Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LOCKING MECHANISM FOR A BICYCLE SHARING SYSTEM
FIELD
[0001] Embodiments disclosed herein are related to locking systems
for bicycles, such as
may be used in a bicycle sharing system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Recently, bicycle share systems have been deployed in many
cities, enabling people
to pick up and return bicycles to docking stations in public areas. With many
systems,
including those operated by the assignee of this application, a user may
return a bicycle to
a different docking station than where it was obtained, providing significant
flexibility for
the user.
[0003] In such systems, the docking stations have a locking system,
controlled by a pay
station that is, in turn, connected to central control system. This
communication through
the docking system enables the bike share operator to control unlocking of
docks to release
bicycles to only authorized users and perform other functions such as tracking
whether a
bicycle is in use or has been returned.
[0004] In other bicycle share systems, no docking stations are used.
Rather, bicycles
contain components that can remotely disable their operation. Users may leave
bicycles in
any location when they are done using them.
SUMMARY
[0005] The current disclosure discusses a lock for removably securing
a bicycle to a
structure. In some embodiments, the lock has a housing configured to mount it
to the
bicycle. Movably mounted to the housing is a latch that can move between a
latched and
unlatched position. Also moveably mounted to the housing is a locking member
that can
move between a locked position where it blocks movement of the latch, and an
unlocked
position. An arm is attached to the latch and adjacent to the locking member,
blocking its
movement such that it stays in the locked position when the latch is in the
latched position.
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There is also an actuator coupled to the locking member that is configured to
drive the
locking member into at least one of the locked and unlocked positions.
[0006] In other embodiments of the lock, the lock includes a
housing configured to mount
to the bicycle. Within the housing is a latch that is moveably mounted to the
housing such
that it can move between a latched and unlatched position. Also within the
housing is a
locking member movably mounted to the housing between a locked position in
which it
blocks movement of the latch, and an unlocked position. A spring biases the
locking
member towards the locked position. An arm is attached to the latch such that
the arm is
positioned to block the locking member from moving from the unlocking position
to the
locked position when the latch is in the unlatched position. Rotating the
latch to the latched
position rotates the arm away from the locking member, allowing the locking
member to
enter its locked position.
[0007] To secure a bicycle to a structure according to some
embodiments of the lock, a
first locking section mounted to the bicycle is aligned with a second locking
section
mounted to the structure. The first locking section comprises at least a
rotatable latch, and
the second locking section comprises at least a complementary latching member.
The
rotatable latch is rotated in response to a force generated by bringing the
first locking
section and the second locking section together such that the latch is rotated
into
engagement with a complimentary latching member of the second locking section.
An arm
is rotated with the latch to remove a restraint on the motion of a locking
member, allowing
the locking member to move into a locked position where the locking member
blocks
rotation of the latch into an unlatched positon.
[0008] To reversibly unsecure a bicycle from a structure
according to some embodiments
of the lock, an actuator within a first locking section mounted on the bicycle
causes a
locking member within the first locking section to move to an unlocked
position out of
engagement with a latching member. A camming surface on the latching member
presses
against a camming surface of the structure, generating a force to rotate the
latch. When the
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latch is rotated in response to the force, an arm coupled to the latch shifts
to an unlocked
position adjacent to the locking member, preventing the locking member from
extending
into a locked position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] Figure I is an overall perspective view of an example of a bicycle
and dock locked
together with an embodiment of the lock system;
[0010] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment of the lock system
mounted to a
bicycle prior to mating with a dock, shown from the left rear, with the
bicycle and dock
partially cut away for clarity;
[0011] Figure 2B is a perspective view of the lock system of Figure 2A
after mating;
[0012] Figure 3A is a left side perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of the lock
attached to a bicycle, with the bicycle partially cut away;
[0013] Figure 3B is a left front perspective view of the lock of FIG. 3A;
[0014] Figures 4A-4C are left front perspective views of an exemplary
embodiment of a
lock during a process of attaching the lock to a bicycle, with the bicycle
partially cut away;
[0015] Figure 5A is a lower left front perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of a
lock in the unlocked position;
[0016] Figure 5B is a lower left front perspective view of the first
locking module of FIG.
