SYSTEM FOR MANAGING THE SHARED USE OF BICYCLES

Technical Field of invention

This invention deals with a management system intended to manage the shared use of one or more bicycles. The system continuously monitors the localization of every bicycle and manages their use by different types of identified users .

Background of the Invention

Current bicycle management systems are based on the physical locking of bicycles. That is, there is a mechanism that locks by physical means the bicycle to a fixed and solid structure, a docking station, which is also fixed to the soil or to a building without possibility to move.

In the current solutions, an electric locker controls the operations of locking or unlocking the bicycle to the docking station. The users can assign to the system and, on their own, perform the request or the devolution of the assigned bicycle.

The current solutions require the settlement of specific parking places, the bicycle docking stations. The users must go to one of such to request a bicycle and return to the first or to another one to perform the devolution.

The current solution forces significant investments in infra structures to deploy the docking stations and the required management subsystems. In fact, the urban equipment to install a station is heavy and expensive, the required works are also long and expensive. Normally a local qiosk is also required which is an expensive and vandalism prone device.

Another problem with current fixed docking solutions in that when they must be moved either by urban planning or aesthetical requirements, most of the investment is lost due to the high percentage of civil construction work required and possible damage of the infrastructures upon removal .

General description of the invention

This invention proposal changes the paradigm used until now in the management of bicycles by eliminating the need of solid and fixed infrastructures to lock the bicycles and replacing them by a much lighter mechanism which is a part of the bicycle itself and locks the bicycle wheel in order to prevent its unauthorized use.

The locking and unlocking of the bicycle is performed by means of an electronic device associated with the mechanism previously referred. The electronic device makes use of the cellular telephone network (s), namely 3G, and its intrinsic localization capability to store in a central database of the system all the lock and unlock actions of every bicycle, the place where they occurred, the identification of the user that performed the operations and the registry of every route performed by the bicycle.

As will be easily perceived, any suitable wireless communication technology is available to the invention, in particular 4G, HSPA, WiMax, etc... Even if this wireless communication technology does not afford the possibility of localization, a simple insertion of a geolocation module, in particular GPS, is within the easy reach of this technical field.

The identification of the user will be made recurring to different techniques such as RFID identification with cards or other tags at the electronic device embedded in the bicycle, cellular phone or other.

As will be easily perceived, RFID technology may be replaced by any other which supplies the same identification effect, whether be it short-range wireless communications, whether be any other identification means available in the art - barcodes, whether 2D or 3D, smartcards, etc...

Using this approach, the bicycles can be left locked either in any place or at least in parking sites with a much lighter infrastructure, thus much less expensive and much easier to change from their current locations. Additionally the entity or enterprise that explores the system is able to perform real-time monitoring of every bicycle even during rides and, with that, improve significantly many management operations such as bicycle reposition in crowded sites, follow-up of abandoned bicycles, and detection of damaged bicycles and so on.

The described bicycle management system includes then two main components, the first being an electronic device (11) installed in each bicycle with data processing capabilities (1), communication through cellular networks (2), self localization through the cellular connection or other, and user interfaces provided by means of Bluetooth™ or similar communication technologies (3), and/or by means of light emitting devices, and with capabilities of RFID reading (4), of activation of a locking/unlocking electromechanical system installed at the bicycle (5, 9), of event detection such as the unauthorized displacement of the bicycle from the parking site (8), and the unauthorized opening of its enclosure box (8a), and the charging state of the internal batteries ( 6 , 7 ) ;

and the second being a central management system able to collect and process the historic data of the device location and associated events, also managing a user data base which can be used to support supplying to users a set of services related with the use of the bicycle.

This invention describes a management system for the shared use of bicycles which includes:

• electronic device based in a central processing unit (1), with capabilities to communicate through mobile or cellular networks (2), Bluetooth™ or similar communication technologies interface (3), RFID reader (4), locking/unlocking device (5), battery (6) battery charge subsystem (7) anti- vandalism sensor (8, 8a) which is fixed at the vehicle being monitored, and enclosed in a shock and vandalism resistant box enclosure;

• central management system able to collect and process the historic data retrieved by the electronic device which offers an interface for access to the data and to the system functionalities .

It is clearly understandable that the Bluetooth™ technology can be replaced by any other able to provide identical functionalities, namely the wireless communication among devices, such as Wi-Fi, USB, IrDa, WAVE, ZigBee, and so on.

It is clearly understandable that the short range wireless communication interface is not essential to the aims of the present invention but it is a preferential realization that adds specific benefits as it will be seen later.

It is clearly understandable that the anti-vandalism sensors (8, 8a) are not essential to the aims of the present invention but they are a preferential realization that adds specific benefits as it will be seen later.

It is also clearly understandable, the locking/unlocking devices (5, 9), even being very advantageous, are not essential to the aims of the present invention but they are a preferential realization that adds specific benefits as it will be seen later.

The electronic device has the characteristic of, by means of the connection (2) :

• Sending localization information to the central unit in order to supply a historic registry of routes;

• Being able to determine its localization

• Being able to record the routes taken by the bicycle .

