JP7125889B2 - Manpowered vehicle controller - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a controller for a manpowered vehicle.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a manpower-driven vehicle that includes a motor that assists the propulsion of the manpower-driven vehicle and an electric transmission that changes the gear ratio of the manpower-driven vehicle.

JP 2001-280464 A

Since the comfortable pedaling state differs depending on the rider of the human-powered vehicle, it is preferable to control the motor or the transmission so as to achieve a comfortable pedaling state for the rider.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a manpowered vehicle controller that controls a manpowered vehicle so that the rider can pedal comfortably.

A manpowered vehicle control device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a manpowered vehicle control device including a control unit that controls a motor that assists propulsion of a manpowered vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the manpowered vehicle. When the human-powered driving force input to is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit, the motor is controlled to increase the assist force by the motor until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit, and the predetermined upper limit The value is set according to the load information input to the manpowered vehicle.
According to the manpower-driven vehicle control device of the first aspect, the predetermined upper limit value can be set according to the load information corresponding to the passenger of the manpower-driven vehicle. Can control the motor.

A control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a manpowered vehicle including a control unit for controlling a transmission of the manpowered vehicle, wherein the control unit is input to the manpowered vehicle. When the human power driving force reaches or exceeds a predetermined upper limit value, the transmission is controlled to decrease the gear ratio until the human power driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value, and the predetermined upper limit value is equal to or higher than the human power It is set according to the load information input to the driving vehicle.
According to the control device for the manpower-driven vehicle of the second aspect, the predetermined upper limit value can be set according to the load information corresponding to the passenger of the manpower-driven vehicle, so that the rider can shift the gears so that the pedaling feels comfortable. You can control the machine.

In the manpowered vehicle control device according to the third aspect according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, the load information includes body weight information of a passenger of the manpowered vehicle.
According to the control device for manpower-driven vehicle of the third aspect, by setting a predetermined upper limit value according to the weight information of the passenger, the motor or the transmission is controlled so that the rider feels comfortable pedaling. You can control it.

The controller for manpowered vehicle according to the third aspect of the present disclosure further includes an input unit for inputting the body weight information.
According to the controller for manpower-driven vehicle of the fourth aspect, the weight information of the passenger can be preferably input by the input unit.

In the fifth aspect of the manpowered vehicle control device according to the third or fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the load information is a pedal load corresponding to the weight of the legs of the passenger estimated from the weight information of the passenger. Contains information.
According to the control device for a manpowered vehicle of the fifth aspect, a predetermined upper limit value is set according to the weight of the legs of the passenger, so that the motor or the transmission is controlled so that the pedaling feels comfortable for the passenger. can.

The sixth aspect manpowered vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising a first load sensor provided in a pedal of the manpowered vehicle for detecting a load applied to the pedal, The load information is detected by the first load sensor.
According to the control device for a manpower-driven vehicle of the sixth aspect, since the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information that the rider actually applies to the pedals, the motor or the You can control the transmission.

In the manpowered vehicle control device according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information detected while the passenger is riding in the manpowered vehicle.
According to the manpower-driven vehicle control device of the seventh aspect, since the predetermined upper limit is set according to the load information while the passenger is on the manpower-driven vehicle, the pedaling becomes comfortable for the passenger. You can control the motor or the gearbox as you like.

In the eighth aspect manpowered vehicle control device according to the sixth or seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the load detected by the first load sensor in a state where the crank of the manpowered vehicle is positioned within a predetermined angle range The predetermined upper limit value is set according to the information.
According to the control device for manpower-driven vehicle of the eighth aspect, since the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information in a state where the crank is positioned within the predetermined angle range, the pedaling becomes comfortable for the passenger. You can control the motor or the gearbox as you like.

The ninth aspect manpowered vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising a second load sensor provided in a riding section of the manpowered vehicle for detecting a load applied to the riding section. , the load information is detected by the second load sensor.
According to the control device for manpower-driven vehicle of the ninth aspect, the weight information of the passenger is detected, and the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the detected weight information, so that the pedaling becomes comfortable for the passenger. You can control the motor or the gearbox as you like.

In the tenth aspect of the manpowered vehicle control device according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the riding section includes at least one of a saddle and a seat post.
According to the control device for manpower-driven vehicle of the tenth aspect, it is possible to detect the weight information of the occupant in at least one of the saddle and the seat post.

In the eleventh aspect of the manpowered vehicle control device according to the ninth or tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the load information is the weight of the passenger's leg estimated from the load information detected by the second load sensor. Contains responsive pedal load information.
According to the controller for manpower-driven vehicle of the eleventh aspect, the weight of the legs of the passenger is estimated, and the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the estimated weight information. The motor or transmission can be controlled so that

In the twelfth aspect manpowered vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, the load information includes pedal load information indicating a load applied to a pedal of the manpowered vehicle, The predetermined upper limit value is set by multiplying the length of the crank, the gravitational acceleration, and the pedal load information.
According to the control device for the manpower-driven vehicle of the twelfth aspect, since the predetermined upper limit value is set by the passenger's input torque calculated from the pedal load information, the motor or You can control the transmission.

The manpowered vehicle control device according to the thirteenth aspect according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising a torque sensor for detecting the manpowered driving force input to the manpowered vehicle, , the load information is set.
According to the manpower-driven vehicle control device of the thirteenth aspect, since the predetermined upper limit is set according to the passenger's input torque, the motor or the transmission can be controlled so that the passenger feels comfortable pedaling. .

In the manpowered vehicle control device of the fourteenth aspect according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, the torque sensor detects torque applied to the crank of the manpowered vehicle.
According to the manpower-driven vehicle control device of the fourteenth aspect, the torque applied to the crank of the manpower-driven vehicle can be preferably detected.

In the fifteenth aspect of the manpowered vehicle control device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects of the present disclosure, the controller controls the predetermined upper limit according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle. At least one of values and load information input to the manpowered vehicle is corrected.
According to the control device for manpower-driven vehicle of the fifteenth aspect, by correcting at least one of the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger, the pedaling is always comfortable for the passenger. Can control motors or gearboxes.

In the manpowered vehicle control device according to the sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, the manpowered vehicle control device includes a control unit that controls a motor that assists the propulsion of the manpowered vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the manpowered vehicle. When the human-powered driving force input to is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit, the motor is controlled to increase the assist force by the motor until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit, and the predetermined upper limit The value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank of the manpowered vehicle in a state where the crank is positioned at a predetermined angle.
According to the control device for a manpower-driven vehicle of the sixteenth aspect, pedaling that is comfortable for the passenger is achieved by setting a predetermined upper limit according to the load information while the crank is positioned within a predetermined angle range. The motor can be controlled so that

In the manpowered vehicle control device according to the seventeenth aspect of the present disclosure, the manpowered vehicle control device includes a control unit for controlling a transmission of the manpowered vehicle, wherein the control unit is input to the manpowered vehicle. When the human power driving force reaches or exceeds a predetermined upper limit value, the transmission is controlled to decrease the gear ratio until the human power driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value, and the predetermined upper limit value is equal to or higher than the human power It is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank in a state where the crank of the driving wheel is positioned at a predetermined angle.
According to the control device for a manpower-driven vehicle of the seventeenth aspect, a predetermined upper limit value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank in a state where the crank is positioned within the predetermined angle range. The transmission can be controlled to provide pedaling that feels comfortable to the rider.

