Automatic venting system for a vehicle with obstruction detection utilizing dynamically modified thresholds
First Claim
1. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
- monitoring an operating current provided to said motor;
detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold condition;
determining an average value of said operating current;
modifying the threshold condition based on the determined average value; and
generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motor control system for controlling operation of an electric motor associated with a motor-operated vent in a vehicle. The system monitors and stores data relating to the operating current and detects occurrences of abnormal loads applied to the vent by determining whether the monitored operating current exceeds one of several predetermined thresholds. The predetermined thresholds are dynamically modified in accordance with monitored condition variations of the operating current. The dynamically modified thresholds are initially based on either a value associated with the stall current of the vent motor or the start spike current of the vent motor. In addition, an embodiment is provided for monitoring and storing data relating to ripple current waves associated with the operating current, so that occurrences of abnormal loads may be detected by determining whether the frequency of the monitored ripple current waves is less than a predetermined value.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
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monitoring an operating current provided to said motor; detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold condition; determining an average value of said operating current; modifying the threshold condition based on the determined average value; and generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
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monitoring an operating current provided to said motor; detecting a motor stall current value in the monitored operating current; detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value; modifying the threshold value when the detected motor stall current value is less than the threshold value; and generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
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monitoring an operating current provided to said motor; detecting a motor start spike current value in the monitored operating current; detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value that corresponds to a motor start spike current value; modifying the threshold value when a detected motor start spike current value is less than the threshold value; and generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle.
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17. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
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monitoring an operating current provided to said motor; detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value; modifying the threshold value when a monitored operating current exceeds a predetermined percentage of the threshold value and is less than the threshold value; and generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said method comprising:
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monitoring an operating current provided to said motor; detecting an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value; generating a new version of the threshold value based on a previous value of the monitored operating current and an offset value that corresponds to a predetermined percentage of a previous version of the threshold value; and generating a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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monitoring circuitry configured to monitor an operating current provided to the motor and to determine an average value of said operating current; and a controller connected to the monitoring circuitry, the controller being configured to; detect the presence of an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold condition, modify the threshold condition based on the determined average value, and generate a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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monitoring circuitry configured to monitor an operating current provided to the motor; and a controller connected to the monitoring circuitry, the controller being configured to; detect the presence of an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value that corresponds to a motor stall current value, detect a motor stall current value in the monitored operating current, modify the threshold value when the detected motor stall current value is less than the threshold value, and generate a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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monitoring circuitry configured to monitor an operating current provided to the motor; and a controller connected to the monitoring circuitry, the controller being configured to; detect the presence of an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value that corresponds to a motor start spike current value, detect a motor start spike current value in the monitored operating current, modify the threshold value when the detected motor start spike current value is less than the threshold value, and generate a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle.
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42. A system for controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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monitoring circuitry configured to monitor an operating current provided to the motor; and a controller connected to the monitoring circuitry, the controller being configured to; detect the presence of an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value, modify the threshold value when a monitored operating current exceeds a predetermined percentage of the threshold value and is less than the threshold value, and generate a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A system for controlling an electric motor associated with an opening in a vehicle, said system comprising:
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monitoring circuitry configured to monitor an operating current provided to the motor; and a controller connected to the monitoring circuitry, the controller being configured to; detect the presence of an obstacle in the opening by analysis of the monitored operating current with respect to a threshold value, generate a new version of the threshold value based on a previous value of the monitored operating current and an offset value that corresponds to a predetermined percentage of a previous version of the threshold value, and generate a signal in response to the detection of an obstacle. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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Specification