5A in the locked position;
[0017] Figure 6 is a bottom view of the mating portions of the lock of
Figure 5A, with a
portion of a dock, with the dock partially cut away;
[0018] Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a
lock in a
locked position;
[0019] Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view of the lock of FIG. 7A in an
unlocked position;
[0020] Figure 8A is a left front perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of lock,
partially cut away, in an unlocked position, annotated with an arrow
indicating direction
of motion or an arm to release a locking member to enable it to move into a
locked
position;
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[0021] Figure 8B is a left front perspective view of the lock if FIG. 8A,
partially cut away,
annotated with an arrow indicating direction of motion of locking member into
a locked
position when released;
[0022] Figure 9 is a left front perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of a lock and
a complimentary locking section on a dock, when the lock and complimentary
locking
sections are mated;
[0023] Figure 10A is a left front perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of lock,
partially cut away, in an unlocked position, annotated with an arrow
indicating direction of
motion of a locking member to move into an unlocked position;
[0024] Figure 10B is a left front perspective view of the lock if FIG.
10A, partially cut
away, annotated with an arrow indicating direction of motion of an arm to
secure a locking
member into an unlocked position;
[0025] Figure 11 is a functional block diagram illustrating a
communication pathway
between parts of the control system; and
[0026] Figure 12 is a table illustrating possible mechanical states of
the locking system and
whether they represent normal or errant states in accordance with some
exemplary
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that a novel design
for a lock can
improve a bicycle share system by reducing operating costs and enabling more
bicycles to
be available for users.
[0028] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that current bicycle
share systems
that have most of their locking hardware located on the docks require more
docks than
bicycles. This is to ensure that there are enough docks for users returning
bicycles in
different locations. However, such a configuration requires more copies of the
locking
hardware at the dock locations than there are bicycles in operation, leading
to an inefficient
deployment of capital equipment.
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100291 The inventors have also recognized and appreciated that
systems with no docking
stations results in an unacceptably high rate of lost or stolen bicycles.
Additionally, having
no fixed locations at which bicycles need to be returned when not in use
creates other
operational complexities, such as inspecting bicycles to perform preventative
maintenance
or to find bicycles that are in need of repair. Even though the capital
expenses of such
system are lower than a system deploying docks containing most of the locking
hardware,
enabling more bicycles to initially be deployed, it has been found over time
that fewer
bicycles are actually available for use, given the numbers of bicycles that go
out of service
as a result of being damaged, stolen or otherwise dropped off where they are
not in use.
[0030] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that a
bicycle share system could
have a favorable ratio of capital costs to bicycles in use by designing a lock
for mounting
to a bicycle. The lock may be in wireless communication with a control station
and may
perform some or all of the functions of a lock such as might have been
installed in a dock
in other systems.
[0031] The lock may have a low power design. In accordance with
some embodiments,
the lock may have a low enough power draw that it may be powered by a battery
that is in
turn recharged by a dynamo that is driven by motion of the bicycle. Low power
may be
provided by a limited number of mechanically driven parts. Rather, much of the
power
required to engage and disengage the lock may be provided by a person pushing
or pulling
the bicycle. Mechanical motion may be limited to driving a locking member
that, when
driven, unblocks other components from moving out of an unlatched position.
Alternatively or additionally, mechanical motion may be used to drive the
locking member
to block other components from moving. Spring members may bias members when
not
mechanically driven such that they move into the required position, except
when blocked
or mechanically driven.
[0032] A dock may still be used, creating locations at which
bicycles may be returned and,
thus, located by other users or for maintenance. The dock may include
relatively few
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components and may not require any electronics or control components. In some
embodiments, the dock may not require any source of power, further reducing
cost and
ease of deployment.
[0033] The dock, however, may have complimentary locking members, to
securely engage
with the lock on the bicycle. Moreover, the dock may include a tag, such as an
RFID tag,
enabling a bicycle secured to the dock to detect and report its location and
status (e.g.
locked to the dock or not locked) accurately. These components may be passive,
enabling
low cost docks. The simplicity of the dock enables docks to be deployed in
clusters of any
suitable size, including one or more docks. Despite the simple dock design,
docks may be
widely deployed and may aid in keeping bicycles in service.
