Method for controlling power to a motor in a vehicle door mirror

• US 8,783,883 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Weastec, Inc. (TOYO Denso Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Weastec, Inc. (TOYO Denso Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tobin, William J., Furui, Takayuki, Kiss, Timothy Edward, Takahashi, Ohito, Endo, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US12/947,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877, 359/900
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

In a vehicle door mirror including a motor and an adjuster assembly driven by the motor for moving a mirror glass connected with the adjuster assembly, a method for controlling delivery of power to the motor is described. The method can include detecting a voltage being supplied by a vehicle battery of the vehicle that includes the vehicle door mirror, and controlling delivery of power to the motor based on the detected voltage. A memory mirror system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. In a vehicle door mirror including a motor and an adjuster assembly driven by the motor for moving a mirror glass connected with the adjuster assembly, a method for controlling delivery of power to the motor comprising:

detecting a voltage being supplied by a vehicle battery; and

controlling delivery of power to the motor based on the detected voltage, wherein the step of controlling delivery of power to the motor further includes;

calculating a motor speed for the motor;

determining a maximum overshoot for a slip detection, which occurs when the mirror glass contacts an obstruction and the adjuster assembly generates an audible click as a result of the motor driving the adjuster assembly while the motor glass is precluded from moving;

comparing the calculated motor speed with the maximum overshoot; and

stopping delivery of power to the motor when the calculated motor speed equals the maximum overshoot.

2. In a vehicle door mirror including a motor and an adjuster assembly driven by the motor for moving a mirror glass connected with the adjuster assembly, a method for controlling delivery of power to the motor comprising:

detecting a voltage being supplied by a vehicle battery; and

controlling delivery of power to the motor based on the detected voltage,

wherein the step of controlling delivery of power to the motor further includes;

determining a prohibition time based on the voltage detected from the vehicle battery;

sensing for a change in mirror glass position via at least one mirror glass position sensor;

waiting a predetermined amount of time;

after waiting the predetermined amount of time, again sensing for another change in mirror glass position via the at least one mirror glass position sensor;

determining whether a position of the mirror glass has changed based on signals received from the at least one mirror glass position sensor;

where the position of the mirror glass has not changed after the prohibition time has elapsed, stopping power delivery to the motor; and

where the position of the mirror glass has changed before the prohibition time has elapsed, continuing power delivery to the motor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of detecting a voltage includes detecting the voltage being supplied by the vehicle battery using a voltage detector, and the step of determining a prohibition time includes assigning a first prohibition time A where the detected voltage is greater than a predetermined threshold (X) volts and assigning a second prohibition time B where the detected voltage is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (X) volts, where the first prohibition time A is less than the second prohibition time B.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of detecting a voltage includes detecting the voltage being supplied by the vehicle battery using a voltage detector, and the step of determining a prohibition time includes assigning a first prohibition time A where the detected voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold (X) volts and assigning a second prohibition time B where the detected voltage is less than the predetermined threshold (X) volts, where the first prohibition time A is less than the second prohibition time B.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

recording no change or a respective change in the mirror glass position;

where no change in the mirror glass position is recorded, determining whether the prohibition time has elapsed;

where a respective change in the mirror glass position is recorded, returning to waiting the predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5, where the prohibition time has elapsed, stopping power delivery to the motor.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating a sensor position array having a predetermined array size based on the recorded no change or respective change in the mirror glass position.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of updating a sensor position array includes recording a first value in the array when a respective change in the mirror glass position is detected and recording a second value in the array when no change in the mirror glass position is detected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of updating a sensor position array includes shifting recorded values in a predetermined direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of controlling delivery of power to the motor further includes stopping delivery of power to the motor when a prediction value exceeds a sum of array values in the sensor position array multiplied by a correction factor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the prediction value equals a sum of a predetermined number of sequential array values beginning with an initial array value.

12. A vehicle memory mirror system comprising:

a vehicle battery;

a mirror glass;

an adjuster assembly connected with the mirror glass, the adjuster assembly including a gear;

a motor including an output shaft operatively connected with the gear, wherein rotational movement of the output shaft results in movement of the gear, which results in movement of the mirror glass;

a mirror controller in electrical communication with the vehicle battery and the motor, wherein the mirror controller is configured to control delivery of electrical power to the motor based on a voltage output from the vehicle battery; and

a mirror position sensor in electrical communication with the mirror controller and configured to detect a change in position of the mirror glass, wherein the mirror controller is configured to stop delivery of electrical power to the motor based on detecting no movement of the mirror glass after a predetermined time has elapsed with no change in the position of the mirror glass, wherein the predetermined time is based on the voltage output from the battery.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mirror controller is configured to record a change in position or a no change in position based on data received from the mirror position sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mirror controller is configured to increase a detection count based on receiving data from the mirror position sensor indicating no change in the position of the mirror glass.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mirror controller is configured to stop delivery of power to the motor based on the detection count being greater than a predetermined threshold.