Method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system

• US 20020190680A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerbetz, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,573,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/445
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/04 Arrangements for preventing response to transient abnormal conditions, e.g. to lightning or to short duration over voltage or oscillations; Damping the influence of dc component by short circuits in ac networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

A method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system (300) includes measuring an instantaneous torque value (412) of a window lift mechanism (200) and calculating a pinch factor (430) based on the instantaneous torque value (412) and a stored torque value (424). A pinch threshold (308) is then adjusted based on the pinch factor (430) to define a modified pinch threshold (432). Stored torque value (424) includes stored torque values from sections of travel (406) of window (104), stored downstroke torque values (428) and stored upstroke torque values (426).

Claims

1. A method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system comprising:

measuring an instantaneous torque value during operation of a window lift mechanism;

calculating a pinch factor based on the instantaneous torque value and a stored torque value; and

adjusting a pinch threshold based on the pinch factor to define a modified pinch threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the pinch threshold comprises calculating the modified pinch threshold by adding the pinch factor to the pinch threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a rate of change of a spring constant of the window lift mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising halting upward operation of the window lift mechanism if the rate of change of the spring constant exceeds the modified pinch threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising averaging the plurality of instantaneous torque values within the section to determine a section torque value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored torque value.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the stored torque value based on the section torque value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored torque value.

10. A method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system comprising:

measuring a downstroke instantaneous torque value during a downstroke of a window lift mechanism;

calculating a pinch factor based on the downstroke instantaneous torque value and a stored downstroke torque value;

measuring an upstroke instantaneous torque value during an upstroke of the window lift mechanism;

updating the pinch factor based on the upstroke instantaneous torque value and a stored upstroke torque value; and

adjusting a pinch threshold based on the pinch factor to define a modified pinch threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the pinch threshold comprises calculating the modified pinch threshold by adding the pinch factor to the pinch threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising monitoring a rate of change of a spring constant of the window lift mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising halting upward operation of the window lift mechanism if the rate of change of the spring constant exceeds the modified pinch threshold.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein measuring the downstroke instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of downstroke instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising averaging the plurality of downstroke instantaneous torque values to determine a section torque value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored downstroke torque value.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating the stored downstroke torque value based on the section torque value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored downstroke torque value.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein measuring the upstroke instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of upstroke instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising averaging the plurality of upstroke instantaneous torque values to determine a section torque value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored upstroke torque value.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising updating the stored upstroke torque value based on the section torque value.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored upstroke torque value.

25. The computer-readable medium in claim 24, wherein adjusting the pinch threshold comprises calculating the modified pinch threshold by adding the pinch factor to the pinch threshold.

26. The computer-readable medium in claim 24, further comprising monitoring a rate of change of a spring constant of the window lift mechanism.

27. The computer-readable medium in claim 26, further comprising halting upward operation of the window lift mechanism if the rate of change of the spring constant exceeds the modified pinch threshold.

28. The computer-readable medium in claim 24, wherein measuring the instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

29. The computer-readable medium in claim 28, further comprising averaging the plurality of instantaneous torque values within the section to determine a section torque value.

30. The computer-readable medium in claim 29, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored torque value.

31. The computer-readable medium in claim 29, further comprising updating the stored torque value based on the section torque value.

32. The computer-readable medium in claim 31, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored torque value.

24. A computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system, the instructions comprising:

measuring an instantaneous torque value during operation of a window lift mechanism;

calculating a pinch factor based on the instantaneous torque value and a stored torque value; and

adjusting a pinch threshold based on the pinch factor to define a modified pinch threshold.

33. A computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method of compensating for abrupt load changes in an anti-pinch window control system, the instructions comprising:

measuring a downstroke instantaneous torque value during a downstroke of a window lift mechanism;

calculating a pinch factor based on the downstroke instantaneous torque value and a stored downstroke torque value;

measuring an upstroke instantaneous torque value during an upstroke of the window lift mechanism;

updating the pinch factor based on the upstroke instantaneous torque value and a stored upstroke torque value; and

adjusting a pinch threshold based on the pinch factor to define a modified pinch threshold.

34. The computer-readable medium in claim 33, wherein adjusting the pinch threshold comprises calculating the modified pinch threshold by adding the pinch factor to the pinch threshold.

35. The computer-readable medium in claim 33, further comprising monitoring a rate of change of a spring constant of the window lift mechanism.

36. The computer-readable medium in claim 35, further comprising halting upward operation of the window lift mechanism if the rate of change of the spring constant exceeds the modified pinch threshold.

37. The computer-readable medium in claim 33, wherein measuring the downstroke instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of downstroke instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

38. The computer-readable medium in claim 37, further comprising averaging the plurality of downstroke instantaneous torque values to determine a section torque value.

39. The computer-readable medium in claim 38, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored downstroke torque value.

40. The computer-readable medium in claim 38, further comprising updating the stored downstroke torque value based on the section torque value.

41. The computer-readable medium in claim 40, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored downstroke torque value.

42. The computer-readable medium in claim 33, wherein measuring the upstroke instantaneous torque value comprises measuring a plurality of upstroke instantaneous torque values at discreet positions within a section of travel of the window lift mechanism.

43. The computer-readable medium in claim 42, further comprising averaging the plurality of upstroke instantaneous torque values to determine a section torque value.

44. The computer-readable medium in claim 43, wherein calculating the pinch factor comprises taking a difference between the section torque value and the stored upstroke torque value.

45. The computer-readable medium in claim 43, further comprising updating the stored upstroke torque value based on the section torque value.

46. The computer-readable medium in claim 45, wherein updating comprises averaging the section torque value and the stored upstroke torque value.