METHOD FOR DETECTING AN OBSTACLE IN AN ACCESS DEVICE

Abstract

A method for state-based maintenance of an access device of a vehicle, in particular of a public transport vehicle, wherein the access device includes a moveable element and an electric drive for moving the moveable element and is attached to the vehicle. The drive is controlled with control signals, wherein actual state signals for describing the state are generated based on a detected state of the access device. The control signals are applied to a physical simulation model for computationally simulating the access device and determining expected target state signals and wherein based on a comparison between the actual state signals and associated target state signals, a maintenance state of the access device is determined. The simulation model is adjusted based on the comparison between the actual state signals and the associated target state signals.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an obstacle in an access device of a vehicle, wherein the access device comprises a moveable element and an electric drive for moving the moveable element and is attached to the vehicle, wherein the drive is controlled with control signals for moving the moveable element, wherein actual state signals for describing the state are generated based on a detected state of the access device, wherein the control signals are applied to a physical simulation model for computationally simulating the access device and determining expected target state signals and wherein based on a comparison between the actual state signals and associated target state signals, an obstacle state is detected during the movement of the moveable element and wherein the simulation model is adjusted based on the actual state signals and the associated target state signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simulation model is a parametrized simulation model such that the target state signals are determined based on at least one parameter for describing a degradation of the access device, in that the at least one parameter for describing a degradation of the access device comprises at least one energy parameter for describing an energy consumption of the access device during the movement of the moveable element.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one energy parameter comprises a closing energy parameter for describing an energy consumption of the access device during a closing operation of the access device, in that the closing energy parameter describes a loss of friction during the closing operation of the access device.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one energy parameter comprises an opening energy parameter for describing an energy consumption of the access device during an opening operation of the access device, in that the opening energy parameter describes a loss of friction during the opening operation of the access device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target state signals are determined based on a plurality of parameters for describing a degradation of the access device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simulation model was generated from design data for describing the access device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the simulation model has been complemented by measurements on a sample of the access device by measurements being carried out on the sample of the access device before attachment to the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the design data have a combination of individual design elements, in that the design elements are assigned a respective element simulation model for describing the design element and in that the generation of the simulation model comprises the combination of the respective element simulation models of the design elements.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the element simulation models were obtained by applying mechanical and/or electrical formulas to element design data of the design element from a program for computer-assisted design.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an electronic control device for controlling the access device with the control signals as well as a central processing unit connected to the control device via a network, in that the control signals, also the actual state signals, are transmitted via the network to the central processing unit and in that the central processing unit applies the control signals, also the actual state signals, to the simulation model for determining the expected target state signals and adjusts the simulation model.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of access devices attached to the vehicle having a respective control device and in that the control signals, also the actual state signals, of the plurality of access devices are transmitted via the local network to the central processing unit for determining the respective expected target state signals and for determining the maintenance condition of the respective access device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a measuring arrangement for generating measurement signals based on a measurement on the access device, in that the actual state signals comprise the measurement signals at least partially and/or in that the actual state signals are generated at least partially based on the measurement signals.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a control program runs on the control device, which program generates the control signals for controlling the drive based on feedback signals which are comprised by the actual state signals, based on the measurement signals, further in that the feedback signals comprise a coding signal for specifying a position of the movable element, further comprise the coding signal.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detected state of the access device comprises a movement sequence divided into movement phases during the movement of the moveable element and in that the actual state signal is compared with the expected target state signal based on respectively different characteristic signal characteristics for at least one movement phase.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the detection of the obstacle state during the movement of the movable element is based on the movement phases of the movement sequence.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0039] Further details, features, objectives and advantages of the present disclosure are explained below based on the drawing which only shows one exemplary embodiment. In the drawing,

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle having an access device for executing an exemplary embodiment of the proposed method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0041] The vehicle 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a public transport rail vehicle having a plurality of passenger doors attached to the vehicle 1, two of which are shown as access devices 2a, b here, by way of example. Each access device 2a, b respectively comprises a moveable element 3a, b, which is a door leaf in this case. Additionally, each access device 2a, b comprises an electric drive 4a, b—respectively an electric motor here—for moving the door leaf.

