ELECTRIC SERVO DRIVE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric servo drive (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising an actuator (13) for at least indirectly moving an element (14) of the electric servo drive (10). According to the invention, the electric servo drive (10) additionally comprises at least one sensor element (15) which is designed to sense a measured variable that is not used for moving or actuating the element (14) of the actuator (13).

Claims

1. An electric actuating drive (10) for a motor vehicle, said electric actuating drive having an actuator (13) for at least indirectly moving an element (14) of the electric actuating drive (10), characterized in that the electric actuating drive (10) comprises in addition at least one sensor element (15) that is configured so as to detect a measurement variable that is not used to adjust or control the element (14) of the electric actuating drive (10) by means of the actuator (13).

2. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an interface (18) configured so as to transmit the measurement variable of the sensor element (15) to a unit (20) that is external to the electric actuating drive (10).

3. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the external unit (20) is a unit (20) that is arranged in the motor vehicle.

4. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the external unit (20) is a safety device and/or a drive unit and/or a vehicle dynamics control unit.

5. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the external unit (20) comprises an actuating element.

6. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the external unit (20) is arranged outside the motor vehicle.

7. An electric actuating drive (10) for a motor vehicle, said electric actuating drive having a first actuator (13) for at least indirectly moving an element (14) of the electric actuating drive (10), characterized in that the electric actuating drive (10) comprises a further actuator (16) that is independent from the first actuator (13) and is configured to be controlled via an interface (18) on the actuating drive (10) by a unit (20) that is external to the actuating drive (10).

8. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the first actuator (13) is configured as an electric motor and the electric actuating drive (10) is a comfort drive.

9. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) and/or the further actuator (16) are arranged in one unit (12) of the actuating drive (10), said unit being configured as a control unit for the first actuator (13), wherein the sensor element (15) and/or the further actuator (16) are configured as MEM components of the unit (12).

10. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a temperature sensor and/or a force sensor and/or a pressure sensor and/or an acceleration sensor and/or a sound sensor.

11. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the further actuator (16) is configured as a loudspeaker and/or a vibrator and/or a blocking or clamping element.

12. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a temperature sensor that detects the temperature distribution of climatic zones and/or of persons and/or of objects in the internal compartment of the vehicle.

13. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a gas sensor that monitors locally gas concentrations of an internal compartment air in the vehicle.

14. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, wherein further actuator (16) is configured to be controlled via an internet connection.

15. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as an infrared array that detects the temperature distribution of climatic zones and/or of persons and/or of objects in the internal compartment of the vehicle, and the actuating drive (10) is arranged in a foot space and/or in a backrest region and/or in a headrest region and/or in a vehicle roof.

16. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a gas sensor array that monitors locally gas concentrations of an internal compartment air in the vehicle and is also used as a smoke and/or fire alarm and/or as a CO.sub.2 monitor in order to trigger relevant emergency measures.

17. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the external unit (20) is arranged outside the motor vehicle and forms an internet connection to the actuating drive (10).

18. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the actuator (13) is configured as an electric motor and the electric actuating drive (10) is a comfort drive.

19. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) and/or the further actuator (16) are arranged in one unit (12) of the actuating drive (10), said unit being configured as a control unit for the actuator (13), wherein the sensor element (15) and/or the further actuator (16) are configured as MEM components of the unit (12).

20. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a temperature sensor and/or a force sensor and/or a pressure sensor and/or an acceleration sensor and/or a sound sensor.

21. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the further actuator (16) is configured as a loudspeaker and/or a vibrator and/or a blocking or clamping element.

22. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a temperature sensor that detects the temperature distribution of climatic zones and/or of persons and/or of objects in the internal compartment of the vehicle.

23. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a gas sensor that monitors locally gas concentrations of an internal compartment air in the vehicle.

24. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as an infrared array that detects the temperature distribution of climatic zones and/or of persons and/or of objects in the internal compartment of the vehicle, and the actuating drive (10) is arranged in a foot space and/or in a backrest region and/or in a headrest region and/or in a vehicle roof.

25. The electric actuating drive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (15) is configured as a gas sensor array that monitors locally gas concentrations of an internal compartment air in the vehicle and is also used as a smoke and/or fire alarm and/or as a CO.sub.2 monitor in order to trigger relevant emergency measures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0013] Further advantages, features and details of the invention are disclosed in the description below of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing.

[0014] The single drawing FIGURE illustrates in the single FIGURE a representation of the system of an electric actuating drive in a motor vehicle in a simplified view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] An electric actuating drive 10 for a motor vehicle is illustrated in a greatly simplified manner in the single FIGURE. The electric actuating drive 10 may be by way of example and not limiting a comfort drive in the form of a window operating drive, seat adjustment drive or a sliding roof drive.

