Method and unit for operating an electromechanical adjusting device

• US 8,143,832 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Holzmann, Stefan, Morawek, Roman, Zuffer, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/598,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 318/266, 318/265, 318/280, 318/286, 318/434, 318/444, 318/445, 318/466, 318/458, 493/49, 493/50
• US Class Current: 318/466
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

In a method for operating an electromechanical adjusting device, having an actuating part driven by a controller controlled motor, and which can be adjusted according to a manual specification for a controller operating element between a first and a second end position, the controller detects the precise position of a blockage of an adjusting movement from fed sensor signals, wherein user action performed on the operating element adjusts the actuating part by a first movement directed toward the end position to a position at which mechanical blockage occurs in order to determine a reference position, and adjusts the actuating part by a second movement into the second end position to examine the validity of the previously determined reference position by a test program which decides whether an automatic operating mode, in which an actuating process runs automatically, is activated, or blocked, as a function of the test result.

Claims

1. A method for the operation of an electromechanical adjusting device with an actuating part, which is driven by a motor, which is controlled by a controller, and which can be adjusted between a first end position and a second end position depending on a manual specification for an operating element of the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the precise position of a blockage of an adjusting movement from sensor signals fed from a sensor means, the method comprising the step of performing a user action at the operating element, wherein:

the actuating part is adjusted by an adjusting movement in the direction of the first end position, to take up a position in which a mechanical blockage occurs, in order to determine a reference position, and

the actuating part is adjusted by a second adjusting movement into the second end position, in order to check the validity of the previously determined reference position by means of a test program held in readiness in the controller, wherein the test program decides, depending on the test result, whether an automatic operating mode, in which an actuating process initiated at the operating element runs automatically, is enabled or blocked.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein during this second adjusting movement the test program compares current position information of the actuating part with adjustment path information stored in a storage device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein after attainment of the second end position depending on the test result it is decided whether the previously detected reference position is to be retained or rejected.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a position sensor is used as the sensor means and the position signals of this position sensor are used for detection of a mechanical blockage.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a single Hall sensor is used as the position sensor, which detects the magnetic field of a sensor wheel mechanically connected to the motor shaft.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference position is stored in a memory cell of the storage device together with supplementary information indicating validity.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the test program is formed by program code executable on a microcontroller.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the validity of the position is checked both upon the first initialization during manufacture as well in post-initialization during operation of the adjusting device, wherein the post-initialization is either performed regularly or in the event of a fault.

9. A device for performing the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform a test run, by means of which the validity of a previously detected reference position can be checked, and that depending on the test result, an automatic operating mode of the adjusting device, in which an autonomously running movement of the actuating part into a closed position triggered by an operating element of the controller is enabled or blocked.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller contains a microcontroller, and that the test run is prescribed in the form of an algorithm, which is executable on the microcontroller.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein position signals of a position sensor, which is formed by a single Hall sensor are fed to the controller.

12. A system for the operation of an electromechanical adjusting device comprising an actuating part, which is driven by a motor, which is controlled by a controller, and which can be adjusted between a first end position and a second end position depending on a manual specification for an operating element of the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the precise position of a blockage of an adjusting movement from sensor signals fed from a sensor means, the system through a user action at the operating element being operable to:

adjust the actuating part by an adjusting movement in the direction of the first end position, to take up a position in which a mechanical blockage occurs, in order to determine a reference position, and

to adjust the actuating part by a second adjusting movement into the second end position, in order to check the validity of the previously determined reference position by means of a test program held in readiness in the controller, wherein the test program decides, depending on the test result, whether an automatic operating mode, in which an actuating process initiated at the operating element runs automatically, is enabled or blocked.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein during this second adjusting movement the test program compares current position information of the actuating part with adjustment path information stored in a storage device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein after attainment of the second end position depending on the test result it is decided whether the previously detected reference position is to be retained or rejected.

15. The system according to claim 13, comprising a position sensor as the sensor means and the position signals of this position sensor are used for detection of a mechanical blockage.

16. The system according to claim 12, comprising a single Hall sensor as the position sensor, which detects the magnetic field of a sensor wheel mechanically connected to the motor shaft.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the reference position is stored in a memory cell of the storage device together with supplementary information indicating validity.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the test program is formed by program code executable on a microcontroller.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the validity of the position is checked both upon the first initialization during manufacture as well in post-initialization during operation of the adjusting device, wherein the post-initialization is either performed regularly or in the event of a fault.