In the control device for a manpower-driven vehicle according to the eighteenth aspect of the present disclosure, after the manpower driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value, the manpower driving force is set to the predetermined When it becomes equal to or less than the lower limit value, the motor is controlled so as to reduce the assist force by the motor.
According to the control device for a manpower-driven vehicle of the eighteenth aspect, when the manpower driving force is reduced, the assist force is also reduced, whereby the motor can be controlled so that the rider feels more comfortable pedaling.

According to the manpowered vehicle control device of the present disclosure, it is possible to control the manpowered vehicle so that the passenger can pedal comfortably.

1 is a side view of a manpowered vehicle including a manpowered vehicle control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the human-powered vehicle; (a) is a graph showing an example of the relationship between body weight information and a predetermined upper limit, and (b) is a graph showing an example of the relationship between body weight information and a predetermined lower limit. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of assist processing executed by a control unit of the manpowered vehicle control device; 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of a process of correcting a predetermined upper limit value according to a passenger's degree of fatigue, which is executed by a control unit; A graph showing an example of the relationship between boarding time and fatigue level. A graph showing an example of a relationship between a passenger's heart rate and fatigue level. A graph showing an example of the relationship between the degree of fatigue and a predetermined upper limit. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of processing for correcting load information according to a passenger's degree of fatigue, which is executed by a control unit; 4 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the degree of fatigue and a coefficient for correcting load information; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a control device for manpower-driven vehicle according to a second embodiment; FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value, which is executed by the control unit of the manpower-driven vehicle control device in FIG. 11 ; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a manpower-driven vehicle control device according to a third embodiment; FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value, which is executed by the control unit of the manpower-driven vehicle control device in FIG. 13 ; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a manpower-driven vehicle control device according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a control device for manpower-driven vehicle according to a fifth embodiment; 17 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of processing for setting a predetermined upper limit value executed by the control unit in FIG. 16; FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value, which is executed by a control unit for a manpower-driven vehicle including the control device for manpower-driven vehicle according to the sixth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a control device for manpower-driven vehicle according to a seventh embodiment; FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of gear ratio change processing executed by the control unit of the manpowered vehicle control device in FIG. 19 ; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a manpower-driven vehicle including a manpower-driven vehicle control device according to an eighth embodiment; The block diagram of the control apparatus for manpower-driven vehicles of a modification. A block diagram of a human-powered vehicle control device of another modification.

(First embodiment)
A controller 40 for a manpowered vehicle according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. The manpowered vehicle control device 40 is hereinafter simply referred to as the control device 40 . The control device 40 is provided in the manpowered vehicle 10 . The manpowered vehicle 10 is a vehicle that can be driven at least by manpower. The manpowered vehicle 10 is not limited in the number of wheels and includes, for example, unicycles and vehicles with three or more wheels. Human powered vehicles 10 include various types of bicycles, such as mountain bikes, road bikes, city bikes, cargo bikes, and recumbent bikes, as well as electrically assisted bicycles (E-bikes). Hereinafter, in the embodiments, the manpowered vehicle 10 will be described as a bicycle.

As shown in FIG. 1 , manpowered vehicle 10 includes crank 12 , drive wheels 14 and motor 16 . Manpowered vehicle 10 further includes a frame 18 . A human power driving force is input to the crank 12 . The crank 12 includes a crankshaft 12A rotatable with respect to the frame 18, and crank arms 12B provided at both ends in the axial direction of the crankshaft 12A. A pedal 20 is connected to each crank arm 12B. Drive wheel 14 is driven by rotation of crank 12 . Drive wheels 14 are supported by frame 18 . The crank 12 and drive wheel 14 are connected by a drive mechanism 22 . The drive mechanism 22 includes a first rotor 24 coupled to the crankshaft 12A. The crankshaft 12A and the first rotor 24 may be coupled via a first one-way clutch. The first one-way clutch rotates the first rotating body 24 forward when the crank 12 rotates forward, and prevents the first rotating body 24 from rotating backward when the crank 12 rotates backward. The first rotating body 24 includes a sprocket, pulley, or bevel gear. Drive mechanism 22 further includes a connecting member 26 and a second rotor 28 . The connecting member 26 transmits the rotational force of the first rotating body 24 to the second rotating body 28 . Coupling member 26 includes, for example, a chain, belt, or shaft.

The second rotating body 28 is connected to the driving wheels 14 . The second rotating body 28 includes a sprocket, pulley, or bevel gear. A second one-way clutch is preferably provided between the second rotor 28 and the drive wheel 14 . The second one-way clutch rotates the drive wheels 14 forward when the second rotating body 28 rotates forward, and prevents the driving wheels 14 from rotating backward when the second rotating body 28 rotates backward. .

Manpowered vehicle 10 includes front and rear wheels. A front wheel is attached to the frame 18 via a front fork 18A. A handlebar 10H is connected to the front fork 18A via a stem 18B. In the following embodiment, the driving wheels 14 are the rear wheels, but the driving wheels 14 may be the front wheels.

As shown in FIG. 2 , manpowered vehicle 10 further includes drive circuit 30 for motor 16 , battery 32 , torque sensor 34 , fatigue detector 36 , and controller 40 .
Motor 16 and drive circuit 30 are preferably provided in the same housing. The drive circuit 30 controls power supplied from the battery 32 to the motor 16 . The drive circuit 30 is communicably connected to the controller 42 of the controller 40 by wire or wirelessly. The drive circuit 30 can communicate with the control unit 42 by serial communication, for example. The drive circuit 30 drives the motor 16 according to the control signal from the controller 42 . The drive circuit 30 may be included in the control device 40 or may be included in the control section 42 . Motor 16 is configured to assist in propulsion of manpowered vehicle 10 . Motor 16 includes an electric motor. The motor 16 is provided so as to transmit rotation to the transmission path of the human power driving force from the pedals 20 to the rear wheels or to the front wheels. The motor 16 is provided on a frame 18, rear wheels, or front wheels of the manpowered vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the motor 16 is coupled to the power transmission path from the crankshaft 12A to the first rotating body 24. As shown in FIG. A one-way clutch is provided in the power transmission path between the motor 16 and the crankshaft 12A so that the torque of the crank 12 does not cause the motor 16 to rotate when the crankshaft 12A is rotated in the direction in which the manpowered vehicle 10 moves forward. preferably provided. The housing in which the motor 16 and the drive circuit 30 are provided may be provided with components other than the motor 16 and the drive circuit 30. For example, a reduction gear that reduces the speed of rotation of the motor 16 and outputs it may be provided. Drive circuit 30 includes an inverter circuit.

