Method for closing a convertible soft top

• US 9,272,609 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Car Top Systems GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Car Top Systems GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stahmer, Michael, Klein, Berthold, Helwich, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/466,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 556 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method for operating a convertible top of a motor vehicle. The convertible top may be a soft top which may be opened and closed in an electric or hydraulic manner using, in a non-limiting embodiment, a mobile device after the mobile device receives data relating to the monitoring of an interior space and an exterior region of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a convertible top of a vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring an interior space of the vehicle and an exterior region outside of the vehicle;

transmitting data relating to the monitoring of the interior space and the exterior region to a mobile device; and

actuating the convertible top, via the mobile device, after transmitting the data,

wherein the mobile device provides an option to cancel a process of opening or closing the convertible top of the vehicle when the transmitted data indicates that an object is within a specific spatial zone of the vehicle, and

wherein actuation of the convertible top is performed after displaying the data for a specific predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting the data, authenticating the identity of a user of the vehicle via the mobile control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting the data via an air interface to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the air interface is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth®

, mobile network, WiMAX® and

WLAN.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the interior space is performed via a video monitoring system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video monitoring system comprises a camera monitoring system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the exterior region is performed via a video monitoring system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video monitoring system comprises camera sensors that generate a birdview image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile network device having a display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile network device is provided with software for the purpose of contacting a control device of the vehicle and authenticating the identity of a user of the vehicle before transmitting the data.

11. A computer implemented method of operating a convertible top of a vehicle, the computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring an interior space of the vehicle and an exterior region outside of the vehicle;

transmitting data relating to the monitoring of the interior space and the exterior region to a mobile device; and

actuating the convertible top, via the mobile device, after transmitting the data,

wherein the mobile device provides an option to cancel a process of opening or closing the convertible top of the vehicle when the transmitted data indicates that an object is within a specific spatial zone of the vehicle, and

wherein actuation of the convertible top is performed after displaying the data for a specific predetermined period of time.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to transmitting the data, authenticating an identity of a user of the vehicle via the mobile control device.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting the data via the group consisting of Bluetooth ®

, mobile network, WiMAX® and

WLAN.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein:

monitoring the interior space is performed via a first video monitoring system; and

monitoring the exterior region is performed via a second video monitoring system.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein:

the first video monitoring system comprises a camera monitoring system; and

the second video monitoring system comprises camera sensors.

16. A computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring an interior space of a vehicle and an exterior region outside of the vehicle;

authenticating an identity of a user of the vehicle;

transmitting data relating to the monitoring of the interior space and the exterior region to a mobile device of the user upon a positive authentication of the identity of the user; and

actuating a convertible top of the vehicle after transmitting the data,

wherein the user is provided with an option on the mobile device to cancel a process of opening or closing the convertible top of the vehicle when the transmitted data indicates that an object is within a specific spatial zone of the vehicle, and

wherein actuation of the convertible top is performed after displaying the data for a specific predetermined period of time.