METHOD FOR SECURELY DETECTING A CLOSED POSITION OF A MOVABLE PART OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for detecting a closed position of a movable part of a vehicle, in particular an automatically operable vehicle, said method comprising the following steps: a control unit receives a first position signal from a first signal source as a first closure criterion which comprises at least one locking position of a vehicle lock for the movable part; the control unit adds a conditional test instruction to the received first position signal, wherein the conditional test instruction comprises checking for at least one second position signal as a second closure criterion after detecting the first position signal, wherein the first closure criterion is also satisfied; the control unit receives the second position signal from a second signal source as a second closure criterion, wherein the second signal source is different from the first signal source and the second position signal can be assigned to the movable part; the control unit outputs a confirmation signal when both closure criteria are satisfied.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a closed position of a movable part of a vehicle comprising the steps of: a control unit receives a first position signal from a first signal source as a first closure criterion which comprises at least one locking position of a vehicle lock for the movable part; the control unit adds a conditional test instruction to the received first position signal, wherein the conditional test instruction comprises checking for at least one second position signal as a second closure criterion after detecting the first position signal, wherein the first closure criterion is also satisfied; the control unit receives the second position signal from a second signal source as the second closure criterion, wherein the second signal source is different from the first signal source and the second position signal is assigned to the movable part; and the control unit outputs a confirmation signal when both the first closure criterion and the second closure criterion are satisfied.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs an error signal if at least one of the first or second closure criterion is violated.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a time interval between the first position signal and the second position signal as a first time criterion and compares the first time criterion with a fixed second time criterion stored in the control unit, and if first time criterion violates the second time criterion, the control unit outputs an error signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first signal source is a pawl sensor for a pawl of the vehicle lock, with a locking position being detected of the pawl blocking a catch of the vehicle lock in the locking position.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second signal source is a contact switch which is not accessible from the outside of the movable part.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second signal source is at least one of a closing aid of the vehicle lock or a drive for the movable part.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second signal source is a lock holder sensor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second signal source is a force sensor for detecting a sealing pressure of the movable part.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second signal source is an image acquisition unit of the vehicle, the image acquisition unit detecting a position of the movable part.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second signal source is a displacement sensor of the movable part, the displacement sensor measuring a distance that the movable part has moved.

11. (canceled)

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable program code, wherein the program code, when executed by a control unit, executes the method according to claim 1.

13. A vehicle locking system for detecting a closed position of a movable part of a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle lock for locking the movable part to the vehicle, wherein the vehicle lock is mounted on the movable part or on the vehicle, and the vehicle lock has at least one locking mechanism sensor as a first signal source for detecting at least one first position signal corresponding to a locking position of the locking mechanism; a second signal source that is different from the first signal source and that detects a second position signal that is associated with the movable part; and a control unit comprising, the non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to execute the program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

14. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the locking mechanism sensor is a pawl sensor.

15. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is arranged in or on the vehicle lock.

16. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is at least one of a closing aid of the vehicle lock and as a drive for the movable part.

17. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is a contact switch of the movable part.

18. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is a lock holder sensor.

19. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is a force sensor for detecting a sealing pressure of the movable part.

20. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is an image acquisition unit of the vehicle, with at least one position of the movable part being detected by the image acquisition unit.

21. The vehicle locking system according to claim 13, wherein the second signal source is a displacement sensor of the movable part, wherein a distance that the movable part has moved is measured by the displacement sensor.

Description

[0040] In the drawings:

[0041] FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle with an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle locking system according to the invention and

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a possible exemplary embodiment of a vehicle locking system according to the invention.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle having a vehicle locking system according to the invention for movable parts 110 of the vehicle 100. The movable parts 110 of the vehicle 100 are schematically shown in FIG. 1 as a tailgate 110, a hood 110, and side doors 110. A vehicle locking system 10 according to the invention may be associated with each of these movable parts 110. For this purpose, the movable part 110 may have a vehicle lock 11 which is used to lock the movable part 110 on the vehicle 100. Accordingly, within the scope of the invention, a vehicle lock 11 can be designed as a side door lock, a tailgate lock, and/or a hood lock. The side door of FIG. 1 thus has a vehicle lock 11, the vehicle lock 11 being signal-connected to a control unit 20 and a closing aid 30. According to the invention, the closing aid 30 serves in particular to move the locking mechanism of the vehicle lock 11 from a pre-ratchet position into a main ratchet position. The closing aid 30 can be provided according to the invention as a second signal source. A second position signal can be detected via the closing aid 30, with the closing aid 30 generating a second position signal upon reaching the main ratchet position, which reflects the locked and thus closed position of the movable part 110, in this case the side door. In addition to a locking mechanism sensor of the vehicle lock 11, the second position signal supplied by the closing aid 30 can be used together with the first position signal of the locking mechanism sensor of the vehicle lock 11 to conclude a closed position of the movable part, i.e., in this case the side door 110. By way of example, the control unit 20 is arranged in the side door 110 in this case. According to the invention, however, the control unit 20 can be arranged at any location in the vehicle. This can be a control unit of the motor vehicle lock 11 or a control unit superordinate to the vehicle.

