Control system

• US 10,563,447 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose)
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose)
• Inventors: Gunreben, Andre, Moench, Henning, Wuerstlein, Holger, Kuhnen, Thorsten, Troeger, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Menezes, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US14/367,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/74 using photoelectric cells
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/856 Actuation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/858 by body parts, e.g. by feet
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/40 Physical or chemical protection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6836 sensing obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/023 for measuring distance between sensor and object G01B7/082 and G01B7/102 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A control system for driving a motorized closure element of a motor vehicle is provided, wherein, in order to detect operator control events, at least one sensor control means and at least one elongate distance sensor which extends along a sensor extent are provided, wherein the sensor control means drives the associated distance sensor, evaluates the sensor signals from the distance sensor or drives the associated distance sensor and evaluates the sensor signals from the distance sensor, and wherein the distance sensor detects a distance from a user. The control system can be configured such that when it is installed in a vehicle, a vehicle component can be arranged in or along the sensor extent, and that the distance sensor is designed such that it has a blind section in the region of the vehicle component, the blind section having no sensitivity or a lower level of sensitivity compared to that region of the distance sensor which adjoins the blind section.

Claims

1. A control system for driving a motorized closure element of a motor vehicle, the control system comprising:

at least one sensor control element; and

at least one elongate distance sensor that detects a distance from a user, the at least one elongate distance sensor comprising a longitudinal sensor extent, a blind section, and an adjoining region that adjoins the blind section, wherein the at least one elongate distance sensor comprises at least one conductor that extends through the blind section;

wherein the distance sensor extends along the longitudinal sensor extent;

wherein the blind section and the adjoining region extend along the longitudinal sensor extent;

wherein the blind section has a level of sensitivity that is lower than a level of sensitivity of the adjoining region;

wherein the at least one sensor control element drives the distance sensor, evaluates sensor signals from the distance sensor, or drives the distance sensor and evaluates the sensor signals from the distance sensor;

wherein the control system is configured such that when the control system is installed in a vehicle, the control system detects operator control events in the form of user movements and upon detection of an operator control event prompts motorized opening of the closure element;

wherein the control system is configured such that when the control system is installed in a vehicle, the blind section is located in a vehicle component region; and

wherein the level of sensitivity of the blind section is such that a vehicle component located in the vehicle component region cannot be detected by the distance sensor and does not cause any interference in the detection of the distance from the user by the distance sensor, wherein the blind section has no sensitivity such that no detection by the distance sensor takes placed in the blind section.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least two elongate distance sensors, the at least two distance sensors extending substantially parallel in relation to one another.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the at least two distance sensors comprises multiple sensor modules, wherein the at least one sensor control element comprises a common sensor control element associated with a group of the sensor modules of the at least two distance sensors arranged on one side of the vehicle component.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises a capacitive sensor with an elongate measurement electrode.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extent of the blind section along the sensor extent is at least 5% of the total length of the distance sensor.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises multiple sensor modules, including a first sensor module and a second sensor module, extending along the longitudinal sensor extent, wherein the blind section provides a break in the multiple sensor modules along the sensor extent such that the first and second sensor modules are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle component.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second sensor modules make electrical contact with one another.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor control element comprises a separate sensor control element associated with each of the first and second sensor modules.

9. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor control element comprises a common sensor control element associated with both the first and second sensor modules.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is arranged in or on a vehicle body part.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vehicle body part comprises a front, rear or side skirt.

12. The control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the distance sensor extends over the width of the vehicle body part.

13. A motor vehicle comprising a motorized closure element, and comprising the control system for driving the motorized closure element as claimed in claim 1.

14. A method for operating the control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a longitudinal movement by the user along the sensor extent of the at least one distance sensor through the blind section of said distance sensor produces a pattern in the profile of the sensor signal with respect to time, wherein the pattern is detected by the control system at least as part of an operator control event.

15. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle component comprises a trailer coupling.

16. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extent of the blind section along the sensor extent is at least 10% of the total length of the distance sensor.