torque. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electric drive is operable using a plurality of support stages, and wherein a different predefined threshold value is selected for each support stage. ### Claim 9 A method for operating a vehicle which is operable by at least one of a muscular force and a pedaling force, having an electric drive, a crankshaft drive having a first and a second crank, and a control unit, the method comprising: detecting a cycle time across a predefined crank angle at the crankshaft drive; detecting a force applied by a driver; detecting a first time during which the force applied by the driver lies above a threshold value, or detecting a second time during which the force applied by the driver lies below the threshold value; calculating a quotient of the first time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the second time and the cycle time, or a quotient of the first time and the second time, the quotient representing a measure of a driver torque, and actuating the electric drive as a function of the calculated quotient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the control unit checks whether the quotient falls into a predefined range and actuates the electric drive as a function of the range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the electric drive has a plurality of support stages and a different threshold value is allocated to each support stage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the predefined crank angle to be passed through is varied during the operation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predefined crank angle across which the cycle time is detected is a fixed value, which is one half of a crank rotation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to generate values for the cycle time for a plurality of passed-through crank angles, the values including a mean value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to use the acquired values for detecting an uneven pedal operation and to inform the driver on a display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an electrical bicycle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an electrical bicycle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the spring element has a variable spring constant, by which a force applied by the driver is able to be ascertained.