[0044] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a drive 40 for opening and/or closing the movable part 110. A door drive 40 of this type is already sufficiently known from the state of the art. The drive 40 can move the movable part at least into an open or closed position. At the same time, a position of the movable part can be determined via the drive 40. A position sensor can be provided within the drive 40 for this purpose. The drive 40 for opening and/or closing the movable part 110 is also signal-connected to the control unit 20.

[0045] A contact switch 50 on the two side doors 110 of the vehicle 100 is also shown in FIG. 1 as an example. Contact switches 50 according to the invention can be used as a second position signal source, with a contact switch 50 being contacted by the movable part 110 in its closed position, so that a closed position of the movable part 110, in this case the side door, can be ensured. According to the invention, the contact switch 50 is advantageously arranged on the movable part 110 or the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 such that manipulation from the outside is at least more difficult. For this purpose, the contact switch 50 is preferably arranged outside of a user's area of accessibility. At the same time, the contact switch 50 is designed such that actuation is preferably triggered only in a closed position of the movable part. This ensures that the second position signal is only generated by the contact switch 50 when the vehicle door 110 is closed. According to the invention, the contact switch 50 is also signal-connected to the control unit 20, which is indicated herein by the dashed line.

[0046] Furthermore, an image acquisition unit 80 is shown in FIG. 1, by which a second position signal can be detected, wherein the image acquisition unit 80 can detect a position of the movable part 110. In particular, the image acquisition unit 80 is designed such that at least one closed position of the movable part 110 can be determined by the image acquisition unit 80. A closed position of the movable part 110 can thus be generated as a second position signal for verifying the closed position of the movable part 110 by means of the image acquisition unit 80. According to the invention, the image acquisition unit 80 is also signal-connected to the control unit 20 so that a second position signal can be transmitted from the image acquisition unit 80 to the control unit 20.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle locking system 10 according to the invention. The vehicle locking system consists of a vehicle lock 11, the vehicle lock 11 having a locking mechanism 13 and the locking mechanism 13 consisting of at least one catch and at least one pawl. A locking mechanism sensor 12 is associated with the locking mechanism 13, with, in particular, a locking position of the locking mechanism 13 being detectable by means of the locking mechanism sensor 12. The locking mechanism 13 serves to lock a movable part of the vehicle, in particular a side door, a tailgate door, or a hood or sliding door, to the vehicle/vehicle body. A locking state thus corresponds to a closed position of the movable part, with the locking mechanism additionally securing the closed position of the movable part. For this purpose, the locking mechanism, in particular the catch of the locking mechanism, is in holding engagement with a lock holder, the lock holder preferably being arranged on the body of the vehicle. However, it is also conceivable that a vehicle lock 11 is arranged in the vehicle or the vehicle body and the lock holder is accordingly located on the movable part. This is realized, for example, with a hood lock.

[0048] The vehicle lock 11 is signal-connected to the control unit 20, the data connections being shown herein with a dashed line. Furthermore, a lock holder sensor is associated with the vehicle lock 11 in FIG. 2, wherein a lock holder sensor according to the invention is arranged on the vehicle lock 11 such that a position of the lock holder in the vehicle lock 11 can be detected. In particular, the lock holder sensor 60 can detect a position of the lock holder, which corresponds to a locking position of the lock holder with the locking mechanism 13. Accordingly, the lock holder sensor 60 and the locking mechanism sensor 12 deliver the two position signals which are sent to the data processing device.

[0049] Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows a closing aid 30, which is in operative connection with the vehicle lock 11, in particular the locking mechanism 13. The closing aid 30 can thus be used to transfer the locking mechanism from a pre-ratchet position to a main ratchet position. It is also conceivable that the closing aid 30 uses a third position signal to verify the closed position of the movable part. Accordingly, at least three position signals can be used by the control unit 20 to verify a closed position of a movable part.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0050] 10 Vehicle locking system [0051] 11 Vehicle lock [0052] 12 Locking mechanism sensor [0053] 13 Locking mechanism [0054] 20 Control unit/data processing device [0055] 30 Closing aid [0056] 40 Drive [0057] 50 Contact switch [0058] 60 Lock holder sensor [0059] 70 Force sensor [0060] 80 Image acquisition unit [0061] 90 Displacement sensor [0062] 100 Vehicle [0063] 110 Movable part