CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE CLOSING ELEMENT

Abstract

It is provided a method for controlling an adjusting movement of a power-operated adjustable vehicle closing element, such as e.g. a side door or a liftgate, which can automatically be adjusted in the presence of an operating event. By means of a sensor device an operating event is detected in a contactless way. For the detection of an operating event a course of measurement values detected by the sensor device in a detection time interval is evaluated. Furthermore, at least one trigger signal, in particular a trigger signal of defined signal length and/or a trigger signal that triggers an execution of an authentication process preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element, in which the presence of a valid identification means in a vicinity of the vehicle is checked, is generated and sent.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A method for controlling an adjusting movement of a power-operated adjustable vehicle closing element, via which a body opening of a vehicle can be closed and which can automatically be adjusted to clear a body opening in the presence of an operating event, wherein by means of a sensor device it is detected in a contactless way as an operating event that a person carries out a particular movement with a body part in a detection area, and for the detection of the operating event a course of measurement values detected by the sensor device in a detection time interval is evaluated, at least one trigger signal is generated and sent, which triggers an execution of an authentication process preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element, in which the presence of a valid identification means in a vicinity of the vehicle is checked, and at least one measurement value detected for the presence of an operating event is utilized to trigger the sending of the trigger signal for the authentication process, before the detection time interval has elapsed and before the course of the measurement values can be evaluated as to whether an operating event is present.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sending of the trigger signal for the start of the authentication process is completed at a time before the detection time interval has elapsed.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the authentication process triggered by the trigger signal is completed at a time before the detection time interval has elapsed and before a sufficient number of measurement values has been detected in order to evaluate whether or not an operating event is present.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein when an operating event has been detected, the sending of the trigger signal is completed at a time after the detection time interval has elapsed.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sending of the trigger signal is triggered at a time at which the detection time interval starts, or at a time within the detection time interval, at which a criterion stored in the electronic control device concerning the number of detected measurement values is fulfilled.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the sending of the trigger signal is stopped when no operating event has been detected, so that the trigger signal remains incomplete and the operation preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element is not triggered.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the exceedance or undershoot of a specified threshold value triggers the beginning of the sending of the trigger signal, before the detection time interval has elapsed and it is evaluated whether or not an operating event is present.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein for the adjustment of the vehicle closing element a drive is activated by means of a control signal, wherein the sending of the control signal is started after the detection time interval has elapsed and it is evaluated whether an operating event is present.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein by means of the sensor device a kick movement carried out by a person is detectable as an operating event in a contactless way.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the generation and the beginning of the sending of the trigger signal is dependent on at least one additional criterion.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one additional criterion is a temporal development of successively detected measurement values and/or the value of a maximum of detected measurement values.

25. A method for controlling an adjusting movement of a power-operated adjustable vehicle closing element, via which a body opening of a vehicle can be closed and which can automatically be adjusted to clear a body opening in the presence of an operating event, wherein by means of a sensor device it is detected in a contactless way as an operating event that a person carries out a particular movement with a body part in a detection area, and for the detection of the operating event a course of measurement values detected by the sensor device in a detection time interval is evaluated, at least one trigger signal with a defined signal length is generated and sent, which triggers at least one operation preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element, and at a time in the detection time interval the sending of the trigger signal is started, so that at the end of the detection time interval the trigger signal has not yet reached the defined signal length, and only upon detection of an operating event the trigger signal is sent further until reaching the defined signal length, but otherwise the sending thereof is stopped.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sending of the trigger signal is stopped when no operating event has been detected, so that the trigger signal remains incomplete and the operation preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element is not triggered.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the exceedance or undershoot of a specified threshold value triggers the beginning of the sending of the trigger signal, before the detection time interval has elapsed and it is evaluated whether or not an operating event is present.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein for the adjustment of the vehicle closing element a drive is activated by means of a control signal, wherein the sending of the control signal is started after the detection time interval has elapsed and it is evaluated whether an operating event is present.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein by means of the sensor device a kick movement carried out by a person is detectable as an operating event in a contactless way.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the generation and the beginning of the sending of the trigger signal is dependent on at least one additional criterion.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the at least one additional criterion is a temporal development of successively detected measurement values and/or the value of a maximum of detected measurement values.

