ELECTRIC BICYCLE PATH LIGHTING SYSTEM
Various systems and methods associated with protecting a rider of an electric bicycle from hazards while riding their bicycle are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods enhance the safety of the rider in response current detected conditions surrounding the rider, such as conditions associated with the route or path traveled by the rider, other vehicles within the route or path traveled by the rider, potential hazards within the route or path traveled by the rider, environmental conditions through which the rider is traveling, and so on.
1 . An electric bicycle, comprising:
a frame having a head tube, down tube, top tube, and seat tube;
a front wheel attached to the frame via a fork connected to the head tube;
a rear wheel attached to the frame via a dropout assembly of the frame;
an electric motor mounted to the rear wheel that propels the electric bicycle;
a battery pack mounted to the frame of the electric bicycle that provides power to the electric motor;
a controller that controls operations of the battery pack of the electric bicycle and the electric motor of the electric bicycle;
one or more sensors attached to the frame of the electric bicycle;
multiple lighting devices mounted to the frame of the electric bicycle; and
a path lighting system stored in memory of the controller, the path lighting system having multiple hardware modules, including:
a bicycle path module that:
determines the electric bicycle is traveling on a bicycle path; and
captures information associated with the bicycle path; and
a lighting module that:
generates lighting parameters based on the captured information associated with the bicycle path; and
causes the electric bicycle to perform a lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters.
2 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a level of visibility for a rider of the electric bicycle while traveling on the bicycle path.
3 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a width of the bicycle path.
4 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a type of surface of the bicycle path and a current weather condition for an environment that includes the bicycle path.
5 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes emitting a laser projection that defines a perimeter of the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle.
6 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes emitting a laser projection that creates a center line on the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle.
7 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle path module captures information associated with the bicycle path from a fleet management server that manages a fleet of electric bicycles that includes the electric bicycle,
wherein the fleet management server is associated with a database that relates bicycle path identifiers and bicycle path size information.
8 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle path module captures information associated with the bicycle path from a public mapping database that includes information relating bicycle paths with bicycle path size information.
9 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle path module determines the electric bicycle is traveling on a bicycle path based on global positioning system (GPS) data captured by the one or more sensors that identifies a current location of the electric bicycle.
10 . The electric bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle path module determines the electric bicycle is traveling on a bicycle path based on map data that identifies a current location of the electric bicycle is a location on the bicycle path.
11 . A method performed by a path lighting system stored in memory of a controller of an electric bicycle, the method comprising:
determining the electric bicycle is traveling on a bicycle path;
capturing information associated with the bicycle path;
generating lighting parameters based on the captured information associated with the bicycle path; and
causing the electric bicycle to perform a lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a level of visibility for a rider of the electric bicycle while traveling on the bicycle path.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a width of the bicycle path.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the captured information associated with the bicycle path includes information identifying a type of surface of the bicycle path and a current weather condition for an environment that includes the bicycle path.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes emitting a laser projection that defines a perimeter of the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes emitting a laser projection that creates a center line on the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes adjusting an intensity of light emitted by a head lamp of the electric bicycle.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the generated lighting parameters includes adjusting a shape of a light envelope projected around the electric bicycle.
19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a path lighting system stored in memory of a controller of an electric bicycle, causes the path lighting system to perform a method, the method comprising:
determining the electric bicycle is traveling on a bicycle path;
capturing information associated with a width of the bicycle path;
causing the electric bicycle to perform a lighting action for the electric bicycle using the captured information.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein performing the lighting action for the electric bicycle using the captured information includes emitting a laser projection that creates a center line on the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle and creates a lighted perimeter of the bicycle path traveled by the electric bicycle.