# US 11,305,778 B2 · Determination of a motorcycle rider's experience level

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- Number: US 11,305,778 B2
- Document ID: US11305778B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/230,917
- Filed: 2021-04-14
- Published: 2021-07-29
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-06
- Assignees: Damon Motors Inc.
- Applicants: Damon Motors Inc.
- Inventors: Damon Jay Giraud; Dominique Kwong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305778B2

## CPC

- B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers
- G01G 19/4142: {for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems (electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015)}
- B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences}
- B60W 40/10: related to vehicle motion
- B60W 40/13: Load or weight
- B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands
- B60W 50/12: Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
- B62J 45/422: on the handlebar
- G01D 21/02: Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
- G01G 19/44: for weighing persons
- G01M 1/12: Static balancing; Determining position of centre of gravity (by determining imbalance G01M1/14)
- G01M 1/122: {Determining position of centre of gravity}
- B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour
- B60W 2040/0872: {Driver physiology}
- B60W 2040/1315: {Location of the centre of gravity}
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2300/36: Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters
- B60W 2510/18: Braking system
- B60W 2510/20: Steering systems
- B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
- B60W 2540/227: Position in the vehicle
- B60W 2540/30: Driving style
- B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)
- B62J: CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Force-detecting sensors are installed in a motorcycle's handlebars, footpegs and seat to detect the rider's grip, weight and weight distribution. A control unit interprets the signals from the sensors to determine an attribute of the rider or an intention of the rider to make a manoeuvre. Signals from environmental sensors are used by the control unit to determine whether the intended manoeuvre would endanger the rider, and, if so, the rider is alerted before the manoeuvre is undertaken. The alert is provided before the rider notices the hazard, or before the rider reacts to the hazard. By giving advance warning, of as little as a fraction of a second, a rider is given extra time to avert a potential accident. The control unit also controls settings of the motorcycle during a hazardous state of the motorcycle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for determining a motorcycle rider's experience level comprising:
a plurality of force sensors located in a seat of the motorcycle so as to detect forces exerted on the seat by the rider of the motorcycle;
a turn sensor that detects whether the motorcycle is turning; and
a control unit communicatively connected to the force sensors and turn sensor and configured to:
receive a signal from the turn sensor;
determine, based on the signal from the turn sensor, that the motorcycle is making a turn;
receive signals from the force sensors while the motorcycle is making the turn;
determine, based on the signals from the force sensors, a position of the rider on the seat; and
register the experience level of the rider, wherein the experience level depends on the position of the rider.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the position of the rider is neutral, leaning on a side of the seat that is the same as a direction of the turn, or leaning on a side of the seat that is opposite to the direction of the turn.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the experience level of the rider is registered as:
experienced if the rider is determined to be sitting in the neutral position;
advanced if the rider is determined to be leaning on the same side of the seat as the turn; or
novice if the rider is determined to be leaning on the opposite side of the seat to the turn.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turn sensor is in a handlebar of the motorcycle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turn sensor is an accelerometer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the turn sensor is a handlebar rotation sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of force sensors is nine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor mounted on the motorcycle and connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive signals from the environmental sensor; and
determine, based on the signals from the environmental sensor, whether there is a hazard for the rider.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further comprising an output device communicatively connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the output device when the control unit determines that there is a hazard for the rider.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the output device is activated differently depending on the registered experience level of the rider.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the output device is one or more of:
a haptic device embedded in a seat, handlebar or footpeg of the motorcycle;
a light-emitting diode; and
an audible device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the control unit is communicatively connected to an engine control unit (ECU) of the motorcycle; and
the control unit is configured to:
read parameters of the motorcycle from the ECU;
determine a hazardous state of the motorcycle from values of the parameters and from the registered experience level of the rider; and
send an alternate value of at least one of the parameters to the ECU to control at least one setting of the motorcycle during the hazardous state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the hazardous state is harsh braking and the alternate value is a suspension setting.

### Claim 14

A method for determining a motorcycle rider's state comprising:
locating a plurality of force sensors in a seat of the motorcycle so as to detect forces exerted on the seat by the rider of the motorcycle;
installing in the motorcycle, a turn sensor that detects whether the motorcycle is turning;
receiving, by a control unit, a signal from the turn sensor;
determining, by the control unit, based on the signal from the turn sensor, that the motorcycle is making a turn;
receiving, by the control unit, signals from the force sensors while the motorcycle is making the turn;
determining, by the control unit, based on the signals from the force sensors, a position of the rider on the seat; and
registering, by the control unit, the experience level of the rider, wherein the experience level depends on the position of the rider.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the position of the rider is determined to be neutral, leaning on a side of the seat that is the same as a direction of the turn, or leaning on a side of the seat that is opposite to the direction of the turn.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the experience level of the rider is registered as:
experienced if the rider is determined to be sitting in the neutral position;
advanced if the rider is determined to be leaning on the same side of the seat as the turn; or
novice if the rider is determined to be leaning on the opposite side of the seat to the turn.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the turn sensor is installed in a handlebar of the motorcycle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the turn sensor is an accelerometer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the turn sensor is a handlebar rotation sensor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of force sensors is nine.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
mounting an environmental sensor on the motorcycle;
receiving, by the control unit, signals from the environmental sensor; and
determining, by the control unit, based on the signals from the environmental sensor, whether there is a hazard for the rider.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
activating an output device in response to determining that there is a hazard for the rider.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the output device is activated differently depending on the registered experience level of the rider.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the output device is one or more of:
a haptic device embedded in a seat, handlebar or footpeg of the motorcycle;
a light-emitting diode; and
an audible device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
reading, by the control unit, parameters of the motorcycle from an engine control unit (ECU);
determining, by the control unit, a hazardous state of the motorcycle from values of the parameters and from the experience level of the rider; and
sending, by the control unit, an alternate value of at least one of the parameters to the ECU to control at least one setting of the motorcycle during the hazardous state.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein the hazardous state is harsh braking and the alternate value is a suspension setting.