DOOR POSITION SENSOR AND SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20170030737A1
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elie, Larry, Wallace, Jeff A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• 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: E05F 15/78 using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/326 of the angular type
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/14 influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/165 by relative movement of a point of contact or actuation and a resistive track
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/26 characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34 the beams of light being detected by photocells
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/342 the sensed object being the obturating part
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system for determining a door condition includes a hinge including a first portion coupled with a door and a second portion coupled with a vehicle frame and rotatably coupled with the first portion. The system further includes a sensor outputting a signal related to a position of the first portion relative to the second portion and a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

Claims

1. A system for determining a door condition, comprising:

a hinge including a first portion coupled with a door and a second portion coupled with a vehicle frame and rotatably coupled with the first portion;

a sensor outputting a signal related to a position of the first portion relative to the second portion; and

a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a potentiometer coupled between the first portion of the hinge and the second portion of the hinge;

and

the signal output by the potentiometer varies proportionately with an increase in an angle between the first portion of the hinge and the second portion of the hinge.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller determines whether the signal corresponds to the door closed condition or the door open condition by comparing the signal received from the sensor with known signal value ranges corresponding to the door closed condition and the door open condition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, and the signal includes optical information within a field of view of the optical sensor, the field of view including the hinge.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller determines whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition by locating an identifiable feature of the hinge and comparing a position of the identifiable feature to known ranges of positions thereof within the door closed condition and within the door open condition.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a component of a hinge assembly further including the first portion and the second portion of the hinge.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal is a first signal and further includes a power assist device operatively coupled with the hinge to drive movement of the first portion of the hinge relative to the second portion of the hinge, wherein:

the controller outputs a second signal to the power assist device to cause the power assist device to drive movement of the first portion of the hinge corresponding to either an opening movement and a closing movement of the door; and

the controller compares successive positions of the first hinge portion relative to the second hinge portion to determine whether the door is moving according to the second signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller further identifies an obstructed condition of the door by determining a plurality of successive positions of the first hinge portion relative to the second hinge portion being the same when the signal from the sensor corresponds to the door open condition and the controller is outputting the second signal to the power assist device corresponding to the closing movement of the door.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a door opening;

a door;

a hinge coupled between the door and the opening and permitting an angular movement of the door relative to the opening;

a sensor outputting a signal related to an angular relationship between the door and the opening; and

a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further including a power assist device operatively coupled between the opening and the door to drive the angular movement of the door relative to the opening, wherein:

the controller outputs a signal to the power assist device to cause the power assist device to drive the angular movement of the door between a closed position and a predetermined open position within a range of open positions relative to the opening.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller outputs the signal to the power assist device based on a proportional-integral control scheme using the signal from the sensor as an input.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller compares successive positions of the door relative to the opening to determine whether the door is moving according to the signal output to the power assist device.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller further identifies an obstructed condition of the door by determining a plurality of successive positions of the door relative to the opening being the same when the signal from the sensor corresponds to the door open condition and the controller is outputting the signal to the power assist device corresponding to a closing movement of the door.

14. The vehicle of claim 10, further including a brushless DC motor operatively coupled between the opening and the door to drive the angular movement of the door relative to the opening, wherein:

the sensor is derived from the brushless DC motor by monitoring a control circuit thereof.

15. A method for detecting a condition of a vehicle door, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor including information related to a sensed position of the vehicle door in relation to an associated door opening; and

determining that the door is in a closed condition or an open condition based on a comparison of the sensed position of the vehicle door to a known range of positions for the closed condition and the open condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the door is coupled with a vehicle and rotatable with respect to the door opening through an angular range of motion;

the closed condition of the door corresponds to a first limit of the angular range of motion with the door substantially covering the door opening;

the known range of positions for the closed condition is the first limit of the angular range of motion; and

the known range of positions for the open condition is any position outside of the first limit of the range of angular motion.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

determining that the door is in a latched condition with respect to the opening;

determining that the door is within a predetermined range of the closed condition based on the comparison of the sensed position of the vehicle door to the known range of positions for the closed condition; and

re-zeroing the range of positions for the closed condition with a low end of the range of positions for the closed position corresponding to the sensed position.

18. The method of claim 15, further including:

outputting a control signal to an power assist device directing the power assist device to move the door from a closed position to an open position; and

determining that the door is in an obstructed condition by determining that the door is in a single position within the known range of positions corresponding to the open condition for a predetermined period of time.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the sensor is a potentiometer having a first portion coupled with the door and a second portion coupled with the door opening;

the information relating to the sensed position of the door corresponds to an increase in an angle between the door and the door opening; and

the known range of positions for the closed condition and for the open condition are respective ranges of the angle between the door and the door opening.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein

the sensor is a magnetic sensor coupled with one of the door and the door opening and the information relating to the sensed position of the door includes a distance from the magnetic sensor of a magnet mounted on the other of the door and the door opening;

and

the known range of positions for the closed condition and for the open condition are respective ranges of the distance of the magnet to the magnetic sensor.