Control apparatus for powered vehicle door systems

• US 5,389,920 A
• Filed: 05/01/1992
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mascotech, Inc. (Metaldyne Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mascotech, Inc. (Metaldyne Corporation)
• Inventors: Grossman, David G., Zuckerman, Lawrence H., DeLand, Daniel L., Moy, Curtis T., Heimnick, Paul, Schuler, Kurt P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILL, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US07/863,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.54, 364/424.05, 49/280, 180/271, 296/146 A, 296/155, 105/280, 105/282.1, 371/69.1, 371/67.1
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/06 slidable; foldable
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/48 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/21 with means preventing or detecting pinching of objects or body parts
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/40 for sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/244 by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/654 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/664 Drums
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/71 Toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/554 sensing motor load
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/664 by radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/112 Back driving the transmission or motor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means

Abstract

Control systems including control circuitry and optional communications systems for operating a sliding power-operated member of an automotive vehicle. A powered sliding door in an automotive vehicle, such as a van, moves along a predetermined path of travel between a closed position and a fully open position relative to the body of the vehicle. Such a sliding door may be provided with one or more electrically-operated actuators for performing functions associated with the door, such as power opening and closing the door, power unlatching the door, power locking and unlocking the door, and power clamping and unclamping the door in a soft or low-momentum manner. The invention is directed toward improved control systems and circuitry for operating such power-sliding door systems. One such control system employs a wireless communications link between the door and body, which is preferably implemented using radio frequency communication signals containing digitally encoded control signals. Control circuitry is preferably provided in the body and the door of the vehicle for supervising and carrying out the foregoing functions in an orderly manner in response to requests generated locally at the door or remotely by the driver from the console of the vehicle. A second, simpler, control system provides electrically-actuated mechanisms for unlatching the door and operating the door lock without the use of either a wireless communication system or a retractable electrical cable interconnecting the sliding door to the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A control system for a power-operated movable member, the movable member being slidably mounted to a body portion of a self-propelled motor vehicle, the control system comprising:

first bidirectional wireless communications means, mounted on the body portion of the vehicle, for transmitting and receiving, regardless of relative positioning of the movable member and the body portion, to and from the movable member digitally encoded communications signals containing information related to a plurality of control signals for controlling a plurality of functions associated with the movable member;

second bidirectional wireless communications means, mounted on the movable member, for transmitting and receiving, regardless of relative positioning of the movable member and the body portion, to and from the body portion of the vehicle digitally encoded communications signals containing the information related to the plurality of control signals for controlling the plurality of functions associated with the movable member, the transmitting and receiving defining a wireless communications link;

wherein the digitally encoded communication signals are in the form of at least a first block of information bits pertaining to the plurality of control signals associated with the movable member and at least a second block of information bits; and

means for verifying the accuracy of the wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications means, said verification means using at least in part the first and second block of information bits.

2. A control system as in claim 1, wherein the movable member is a side door and the motor vehicle is a van.

3. A control system as in claim 1, wherein:

the first and second wireless communications means each include means for generating modulated radio frequency communication signals, and means for decoding modulated radio frequency communication signals.

4. A control system as in claim 1, wherein the first block of information defines a first byte of information, and the second block of information defines a second byte of information.

5. A control system in claim 1 wherein the means for verifying the accuracy of the wireless communications link further comprises:

means for replicating the information in the communications signals to be transmitted and placing the replicated information as redundant data in the communications signals; and

means for comparing information received in the communications signals with the redundant data therein.

6. A control system as in claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless communications means each employ a half-duplex communications protocol, and serially encode the information related to the plurality of control signals in their respective communications signals to be transmitted to the other wireless communications means.

7. A control system as in claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless communications means each also encode into the communications signals to be transmitted additional information having addressing information which helps to prevent the wireless communications means from accidentally treating a communications signal from another source as a bonafide communications signal to be acted upon.