Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-01
2001-04-10
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S049000, C340S427000, C340S432000, C340S438000, C340S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216060
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to bicycle computers and, more particularly, to a bicycle computer that has diagnostic modes.
Display devices for displaying various types of data for bicycles, such as the bicycle speed, distance traveled and transmission gear, are frequently attached to bicycles. Display devices capable of displaying such a variety of parameters are equipped with switches for switching the type of parameter displayed and indicating the start and stop of measurement. The display device is also often detachably attached to the bicycle, with the switches often being integrally provided with the display device. It is known that the bicycle computer is easier to operate when these switches are disposed on lever brackets, such as brackets for fixing brake levers to the handle bar as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,892.
In the past, to determine whether such display devices were functioning properly, the display device had to be attached to the bicycle, signal lines had to be connected to the various sensors and manually operated switches, and the bicycle had to be operated while the shifter or the like was operated. When the display device was not operating properly, it was no easy feat to determine the cause of the trouble, which could have been caused by malfunctioning of the display means of the display device (liquid crystal display panel, light-emitting diode display panel, and the like), malfunctioning of the data processing means such as the CPU or the like inside the display device, or malfunctioning of the various sensors or the various signal lines from the sensors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a bicycle computer wherein troubleshooting diagnostics may be carried out easily using the existing computer display and which allows the source of the malfunctions to be easily identified. In one embodiment of the present invention, a bicycle display device includes a display having a plurality of display elements, an input circuit for inputting a plurality of sensor signals from a plurality of sensors, and a display control circuit for processing the plurality of sensor signals and for displaying information processed from the plurality of sensor signals on the display. An operating mode switch is provided for switching the display control circuit among a plurality of operating modes, wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises a normal operating mode, a display diagnostic mode, and an input diagnostic mode. A display mode switch is also provided for switching the type of data displayed on the display control circuit.
In a more specific embodiment, when the display control circuit is in the display diagnostic mode, the display displays information indicating whether the plurality of display elements are functioning properly. For example, a numerical sequence may be displayed on numerical display elements and/or all display elements may be flashed at the same time. When the display control circuit is in the input diagnostic mode, the display displays information indicating whether the plurality of sensor signals are being received. For example, the display may flash a display element or display a numeral corresponding to the sensor.
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Arthur Gertrude
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Deland James A.
Shimano Inc.
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