Systems and methods for integrating a portable electronic device with a bicycle

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided to sense unauthorized use of a vehicle. For example, an electronic device may include sensors to detect an operational parameter of a bicycle and communications circuitry to couple the electronic device to a second electronic device associated with user of the bicycle according to authorization information. Control circuitry may determine when the bicycle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter, identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the electronic device when the bicycle is in operation, and generate an alert indicating unauthorized operation when the second electronic device is not identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 one or more sensors configured to detect an operational parameter of a bicycle;   communications circuitry configured to communicatively couple the electronic device to a second electronic device according to authorization information, wherein the second electronic device is associated with a user of the bicycle; and   control circuitry configured to:
 determine when the bicycle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter; 
 identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the electronic device when the bicycle is in operation; and 
 generate an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized operation of the bicycle when the second electronic device is not identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the alert comprising a current location of the bicycle, a timestamp corresponding to the unauthorized operation of the bicycle, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify whether the second electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device by searching a wireless communications network for one or more broadcast identifiers associated with the second electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the communications circuitry is configured to: communicatively couple the electronic device to a third electronic device, wherein the third electronic device comprises an unauthorized electronic device; and
 transmit the alert to the third electronic device, wherein the alert comprises an instruction to relay the alert from the third electronic device to a remote server.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
 receive an authorization threshold parameter corresponding to a physical region for authorized operation of the bicycle; and   generate the alert when the bicycle travels beyond the physical region.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a user-configurable authorization threshold parameter corresponding to the physical region for authorized operation of the bicycle. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate a second alert comprising an indication to disregard the alert when the second electronic device is identified as substantially within the communicative proximity of the electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the communications circuitry is configured to transmit the alert to the second electronic device or to a third electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein the second electronic device comprises a mobile electronic device, and wherein the third electronic device comprises a remote server. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is associated with an authorized user of the bicycle, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the alert comprising an indication of a possible theft of the bicycle. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a strain gauge, a cadence sensor, a speedometer, an accelerometer, a magnetic sensor, a switch, a Hall Effect sensor, a photo-electric sensor, an audio sensor, or any combination thereof, coupled to the bicycle. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter comprises a speed, a pace, an acceleration, a distance, a point in time, an incline, a decline, an altitude, a torque, a generated power, a cadence, gear and derailleur settings, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 detecting a motion of a bicycle via one or more sensors coupled to the bicycle;   determining whether an external electronic device is substantially within a communicative proximity of the one or more sensors when the bicycle is in motion, wherein the external electronic device is configured to communicatively pair with the one or more sensors according to authorization information stored in association with the one or more sensors;   determining whether the external electronic device is authorized based at least in part on the authorization information; and   generating an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized use of the bicycle when the external electronic device is determined to be beyond the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors or when the external electronic device is determined to be unauthorized.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein detecting the motion of the bicycle comprises detecting a speed, a pace, an acceleration, a distance, a point in time, an incline, a decline, an altitude, a torque, a generated power, a cadence, gear and derailleur settings, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining whether the external electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors comprises detecting or attempting to detect a broadcast identifier associated with the external electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining whether the external electronic device is substantially within the communicative proximity of the one or more sensors comprises:
 generating a request to communicatively pair with the external electronic device;   transmitting the request to the external electronic device via a wireless communications network; and   receiving a reply from the external electronic device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining whether the external electronic device is authorized comprises determining whether the external electronic device is one of a stored plurality of authorized electronic devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 generating the alert comprising an indication of a possible theft of the bicycle; and   transmitting the alert to a second electronic device or to a third electronic device, or both, wherein the second electronic device or the third electronic device, or both, are associated with an authorized user of the bicycle.   
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 a vehicle; and   an electronic device communicatively coupled to the vehicle, comprising:
 one or more sensors configured to detect an operational parameter of the vehicle; 
 communications circuitry configured to communicatively couple the electronic device to a second electronic device according to authorization information stored to the electronic device, wherein the authorization information is configured to indicate whether the second electronic device is associated with a user of the vehicle; and 
 control circuitry configured to:
 determine when the vehicle is in operation based at least in part on the detected operational parameter; 
 identify whether the second electronic device is authorized based at least in part on the authorization information when the vehicle is in operation; and 
 generate an alert comprising an indication of an unauthorized operation of the vehicle when the second electronic device is unauthorized. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the vehicle comprises a bicycle, and wherein the electronic device is communicatively coupled to an external portion of the vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
 generate the alert, wherein the alert comprises an indication of a possible theft of the vehicle, a current location of the vehicle, and a timestamp corresponding to the unauthorized operation of the vehicle; and   transmit the alert via the communications circuitry to a third electronic device, wherein the third electronic device is configured to present the alert to an authorized user of the vehicle.