32. A control system for an adjusting device for the power-operated adjustment of a vehicle closing element, via which a body opening of a vehicle can be closed and which can automatically be adjusted for clearing the body opening in the presence of an operating event, comprising: a sensor device by means of which it can be detected in a contactless way as an operating event that a person carries out a particular movement with a body part in a detection area, and an electronic control device by means of which a course of measurement values detected by the sensor device in a detection time interval can be evaluated as to whether an operating event is present, and at least one trigger signal of defined signal length can be generated and sent, which triggers at least one operation preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element, wherein the electronic control device is configured to at least one of the following a) utilize at least one measurement value detected for the presence of an operating event to trigger the sending of a trigger signal for an authentication process in which the presence of a valid identification means in a vicinity of the vehicle is checked, before the detection time interval has elapsed and before the course of the measurement values can be evaluated as to whether an operating event is present, and b) to start the sending of the trigger signal at a time in the detection time interval, so that at the end of the detection time interval the trigger signal has not yet reached the defined signal length and only upon detection of an operating event the trigger signal is sent further until reaching the defined signal length, but otherwise the sending thereof is stopped.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The attached Figures by way of example illustrate possible design variants of the proposed solution.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a signal-time diagram for a first exemplary embodiment of an inventive method of a correspondingly operating exemplary embodiment for a control system according to the invention, in which the sending of a trigger signal for starting an authentication process already is started when with reference to a measured course of a measurement signal it cannot finally be evaluated whether a permissible operating event actually is present, and only upon positive detection of an operating event the trigger signal is completed in order to actually trigger the authentication process.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a signal-time diagram for a second exemplary embodiment in which an authentication process and an activation of a drive for adjusting a vehicle closing element (possibly with preceding actuation of a lock) are triggered via separate trigger signals, and a trigger signal for triggering the authentication process already is sent at an early stage before completion of the detection of an operating event.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a signal-time diagram for a third exemplary embodiment in which analogous to the second exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 different trigger signals are used for the start of an authentication process and the activation of a drive, but in contrast to the second exemplary embodiment the sending of the trigger signal for the activation of the drive is started before the detection of an operating event and is completed only upon positive detection of the operating event.

[0037] FIG. 4 schematically shows the rear end of a vehicle with a liftgate as a vehicle closing element by illustrating a control system according to the invention.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a signal-time diagram for a sequence of a control method known from the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a design variant of a control system according to the invention that is used in a vehicle FZ. The vehicle FZ includes a vehicle closing element in the form of a liftgate H. The liftgate H is adjustable in a power-operated way by means of a liftgate drive HM. For this purpose, the liftgate drive HM includes for example at least one electric motor. In a closed condition of the liftgate H the same is locked via a liftgate lock HS and hence blocked against an unauthorized opening.

[0040] To open the liftgate H it will be sufficient that an authorized or authenticated user carries out a kick movement in the region of a rear-end bumper ST of the vehicle FZ. The kick movement carried out with a leg B and a foot F of the user in the region of the bumper ST correspondingly should be detectable as an operating event in a contactless way. To this end there is provided a sensor device comprising several, here at least two, capacitive sensor elements 1A and 1B of the control system. The sensor elements 1A and 1B are spatially separate from each other and monitor different, possibly overlapping detection areas 10A and 10B before and below the bumper ST, which jointly define a detection area of the control system, in response to an approach of the user and the execution of the kick movement.

[0041] By means of the sensor elements 1A and 1B for example a change in capacitance in the respective detection areas 10A and 10B associated to a sensor element 1A or 1B is detected. Via the detected measurement values for the changing capacitance a kick movement can then be inferred. The measurement values detected by means of the sensor device 1A, 1B are evaluated by an electronic control device SE connected to the sensor elements 1A and 1B, which to this end integrates an evaluation logic. When a course of measurement values detected in a detection time interval reveals that an operating event is present, the liftgate lock HS is actuated by means of the electronic control device SE for unlocking the liftgate H and the liftgate drive HM is actuated for adjusting the liftgate H.