In a preferred embodiment the electronic device is equipped with an anti-vandalism sensor (8) which detects the unauthorized removal of the equipment from the bicycle and which includes an inductive sensor (13) and/or a light detector and which actuates whenever the equipment is removed from the bicycle and sends the event information to the central unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with an anti-vandalism sensor (8a) which detects the destruction of the enclosure box, and which includes a set of sensors such as photo detectors and others, which are able to detect the opening of the box before the electronic circuits are destroyed or deactivated, thus guaranteeing the sending of the information before stopping the operation because of the device imminent destruction .

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with subsystems that are able to identify the place where the vandalism or unauthorized removal was performed . In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with capabilities of actuating a locking/unlocking device (9) thus enabling to control the use of the bicycle.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with an RFID reader (4) which, together with the locking/unlocking device, is able to give access to the bicycle upon presentation of an RFID tag.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with capabilities to actuate the locking/unlocking device on the basis of information available at the central unit, thus enabling the shared use of bicycles.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device will enable the determination of parking sites without a fixed bicycle retention structure, by using the locking/unlocking device to prevent the unauthorized use of the bicycles and using the localization capability to give information to the central unit about the exact parking location.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with a Bluetooth™ or similar communication interface (3) to enable the communication with other electronic devices with the same interface and located in close vicinity.

In a preferred embodiment, the electronic device enables the settlement of parking sites without a fixed bicycle retention structure and which use a Bluetooth™ or similar technology beacon.

In a preferred real embodiment, the electronic device is equipped with interfaces to hand held devices such as PDAs or mobile phones, thus creating an user interface in these devices, recurring to a specific application or web browser access.

In a preferred embodiment, the system power autonomy is guaranteed by the use of a bicycle dynamo and by additional power conversion circuitry (7) able to generate a stable power supply for the electronic device.

This invention describes also a central management unit to collect, store and process historic data and associated events obtained by the electronic device, which manages also an user data base that can suppler the supply of a set of services related to the use of bicycles .

In a preferred embodiment, the central management unit, by means of the electronic device installed at the bicycle and its Bluetooth™ or similar interface or even light emitting devices based interface, is able to indicate that a user with similar profile is nearby.

It is clearly understandable that the LED technology can be replaced by any other able to supply the same signaling effect being it visual or sound.

In a preferred embodiment, the central management unit is configured to register the routes performed by the bicycle and to enable the creation of new mechanisms to charge the static publicity depending on the route, and also to charge dynamic publicity depending on the profiles of the users passing by.

Description of the figures

The following figures provide preferred embodiments for illustrating the description and should not be seen as limiting the scope of invention, and can be freely combined .

The contents of these figures are:

FIG 1 : The overall system diagram where :

(1) represents the data processor (CPU) ;

(2) represents the wireless data <connection (3G) ;

(3) represents the local wireless data connection

(Bluetooth)

(4) represents the identification means (RFID) ;

(5) represents the lock device;

(6) represents the battery;

(7) represents the battery charge circuit ;

(8) represents the battery;

(9) represents the lock system;

(10) represents the indicator (LED);

(11) represents the bicycle electronic device;

(14) represents the central management system, which in particular manages location and hire data. FIG 2 : A view of the bicycle set together with the embedded electronic device box (11) .

FIG 3: (Fig 2) This figure shows the detail of the electronic device box (11) and the mounting scheme in the bicycle.

FIG 4: The scheme of the mounting of the anti-vandalism sensor where (11) represents the electronic device, (12) the bicycle frame and (13) the inductive sensor.

Detailed description of the invention

Figure 1 presents the electronic device that supports this invention (11), which includes a central processing unit (1) with interface to connect to cellular networks

(2) , wireless interface such as Bluetooth™ or similar

(3) , RFID reader (4), locking device (5), battery (6), battery loading device (7) and anti-vandalism sensor (8), (8a) .

The electronic device is able to recognize the place where it is located either by means of the interface with the cellular network (2) using LBS - Location-Based Service or by means of autonomous subsystems such as a GPS receiver and it is able to record the routes followed by the bicycle (a sequence of localization spots, that is coordinates ) . Using a Bluetooth™ or a similar PAN (Personal Area Network) such as ZigBee, 802.15, 4, NFC or other communications interface and user profiles, the system is able to alert the bicycle user, by means of an interface in a PDA, mobile phone, tablet/pad, or any suitable portable device or by means of a LED (Light Emitting Diode) interface, that another user with a similar profile is in vicinity.

The device is equipped with a Bluetooth™ interface or similar (3) thus enabling the communication with other electronic devices close by.

With these communication interfaces it is possible to launch local interfaces using the referred portable devices which will be used as a user console to enable an easy communication between the user and the bicycle electronic device.

These local area communications are also able to be used in connecting to other users who may not have access to the general wireless network, namely internet access. This way a bicycle which does not have wireless communications, by design or by malfunction, may even use a peer bicycle to exchange data.