[0034] In accordance with some embodiments, the locking system may
include two mating
components One such component, the lock, may be mounted to the bicycle. A
second,
complementary component may be part of, or attached to, a permanent or semi-
permanent
structure, such as a dock. To initiate locking, the user may align the lock
with the
complementary component and roll the bicycle into the dock, thereby sliding
the lock into
engagement with the complementary component. As the two components come
together, a
latch within the lock, which may be attached to the bicycle, comes into
contact with, and
latches, onto a complimentary latching member attached to the dock. The latch
may engage
the complimentary latching member. The latch may then be locked in place,
preventing the
lock, and the bicycle to which it is attached, from being removed from the
dock.
[0035] In some embodiments, the lock may include elements that lock
the latch in its
latched position. These components may include a locking pin and an arm
attached
directly or indirectly to the latch. When the system is in its unlocked
configuration, the
locking pin may be retracted within a section of the first locking module's
housing, and is
prevented from escaping by the arm obstructing its extension from the housing.
As the
latch rotates downwards to engage the complimentary latching member, the arm
rotates
with the latch, eventually leaving the locking pin free to move. The locking
pin then
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extends out of its sheath and blocks the rotation of the latch out of its
latched position,
preventing the bicycle from becoming uncoupled from the dock so long as the
locking pin
is extended in the locked position.
[0036] When a user desires to rent a bicycle, a command may be
sent to a controller
located within the bicycle. The controller then causes the locking pin to
retract, leaving the
latch unobstructed and free to rotate to its unlocked position. As the user
pulls the bicycle
outwards and away from the dock, the latch rotates away from the complimentary
latching
member, freeing the bicycle. Additionally, the rotation of the latch also
moves the arm
back into a position to obstruct the retracted locking pin, preventing it from
extending
through the course of normal bicycle use.
[0037] In some embodiments, the locking pin may be retracted by
activating an actuator,
which may be a linear actuator or a rotating motor attached to a ball screw or
acme screw,
or other suitable actuator. In this embodiment, the actuator imparts linear
motion to the pin.
Such motion may require a relatively small amount of energy, because the pin
has
relatively low mass and is subjected to relatively low friction as it slides.
Other motions
may be driven by spring activated. The locking pin, for example, may be spring
biased to
extend into its locking state when not restrained by the arm or being driven
by the actuator.
Similarly, in some embodiments the latch may be spring biased into an
unlatched position.
[0038] In other embodiments, motion of the latch into the
unlatched position may be
driven by the user moving the bicycle. Motion of the bicycle, for example, may
force a
camming surface on the latch against a camming surface on the complementary
latching
member, translating force on the bicycle into a rotational torque on the
latch. Similarly,
other motions may be driven by motion of the bicycle imparted by the user.
Such motions
may include rotating the latch into a latched position, for example.
[0039] Turning now to the figures, non-limiting embodiments are
described in further
detail. It should be understood that the various features and components
described in
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regards to the figures may be arranged in any desired combination and that the
current
disclosure is not limited to only those embodiments depicted in the figures.
[0040] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary bicycle and dock
using an
embodiment of the lock system. Bicycle 100 is shown stationed within dock 102.
A lock is
positioned within the first locking module 106 mounted to the bicycle. A
complementary
latching member is a part of a second locking module 108 mounted to the dock.
It should
be understood that a variety of bicycle shapes and dock shapes can be used and
the current
disclosure should not be limited to the depicted versions. Moreover, while
first and second
locking modules are described, it is not a requirement that the components
described herein
be separately formed as modules. As complementary latching member may be
integrally
formed on the dock or implemented in any other suitable way.
[0041] Figs. 2A and 2B show a close-up of the bicycle approaching the
dock and mating
with the dock respectively. As the user brings bicycle 100 towards dock 102,
the user also
aligns the leading edge of first locking module 106 with the receiving section
200 of
second locking module 108.