Battery 32 includes one or more battery cells. A battery cell includes a rechargeable battery. The battery 32 provides power to other electrical components, such as the motor 16 and the controller 40 , provided in the manpowered vehicle 10 and electrically connected to the battery 32 by wires. The battery 32 is communicably connected to the controller 42 by wire or wirelessly. The battery 32 can communicate with the controller 42 by PLC (Power Line Communication), for example. The battery 32 may be attached to the outside of the frame 18 or at least partially housed inside the frame 18 .

Torque sensor 34 is provided in the housing in which motor 16 is provided. The torque sensor 34 detects the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle 10 . In one example, torque sensor 34 detects torque applied to crank 12 of manpowered vehicle 10 . For example, when the power transmission path is provided with the first one-way clutch, the torque sensor 34 is provided upstream of the first one-way clutch in the power transmission path. Torque sensor 34 includes a strain sensor, a magnetostrictive sensor, or the like. A strain sensor includes a strain gauge. When the torque sensor 34 includes a strain sensor, the strain sensor is provided, for example, on the outer circumference of a rotating body included in the power transmission path. Torque sensor 34 may include a wireless or wired communication unit. The communication section of the torque sensor 34 is configured to be communicable with the control section 42 of the control device 40 .

The fatigue detection unit 36 includes at least one of a first sensor that measures the running time of the manpowered vehicle 10 and a second sensor that detects information about the heart rate of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 . The fatigue detection unit 36 may be configured to include the first sensor and not include the second sensor, or may include the second sensor and not include the first sensor. The configuration may include both the sensor and the second sensor. An example of a first sensor is a timer. The timer is communicably connected to the controller 42 by wire or wirelessly. When the fatigue detector 36 uses the first sensor, the fatigue detector 36 may be included in the controller 42 . FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration in which the control section 42 and the fatigue detection section 36 are separately provided. The first sensor starts counting a timer when, for example, a crank rotation sensor (not shown) detects that the crank 12 has rotated forward. The first sensor stops counting the timer when the crank 12 does not roll forward. The first sensor resets the count of the timer if the crank 12 has not rotated forward for a predetermined period of time. An example of the second sensor is a pulse wave sensor that is worn on the wrist of the passenger and measures the pulse wave of the wrist of the passenger. The pulse wave sensor is communicably connected to the controller 42 of the controller 40 by wire or wirelessly.

The control device 40 includes a control unit 42 that controls the motor 16 that assists the propulsion of the manpowered vehicle 10 . In one example, the control device 40 further includes a storage section 44 . Control unit 42 includes an arithmetic processing unit that executes a predetermined control program. The arithmetic processing unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Control unit 42 may include one or more microcomputers. The control unit 42 may include a plurality of arithmetic processing units that are remotely arranged at a plurality of locations. The storage unit 44 stores various control programs and information used for various control processes. The storage unit 44 includes, for example, nonvolatile memory and volatile memory. The control unit 42 and the storage unit 44 are provided, for example, in a housing in which the motor 16 is provided.

The control unit 42 controls the motor 16 according to the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle 10 . In this embodiment, the manpower driving force is indicated by torque (Nm). The control unit 42 starts driving the motor 16 when the human power driving force becomes equal to or greater than the first predetermined value TX1, and stops driving the motor 16 when the human power driving force becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined value TX2. An example of the first predetermined value TX1 is 5Nm. An example of the second predetermined value TX2 is 3Nm. The control unit 42 executes an assist process for controlling the motor 16 so that the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 can run the manpowered vehicle 10 with an appropriate manpower driving force. In the assist process, when the human-powered driving force input to the manpowered vehicle 10 reaches or exceeds a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit 42 increases the assist force of the motor 16 until the manpowered vehicle 10 becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. The motor 16 is controlled as follows. The predetermined upper limit value is set according to load information input to the manpowered vehicle 10 . The load information includes weight information of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 . The weight information includes the weight of the passenger who actually boards the manpowered vehicle 10 or the average weight of a plurality of passengers who are estimated to board. The average weight of a plurality of passengers estimated to board may be the average weight of one family, or the average weight by sex in a predetermined country or region. The control unit 42 is configured to be able to control the motor 16 so that the ratio of the assist force by the motor 16 to the manpower driving force becomes a predetermined ratio.

In the assist process, the control unit 42 controls the motor 16 so as to reduce the assist force of the motor 16 when the human-powered driving force becomes equal to or less than the predetermined lower-limit value after the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. . In this embodiment, the predetermined upper limit and lower limit are each indicated by torque (Nm). The predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value are respectively greater than the first and second predetermined values TX1, TX2.

The control device 40 includes an input section 46 for inputting body weight information. The input unit 46 is communicably connected to the control unit 42 by wire or wirelessly. The control unit 42 stores weight information of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 from the input unit 46 in the storage unit 44 . The storage unit 44 may store body weight information for each predetermined country or region and sex in advance. In this case, the user may communicate the weight information to the control unit 42 by, for example, operating the input unit 46 to select a predetermined country or region and gender.

The storage unit 44 stores information indicating the relationship between the weight of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the predetermined upper limit value, and information indicating the relationship between the weight of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the predetermined lower limit value. remembered. Information indicating the relationship between the weight of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the predetermined upper limit value may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. , or, as shown in FIG. 3A, data indicating the correspondence between body weight and a predetermined upper limit value may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a calculation table. Information indicating the relationship between the weight of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the predetermined lower limit may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, data indicating the correspondence between the body weight and the predetermined lower limit may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a calculation table. When the passenger operates the input unit 46 to input the weight information of the passenger, the control unit 42 sets a predetermined upper limit from the input weight using, for example, the graph of FIG. For example, using the graph in FIG. 3B, a predetermined lower limit is set from the input weight.

A processing procedure of the assist processing will be described with reference to FIG. When power is supplied from the battery 32 to the control unit 42, the control unit 42 starts processing and proceeds to step S11 of the flowchart shown in FIG. As long as power is supplied, the control unit 42 repeats the process from step S11 at predetermined time intervals.

The control unit 42 acquires the human power driving force from the detection information of the torque sensor 34 in step S11, and proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the controller 42 determines whether or not the human power driving force is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value TX1. The control unit 42 compares the human power driving force acquired in step S11 with the first predetermined value TX1. When the control unit 42 determines in step S12 that the human power driving force is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value TX1, the process proceeds to step S13. When the control unit 42 determines in step S12 that the human power driving force is not equal to or greater than the first predetermined value TX1, the process proceeds to step S11.
In step S13, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the human power driving force is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value. In step S13, the control unit 42 compares the human-powered driving force acquired in step S11 with a predetermined upper limit value.

