METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A CAPACITIVE ANTI-TRAP SYSTEM AND ANTI-TRAP SYSTEM

• US 20150275561A1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Hallstadt
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Herrmann, Christian, Pohl, Florian, Wuerstlein, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 10,669,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/46 responsive to changes in electrical capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96078 Sensor being a wire or a strip, e.g. used in automobile door handles or bumpers

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for controlling a capacitive anti-trap system of a vehicle. At least two transmission electrodes and one reception electrode of the capacitive anti-trap system are used for detecting an obstacle, and an electrical field is generated by a pair comprising transmission electrode and reception electrode by actuation of the respective transmission electrode by alternating electric current, said electrical field being influenced by an obstacle such that an electrical capacitance is measurably changed. A changing electrical capacitance is determinable on the basis of a signal received via the reception electrode and this signal is evaluated by means of an electronic evaluation unit at least during closing of the vehicle closing element in order to determine the presence of an obstacle in the displacement path of the vehicle closing element.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for controlling a capacitive anti-trap system of a vehicle, by means of which system an obstacle in the displacement path of a vehicle closing element to be closed, actuated by external force, is detectable, and which system is intended to prevent an obstacle from being trapped between the closing vehicle closing element and a vehicle structure in the region of a vehicle body opening which is closed by the vehicle closing element in a closed position, wherein

at least two transmission electrodes and one reception electrode of the capacitive anti-trap system are used for detecting an obstacle, and an electrical field is generated by a pair comprising transmission electrode and reception electrode by actuation of the respective transmission electrode by alternating electric current, said electrical field being influenced by an obstacle such that an electrical capacitance is measurably changed,

a changing electrical capacitance is determinable on the basis of a signal received via the reception electrode, and this signal is evaluated by means of an electronic evaluation unit at least during closing of the vehicle closing element in order to determine the presence of an obstacle in the displacement path of the vehicle closing element,

the at least two transmission electrodes are spaced physically apart from one another so that, with the at least one reception electrode, they generate an electrical field which can be influenced by an obstacle in two different monitoring regions, and

the two transmission electrodes which are spaced physically apart from one another are actuated simultaneously by alternating electric current such that it is possible to assess whether an obstacle is present in one of the two monitoring regions by means of the electronic evaluation unit on the basis of a single received signal.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the two transmission electrodes are actuated simultaneously by alternating electric current such that it is possible to assess in which of the monitoring regions an obstacle is present by means of the electronic evaluation unit on the basis of a single received signal.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the two transmission electrodes are actuated in phase opposition.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the two transmission electrodes are designed in such a way that, owing to the actuation in phase opposition, a measurable voltage signal is almost zero when there is no obstacle present and the mathematical sign of the received voltage signal indicates the monitoring region in which an obstacle is present.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein one of the two transmission electrodes is actuated by alternating current having a sinusoidal waveform, and the other transmission electrode is actuated simultaneously by alternating current having a cosinusoidal waveform.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the simultaneous actuation of the two transmission electrodes by alternating electric current is performed via a frequency multiplexer.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the simultaneous actuation of the two transmission electrodes by alternating electric current is performed by means of quadrature amplitude modulation.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the electronic evaluation unit comprises a demodulator in order to demodulate a received carrier signal and in order to be able to evaluate in which of the monitoring regions an obstacle is present on the basis of the demodulated signal.

25. A method for controlling a capacitive anti-trap system of a vehicle, by means of which system an obstacle in the displacement path of a vehicle closing element to be closed, actuated by external force, is detectable, and which system is intended to prevent an obstacle from being trapped between the closing vehicle closing element and a vehicle structure in the region of a vehicle body opening which is closed by the vehicle closing element in a closed position, in particular a method as claimed in claim 17, wherein

at least two transmission electrodes and one reception electrode of the capacitive anti-trap system are used for detecting an obstacle, and an electrical field is generated by a pair comprising transmission electrode and reception electrode by actuation of the respective transmission electrode by alternating electric current, said electrical field being influenced by an obstacle such that an electrical capacitance is measurably changed,

a changing electrical capacitance is determinable on the basis of a signal received via the reception electrode, and this signal is evaluated by means of an electronic evaluation unit at least during closing of the vehicle closing element in order to determine the presence of an obstacle in the displacement path of the vehicle closing element,

the at least two transmission electrodes are spaced physically apart from one another so that, with the at least one reception electrode, they generate an electrical field which can be influenced by an obstacle in two different monitoring regions, and

the two transmission electrodes which are spaced physically apart from one another are operated in at least two different operating modes, wherein, in a first operating mode, it is possible to evaluate whether an obstacle is present in one of the monitoring regions and, in a second operating mode, it is additionally possible to evaluate in which of the monitoring regions an obstacle is present.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein, in the first operating mode, the two transmission electrodes are actuated simultaneously by alternating electric current via a single signal generator and, in the second operating mode, the two transmission electrodes are actuated separately from one another by alternating electric current.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein, in the second operating mode, the two transmission electrodes are actuated by alternating electric current by means of the signal generator with a temporal offset with respect to one another.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein, in the first operating mode, the two transmission electrodes are actuated in phase and, in a second operating mode, said transmission electrodes are actuated in phase opposition.

29. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein changeover between the first and second operating modes can be effected by means of at least one electronic switch.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the electronic switch is triggered by a switching signal which is generated by an obstacle detection device of the vehicle on identification of a potential obstacle in the region of the vehicle body opening.

31. A capacitive anti-trap system for a vehicle, by means of which system an obstacle in the displacement path of a vehicle closing element to be closed, actuated by external force, is detectable and which system is used to prevent an obstacle from being trapped between the closing vehicle closing element and a vehicle structure in the region of a vehicle body opening which is closed by the vehicle closing element in a closed position, in particular for implementing a method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the anti-trap system comprises at least the following:

at least two transmission electrodes and one reception electrode, wherein an electrical field is generated by a pair comprising transmission electrode and reception electrode by actuation of the respective transmission electrode by alternating electric current, said electrical field being influenced by an obstacle such that an electrical capacitance is measurably changed, and

an electronic evaluation unit, by means of which a signal received via a reception electrode can be evaluated to ascertain whether an electrical capacitance has changed as a result of an obstacle in the displacement path of the vehicle closing element,

wherein the at least two transmission electrodes are spaced physically apart from one another so that, with the at least one reception electrode, they can generate an electrical field which can be influenced by an obstacle in two different monitoring regions, and

the electronic evaluation unit is designed and intended to assess whether an obstacle is present in one of the two monitoring regions on the basis of a single received signal when the two transmission electrodes which are spaced physically apart from one another are actuated simultaneously by alternating electric current,

and/or

the two transmission electrodes which are spaced physically apart from one another can be operated in at least two different operating modes, wherein, in a first operating mode, it is possible to evaluate, by means of the electronic evaluation unit, whether an obstacle is present in one of the monitoring regions and, in a second operating mode, it is additionally possible to evaluate, by means of the electronic evaluation unit, in which of the monitoring regions an obstacle is present.

32. The anti-trap system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the two transmission electrodes are provided on closing edges of the vehicle closing element which are spaced apart from one another and via each of which the vehicle closing element bears against the vehicle structure in the closed position of said vehicle closing element.