Method and device for determining a position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by means of a drive device

• US 20040158378A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Carl, Ingo, Beloch, Klaus, Woller, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,099,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/14 Inductive; Magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data

Abstract

According to the invention, the position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by a drive device (M1-M4) is determined by evaluating a signal (H1-H4) which is generated according to a drive movement of the drive device. In addition to this signal, at least one parameter is evaluated in order to correct a position error caused by at least temporarily asynchronous movements of the drive device and the displaceable part.

Claims

1. Method for determining a position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by an electric drive device whereby the electric drive device is elastically coupled to the displaceable part so that an at least temporary asynchronous movement can occur between the electric drive device and the displaceable part, whereby

the position of the displaceable part is determined by evaluating a signal generated in dependence on a drive movement of the electric drive device and in addition the torque (M_mot) and/or at least one parameter of the electric drive device correlating with same is evaluated for correcting a position error caused by an asynchronous movement between the electric drive device and the displaceable part.

2. Method according to claim 1,

characterised in that

the parameter of the electric drive device correlating with the torque (M_Mot) is a drive voltage (U_Klemm), a drive current (I_Mot) and/or a speed (n).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2,

characterised in that

the position error is corrected in dependence on a class assigned to the correction, and

the actual class for the correction case is determined by comparing the torque (M_Mot) and/or at least one correlating parameter with one or more threshold values.

4. Method according to claim 3,

characterised in that

each class is assigned a correction factor for correcting the position error.

5. Method according to one of claims 3 or 4,

characterised in that

each class is assigned a correction constant for correcting the position error.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

for correction the signal is weighted in dependence on the torque (M_mot) and/or at least one correlating parameter.

7. Method according to claim 6,

characterised in that

for weighting data from the signals are divided into additive data and subtractive data and

the actual position is corrected in the displacement direction and opposite the displacement direction corresponding to the additive data or subtractive data respectively.

8. Method according to claim 6 or 7,

characterised in that

for weighting data of the signals are divided into data to be evaluated or data dropped for correction, and

the position is up-dated corresponding to the data to be evaluated.

9. Method according to one of claims 6 to 8,

characterised in that

as signals pulses are evaluated which are generated in dependence on the drive movement, more particularly a rotational angle of the drive movement, for evaluation the pulses are counted and added or subtracted according to the displacement direction, and

for correction the counting of the pulses is corrected.

10. Method according to claims 7 and 9,

characterised in that

for correction

the pulses are added to the position when the drive device is supplied with current as a result of a control signal as parameter for the displacement direction, and

the pulses are subtracted from the position when the supply of current to the drive device for the displacement direction is terminated,

the pulses are subtracted from the position when the drive device is supplied with current as a result of a control signal as characteristic value for the counter displacement direction, and

the pulses of the position are added when the supply of current to the drive device for the counter displacement direction is terminated.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

as parameter is evaluated a drive parameter, more particularly

a control signal for the displacement direction

a scanning ratio of a pulse width modulation

a battery voltage

a displacement time

a drive temperature

a measured or calculated torque or

a combination of several drive parameters of the drive device.

12. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

as parameter is evaluated an operating parameter, more particularly

a seat occupancy

a seated weight (of the seat user)

a distribution of the seated weight

an atmospheric temperature, or

a combination of several operating parameters of the seat or of one or more operating parameters with one or more drive values.

13. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

as parameter for the positions are evaluated the stored sluggish actions of the displacement system.

14. Method according to one of the preceding claims

characterised in that

as parameter is evaluated at least one significant characteristic of the displacement.

15. Method according to one of claims 7 to 14,

characterised in that

as parameter is evaluated a combination of one or more operating values, one or more drive values, stored sluggish actions and/or one of more significant characteristics.

16. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

the drive movement is determined by a single-channel sensor in that as signal is evaluated a non direction detectable sensor signal of the single-channel sensor.

17. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that

the torque (M_mot) and/or at least one correlating parameter is evaluated in a double function for correcting a position error and for detecting the jamming of an object or part of the human body.

18. Device for determining a position of a part of a motor vehicle seat which can be displaced by an electric drive device whereby the electric drive device is elastically coupled to the displaceable part so that an asynchronous movement can occur at lest temporarily between the electric drive device and the displaceable part, with

an evaluation device for determining the position of the displaceable part by evaluating a signal whereby the signal is generated in dependence on a drive movement of the electric drive device, whereby

the evaluation device evaluates additionally the torque (M_Mot) and/or at least one parameter of the electric drive device correlating with same for correcting a position error caused by an asynchronous movement between the electric drive device and the displaceable part, and

means are provided for correcting a position error determined from the evaluation of the torque (M_Mot) and/or the correlating parameter (U_klemm, I_Mot,n).

19. Device according to claim 18,

characterised in that

the parameter of the electric drive device correlating with the torque (M_Mot) is a drive voltage (U_Klemm), a drive current (I_mot) and/or a speed (n).