[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, receiving section 200 includes a
latch receiver 204
that includes a complimentary latching member 206. Around the latch receiver
204 is
recess 202 that is shaped to receive at least a portion of a housing of first
locking module
106 when the two locking modules are mated. As the bicycle 100 engages with
the dock
102, the two locking modules engage as well, locking the bicycle to the dock.
In the
depicted embodiment, the first locking module is shown on the front of the
bicycle, but it
could be located anywhere on the bicycle that allows the bicycle to stably
mate with a
dock.
[0043] Figs. 3A and 3B show a side and front view of the first locking
module 106 on
bicycle 100.
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[0044] Figs. 4A-4C show a simple process for attaching the first locking
module 106 to the
bicycle 100, in accordance with some embodiments. At the top of first locking
module 106
is bar 402 which corresponds to cavity 404 on the front of the bicycle 100.
First locking
module 106 is angled to slide bar 402 into cavity 404, and then rotated into
place along the
front of the bicycle to secure bar 402 within cavity 404 and keep the top of
the first locking
module in place. Tamper resistant screws 508, as seen in Fig. 5A, are then
used to further
secure the attachment, but other securing methods are contemplated including
adhesives,
welding, bolts, and any other attachment system.
[0045] Figs. 5A and 5B show an enlarged view of the first locking module
106 in isolation,
and Figs. 6, 7A, 7B, and 8 shows the first locking module mating with the
second locking
module 108 in detail. The underside of the leading edge of the first locking
module
includes a shaped entrance way 502 that is shaped to complement latch receiver
204 as
seen in Figs. 6 and 7. Toward the rear of entrance way 502 is latch 504 and
lever 506.
Lever 506 is coupled to latch 504. In the embodiment illustrated, latch 504
and lever 506
are integrally formed of the same member. Fig. 5A shows the first locking
module in the
unlocked position with the latch open. In Fig. 5A, latch 504 has been rotated
into an
unlatched position such that it is rotated out of entrance way 502. Lever 506
is rotated into
entrance way 502 such that movement of a complementary latching member into
entrance
way 502 will engage lever 506, applying force to lever 506 such that latch 504
will rotate
into entrance way 502, as shown in Fig. 5B.
[0046] Fig. 5B shows the first locking module with the latch closed. For
simplicity, the
complementary latching member is not shown in FIG 5B, such that latch 504 is
not shown
engaged with the complementary latching member. However, in contemplated
embodiments, pushing the lock into a docking station with a complementary
latching
member to engage lever 506 and rotate latch 504 into engagement with the
complementary
latching member. Such motion is illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0047] As seen in Fig. 6, as the first and second locking modules come
together, a
complementary latching member, illustrated here as a portion of latch receiver
204, slides
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through the entrance way 502 and encounters lever 506. Here, latch receiver
204 is an
elongated member with an opening to receive the distal end of latch 504. The
opening
provides a bar, transverse to entrance way 502, that latch 504 may engage when
the distal
end of latch 504 is in the opening.
[0048] Fig. 7A illustrate an embodiment in which latch 504 and lever 506
form two ends
of a continuous C-shaped structure. The C-shaped structure is rotatable about
shaft 706, on
which arm 704 is also attached, coupling it to latch 504 and lever 506. As
latch receiver
204 enters entrance way 502, complimentary latching member 206 engages and
pushes on
lever 506. This pushing translates to torque, and lever 506 begins to rotates
towards the end
of entrance way 502. As lever 506 rotates, latch 504 rotates downwards,
forming entering
the opening on complimentary latching member 206 and engaging complementary
latching
member 206. In the embodiment illustrated, the distal tip of latch 504 curls
inwards and
the wall of the opening that form complementary latching member 206 has a
complementary curl such that latch 504 and complementary latching member 206
interlock, engaging the latch and complementary latching member, as shown in
FIG. 7B.