[0042] Before adjusting the liftgate H, here before opening the liftgate H, it first is checked whether in the vicinity of the vehicle F, i.e. in a defined radius around the vehicle FZ, a valid identification means is present, for example in the form of a transponder T of a remote control unit for the vehicle FZ. It hence is checked for example whether a valid vehicle key is present in the vicinity of the vehicle FZ. It then is concluded therefrom that the kick movement was carried out by an authorized/authenticated user. By the corresponding authentication process it is correspondingly avoided that every kick movement (of an arbitrary person) carried out in the region of the bumper ST already leads to an opening of the liftgate H.

[0043] The signal-time diagram of FIG. 5 illustrates a method known from the prior art for controlling the adjusting movement of the liftgate H on opening in response to a detected, permissible operating event.

[0044] In the diagram of FIG. 5 a course of measurement values detected by the sensor device 1A, 1B on the one hand is plotted as measurement signal s over the time t. The parabolic course of the measurement signal s as shown in FIG. 5 is representative for a kick movement carried out at the bumper ST and hence for a positive detection of an operating event. Moreover, an additional ordinate for the temporal development of a trigger signal p over the time t is provided in the diagram of FIG. 5. In the illustrated diagram (like also in the diagrams explained below), a pulse or signal strength p.sub.s of a sent trigger signal p merely is indicated by way of example. Alternatively, a coded signal with different high and low levels, a pulse sequence, or a pulse sequence with at least two different pulse strengths can of course also be sent. Sending start and duration of transmission of the trigger signal p each are controlled by the electronic control device SE.

[0045] In the case of a kick movement to be detected, the measurement signal s initially rises above a stored threshold value s1. At a time t.sub.s, at which the threshold value s1 is exceeded, for example both sensor elements 1A and 1B are activated. From this time t.sub.s the electronic control device SE therefore takes account of the measurement values for the evaluation as to whether a permissible operating event actually is present. When in a succeeding detection time interval t.sub.1 up to a time t.sub.C the illustrated parabolic course of the measurement signals s is detected, i.e. in particular the rise up to a plateau or maximum value of the measurement signal s and a subsequent decrease below the threshold value s1, an evaluation logic of the electronic control device 1A, 1B assesses this as a valid operating event and sends a trigger signal p in the form of a pulse with a length of 400 ms. In the present case, this trigger signal p represents a trip signal for triggering the authentication process in order to check whether a valid transponder T is present in the vicinity of the vehicle FZ. The related key search thus is started after a time interval t.sub.2=400 ms after the time t.sub.C of the detection of a permissible operating event, namely after the complete receipt of the pulse with a length of 400 ms at a time t.sub.E. This key search and the related authentication process takes a time t.sub.K. When the authentication process is completed and a valid transponder T is detected at a time t.sub.K, a further operation likewise preceding the actual adjustment of the liftgate H is triggered, namely the actuation of the liftgate drive H and possibly before this the actuation of the indicators and/or headlights of the vehicle FZ in order to visually inform a user of the successful detection of an operating event (before the liftgate H is adjusted). Up to the adjustment of the liftgate H via the liftgate drive HM a further time interval t.sub.A again passes, until the liftgate drive H actually triggers the adjustment of the liftgate H.

[0046] In the scenario with successive signaling after completion of the detection of a permissible operating event as shown in FIG. 5 comparatively much time elapses until a feedback actually is provided to the user that the operating event has been detected successfully, and until a visible adjustment of the liftgate H actually is effected. This leads to the fact that a user possibly assumes that the kick movement carried out by him has not successfully been detected by means of the sensor device 1A, 1B. The user thus carries out the kick movement once again or already tries to otherwise open the liftgate H. Thus, maloperations and/or malfunctions can occur.

[0047] To increase the customer benefit and the customer satisfaction it is regarded as advantageous against this background to shorten the time between the successful detection of a permissible operating event and the actual adjustment of the liftgate H (or another vehicle closing element). In accordance with the proposed solution this is achieved in that the sending of at least one trigger signal for triggering an operation necessarily preceding the adjustment of the vehicle closing element, here of the liftgate H, at least partly takes place already before the evaluation as to whether or not a permissible operating event is present. Furthermore, to avoid additional sensor elements, the sending of such a trigger signal for the start of an authentication process in this connection can depend on at least one measurement value and hence on the measurement signal s, which anyway is detected and evaluated in order to detect an operating event.