[0042] The electric drives 4a, b are respectively controlled with control signals 5a, b which emanate from a respective electronic control device 6a, b of the vehicle 1. In the present case, the control signals 5a, b are a motor voltage applied to the drive 4a, b. The vehicle further has a measuring arrangement 7 with a measuring device on each access device 2a, b, which measuring devices generate respective measurement signals 8a, b, which measurement signals 8a, b are respectively a motor current here. These measurement signals 8a, b simultaneously form actual state signals 9a, b here, which in this way reflect a detected state of the respective access device 2a, b.

[0043] There is a simulation of the respective access device 2a, b in the electronic control devices 6a, b. In this case, the control signals 5a, b and the actual state signals 9a, b are applied to a physical simulation model 11, which is used for the computational simulation of the respective access device 2a, b. In the present case, the computational simulation is carried out by applying a plurality of lookup tables of the simulation model 11. The target state signals 12a, b are determined by applying the control signals 5a, b and the actual state signals 9a, b to the simulation model 11.

[0044] The lookup tables and thus the simulation model 11 were determined based on data stored in the central processing unit 10. Specifically, the simulation model 11 was initially generated from design data 15, wherein the access devices 2a, b were manufactured based on a first part of the design data 15. The design data 15 in turn are made up of individual design elements (not illustrated here), and specifically for each individual electric or mechanical component of the access devices 2a, b. The simulation model 11 and thus also the lookup tables were then generated by the element simulation models corresponding to this combination of the design elements.

[0045] The simulation model 11 was then adjusted by means of measurements on the manufactured samples of the access devices 2a, b.

[0046] The abovementioned expected target state signals 12a, b are compared with the actual state signals 9a, b in the control devices 6a, b and, depending on the result of the comparison, it is identified whether an obstacle was present or not during the movement of the respective moveable element 3a, b. The presence of an obstacle is in particular detected if the deviation between the actual state signals 9a, b and the target state signals 12a, b exceeds a threshold. This comparison process is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 by a comparison block 13a, b and the detection of the obstacle state as an output block 14a, b. If the presence of an obstacle is detected, the moveable element 3a, b is moved in the respectively opposite direction of movement such that a release from the obstacle occurs.

[0047] As well as determining the maintenance state, a further evaluation of the actual state signals 9a, b and the associated target state signals 12a, b takes place, for the purpose of which the actual state signals 9a, b and the target state signals 12a, b are also sent to the central processing unit 10, which is arranged spaced apart from the vehicle 1. The central processing unit 10 is coupled to the control devices 6a, b via a wireless network 16 in terms of telecommunications. The design data 15 are also shown as being stored in the central processing unit 10. In the central processing unit 10, there is initially a comparison of the actual state signals 9a, b and the target state signals 12a, b, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a comparison block 13c. In this comparison, the simulation model 11 and in particular its current parametrization in terms of degradation is also taken into account here. The evaluation of the comparison is illustrated as evaluation block 17.

[0048] In this evaluation, the deviation between the actual state signals 9a, b and the target state signals 12a, b is compared with a plurality of staggered thresholds, wherein each threshold respectively forms a pre-defined criterion. The simulation model 11 is adjusted depending on the exceeded threshold and thus fulfilled criterion, wherein it may also be the case with a sufficiently low deviation that the simulation model 11 is not adjusted in this comparison.

[0049] Specifically, each fulfilled criterion defines a degradation state of the access device 2a, b, which results in an observable change in behaviour but is not yet inherently faulty. Each degradation state is assigned a parameter. The application of this parameter to the simulation model 11 leads to it taking the degradation indicated by the parameter into account and adjusting itself such that the detected target state signals 12a, b correspond to the degradation according to the parameter.

[0050] After such an adjustment of the simulation model 11, both the criteria for detecting an obstacle state and the criteria for determining a further progressive state of degradation are regularly adjusted. In this way, the simulation model 11 forms a so-called digital twin of the access devices 2a, b. The adjusted simulation model 11 with the likewise adjusted criteria is subsequently transmitted to the control devices 6a, b by the central processing unit 10.