[0049] As seen in Fig. 7B and again in Figs. 8A-8B, as latch 504 rotates
about a point of
rotation provided by shaft 706, arm 704 rotates in the same direction from its
unlocked
position to its locked position. In the unlocked position, the arm obstructs
locking member
802 from extending from its sheath. In this embodiment, locking member 802 is
biased
outwards such that, if not obstructed, it will extend and block rotation of
arm 704. As arm
704 is fixedly coupled to latch 504, blocking rotation of arm 704 towards an
unlocked
position similarly blocks latch 504 from rotating into the unlatched position,
thus holding
the lock in its locked position.
[0050] In the embodiment illustrated, locking member 802 is a spring
loaded pin. As arm
704 rotates enough to clear the locking member, locking member 802 extends
outwards
from its unlocked position to its locked position as seen in Fig. 8B. In this
extended
position, locking member 802 prevents arm 704 from rotating back from its
locked
position to its unlocked position. As a result, latch 504 is prevented from
rotating and
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releasing complimentary latching member 206, The first and second locking
modules are
prevented from being intentionally or unintentionally disengaged. Locking
member 802 is
spring loaded in this embodiment, but in other embodiments it can be extended
into its
locked position by actuator 804. Actuator 804 could be electric, pneumatic,
hydraulic, or
any suitable type of actuator for producing linear motion of the locking
member 802.
[0051] Fig. 9 illustrates further features that may be included in a
first and second locking
modules. Fig. 9 illustrates the left sidewall of the housing of the first
locking module first
cut away. In this view, a tongue 910 of the housing is visible, as is a groove
920 on latch
receiver 204. In the latched position, engagement between latch 504 and
complimentary
latching member 206 primarily prevents latch 504 and latch receiver 204 from
being
separated by motion in a direction parallel to the elongate dimension of
entrance way 502,
which is the direction of insertion of a lock into the lock receiving section.
Engagement of
tongue 910 in groove 920 constrains relative motion of the lock and lock
receiving section
to this direction, making a more secure locking. For example, these components
prevent a
bicycle to which the lock is attached from being rotated into a position in
which the latch
504 and complimentary latching member 206 disengage, making it more difficult
for an
unauthorized user to defeat the locking system.
[0052] Fig. 10A and 10B shows the process of unlocking the bicycle. When
actuator 804 is
activated, it retracts locking member 802 back into its sheath. With the
retraction of
locking member 802, arm 704 and therefore shaft 706 and latch 504 are left
free to rotate
again. A user can then pull bicycle 100 outwards and away from the dock 102.
Any
suitable mechanism may be used to ensure that the latch 504 does not preclude
the bicycle
from being pulled out of the dock.
[0053] In some embodiments, the latch may be biased, such as with a
spring, to rotate into
an unlatched configuration when not locked. Alternatively or additionally, the
latch may be
driven by an actuator to move into the unlatched position when the lock is
unlocked.
However, in the embodiments illustrated, force on the bicycle resulting from a
user moving
it is transferred as a rotational force on the latch. In FIG. 10A, the force
on the latch 504
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being pulled against the complimentary latching member 206 causes latch 504,
lever 506,
shaft 706, and arm 704 all to rotate back to their unlocked positions. Arm 504
returns to
obstructing locking member 802 from escaping its sheath.
[0054] In the embodiment described, rotation of the latch and
lever results in a functional
reset of the locking mechanism and disengages the first and second locking
modules 106
and 108. Other embodiments are considered where rotation of the latch, arm,
and shaft are
driven by an additional motor, or are manually actuated by a physical control
means
located outside of the housing. However, in the illustrated configuration, the
actuator
retracting locking member 802 may be released, such as by removing power to
the
actuator, once the arm has rotated to block extension of the locking pin. Such
a
configuration enables a relatively small amount of power to be used for
unlocking the
bicycle from a dock. In this embodiment, a single actuator is powered for only
a short time
while a bicycle is being withdrawn from the dock. Moreover, no parts are
actively driven
during locking, as the energy to drive the latch into engagement with the
complementary
latching member and to lock it in place is provided by a user pushing a
bicycle into the
dock and releasing previously stored spring force.
