Electronic shifting systems and methods
AssigneeSram, LLC
InventorsBrian Jordan, Todd Squires, Mason Pluimer, Sage Hahn, Alexander Kon-I Ho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless control system for a bicycle, comprising a first shift control unit for a component of a bicycle, the first control unit comprising a radio configured to receive control signals, wirelessly transmitted by a second control unit of the bicycle; the radio operable to receive the control signals only when the radio is operating in a listen mode; and a processor configured to: activate the listen mode of the radio for a first length of time; detect, with the radio, a noise level during the first length of time; and extend the activation of the listen mode for a first extended time period when the noise level achieves a noise level threshold.
Claims21
A wireless control system for a bicycle, comprising:
- a first control unit for a component of a bicycle, the first control unit comprising:
- a radio configured to receive control signals, wirelessly transmitted by a second control unit of the bicycle, the radio operable to receive the control signal only when the radio is operating in a listen mode;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- activate the listen mode of the radio for a first length of time;
- detect, with the radio, a noise level during the first length of time;
- and
- extend the activation of the listen mode for a first extended time period when the noise level achieves a noise level threshold.
A method for transmitting and receiving wireless control signals on a bicycle, wherein the method comprises:
- transmitting wireless control signals to a radio;
- listening, periodically, with the radio for a first length of time, for control signals transmitted by a control unit of a bicycle on a communication frequency channel;
- determining, with a processor, a noise level on the frequency channel during the first length of time;
- and
- listening with the radio for control signals for an extended length of time when the noise level achieves a noise level threshold.
A bicycle control system, configured to accommodate a first control unit, the first control unit comprising:
- a radio configured to receive a control signal wirelessly transmitted by a second control unit of the bicycle, the radio operable to receive the control signal only when the radio is operating in a listen mode, and
- a processor configured to:
- periodically activate the listen mode of the radio for a plurality of listen time periods;
- periodically detect, with the radio, a noise level during the listen time periods;
- deactivate the listen mode of the radio when the noise level has not achieved a noise level threshold during the listen time periods;
- extend the activation of the listen mode for an extended time period when the radio detects that the noise level has achieved the noise level threshold during any listen time period of the plurality of listen time periods;
- and
- deactivate the listen mode of the radio when the noise level has not achieved the noise level threshold during the extended time periods.
A wireless control system for a bicycle, comprising:
- a first control unit for a component of a bicycle, the first control unit comprising:
- at least one noise radio configured to detect a noise level of a wireless environment comprising signals wirelessly transmitted by a second control unit of the bicycle, and at least one receiving radio configured to receive control signals, wirelessly transmitted by the second control unit of the bicycle, the at least one receiving radio operable to receive the control signal only when the radio is operating in a listen mode;
- and
- a processor configured to
- activate the listen mode of the at least one receiving radio for a first length of time;
- detect, with the at least one noise radio, the noise level;
- and
- extend the activation of the listen mode for a extended time period when the noise level achieves a noise level threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.