Adjustment device and method for adjusting a seat window lift or sliding roof of a motor vehicle

• US 7,057,522 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Aab, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/344,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340 561- 564, 340/5.72, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.36, 341/22, 341/176, 701/2, 701/49
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustment device, actuated by an external force, for adjusting a seat or a window lift of a motor vehicle. Said device comprises an adjustment drive, a control device for controlling the drive and an operating device for actuating the control device. According to an adjustment method, at least one control signal that is specific to the direction of adjustment is transmitted from the operating device to the control device via a common air interface. The operating device is supplied with power via the common air interface and the adjustment drive can be controlled by the control device using the control signal that has been transmitted via the common air interface.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a movable component of a vehicle using at least one adjustment device operated by external force, comprising:

providing an adjustment drive, a control device that controls the adjustment drive, and an operating device including a transmission device and a screen associated therewith;

manually actuating the operating device by changing the position of the screen relative to the transmission device to produce at least one characterised control signal associated with an adjustment direction, that is transmitted from the transmission device through an air interface and to the control device and the adjustment drive; and

supplying the operating device with energy through the air interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is screened at least in one adjustment direction.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the changing includes moving the transmission device with respect to the screen which is in fixed position.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the screen is a movable screen which is moveable by the manual actuation of the operating device relative to the transmission device and the changing includes moving the screen relative to the transmission device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing further includes the operating device including a plurality of the transmission devices and each adjustment direction is associated with a corresponding transmission device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the operating device further includes an operating element connected to a transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, or the screen.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment direction is determined, at least in part, by a direction code in the control signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment direction is determined, at least in part, by a transmission frequency of the control signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the manually actuating further comprises the characterised control signal including time data therein.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the characterized control signal is transmitted during a transmission period and the time data is a code or transmission period which characterises at least one part of a period of the actuation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment drive is controlled at least during the transmission period.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the time data includes at least one of start information which characterises a beginning of the manual actuation, and end information which characterises the end of the manual actuation.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the transmission of the control signal is interrupted during an interruption period during the manually actuating, and the time data is determined from the interruption period of the control signal.

14. The method according to one of claims 9 to 13, wherein an operating mode for adjusting the adjustment drive is determined from evaluating the time data through the control device.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the manually actuating includes actuating an operating element and takes place during an actuation period, and an operating mode for adjusting the adjustment device is determined from an evaluation of the actuation period.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein operating mode data associated with the operating mode, is transmitted from the operating device to the control device, the control device controls the adjustment drive according to the operating mode data, and the control signal is transmitted according to the operating mode and independently of operating duration.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the control signals is transmitted cyclically, a number of cycles including transmitted cycles and non-transmitted cycles is evaluated by the control device, and an adjustment of the adjustment device is automatically controlled based on a predetermined number of cycles.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising evaluating a further predetermined number of cycles to verify the validity of the control signal.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movable component comprises a window pane, and during emergency operation the control device interprets each characterized control signal to automatically open the window pane.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising cable-linked operating signals, and controlling the control device using the cable-linked operating signals during normal operation, and during emergency operation, the control device is controlled by the characterized control signals transmitted through the air interface.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is coded with an automatic code.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein each characterized control signal is transmitted by way of an absorption modulation of a first magnetic alternating field transmitted by the control device, the operating device including a receiver circuit for absorption modulation and in which absorption of the first magnetic alternating field is changed, and the control device evaluates the change of the absorption of the first magnetic alternating field.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein each characterized control signal is transmitted by a first electromagnetic radio alternating field transmitted from the operating device to the control device, and a second electromagnetic radio alternating field is transmitted to the operating device, the second electromagnetic radio alternating field being independent of the first electromagnetic radio alternating field.

32. The method according to claim 3, wherein the changing includes moving the transmission device into a first position screened by the screen from transmitting and out of said first position.

33. The method according to claim 13, wherein the adjustment drive is controlled at least during the interruption period.

24. An adjustment device operated by external force for adjusting a movable component of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an adjustment drive,

a control device that controls the adjustment drive,

an operating device including a first transmission device and through whose manual actuation the control device is controlled by the operating device, and

a second transmission device included as part of the control device and for the remote transmission through an air interface of a control signal associated with an adjustment direction and responsive to the manual actuation of the operating device,

wherein the operating device receives energy supplied through the air interface, and includes a screen that is positionable relative to the first transmission device by manual actuation of the operating device.

25. The adjustment device according to claim 24, wherein the operating device includes at least one button that includes a switching state that can be transferred to the first transmission device.

26. The adjustment device according to claim 24, wherein the operating device includes at least one button that includes a switching state that can be transferred to the screen.

27. The adjustment device according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the first transmission device has, for at least one adjustment direction, a transmission receiver module that is positionable relative to the screen.

28. The adjustment device according to claim 27, wherein the transmission receiver module is moveable relative to the screen.

29. The adjustment device according to claim 27, wherein the transmission receiver module is a transponder.

30. The adjustment device according to claim 27, wherein the transmission receiver module is an inter digital converter with a transmission receiver antenna.

31. The adjustment device according to claim 24, wherein the operating device can be supplied with energy from an energy converter.

34. The adjustment device according to claim 28, wherein the transmission receiver module can be moved into or out of a position whereby transmission is screened by the screen.