The local interfaces may also be used to deliver specific contents, namely streaming of audio and/or video, whether advertorial or not.

The device is also equipped with an RFID reader (4) which can read RFID cards or any other type of RFID tags (bracelets, keychain) and which, together with the electronics locking system, enables the locking or unlocking of the bicycle after a user identification using the RFID tag.

The joint use of the RFID reader and the locking device also alternatively enables the private use of the bicycle with the owner using his/her RFID tag to lock or unlock the bicycle.

Using the localization of the bicycle and the system enabled by the joint use of the locking-unlocking device and the RFID reader, it is possible to deploy parking sites without a fixed locking infrastructure, that is, a kind of geo-fencing with locking enforcement with the additional capability of informing the central management system if the bicycles are parked in the appropriate locations .

This type of parking sites can be used in facilities without a fixed structure.

Therefore, there are preferably two type of positional locks - suitable for locking to a pre-determined parking area, possibly with fixed locking points but preferably without; and those suitable for locking in any possible location, even possibly if the user takes the bicycle outside a specific perimeter, e.g. as in a city perimeter .

The parking site is identified by a RF beacon, Bluetooth™, Zigbee, or other PAN technology, which is implemented using a RF transmitter which beacon, received by the bicycle device, informs the bicycle electronic device that the bicycle is parked in an allowed parking site and, also, this one can send the information about a correct or incorrect parking to the central management system.

The device is equipped with an anti-vandalism (8) sensor, which detects tentative actions of separating the electronic device from the bicycle or destruction of the electronic device box and is able to send the information of such on-going actions to the central management system.

Using the capability to send this kind of information in real-time, it is possible to launch an immediate alarm with localization information.

The electronic device embedded in the bicycle is able to send commands to the electromechanical locking/unlocking device, thus controlling the possibility to use the bicycle .

Using the locking-unlocking device and the RFID reader, and using the on-line communication with a central management system it is possible to deploy a bicycle sharing system in which the central management system can decide upon the user identification if he/she applies to use the bicycle

The electronic device is equipped with an anti-vandalism (8) sensor, which detects tentative actions of separating the electronic device from the bicycle by means of an inductive sensor and a light detector, which detect that the device was taken from its fixed position at the bicycle and sends the correspondent information to the central management system.

The electronic device is preferably equipped with an anti-vandalism (8a) sensor, which detects tentative actions of its enclosure destruction by means of light detectors and other sensors to detect the opening of the enclosure before the electronic circuits can be accessed, thus guaranteeing that the device is able to send that information before the electronics are disabled or destroyed .

The electronic device is preferably fixed at the bicycle (Fig 2 and Fig. 3) enclosed in a box which is resistant to shocks and vandalism acts.

The preferable use of a box resistant to shock or vandalism acts implies that the destruction or access to the interior of the box requires tools and, in consequence, is not an operation that can be performed easily in public places without giving origin to suspicion and thus making possible to identify the responsible persons.

As will be easily perceived, any suitable type of construction for achieving this security can be used, namely incorporating the device in the bicycle structure itself .

The central management system is able to collect and store the data generated by the bicycle electronic device and, in consequence, can provide user interfaces with access to the available data. The electronic device is able to send its location information using the cellular network to the central management unit which will then be provided with historic data concerning the routes performed by the bicycle.

The user's route registry can be used to perform, at the central management unit, and recurring to data analysis tools, the identification of specific user profiles which can be afterwards used to create and supply social networks using the Internet.

The bicycle route registry can be used to implement new mechanisms of charging specific publicity, either for static publicity, namely by charging the advertiser depending on the number of bicycles passing by the publicity spot, or for dynamic publicity, changing the publicity spot (outdoor, electronic panel, ...) depending on the profile of the bicycle user passing by.

The Electronic device (11) is fixed at the bicycle (Fig 2 and Fig. 3) enclosed in a box which is resistant to shocks and vandalism acts.

The power required for the electronic device operation can be guaranteed by a supply coming from a dynamo installed at the bicycle and by a power conditioning subsystem (7) that guarantees the adequate voltage and current for the device or by similar electronic circuitry .

As will be easily understood, dynamo and battery can be replaced by any other possibility that supplies energy to the system, namely incorporating solar panels or surfaces in the bicycle, connections to the mains powers when docked in a specific base station, etc...

Figure 4 shows the mounting solution for the anti- vandalism sensor where 11) is the electronic device in an enclosure box, 12) the bicycle frame and 13) the inductive sensor.

Another preferred embodiment has an electronic accelerator in the electronic device (11), so that the occurrence of movement of the bicycle can be determined without the need for a wireless connection with location capabilities or the need for a geolocation device. Any device capable of detecting movement can be used, e.g. hall effect detectors or photo-detectors mounted on the wheels of the bicycle.

The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embodiments described and a person with ordinary skill in the art will foresee many possibilities to modifications thereof without departing from the basic idea of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The following claims set out particular embodiments of the invention.