Power tailgate control device and method

• US 9,689,191 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Cheol Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US15/152,683
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/108 for load transporting vehicles or public transport, e.g. lorries, trucks, buses
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/72 responsive to emergency conditions, e.g. fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/767 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/32 Position control, detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/322 by using absolute position sensors sensors for electronic control of hinges, wings, windows as such E05Y2400/44
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A power tailgate control device and method can prevent a collision with an obstacle during the opening or closing of a tailgate by determining whether an obstacle is present or not and whether the collision with the obstacle would occur or not by using a rear lamp and a rear camera. The power tailgate control device includes: a command input unit receiving a tailgate open or close command from an operator; a rear camera mounted on a tailgate; and a controller controlling the opening or closing of the tailgate by determining whether a collision with an obstacle would occur or not, on the basis of R values of pixels in a difference image between a first image captured in a state in which a rear lamp is turned on and a second image captured in a state in which the rear lamp is turned off.

Claims

1. A power tailgate control device, comprising:

a command input unit receiving a tailgate open or close command from an operator;

a rear camera mounted on a tailgate; and

a controller controlling opening or closing of the tailgate by determining whether a collision with an obstacle would occur or not, on the basis of a difference image between a first image captured by the rear camera in a state in which a rear lamp is turned on and a second image captured by the rear camera in a state in which the rear lamp is turned off, during the opening or closing of the tailgate.

2. The power tailgate control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether the collision with the obstacle would occur or not, on the basis of R (red) values of pixels in the difference image.

3. The power tailgate control device according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines that the collision with the obstacle would occur, when a ratio of the number of R values exceeding a reference value to a total number of R values in the difference image exceeds a threshold value.

4. The power tailgate control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the rear camera to capture the first image and the second image periodically and determines whether the collision with the obstacle would occur or not, until the tailgate is completely opened or closed.

5. The power tailgate control device according to claim 1, wherein the rear lamp is one of a brake lamp and a tail lamp.

6. The power tailgate control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller matches the first image with the second image.

7. A power tailgate control method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a command input unit, a tailgate open or close command from an operator;

opening or closing, by a controller, the tailgate according to the receiving of the open or close command;

determining, by the controller, whether a collision with an obstacle would occur or not, on the basis of a difference image between a first image captured in a state in which a rear lamp is turned on and a second image captured in a state in which the rear lamp is turned off, during the opening or closing of the tailgate; and

stopping the opening or closing of the tailgate when it is determined that the collision would occur.

8. The power tailgate control method according to claim 7, wherein the determining step is performed on the basis of R (red) values of pixels in the difference image.

9. The power tailgate control method according to claim 8, wherein, in the determining step, it is determined that the collision with the obstacle would occur when a ratio of the number of R values exceeding a reference value to a total number of R values in the difference image exceeds a threshold value.

10. The power tailgate control method according to claim 7, wherein the determining step is performed periodically until the tailgate is completely opened or closed.

11. The power tailgate control method according to claim 7, wherein the rear lamp is one of a brake lamp and a tail lamp.

12. The power tailgate control method according to claim 7, wherein, in the determining step, the first image is matched with the second image before the difference image is generated.