[0048] In one design variant, which is illustrated with reference to the diagram of FIG. 1, e.g. a trigger signal in the form of a trip signal p with a pre-defined signal length t.sub.1 is sent in order to start the start of an authentication process at a time t.sub.E, which represents the signaling end and hence the end of the 400 ms pulse. In contrast to the method known from the prior art, however, the sending of the trip signal p for triggering the authentication process already has started before the detection time interval t.sub.1 is completed, and hence it is possible at all for the electronic control device SE to finally evaluate whether or not a permissible operating event actually is present. The beginning of the sending of the trip signal p rather is started already at a time t.sub.P at which it appears sufficiently probable in principle that a kick movement actually is just carried out in the region of the bumper ST and at the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 a permissible operating event will be detected.

[0049] The/a criterion for the beginning of the sending of the trip signal p at the time t.sub.P within the detection time interval t.sub.1 is stepping through a maximum by the detected measurement signal s. Stepping through this maximum for example is detected with reference to a second threshold value s2 (with s2>s1), wherein this second threshold value s2 likewise is stored in the evaluation logic of the electronic control device SE. The kick movement to be detected thus is split into at least two sub-functions, on the one hand into a pre-kick and a subsequent confirmation. The detection of a pre-kick or rather a pre-kick event on the basis of the previous measurement signal s in merely one section of the detection time interval t.sub.1 thus already triggers the sending of the trip signal p, although the presence of a permissible operating event only can be detected at the later time t.sub.C at the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1.

[0050] The possible beginning of the sending of the trip signal p and hence for example the height of the second threshold value s2 and the duration of the trip signal p are adjusted to each other and to the detection time interval t.sub.1 such that when the sending of the trip signal p once has been triggered, this trip signal p has not yet been sent completely by the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 and hence by the time of the evaluation and detection of a permissible operating event. Thus, the trip signal p has not yet been sent over the specified, full signal length, here 400 ms, which is necessary to trigger the authentication process.

[0051] For example, the beginning of the sending of the trip signal p and hence the start of a pre-kick signaling at the time t.sub.P at the earliest is effected at a time within the detection time interval t.sub.1, at which a criterion concerning the number of detected measurement values, which is stored in the electronic control device SE, is fulfilled. Such a criterion for example can comprise the exceedance of a minimum number of measurement values that must be available in order to be able to assume an operating event with a sufficient probability. For example, the beginning of the sending of the trip signal p is effected after more than half of the detection time interval t.sub.1 has elapsed. The beginning of the sending of the trip signal p after the elapse of a time interval t.sub.P (with t.sub.P>t.sub.1) after the beginning of the detection time interval (at a time t.sub.S) thus always is so large that by the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 a complete trip signal, which hence is suited to trigger the authentication process, never is present. Hence, the sending of the trip signal p at the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 can yet be stopped, in case no permissible operating event is detected. The incompletely sent trip signal p remains without effect and does not trigger the start of the authentication process. When a valid operating event on the other hand is detected, the sending of the trip signal p is prolonged, so that the trip signal p is sent further until reaching the defined signal length (here t.sub.E-t.sub.P) and hence the authentication process is started.

[0052] Due to the partial transmission of the trip signal p for triggering the authentication process, which is preceding already and is parallel to the detection of an operating event, a distinct shortening of the time interval that elapses between the beginning of the execution of the kick movement by a user and the actual adjustment of the liftgate H is achieved. For example, assuming a magnitude of this time interval of 1550 ms in the prior art represented with the diagram of FIG. 5, this time interval can be shortened to 1250 ms in the design variant corresponding to the diagram of FIG. 1. The actuation of an electronic authentication logic and of an electronic control unit of the liftgate drive HM for example is effected via a CAN or LIN bus.

[0053] In the design variant shown with the diagram of FIG. 2 two different trigger signals p.sub.1 and p.sub.2 in the form of a trip signal p.sub.1 and a control signal p.sub.2 are provided, which are sent at different times in order to on the one hand trigger the authentication process and hence the key search and on the other hand the activation of the liftgate drive HM (including the actuation of the liftgate lock HS to release the liftgate H).