When the controller 42 determines in step S13 that the human-powered driving force is equal to or greater than the predetermined upper limit value, it increases the assist force of the motor 16 in step S14, and then proceeds to step S18. In step S14, the control unit 42 increases the assist force of the motor 16 so that the assist force of the motor 16 to the human-powered driving force becomes larger than a predetermined ratio. Methods for increasing the assist force by the motor 16 include the following first to fifth examples. In a first example, the controller 42 increases the assist force by the motor 16 by increasing the predetermined ratio. In a second example, the controller 42 increases the assist force of the motor 16 by adding a predetermined value to the assist force of the motor 16 . In a third example, the assist force by the motor 16 is increased by multiplying the assist force by the motor 16 by a predetermined first coefficient. The first factor is a value greater than one. In a fourth example, the control unit 42 calculates the difference between the human-powered driving force and the predetermined upper limit value, and adds a value corresponding to the calculated difference to the assist force of the motor 16, thereby increasing the assist force of the motor 16. to increase In the fifth example, the difference between the human power driving force and the predetermined upper limit value is calculated, and the assist force of the motor 16 is multiplied by a second coefficient corresponding to the calculated difference, thereby increasing the assist force of the motor 16. Let The second factor is a value greater than one. The control unit 42 can increase the assist force by the motor 16 within a range where the predetermined ratio is equal to or less than the upper limit ratio defined by law.

When the control unit 42 determines in step S13 that the human power driving force is less than the predetermined upper limit value, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the human power driving force is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit value. In step S15, the control unit 42 compares the human-powered driving force acquired in step S11 with a predetermined lower limit value.

When the controller 42 determines in step S15 that the human-powered driving force is equal to or less than the predetermined lower limit value, in step S16 the assist force by the motor 16 is decreased, and the process proceeds to step S18. In step S16, the control unit 42 reduces the assist force of the motor 16 so that the assist force of the motor 16 with respect to the human-powered driving force becomes smaller than a predetermined ratio. As methods for reducing the assist force by the motor 16, the following first to fifth examples can be given. In a first example, the controller 42 reduces the assist force by the motor 16 by reducing the predetermined ratio. In a second example, the controller 42 reduces the assist force of the motor 16 by subtracting a predetermined value from the assist force of the motor 16 . In a third example, the assist force by the motor 16 is reduced by multiplying the assist force by the motor 16 by a predetermined third coefficient. The third coefficient is a value greater than 0 and less than 1. In the fourth example, the control unit 42 calculates the difference between the human-powered driving force and the predetermined lower limit value, and subtracts the value corresponding to the calculated difference from the assist force by the motor 16. decrease. In the fifth example, the difference between the manpower driving force and the predetermined lower limit value is calculated, and the assist force of the motor 16 is multiplied by a fourth coefficient according to the calculated difference, thereby reducing the assist force of the motor 16. Let The fourth coefficient is a value greater than 0 and less than 1.

When the control unit 42 determines in step S15 that the human-powered driving force is not equal to or lower than the predetermined lower limit value, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the control unit 42 controls the motor 16 so that the assist force of the motor 16 with respect to the human-powered driving force becomes a predetermined ratio, and proceeds to step S18.

The control unit 42 determines whether or not the human power driving force is equal to or less than the second predetermined value TX2 in step S18. The control unit 42 compares the human power driving force acquired in step S11 with the second predetermined value TX2. When the control unit 42 determines in step S18 that the human power driving force is equal to or less than the second predetermined value TX2, the process proceeds to step S19. The control unit 42 stops the motor 16 in step S19 and ends the process. When the control unit 42 determines in step S18 that the human power driving force is not equal to or less than the second predetermined value TX2, the process ends.

Next, referring to FIGS. 5 to 10, correction processing of the assist force of the motor 16 according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 will be described.
The control unit 42 corrects at least one of the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 . As a result, the relationship between the predetermined upper limit value and the load information is changed according to the degree of fatigue, so the assist force of the motor 16 is changed. The control unit 58 may correct the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 without correcting the predetermined upper limit value. The control unit 58 may correct the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 .

The control unit 42 calculates the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 according to the information detected by the fatigue detection unit 36 . When the fatigue detection unit 36 includes the second sensor, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the boarding time of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the degree of fatigue. Information representing the relationship between the boarding time of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the degree of fatigue may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. good. FIG. 6 shows a case where the degree of fatigue increases as the riding time of the manpowered vehicle 10 increases. The control unit 42 calculates the degree of fatigue of the passenger from the boarding time of the manpowered vehicle 10 detected by the second sensor. When the fatigue detection unit 36 includes the first sensor, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the heart rate and the degree of fatigue. Information representing the relationship between the heart rate and the degree of fatigue may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. 7, or may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a relational expression. FIG. 7 shows a case where the degree of fatigue increases as the passenger's heart rate increases. The control unit 42 calculates the passenger's fatigue level according to the passenger's heart rate detected by the first sensor.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for correcting the predetermined upper limit value according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. This process is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals during the period in which the assist process is executed.

In step S21, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a threshold. The control unit 42 calculates the degree of fatigue according to the information detected by the fatigue detection unit 36, and compares the calculated degree of fatigue with a threshold value. The threshold is set in advance by testing or the like.

When determining in step S21 that the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control unit 42 corrects the predetermined upper limit value in step S22. When the controller 42 determines in step S21 that the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is less than the threshold value, the process is once terminated. In this case, the predetermined upper limit value is not corrected.

When correcting the predetermined upper limit value, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the degree of fatigue and the predetermined upper limit value. Information representing the relationship between the degree of fatigue and the predetermined upper limit value may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. 8, or may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a relational expression. FIG. 8 shows a case where the predetermined upper limit value decreases as the degree of fatigue increases. The control unit 42 controls the motor 16 so that the assist force of the motor 16 increases as the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 increases. The control unit 42 calculates a predetermined upper limit from the calculated fatigue level. When changing the predetermined upper limit value, if the control unit 42 determines that the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 42 subtracts a predetermined value from the predetermined upper limit value, or A value obtained by multiplying the upper limit value by a predetermined fifth coefficient may be set as the new upper limit value. The fifth coefficient is a value greater than 0 and less than 1.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for correcting the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. This process is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals during the period in which the assist process is executed.

In step S31, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a threshold. This determination is the same as step S21 in FIG.
When the control unit 42 determines in step S31 that the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 42 corrects the load information in step S32. When the controller 42 determines in step S31 that the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 is less than the threshold value, the process is once terminated. In this case, load information is not corrected.

When correcting the load information, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the degree of fatigue and the coefficient for correcting the load information. Information representing the relationship between the degree of fatigue and the coefficient for correcting the load information may be stored in the storage unit 44 as a graph as shown in FIG. may be FIG. 10 shows a case where the coefficient for correcting the load information decreases as the degree of fatigue increases. A coefficient for correcting the load information is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1. In one example, the coefficient is 1 when the degree of fatigue is low, and gradually decreases from 1 as the degree of fatigue increases. The control unit 42 controls the motor 16 so that the assist force of the motor 16 increases as the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 increases. The control unit 42 calculates a coefficient for correcting the load information from the calculated fatigue level. The control unit 42 acquires new load information by multiplying the load information by a coefficient for correcting the load information. The control unit 42 acquires a predetermined upper limit value from the new load information acquired using, for example, the graph of FIG. 3(a).

In this embodiment, the control unit 42 corrects the predetermined upper limit according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10, and does not correct the load information. The control unit 42 may correct the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 without correcting the predetermined upper limit value. The control unit 42 may correct the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 .

