Motor vehicle roof with a control means for electrical motor vehicle components and process for operating electrical motor vehicle components

• US 7,342,485 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Klesing, Joachim, Eder, Michael, Rudolph, Thomas, Joehl, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/845,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.22, 340/426.24, 340/426.25, 340/426.27, 340/426.28, 340/815.47, 359/265, 359/267, 318/445, 318/449, 296/223
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/057 Driving or actuating arrangements B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedencee.g. manually operated levers or knobs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/542 Roof panels

Abstract

A motor vehicle roof with a control for comfortable operation of at least one motor vehicle component by a passenger of the vehicle, the control having a sensor surface arrangement (12g) for detecting the presence and/or movement of the hand or part of the hand of the passenger in a detection area of the sensor surface arrangement (12g). The sensor surface arrangement (12g) provides an electrical trigger signal based on detection of the presence and/or movement of at least part of the hand for triggering the vehicle component(s).

Claims

1. Motor vehicle roof with a control means for operating at least one electrical motor vehicle component by a passenger of the vehicle, the control means having a sensor surface arrangement for detecting at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of a hand of the passenger in a detection area of the sensor surface arrangement and providing an electrical trigger signal for triggering at least one vehicle component in response to a detection signal from said sensor surface arrangement;

wherein said sensor surface arrangement comprises a plurality of sensor elements and wherein the sensor elements comprise at least one of capacitive, ultrasound and piezoelectric sensors that are arranged for detecting a plurality of different types of finger movements, and wherein the control means triggers a different operation in response to each of said plurality of different types of finger movements.

2. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle component is at least one of a roof opening system, a roof shading system and an interior lighting system.

3. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor surface arrangement is located in the middle when viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

4. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor elements are in a hidden location.

5. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, comprising evaluation electronics which evaluate sensor signals which have been output from the sensor elements of the sensor surface arrangement and depending on the result of this evaluation, provide said electrical trigger signal.

6. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor surface arrangement has at least one arched operating surface.

7. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one arched operating surface has a rough surface.

8. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein the sensor surface arrangement has means for providing visual operating instructions.

9. Motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, comprising an acoustic signal transmitter for outputting acoustic signals in reaction to detections.

10. Motor vehicle roof with a control means for operating at least one electrical motor vehicle component by a passenger of the vehicle, the control means having a sensor surface arrangement for detecting at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of a hand of the passenger in a detection area of the sensor surface arrangement and providing an electrical trigger signal for triggering at least one vehicle component in response to a detection signal from said sensor surface arrangement;

wherein the sensor surface arrangement has a plurality of operating surfaces, one of the operating surfaces having sensor means for detecting tapping movements and another of the operating surfaces having sensor means for detecting wiping movements.

11. Process for operation of at least one component of a motor vehicle by a control means located in a vehicle roof area by a passenger of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of the hand of the passenger in a detection area of the sensor surface arrangement, and

producing an electrical trigger signal for triggering a vehicle component in response a positive indication that at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of the hand of the passenger has occurred in the detection area in said detecting step;

wherein at least one of capacitive, ultrasound and piezoelectric sensors are utilized for detecting each of a plurality of different types of finger movements during said detecting step, and wherein a different operation is triggered in response to each of said plurality of different types of finger movements during said producing step.

12. Process as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one component is a roof opening system.

13. Process as claimed in claim 12, wherein said plurality of different types of finger movements comprise each of backward wiping, forward wiping and tapping motions.

14. Process for operation of at least one component of a motor vehicle by a control means located in a vehicle roof area by a passenger of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of the hand of the passenger in a detection area of the sensor surface arrangement, and

producing an electrical trigger signal for triggering a vehicle component in response a positive indication that at least one of the presence and movement of at least part of the hand of the passenger has occurred in the detection area in said detecting step;

wherein said at least one component is a roof opening system;

wherein detection of;

a backward wiping motion triggers automatic opening of the roof,

forward wiping motion triggers automatic closing of the roof,

tapping stops said automatic opening and closing, and

a double tap triggers complete closing of the roof opening system.