[0055] Thus, the average power draw from a battery or other
power source on the bicycle
to drive mechanical motion of elements within the lock is very low. Sufficient
power may
therefore be supplied by a relatively small battery on the bicycle. That
battery may be
charged by a dynamo or in any other suitable way.
[0056] In some embodiments, the lock may include electronic
components that may also
draw power in some operating states. For example, those components may perform
communication and/or control functions. As specific example, the lock may
include a
transmitter and/or a receiver and/or a processor. In some embodiments, the
transmitter
and/or receiver may be implemented with a cellular communication chipset
available in the
art. The processor may be a microcontroller or similar type processor
programmed to
perform functions as described herein. Alternatively or additionally, those
components may
include one or more position sensors, such as to sense the position of the
latch and/or the
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locking member. Alternatively or additionally, an RFID reader, or other near
field
communication device, may be included in or near the lock housing to read a
passive tag or
other source of electronic information on the dock.
[0057] Those electronic components may, in some embodiments, be triggered
to enter
states in which they draw power based on mechanical motion of parts described
herein.
Alternatively or additionally, those parts may operate periodically to sense
operating state
and power down when a state is detected when no actions are required, such as
controlling
motion of the mechanical components or transmitting and/or receiving
information from a
bike share system controller. For example, the RFID reader may be triggered to
operate
only when the latch enters a latched position and the locking member then
enters a locked
position.
[0058] Fig. 11 is a flow chart that displays the high level sequence of
communications
between control devices within a bicycle lock and a controller for a bike
share system.
When a user wants to rent a bicycle, the user first initiates a request to
unlock a bicycle.
The user may initiate this action using a mobile phone, a dedicated remote
controller, a
control panel on the bicycle, a control panel on the dock, a web interface on
a computer, or
any other suitable input device. In some embodiments, that request may be
communicated
to a controller for a bike share system. That controller, for example, may be
a central
server that is coupled to the cellular telephone network.
[0059] The controller may determine whether to unlock a bicycle using any
suitable
processing. That processing could additionally require identity
authentication, or process a
payment before authorizing release, or alert a remote server that someone is
attempting to
retrieve a bicycle, or log the event, or a combination of the above depending
on the
embodiment. Regardless of the input mechanism and the form of processing, when
a
controller determines that a bicycle should be unlocked, that controller may
act as a signal
source 1102 that transmits a signal that acts as a command to unlock a
bicycle.
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[0060] A receiver 1104 within the first locking module 106 may receive
that command
signal, and pass the signal to a controller 1106, also within the first
locking module. The
controller 1106 may then read out the state of the actuator 1108, the state of
the locking
member from the locking member position sensor 1110 on or adjacent to the
locking
member 802, and the state of the latch position sensor 1112 located on or
adjacent to the
latch 540. The controller may use this information to determine the state of
the system,
and, if necessary for a user to remove the bicycle from a dock, generate a
control signal
that activates the actuator 804.
[0061] The controller 1106 may alternatively or additionally use the
sensed information to
determine whether the bicycle has been removed from the dock. For example, the
sensors
may indicate that the lock has gone from a locked to an unlocked state. Based
on the
sensed information, the controller 1106 may respond by removing power from the
actuator.
[0062] Following the undocking process, the lock may remain in an
unlatched and
unlocked state. In this state, the user may dock the bicycle to the same or
different dock. In
the illustrated embodiment, the actuator need not be driven for the docking
process. Rather,
pressing the lock on a bicycle into a lock receiving member on a dock rotates
the latch and
releases the locking member. Accordingly, it is not a requirement that
controller 1106 be
active during the docking process.
[0063] However, upon docking, the controller 1106 may sense that the lock
is locked to a
dock, such as by receiving information from RFID sensor 1116, which may be
positioned
to read a tag on the dock. Controller 1106 may then control transmitter 1114
to transmit a
signal indicating the information read from the dock. A message sent by
transmitter 1114
may include any suitable information, such as a value read from the RFID tag
and/or an
identifier for the bicycle to which controller 1106 is attached.