(Second embodiment)
A control device 40 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. The control device 40 of the second embodiment differs from the control device 40 of the first embodiment mainly in the load information acquisition method. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are given to the configurations that are common to the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the control device 40 further includes a first load sensor 48 provided on the pedals 20 of the manpowered vehicle 10 to detect the load applied to the pedals 20 . Load information is detected by the first load sensor 48 . The first load sensor 48 is communicably connected to the controller 42 by wire or wirelessly. The first load sensor 48 outputs detection information of the first load sensor 48 to the control section 42 . The first load sensor 48 detects the load applied to the pedal 20 at each predetermined sampling period.

Control device 40 further includes an operation switch 50 . Operation switch 50 includes one or more switches. The operation switch 50 is communicably connected to the control unit 42 by wire or wirelessly. Control unit 42 includes a counter 42A for measuring time. The control unit 42 starts counting by the counter 42A when the operation switch 50 is operated. The input section 46 of the first embodiment may include an operation switch 50 .

In this embodiment, a predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information detected while the passenger is riding in the manpowered vehicle 10 . In one example, the controller 42 includes a normal mode and a calibration mode that sets a predetermined upper limit. When the operation switch 50 is operated, the controller 42 sets the calibration mode. In one example, the normal mode is a mode when the calibration mode is not set, and is a mode in which the control of the first embodiment can be executed. The control unit 42 sets a predetermined upper limit according to load information detected by the first load sensor 48 in the calibration mode.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value in the calibration mode. In this embodiment, when the operation switch 50 is operated while the passenger is on the manpowered vehicle 10, the control unit 42 starts processing and proceeds to step S41 of the flowchart shown in FIG. The control unit 42 can determine whether or not the passenger has boarded the manpowered vehicle 10 according to the load information detected by the first load sensor 48, for example. In one example, the control unit 42 determines that the passenger is in the manpowered vehicle 10 when the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The control unit 42 starts counting by the counter 42A in step S41, acquires load information in step S42, and proceeds to step S43. The control unit 42 acquires the load applied to the pedal 20 detected by the first load sensor 48 as load information.

The control unit 42 determines whether or not the number of counts integrated in step S43 is equal to or greater than a threshold. The threshold value is, for example, the maximum count value required for the passenger to rotate the crank 12 once after counting is started in the calibration mode, and is set in advance by testing or the like.

When the controller 42 determines that the integrated count number is less than the threshold in step S43, the process proceeds to step S42. Thus, the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 is continuously acquired until the count number reaches the threshold value. The acquired load information is stored in the storage unit 44 . When the control unit 42 determines that the integrated count number is equal to or greater than the threshold in step S43, it sets a predetermined upper limit according to the maximum value of the load information acquired in step S44. The control unit 42 refers through the storage unit 44 to a plurality of pieces of load information acquired during the period from the start of counting until the count number reaches the threshold value, and determines in advance according to the maximum value among the plurality of pieces of load information. Set the upper limit. In one example, the load information includes pedal load information indicating the load applied to the pedals 20 of the manpowered vehicle 10 by multiplying the length of the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 by the acceleration of gravity and the pedal load information. A predetermined upper limit value is set by . In this embodiment, the pedal load information represents the maximum load applied to the pedal. The length of the crank 12 is defined, for example, by the length from the center axis of the crankshaft 12A to the center axis of the pedal shaft of the crank arm 12B. The length of the crank 12 and the gravitational acceleration are stored in the storage unit 44 . The control unit 42 sets the torque calculated by multiplying the maximum value of the load information acquired in step S44, the length of the crank 12 stored in the storage unit 44, and the gravitational acceleration to a predetermined upper limit value. do. After the predetermined upper limit value is set, the control unit 42 resets the count number in step S45. The controller 42 may set a predetermined upper limit by multiplying the length of the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 by the pedal load information in step S44.

(Third Embodiment)
A control device 40 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. The control device 40 of the third embodiment differs from the control device 40 of the second embodiment mainly in the load information acquisition method. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the second embodiment are given to the configurations that are common to the second embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The manpowered vehicle 10 further includes a crank rotation sensor 52 . The crank rotation sensor 52 detects at least one of the rotation phase position, rotation amount, and rotation direction of the crank arm 12B. The crank rotation sensor 52 may detect the rotation phase position out of the rotation phase position, the rotation amount, and the rotation direction of the crank arm 12B, and may not detect the rotation amount and the rotation direction. The crank rotation sensor 52 may detect the amount of rotation of the crank arm 12B and may not detect the rotation phase position and rotation direction. The crank rotation sensor 52 may detect the direction of rotation of the crank arm 12B and may not detect the amount of rotation and the phase position of the rotation. The crank rotation sensor 52 may detect any combination of two of the rotation phase position, rotation amount, and rotation direction of the crank arm 12B, and may not detect the remaining one. The crank rotation sensor 52 may detect all of the rotation phase position, rotation amount, and rotation direction of the crank arm 12B. The crank rotation sensor 52 is attached to the frame 18 of the manpowered vehicle 10 or the housing in which the motor 16 is provided. The crank rotation sensor 52 includes a magnetic sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field. An annular magnet whose magnetic field strength changes in the circumferential direction is provided on the crankshaft 12A or on the power transmission path between the crankshaft 12A and the first rotating body 24 .

The crank rotation sensor 52 may be provided on a member that rotates integrally with the crankshaft 12A in the transmission path of the manpower driving force from the crankshaft 12A to the first rotor 24 . For example, the crank rotation sensor 52 may be provided on the first rotor 24 when a one-way clutch is not provided between the crankshaft 12A and the first rotor 24 .

In this embodiment, a predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 when the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 is positioned within a predetermined angle range. For example, in the calibration mode, the control unit 42 sets a predetermined upper limit according to load information detected by the first load sensor 48 when the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 is positioned within a predetermined angle range. do. A rider can arbitrarily change the predetermined angle range. The predetermined angular range preferably includes positions at which the crank arm of crank 12 is rotated 90 degrees from top dead center and bottom dead center.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value in the calibration mode. When the operation switch 50 is operated while the passenger is on the manpowered vehicle 10, the control unit 42 starts processing, proceeds to step S51 in the flow chart shown in FIG. is performed from within a predetermined angle range to outside the angle range. The control unit 42 can determine whether or not the passenger has boarded the manpowered vehicle 10 according to the load information detected by the first load sensor 48, for example. In one example, the control unit 42 determines that the passenger is in the manpowered vehicle 10 when the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The control unit 42 acquires the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B in step S51, and proceeds to step S52. In step S52, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is within a predetermined angular range.

