Control Device and Adjusting Mechanism of a Motor Vehicle

• US 20090132114A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Torsten, Mager
• Application Number:
  US12/063,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132114A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a control device for an adjustment mechanism of a motor vehicle, wherein the control device includes an arithmetic unit that is configured to control a function unit of the motor vehicle, a volatile memory for storing control data, a non-volatile memory, and a circuit. The volatile memory is connected to the arithmetic unit for storing the control data, and the circuit is designed to transmit the control data from the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory in a sleep mode or in a switched-off state of the arithmetic unit. The invention further relates to a method for controlling a functional unit of a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A control device for an adjustment mechanism of a motor vehicle, the control device comprising

an arithmetic unit that is configured to control a function unit of the motor vehicle,

a volatile memory for storing control data, wherein the volatile memory is connected to the arithmetic unit for storing the control data,

a non-volatile memory, and

a circuit,

wherein the circuit and/or the arithmetic unit are designed to place the arithmetic unit in a sleep mode and/or to switch off a power supply for the arithmetic unit, and the circuit is configured to transmit the control data from the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory in a sleep mode or in a switched-off state of the arithmetic unit.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit or the arithmetic unit is configured, or both are configured, to control the sleep mode as a function of detection of a dip in a supply voltage and/or to switch off a power supply for the arithmetic unit.

3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor for buffering a power supply of the control device during a dip in a supply voltage.

4. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a measuring means for measuring a supply voltage and determining a dip in the supply voltage.

5. The control device according to claim 4, further comprising a low-pass filter for filtering the measured supply voltage.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit the control data from the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory as a function of detection of a dip in a supply voltage.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit has a hard-wired transistor logic for transmitting the control data from the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein the transistor logic is designed to bring about the transmission of the control data as a function of a signal of at least one signal input.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control data is assigned a plurality of nonvariable addresses in the volatile memory and a plurality of nonvariable addresses in the nonvolatile memory.

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the volatile memory and the nonvolatile memory have a parallel interface that can be controlled by the circuit.

11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit is designed to change over from the sleep mode into an operating mode in such a way that it can be woken up.

12. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit, the volatile memory, and the nonvolatile memory are integrated onto a single semiconductor chip.

13. The control device according to claim 11, wherein the arithmetic unit is integrated onto a second semiconductor chip, and wherein the two semiconductor chips are arranged inside a component housing and are connected by bonding wires.

14. An adjustment device for a window-lifting system of a motor vehicle, the adjustment system comprising

an adjustment mechanism,

a drive motor, and

a control device connected to the drive motor in order to control a drive current, wherein the control device is designed to acquire control data from the drive current and a sensed movement of the drive motor, and wherein the control device is designed to control the drive current as a function of the control data.

15. A method for controlling a functional unit of a motor vehicle, comprising

receiving control data,

controlling the functional unit as a function of the control data by means of an arithmetic unit,

determining a dip in a supply voltage,

placing the arithmetic unit in a sleep mode or disconnecting the arithmetic unit from a power supply as a function of the determination of the dip in the supply voltage, and

transmitting the control data from a volatile memory into a nonvolatile memory while the arithmetic unit is placed in the sleep mode or disconnected from the power supply.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising

transferring the arithmetic unit for control purposes to the operating mode after the dip in the supply voltage, and

mirroring the control data, transmitted into the nonvolatile memory, for control purposes in the volatile memory.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein mirroring the control data is achieved by using the arithmetic unit.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein mirroring the control data comprises mirroring the control data independently of a program run of the arithmetic unit during the transfer into the operating mode.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising reducing a clock frequency for a program run of the arithmetic unit, before placing the arithmetic unit in the sleep mode or disconnecting the arithmetic unit from the power supply.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising de-energizing at least one load that is connected to the power supply, before placing the arithmetic unit in the sleep mode or disconnecting the arithmetic unit from the power supply, wherein the at least one load is selected from the group consisting of a sensor, an actuator, a heating element, or a display.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising placing the arithmetic unit in the sleep mode or disconnecting the arithmetic unit from the power supply, after the supply voltage drops below a first threshold value.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising interrupting a program run of the arithmetic unit, after the power supply has dropped below a second threshold value, in order, to switch off at least one load or to reduce the clock frequency.