[0064] In accordance with some embodiments, controller 1106 may be
implemented as a
state engine, with the current state determined by the sensed state of the
actuator and sensor
outputs. The possible states are shown in Fig. 12, in an embodiment in which
sensors are
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provided to sense the state of the actuator (which in this embodiment is
implemented as a
motor), latch and locking member. The latch can be in either an open state or
a closed state
where the latch is up or down respectively. The locking member can be in
either an open
state or a closed state where the locking member is retracted or extended. The
actuator can
be in one of the "open" state, "locked" state, and some embodiments further
have a "ready"
state where the motor is primed to activate. The controller may be configured
to control the
actuator and/or transmitter based on the sensed state and an input received,
such as a
command received through the receiver, or a sensed change in the output of any
of the
sensors. Controller 1106 may be programmed to take appropriate actions upon
transitions
between states, such as engaging or disengaging the actuator. For example,
some
embodiments of the lock system utilize information about the state of the
bicycle determine
if it is safe to engage locking or unlocking by activating the actuator 804.
As a specific
example, if the locking member is already in a retracted position, actuator
804 would not
attempt to retract the locking member to prevent jamming the motor.
[0065] Moreover, it should be noted that FIG. 12 illustrates
that some states do not
correspond to valid operating states. Controller 1106 may be programmed to
recognize
such invalid states and execute operations that reset the state of the lock.
For example, if
controller 1106 determines that the lock is locked by the bicycle, but the
bicycle is not
attached to a dock, the controller may reset the system, such as by engaging
the actuator to
move the locking member into an unlocked position.
[0066] Following some or all of the actions taken, in some
embodiments, the controller
1106 may report the status of the bicycle 100 via the transmitter 1114.
[0067] In some embodiments, first locking module 106 further
includes a battery for
storing energy and powering the various control and signaling related parts of
the lock
system. This battery could be powered by a dynamo driven by the pedals of the
bicycle, or
charged with solar panels, or form an electrical connection with the dock or
another
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,
. .
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electrical source. However, it should be appreciated that an energy storage
device may be
located in any suitable location on the bicycle.
[0068] In some embodiments of the lock system, the first locking
module includes an
RFID sensor 1116 on its outer housing. In these embodiments, the second
locking module
additionally includes an RFID tag embedded in its housing, adjacent to where
RFID sensor
1116 on the first locking module would be when the two locking modules are
mated
together. The RFID sensor 1116 would read the RFID tag and report the ID of
the dock and
provide it to controller 1106. Controller 1106 may use this information in
various ways,
such as to report back to a third party server to maintain documentation of
where bicycles
are located. Additionally, the controller 1106 can receive signals from the
RFID sensor to
determine if the bicycle 100 and dock 102 have been mated properly based on
the
alignment of the RFID sensor and RFID tag. Other embodiments of the lock
system use
other sensor and tag combinations such as infrared sensors and bar codes, or
QR scanners
and QR codes.
[0069] While the present teachings have been described in
conjunction with various
embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be
limited to such
embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass
various
alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those
of skill in the
art.
[0070] For example, an embodiment was described in which a
locking pin is biased into a
locking position and driven by an actuator into an unlocked position. However,
the
locking pin may be biased into an unlocked position and driven into a locked
position. As
another example, a latch may be spring biased into one of an open or closed
position. The
latch may be driven into the other of the open or closed position with an
actuator or other
power source. Alternatively or additionally, the latch may be driven through
engagement
with a camming surface or other portion of a complementary latching member.
Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example
only.
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[0071] Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in
combination, or in a
variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments
described in the
foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and
arrangement of
components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the
drawings. For
example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner
with
aspects described in other embodiments.
[0072] It should be understood that aspects are described herein with
reference to certain
illustrative embodiments and the figures. The illustrative embodiments
described herein are
not necessarily intended to show all aspects, but rather are used to describe
a few
illustrative embodiments. Thus, aspects are not intended to be construed
narrowly in view
of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that
certain features
disclosed herein might be used alone or in any suitable combination with other
features.
[0073] Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description
and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising,"
or "having,"
"containing," "involving," and variations thereof herein, is meant to
encompass the items
listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
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