When the control unit 42 determines in step S52 that the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is within the predetermined angle range, it acquires load information detected by the first load sensor 48 in step S53, and proceeds to step S51. . If the control unit 42 determines in step S52 that the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is outside the predetermined angular range, in step S54 it determines whether or not load information has been acquired over the entire predetermined angular range. In one example, when the crank arm 12B passes through the predetermined angular range, the control unit 42 determines that the load information has been acquired over the entire predetermined angular range. When the control unit 42 determines in step S54 that the load information has not been obtained over the entire predetermined angle range, the process proceeds to step S51. When the control unit 42 determines in step S54 that the load information has been acquired over the entire predetermined angle range, it sets a predetermined upper limit value according to the maximum value of the load information acquired in step S55. The method of setting the predetermined upper limit value in step S55 is the same as the method of setting the predetermined upper limit value in step S44 of FIG. 12 of the second embodiment.

In the flowchart of FIG. 14, steps S54 and S55 may be omitted. In this case, the control unit 42 is configured to repeat step S52 when determining in step S52 that the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is not within the predetermined angle range. After acquiring the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 in step S53, the control unit 42 sets a predetermined upper limit according to the acquired load information, and ends the process.

(Fourth embodiment)
A controller 40 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 15. FIG. The control device 40 of the fourth embodiment differs from the control device 40 of the first embodiment mainly in the load information acquisition method. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are given to the configurations that are common to the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 40 further includes a second load sensor 54 provided in the riding section 10X of the manpowered vehicle 10 and detecting the load applied to the riding section 10X. Load information is detected by the second load sensor 54 . The load information in this embodiment includes the weight information of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 . The riding section 10X includes at least one of a saddle 10S and a seat post 10P. The riding section 10X includes at least a saddle 10S. The riding section 10X may further include a seat post 10P. In one example, the second load sensor 54 is provided on the saddle 10S. The second load sensor 54 includes, for example, a pressure sensor or strain gauge. As shown in FIG. 15, the second load sensor 54 is communicably connected to the controller 42 by wire or wirelessly. The second load sensor 54 outputs the detected load information to the controller 42 .

The control unit 42 acquires body weight information from the load information detected by the second load sensor 54, and sets a predetermined upper limit using, for example, the graph of FIG. A predetermined lower limit is set using the graph of FIG. 3B of the first embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
A control device 40 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. The control device 40 of the fifth embodiment differs from the control device 40 of the first embodiment mainly in the load information acquisition method. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment may be assigned to components common to the first embodiment, and duplicate description may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the control device 40 of this embodiment further includes a torque sensor 34 that detects the manpower driving force input to the manpowered vehicle 10 . Load information is set according to the detection result of the torque sensor 34 . In one example, the controller 42 includes a normal mode and a calibration mode that sets a predetermined upper limit. When the operation switch 50 is operated, the controller 42 sets the calibration mode. In the normal mode, the control unit 42 calculates load information according to the torque applied to the crank 12, which is the detection result of the torque sensor 34. FIG. The control unit 42 sets the assist force by the motor 16 according to the load information. In the calibration mode, the controller 42 sets a predetermined upper limit according to load information detected by the first load sensor 48 .

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting a predetermined upper limit value in the calibration mode. When the operation switch 50 is operated while the passenger is on the manpowered vehicle 10, the control unit 42 starts processing and proceeds to step S71 of the flowchart shown in FIG. The control unit 42 can determine whether or not the passenger has boarded the manpowered vehicle 10 according to the torque detected by the torque sensor 34, for example. In one example, the control unit 42 determines that the passenger is in the human-powered vehicle 10 when the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The control unit 42 starts counting by the counter 42A in step S71. The control unit 42 acquires the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 in step S72, acquires load information from the detected torque in step S73, and proceeds to step S74.

The control unit 42 determines whether or not the number of counts integrated in step S74 is equal to or greater than a threshold. The threshold is the same as the threshold in step S43 of the second embodiment.
When the controller 42 determines that the integrated count number is less than the threshold in step S74, the process proceeds to step S72. Thereby, the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 is continuously acquired until the count number reaches the threshold value. The acquired torque is stored in the storage unit 44 . If the controller 42 determines in step S74 that the integrated count number is greater than or equal to the threshold value, it sets the maximum value of the load information acquired in step S75 to a predetermined upper limit value. The control unit 42 refers to the plurality of pieces of load information acquired until the count reaches the threshold value from the storage unit 44, and sets the maximum value among the plurality of pieces of load information to a predetermined upper limit value. After the predetermined upper limit value is set, the control unit 42 resets the count number in step S76.

(Sixth embodiment)
A control device 40 according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 40 of the sixth embodiment mainly differs from the control device 40 of the third embodiment in the method of setting the upper limit value. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the third embodiment are assigned to the configurations common to the third embodiment, and redundant description may be omitted.

The control device 40 of this embodiment includes a control unit 42 that controls the motor 16 that assists the propulsion of the manpowered vehicle 10 . When the human-powered driving force input to the manpower-driven vehicle 10 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit 42 controls the motor 16 so as to increase the assist force of the motor 16 until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. Control. The predetermined upper limit value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 in a state where the crank 12 is positioned at a predetermined angle. In one example, the control unit 42 sets a predetermined upper limit according to the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 when the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 is positioned at a predetermined angle in the calibration mode. The predetermined angle can be arbitrarily changed by the passenger.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of an example of processing for setting a predetermined upper limit value in the calibration mode. When the operation switch 50 is operated while the passenger is on the manpowered vehicle 10, the control unit 42 starts processing and proceeds to step S81 of the flowchart shown in FIG. The control unit 42 can determine whether or not the passenger has boarded the manpowered vehicle 10 according to the load information detected by the first load sensor 48, for example. In one example, the control unit 42 determines that the passenger is in the manpowered vehicle 10 when the load information detected by the first load sensor 48 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The control unit 42 acquires the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B in step S81, and proceeds to step S82. The control unit 42 determines whether or not the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is at a predetermined angle in step S82.

When the control unit 42 determines in step S82 that the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is not at the predetermined angle, the process proceeds to step S81. In the calibration mode, the controller 42 continues to acquire the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B until the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B reaches a predetermined angle.

When the control unit 42 determines in step S82 that the rotational phase position of the crank arm 12B is at the predetermined angle, it acquires the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 in step S83, and proceeds to step S84. The control unit 42 sets the torque acquired in step S84 to a predetermined upper limit value. For example, in step S84, the control unit 42 may set a value obtained by multiplying the acquired torque by a predetermined coefficient as a predetermined upper limit value, or set a value obtained by adding a predetermined value to the obtained torque as a predetermined upper limit value. can be set to a value. The predetermined angles preferably include positions where the crank arms of the crank 12 are rotated 90 degrees from top dead center and bottom dead center.

(Seventh embodiment)
A control device 40 of the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. The main difference between the control device 40 of the seventh embodiment and the control device 40 of the first embodiment is that, instead of the motor 16, the transmission 56 controls the human power driving force to be less than the predetermined upper limit value. different. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are given to the configurations that are common to the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the manpowered vehicle control device 40 of this embodiment includes a control section 58 that controls the transmission 56 of the manpowered vehicle 10 . Manpowered vehicle 10 further includes an actuator 62 that controls transmission 56 . The gear ratio is changed by the actuator 62 operating the transmission 56 . The gear ratio is the ratio of the rotational speed of the drive wheels 14 to the rotational speed of the crank 12 . The torque sensor 34 and the fatigue detector 36 are communicably connected to the controller 58 by wire or wirelessly. Transmission 56 includes, for example, at least one of an internal transmission and a derailleur. The transmission 56 may be configured to include an internal transmission and not include a derailleur, may be configured to include a derailleur and not include an internal transmission, or include both an internal transmission and a derailleur. It may be a configuration.

