Method for actuating a closure element arrangement in a motor vehicle

• US 9,463,776 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose)
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose)
• Inventors: Gunreben, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US14/398,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2054 by foot gestures
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/858 by body parts, e.g. by feet
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/40 Physical or chemical protection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for actuating a closure element arrangement in a motor vehicle, wherein the closure element arrangement has a closure element, a drive arrangement associated with the closure element, a control arrangement and a sensor arrangement having at least one sensor element that is particularly in the form of a proximity sensor, wherein operator control event monitoring involves the control arrangement being used to monitor the sensor measured values from the sensor arrangement for whether there is a predetermined operator control event, and the result of the operator control event monitoring is taken as a basis for actuating the drive arrangement, the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle being able to be altered by an adjusting process and/or by a fitting process during use based on normal operation.

Claims

1. A method for actuating a closure element arrangement in a motor vehicle, comprising:

monitoring for an operator control event associated with a closure element arrangement in a motor vehicle, the closure element arrangement comprising a closure element, a drive arrangement associated with the closure element, a control arrangement and a sensor arrangement having at least one sensor element;

sensing a mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle with the control arrangement; and

modifying the monitoring for the operator control event based on the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle;

wherein monitoring for the operator control event comprises

monitoring one or more sensor measured values from the sensor arrangement for whether there is a predetermined operator control event, and

using a result of the operator control event monitoring as a basis for actuating the drive arrangement; and

wherein the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle can be altered by an adjusting process and/or by a fitting process during use based on normal operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle comprises the mechanical configuration of the closure element, particularly a position of the closure element.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a tow coupling can be extended into an operating position by way of a change of configuration or can be fitted to the motor vehicle in an operating position, and/or in that a bicycle carrier can be fitted to the motor vehicle in an operating position by way of a change of configuration.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one operator control event is defined as a foot movement by the operator.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined change of configuration, comprising an adjustment or fitting of a tow coupling to an operating position prompts a decrease in sensor measured values as a result of shadowing and reflection effects.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control event monitoring is designed such that the sensing of sensor measured values above an upper threshold and/or below a lower threshold is not associated with an operator control event and wherein the configuration of the motor vehicle is taken as a basis for altering the upper threshold and/or the lower threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the closure element is in an open position the operator control event monitoring is conditioned such that the dangling or swinging legs of a person sitting in the bodywork opening associated with the closure element are not sensed as an operator control event in the course of the monitoring for an operator control event.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein an operator control event has an associated operator control event model comprising signal characteristics, wherein in the course of the monitoring for an operator control event the control arrangement is used to monitor whether the sensor measured values correspond to the signal characteristics of the operator control event model and wherein the operator control event model is produced on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is selected from a number of stored operator control event models on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is parameterized on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein an operator control event has an associated operator control event set of characteristics comprising signal characteristics, wherein in the course of the operator control event monitoring the control arrangement is used to monitor whether the sensor measured values correspond to the signal characteristics of the operator control event set of characteristics and wherein the operator control event set of characteristics is produced on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is selected from a number of stored operator control event sets of characteristics on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is parameterized on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one operator control event produces a pulsed time profile for sensor measured values from at least one sensor element and wherein at least one signal characteristic is/are defined as a width and/or as a height and/or as an edge gradient and/or as a curvature of portions of the sensor pulses and/or as a time offset between two sensor pulses from a sensor element.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the course of the operator control event monitoring the sensor measured values are ascertained by means of the control arrangement on the basis of a signal processing method, wherein the signal processing method is defined by a signal processing set of parameters with signal processing parameters and wherein the signal processing set of parameters is selected from a number of stored signal processing sets of parameters on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is parameterized on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring for an operator control event comprises digitization of the sensor measured values and wherein a subsequent evaluation of the digitized measurement data comprising matching against the operator control event set of characteristics is performed on the basis of an evaluation method, wherein the evaluation method is defined by an evaluation set of parameters and wherein the evaluation set of parameters is selected from a number of stored evaluation sets of parameters on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle or is parameterized on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the course of the monitoring for an operator control event the sensor arrangement is actuated by means of the control arrangement on the basis of the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sensor arrangement has sensor sections on right and left sides of a tow coupling and at least one sensor section in a region of the tow coupling and wherein, when the tow coupling is fitted or adjusted to an operating position, the sensor sections of the sensor arrangement that are on the right and left sides of the tow coupling are actuated or the at least one sensor section of the sensor arrangement that is in the region of the tow coupling is also actuated.

15. A control arrangement for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sensor arrangement has at least one sensor element in the form of a proximity sensor that is arranged in or on a rear paneling portion of the motor vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the proximity sensor that is arranged in or on the rear paneling portion extends over a portion of the width of the motor vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one operator control event is defined as a to and fro movement by the foot of the operator.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein during the operator control event the at least one sensor element produces a pulsed time profile for the sensor measured values.

20. The method according to claim 6, wherein adjustment or fitting of a tow coupling to an operating position involves the upper threshold and/or the lower threshold being lowered.