[0016] The electric actuating drive 10 comprises an operating unit 11 or for example a central control unit that communicates via a LIN-bus and that by way of example transmits a driver's request to open a window pane to a unit 12 that is arranged in a door. The unit 12 comprises in particular a control unit for controlling an actuator 13 that is configured for example as an electric motor and, by means of a transmitting element (not illustrated) adjusts an element 14 that is to be adjusted and is part of the electric actuating drive 10, in the case of a window operating drive a window pane, according to the driver's request.

[0017] In addition, by way of example at least one sensor element 15 and/or at least one further actuator 16 are arranged in the region of the unit 12. The sensor element 15 is used to detect a physical measuring variable that is used not to adjust or control the primary function of the electrical actuating drive 10, i.e. the adjustment of the element 14. The physical measurement variable may be by way of example a temperature, a force, a pressure, acceleration, airborne sound or structure-borne sound or similar. By way of example, a temperature sensor may be configured as an infrared array that is able to detect a temperature change over a predetermined area. By virtue of the temporal change, it is thus possible by way of example also to detect any undesired fluid occurring in or outside the electrical actuator drive 10. Alternatively, the infrared array may also detect the temperature distribution in the internal compartment of the vehicle, in particular at a high resolution, in order by way of example to individually control the air-conditioning system according to the climatic zones. In addition, the infrared array may also be used in this case to recognize a person in order to initiate safety measures in dependence upon the position of the persons in the event of a crash. It is also possible so as to control the climatic zones to integrate temperature sensors in multiple electrical actuating drives (10) that are arranged in a distributed manner, said temperature sensors then provide individual temperature values for different zones in the internal compartment. By way of example, temperature sensors in the seat drives may monitor the foot space, the window operating drives the middle region and the sliding roof drive the head space of the internal compartment and provide relevant temperature signals for adjusting the air-conditioning system. As a result, it is possible to realize a high resolution climatic zone control unit in the vehicle internal compartment.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the sensor element 15 is configured as an air quality sensor for the vehicle internal compartment, said sensor being able to detect the concentration of different gases in the air. In the event that predetermined limit values (for example for CO.sub.2) are exceeded or not achieved, a signal may be output as a warning or to trigger auxiliary measures, such as automatic ventilation. It is possible using an array sensor to monitor the gas concentration simultaneously in different regions and thus by way of example also to detect early any smoke or fire development. In so doing, automatic auxiliary measures such as extinguishing the fire or placing an emergency call may be triggered.

[0019] The additional actuator 16 that is arranged in the unit 12 may be configured by way of example as a vibrator, loudspeaker or similar and is likewise not primarily used to drive or adjust the element 14.

[0020] Both the at least one sensor element 15 and also the at least one further actuator 16 are coupled to an interface 18 on the unit 12 by means of which the at least one sensor element 15 or the at least one additional actuator 16 may communicate or is controlled. In particular, the interfaces concerned may be standardized interfaces such as LIN, CAN, Flexray or similar interfaces 18. The interface 18 is used to communicate with a unit 20 that is external to the electrical actuating drive 10. The unit 20 may be either a unit 20 that is inside the vehicle, such as a device that is relevant for safety aspects of the vehicle, another electrical actuating drive, an engine control unit or a vehicle dynamics control unit. However, the invention is not limited to the mentioned units 20 that are inside the vehicle. It is likewise possible that the external unit 20 is an external unit 20 that is arranged outside the vehicle. In this case, the interface 18 is configured at least indirectly so as to communicate with the external unit 20 in particular via wireless communication means.

[0021] The invention described thus far may be converted or modified in numerous ways without departing from the inventive idea. Said inventive idea resides in allocating an additional functionality to an electrical actuating drive 10, said additional functionality being different to the actual, primary functionality of the electrical actuating drive 10.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, an actuating drive may also comprise a sensor element 15 that generates on the one hand sensor signals that are processed for the adjustment procedure of the adjustment element and simultaneously provides an additional sensor signal that is not used for the adjustment procedure but rather is used for a function in the motor vehicle that is completely independent from the actuating drive. It is possible by way of example to use a measured temperature signal both for controlling the electric motor and also for detecting persons in the vehicle or for adjusting the air-conditioning system. Likewise, an acceleration signal from the actuating drive may be used both for preventing the actuating element from becoming jammed and also for other functions such as a passenger-retaining system in the event of a crash.