In one example, control device 40 further includes storage unit 60 . Control unit 58 includes an arithmetic processing unit that executes a predetermined control program. The arithmetic processing unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Control unit 58 may include one or more microcomputers. The control unit 58 may include multiple processing units that are spaced apart at multiple locations. The storage unit 60 stores various control programs and information used for various control processes. The storage unit 60 includes, for example, nonvolatile memory and volatile memory. The control unit 58 and the storage unit 60 may be provided in the housing in which the motor 16 is provided, or may be provided in the housing of the actuator 62, for example.

The actuator 62 is communicably connected to the controller 58 by wire or wirelessly. The controller 58 controls the actuator 62 . Battery 32 supplies power to actuator 62 through controller 58 . Battery 32 may directly power actuator 62 .

Manpowered vehicle 10 further includes an operating portion 64 . The operation unit 64 is communicably connected to the control unit 58 by wire or wirelessly. The operation unit 64 outputs a signal for operating the actuator 62 to the control unit 58 . The control section 58 controls the actuator 62 according to the signal from the operation section 64 .

The control unit 58 performs gear ratio change processing to control the transmission 56 so that the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 can run the manpowered vehicle 10 with an appropriate humanpower driving force when the operation unit 64 is not operated. Run. In the transmission gear ratio change process, when the human power driving force input to the human powered vehicle 10 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit 58 reduces the transmission ratio until the human power driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. Controls transmission 56 . The predetermined upper limit value is set according to load information input to the manpowered vehicle 10 . In this embodiment, the load information includes weight information of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 . In one example, the control unit 58 changes the gear ratio according to the operation of the operation unit 64 when the operation unit 64 is operated while the gear ratio changing process is being performed.

In the gear ratio changing process, the control unit 58 increases the gear ratio of the transmission 56 when the manual driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value after the manual driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. may be controlled. The predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value are respectively greater than the predetermined values TX1 and TX2.

Referring to FIG. 20, the processing procedure of gear ratio change processing will be described. When power is supplied from the battery 32 to the control unit 58, the control unit 58 starts processing and proceeds to step S91 of the flowchart shown in FIG. As long as power is supplied, the control unit 58 repeats the process from step S91 at predetermined time intervals.

In step S91, the control unit 58 determines whether or not the human power driving force is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value. The determination in step S91 is the same as in step S11 of the first embodiment.
When the control unit 58 determines in step S91 that the human power driving force is equal to or greater than the predetermined upper limit value, it controls the transmission 56 to reduce the gear ratio in step S92, and proceeds to step S93. If the gear ratio is the minimum gear ratio in step S92, the controller 58 causes the transmission 56 to maintain the current gear ratio, and proceeds to step S93. The following first and second examples are given as methods for reducing the gear ratio of the transmission 56 . In a first example, the control unit 58 reduces the gear ratio of the transmission 56 by subtracting a predetermined gear ratio from the assist force of the transmission 56 . In a second example, the control unit 58 calculates the difference between the human power driving force and the predetermined upper limit value, and reduces the gear ratio of the transmission 56 by subtracting the gear ratio according to the calculated difference.

When the control unit 58 determines in step S91 that the human power driving force is less than the predetermined upper limit value, the process proceeds to step S93. In step S93, the controller 58 determines whether or not the human power driving force is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit. The control unit 58 compares the human power driving force acquired in step S91 with a predetermined lower limit value.

When the controller 58 determines in step S93 that the human-powered driving force is equal to or less than the predetermined lower limit value, in step S94 the gear ratio of the transmission 56 is increased, and the process is once terminated. If the gear ratio is the maximum gear ratio in step S94, the control unit 58 causes the transmission 56 to maintain the current gear ratio, and ends the process. The following first and second examples are given as methods for increasing the gear ratio of the transmission 56 . In a first example, the control unit 58 increases the gear ratio of the transmission 56 by adding a predetermined gear ratio to the assist force of the transmission 56 . In a second example, the control unit 58 calculates the difference between the human power driving force and the predetermined lower limit, and increases the gear ratio of the transmission 56 by adding the gear ratio corresponding to the calculated difference.

In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 58 may correct at least one of the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 .
In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 58 may correct the predetermined upper limit according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 without correcting the load information. The control unit 58 may correct the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 without correcting the predetermined upper limit value. The control unit 58 may correct the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 .

(Eighth embodiment)
A control device 40 according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 40 of the eighth embodiment mainly differs from the control device 40 of the seventh embodiment in the method of setting the predetermined upper limit value. In the following description, the same reference numerals as in the seventh embodiment are given to the configurations that are common to the seventh embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The manpowered vehicle control device 40 of this embodiment includes a control section 58 that controls the transmission 56 of the manpowered vehicle 10 . When the human-powered driving force input to the manpowered vehicle 10 exceeds a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit 58 controls the transmission 56 so as to reduce the gear ratio until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. . The predetermined upper limit value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 in a state where the crank 12 is positioned at a predetermined angle. In one example, the control unit 58 controls the gear ratio in the same manner as the gear ratio changing process of the seventh embodiment.

Control device 40 further includes a first load sensor 48 . The manpowered vehicle 10 further includes a crank rotation sensor 52 . The first load sensor 48 and the crank rotation sensor 52 are each communicably connected to the controller 58 by wire or wirelessly.

As an example of a method for setting a predetermined upper limit value, the controller 58 determines in advance according to the torque detected by the torque sensor 34 when the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 is positioned at a predetermined angle in the calibration mode. Set the upper limit. The predetermined angle can be arbitrarily changed by the passenger. In one example, the predetermined upper limit value is set similarly to the flowchart shown in FIG. 18 of the sixth embodiment.

(Modification)
The description of each embodiment is an example of a form that the manpowered vehicle control device according to the present invention can take, and is not intended to limit the form. The manpowered vehicle control device according to the present invention can take, for example, a modification of each embodiment shown below, or a combination of at least two modifications not contradicting each other. In the following modified examples, the same reference numerals as in the embodiment are given to the parts that are common to the embodiments, and the description thereof is omitted.

- In the first and seventh embodiments, the load information may include pedal load information corresponding to the rider's leg weight estimated from the rider's weight information. In one example, as shown in FIG. 22, the controller 42 includes an estimator 42B and a load calculator 42C. The estimation unit 42B estimates the weight of the passenger's legs from the passenger's weight information input by the input unit 46 . For example, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the weight information of the passenger and the weight of the legs of the passenger. The estimating unit 42B calculates the weight of the passenger's legs from the passenger's weight information using information representing the relationship between the passenger's weight information and the passenger's leg weight. Information representing the relationship between the weight information of the passenger and the weight of the legs of the passenger may be stored as various tables or graphs classified according to the sex and age of the passenger.

