IP Library Granted Patent US 12,428,100
Granted Patent B2
US 12,428,100 · App. 18/058,949 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Device for controlling a motor of an electric bicycle

Inventors: Joseph Reck (Filderstadt, DE); Daniel Baumgaertner (Tuebingen, DE); Matthias Weinmann (Balingen, DE); Merlin Martin Manewald (Reutlingen, DE)
Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
B62M6/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,428,100
App. No.
18/058,949
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device for controlling a motor of an electric bicycle. The device includes a control electronics system that is set up to control a torque of the motor in a normal operating mode based on an acquired driver torque; to detect during normal operation whether, at the current motor torque, no rotation of the motor is taking place even though a driver torque is being exerted, and to control the motor to continue to provide the motor torque in a blocking operating mode if it has been detected that at the present motor torque no rotation of the motor is taking place even though a driver torque is being exerted.

Claims (36)

1. A device for controlling a motor of an electric bicycle, the device comprising:

a control electronics unit configured to:

control a motor torque of the motor in a normal operating mode based on an acquired driver torque;

detect, during normal operation, whether at the present motor torque no rotation of the motor is taking place even though a driver torque is being exerted; and

control the motor to continue to provide the motor torque in a blocking operating mode when it has been detected that at the present motor torque no rotation of the motor is taking place even though a driver torque is being exerted.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to reduce the motor torque during blocking operation over a temporal curve.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the control electronics being set up to select a duration of the temporal curve as a function of a position acquired by a position sensor and/or of an inclination acquired by an inclination sensor.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 , the control electronics further being configured to shut off the motor torque during blocking operation when a predefined duration since a beginning of blocking operation has elapsed.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is configured to:

detect during blocking operation a first operating state that permits the inference that no further movement of the bicycle is desired by a driver of the bicycle, and

shut off the motor torque during blocking operation in response to the detection of the first operating state.

6. The device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first operating state is defined by a curve of a driver torque, the first operating state being present when:

the driver torque is below a predefined first threshold value for a defined period of time, and/or

a derivative of the driver torque does not have, over its temporal curve, a gradient above a predefined second threshold value, and/or

a variance of the driver torque is less, over its temporal curve, than a predefined third threshold value, and/or

an integral of the driver torque over a temporal curve of the driver torque within a detection interval is smaller than a fourth threshold value.

7. The device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the control electronics in addition being configured to acquire a braking behavior of the driver via a brake sensor system, the first operating state being detected during blocking operation only when the brake sensor system detects that:

no brake lever is being actuated, and/or

a brake pressure of a brake of the bicycle is below a fifth threshold value.

8. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to:

detect a second operating state that permits an inference that the bicycle has been brought into a position that does not permit a regular operation of the bicycle, and

shut off the motor torque in response to the detection of the second operating state.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the second operating state being defined by a curve of a gradient or acceleration acquired by an inertial sensor, the third operating state being present when:

a pitch or roll angle of the bicycle acquired by the inertial sensor is greater than a sixth threshold value, and/or

a curve of a pitch or roll angle of the bicycle acquired by the inertial sensor permits the inference that the bicycle is tipping over.

10. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to acquire a rotational speed of at least one wheel of the bicycle via at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and prevent a shutting off of the motor torque during blocking operation and/or during normal operation when an acquired absolute wheel rotational speed is above a seventh threshold value.

11. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to prevent a shutting off of the motor torque during blocking operation and/or during normal operation when an acquired negative rotational speed of the motor is above an eighth threshold value.

12. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to:

receive, via a communication interface, an item of information about a movement of a vehicle traveling in front and/or a roadway infrastructure lying ahead, the communication interface being a bike-to-X interface, and

shut off the motor torque when the information about the movement of the vehicle traveling in front indicates that the vehicle traveling in front is standing still and/or when the roadway infrastructure lying ahead indicates a necessity of stopping, even if it has been detected that at the present motor torque no rotation of the motor is taking place even though a driver torque is being exerted.

13. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control electronics is further configured to:

receive image information from a camera situated on the bicycle and to carry out an image processing in order to recognize predefined traffic situations, and/or receive a communication signal that indicates the presence of a predefined traffic situation; and

in response to a recognized predefined traffic situation:

modify a startup condition that has to be met for the motor torque to be controlled by the control electronics in the normal operating mode, and/or

modify a duration of a temporal curve over which the motor torque is reduced during the blocking operating mode, and/or

shut off the motor torque during the blocking operating mode or during the normal operating mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2023
From: RECK, JOSEPH; BAUMGAERTNER, DANIEL; WEINMANN, MATTHIAS; MANEWALD, MERLIN MARTIN
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 062481/0743 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 213 537.4 · Nov 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230166810A1 · Jun 1, 2023
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