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US 10,704,687 B2Granted
Automatic transmissions and methods therefor
AssigneeFallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC
InventorsChristopher M. Vasiliotis, Loren T. McDaniel
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC
InventorsChristopher M. Vasiliotis, Loren T. McDaniel
Estimating the term…
Systems and methods for controlling transmissions and associated vehicles, machines, equipment, etc., are disclosed. In one case, a transmission control system includes a control unit configured to use a sensed vehicle speed and a commanded, target constant input speed to maintain an input speed substantially constant. The system includes one or more maps that associate a speed ratio of a transmission with a vehicle speed. In one embodiment, one such map associates an encoder position with a vehicle speed. Regarding a specific application, an automatic bicycle transmission shifting system is contemplated. An exemplary automatic bicycle includes a control unit, a shift actuator, various sensors, and a user interface. The control unit is configured to cooperate with a logic module and an actuator controller to control the cadence of a rider. In one embodiment, a memory of, or in communication with, the control unit includes one or more constant cadence maps that associate transmission speed ratios with bicycle speeds.
A method of automatically controlling a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a bicycle comprising an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, a sensor for determining user pedaling speed, and an actuator, the electronic controller configured to receive a first input associated with a target user pedaling speed from the data input interface and a second input associated with a speed of the bicycle from the speed sensor, the method comprising the steps of:
A computer program product for automatically controlling a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a bicycle having an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, a sensor for determining user pedaling speed, and an actuator, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions executable by the electronic controller to perform:
A bicycle having a continuously variable transmission (CVT) controllable by an electronic controller in communication with a data input interface, a speed sensor for determining a speed of the bicycle, a sensor for determining user pedaling speed, and an actuator, wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.