The load calculation unit 42C calculates pedal load information from the weight of the rider's legs. For example, the storage unit 44 stores the relationship between the rider's leg weight and pedal load information. The load calculation unit 42C calculates pedal load information from the rider's leg weight using the relationship between the rider's leg weight and the pedal load information.

- In the fourth embodiment, the load information may include pedal load information corresponding to the rider's leg weight estimated from the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 . In one example, as shown in FIG. 23, the control unit 42 includes an estimation unit 42D and a load calculation unit 42E. The estimator 42D estimates the weight of the passenger's legs from the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 . For example, the storage unit 44 stores information representing the relationship between the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 and the weight of the passenger's legs. The estimating unit 42D uses information representing the relationship between the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 and the weight of the passenger's leg to estimate the weight of the passenger's leg from the load information detected by the second load sensor 54. Calculate weight. The relationship between the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 and the weight of the passenger's legs may be stored as various tables or graphs classified by the passenger's sex and age. The load calculation unit 42E, like the load calculation unit 42C, calculates pedal load information from the rider's leg weight.

- In 1st Embodiment, 2nd Embodiment, and its modification, the predetermined upper limit may be set according to a passenger's sex with load information.
- In the assist processing in the first to sixth embodiments and modifications thereof, the control unit 42 may omit the control for reducing the assist force by the motor 16 when the human-powered driving force is equal to or lower than the predetermined lower limit value. In this case, steps S15 and S16 of FIG. 4 are omitted, and if it is determined in step S13 that the human power driving force is not equal to or greater than the predetermined upper limit value, the process proceeds to step S17.

- In the seventh embodiment, the control device 40 may further include a first load sensor 48 that detects the load applied to the pedals 20 of the manpowered vehicle 10 . A first load sensor 48 is provided on the pedal 20 . Load information is detected by the first load sensor 48 . In this case, as a first example of a method for setting a predetermined upper limit value, a predetermined upper limit value is set according to load information detected by the first load sensor 48 while the passenger is riding in the manpowered vehicle 10. good too. As a second example, a predetermined upper limit value may be set according to load information detected by the first load sensor 48 when the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 is positioned within a predetermined angle range.

- In the seventh embodiment, the control device 40 may further include a second load sensor 54 that detects the load applied to the riding section 10X of the manpowered vehicle 10 . The second load sensor 54 is provided in the riding section 10X. Load information is detected by the second load sensor 54 . The riding section 10X includes at least one of a saddle 10S and a seat post 10P. The riding section 10X includes at least a saddle 10S. The riding section 10X may further include a seat post 10P. The load information may include pedal load information corresponding to the rider's leg weight estimated from the load information detected by the second load sensor 54 . In this case, the predetermined upper limit value may be set by multiplying the length of the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10, the gravitational acceleration, and the pedal load information. A predetermined upper limit value may be set by multiplying the length of the crank 12 of the manpowered vehicle 10 and the pedal load information.

- In 7th Embodiment, load information may be set according to the detection result of the torque sensor 34. FIG.
- In the transmission gear ratio changing process of the seventh and eighth embodiments, the control unit 58 may omit the control for decreasing the transmission gear ratio by the actuator 62 when the manpower driving force is equal to or lower than the prescribed lower limit value. In this case, steps S93 and S94 of FIG. 20 are omitted.

- In the first to eighth embodiments and their modifications, the control for correcting at least one of the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the manpowered vehicle 10 may be omitted. In this case, the fatigue detector 36 is omitted in the first to eighth embodiments and their modifications.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Human-powered vehicle, 10X... Boarding part, 10S... Saddle, 10P... Seat post, 12... Crank, 16... Motor, 20... Pedal, 34... Torque sensor, 40... Control device (control device for human-powered vehicle), 42... Control part, 46... Input part, 48... First load sensor, 54... Second load sensor, 56... Transmission, 58... Control part.

Claims (18)

A control device for a manpowered vehicle including a control unit for controlling a motor that assists propulsion of the manpowered vehicle,
When the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit increases the assist force by the motor until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. control the motor,
A controller for a manpower-driven vehicle, wherein the predetermined upper limit value is set according to load information input to the manpower-driven vehicle. A controller for a manpowered vehicle including a control unit for controlling a transmission of the manpowered vehicle,
When the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit operates the transmission so as to decrease the gear ratio until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. control and
A controller for a manpower-driven vehicle, wherein the predetermined upper limit value is set according to load information input to the manpower-driven vehicle. 3. The manpowered vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein said load information includes weight information of a passenger of said manpowered vehicle. 4. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising an input unit for inputting said weight information. 5. The control device for a manpower-driven vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said load information includes pedal load information corresponding to the weight of said rider's legs estimated from said weight information of said rider. further comprising a first load sensor provided on a pedal of the manpowered vehicle for detecting a load applied to the pedal;
3. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said load information is detected by said first load sensor. 7. The manpower-driven vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined upper limit value is set according to said load information detected while a passenger is riding in said manpower-driven vehicle. 8. The predetermined upper limit value is set according to the load information detected by the first load sensor when the crank of the manpowered vehicle is positioned within a predetermined angle range. controller for human powered vehicles. further comprising a second load sensor provided in a riding section of the manpowered vehicle for detecting a load applied to the riding section;
3. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said load information is detected by said second load sensor. 10. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said riding section includes at least one of a saddle and a seat post. 11. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said load information includes pedal load information corresponding to the weight of the passenger's legs estimated from said load information detected by said second load sensor. . further comprising a first load sensor that detects a load applied to the pedals of the manpowered vehicle;
3. The controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said load information is set according to a detection result of said first load sensor . further comprising a torque sensor that detects a human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle;
3. A controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said load information is set according to a detection result of said torque sensor. 14. The manpowered vehicle controller according to claim 13, wherein said torque sensor detects torque applied to a crank of said manpowered vehicle. The human-powered drive according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the control unit corrects at least one of the predetermined upper limit value and the load information according to the degree of fatigue of the passenger of the human-powered vehicle. car controller. A control device for a manpowered vehicle including a control unit for controlling a motor that assists propulsion of the manpowered vehicle,
When the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit increases the assist force by the motor until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. control the motor,
A controller for a manpowered vehicle, wherein the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank of the manpowered vehicle when the crank of the manpowered vehicle is positioned at a predetermined angle. A controller for a manpowered vehicle including a control unit for controlling a transmission of the manpowered vehicle,
When the human-powered driving force input to the human-powered vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, the control unit operates the transmission so as to decrease the gear ratio until the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. control and
A controller for a manpowered vehicle, wherein the predetermined upper limit value is set according to the manpower driving force applied to the crank of the manpowered vehicle when the crank of the manpowered vehicle is positioned at a predetermined angle. The control unit controls the motor so as to reduce the assist force of the motor when the human-powered driving force becomes equal to or less than the predetermined lower-limit value after the human-powered driving force becomes less than the predetermined upper limit value. 17. A controller for a manpowered vehicle according to claim 1 or 16.

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