[0054] In the illustrated design variant, the sending of the trip signal p.sub.1 already is triggered at the beginning of the detection time interval t.sub.1 and hence by the measurement signal s exceeding the threshold value s1. The transmission of this trip signal p.sub.1 for example is effected via a LIN bus. When the trip signal p.sub.1 is sent completely at a time t.sub.P1, the authentication process and in particular the key search herewith is triggered, even while the measurement signal s is detected further in order to be able to assess at the later time t.sub.C whether or not a permissible operating event actually is present. The key search usually taking less than 200 ms, e.g. 150 ms, then is completed at a time t.sub.K within the detection time interval t.sub.1. In this variant, the length of the trip signal p.sub.1 to be transmitted for triggering the authentication process and the duration of the key search thus are adjusted to each other and to the detection time interval t.sub.1, so that a time interval t.sub.K, which has elapsed between the beginning of the sending of the trip signal p.sub.1 and the end of the key search, completely lies within the detection time interval t.sub.1.

[0055] The key search thus in any case is completed already after the detection of a pre-kick event, before it is evaluated whether or not a permissible operating event actually is present. At the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 and with a positive detection of an operating event, the activation of the liftgate drive HM and possibly an indicator actuation must yet be triggered via the sending of the control signal p.sub.2. When both trigger signals p.sub.1 and p.sub.2 are transmitted via a LIN bus for triggering the authentication process and for activating the liftgate drive HM (and the liftgate lock HS), the time here can also easily be shortened to 1100 ms, which period elapses between the beginning of a kick movement and the actual adjustment of the liftgate H.

[0056] In the design variant shown with the diagram of FIG. 3, the two aspects of the design variants of FIGS. 1 and 2 are combined with each other. Here as well, the authentication process already is started at an early time upon detection of a pre-kick event by generating and sending a first trigger signal in the form of a trip signal p.sub.1, so that the authentication process is completed yet within the detection time interval t.sub.1. Furthermore, a second trigger signal in the form of a control signal p.sub.2 for activating the liftgate drive HM (and with locked liftgate H for the previous or simultaneous actuation of the liftgate lock HS) is started yet at a time t.sub.P within the detection time interval t.sub.1. The sending of the control signal p.sub.2 for example is triggered again by the measurement signal s falling short of the second threshold value s2, after the measurement signal s had reached a maximum, as it is accompanied by a swiveling back of a foot F of the user.

[0057] When at the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 no operating event is detected by means of the electronic control device SE, the sending of the control signal p.sub.2 is stopped, so that the same remains incomplete andindependent of the outcome of the authentication processno actuation of the liftgate drive HM (and possibly of the liftgate lock HS and of the vehicle indicators) is effected.

[0058] On the other hand, when by the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 a valid operating event is detected with reference to the course of the measurement signal s and the measurement values forming this course, the control signal p.sub.2 is sent further up to the signal length t.sub.E-t.sub.P triggering the activation of the liftgate drive HM and hence completed. The further sending of the control signal p.sub.2 ultimately each also depends on the positive authentication of a valid transponder T at the end of the authentication process (at the time t.sub.K). In other words, the sending of the control signal p.sub.2 only is continued upon detection of a valid operating event by the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1, but is stopped when beforehand no valid transponder T has been detected in the vicinity of the vehicle FZ.

[0059] The diagram of FIG. 3 by way of example shows the control signal p.sub.2 for actuating the liftgate drive HM as a high-low sequence. A complete control signal p.sub.2 that triggers the activation of the liftgate drive HM thus contains a defined signal or pulse sequence, here for example with a pulse of a first signal or pulse strength p.sub.S followed by a signal or a pulse with a second (here: lower) signal or pulse strength p.sub.L. When this sequence is transmitted only incompletely, no activation of the liftgate drive HM is effected. Correspondingly for example the earliest possible time t.sub.P for the beginning of the sending of the control signal p.sub.2 within the detection time interval t.sub.1 can be specified such that by the end of the detection time interval t.sub.1 always only a part of the sequence has been transmitted and only upon detection of a permissible operating event the sequence of the control signal p.sub.2 is completed, for example with the signal or pulse component of a lower signal or pulse strength p.sub.L.

[0060] The receivers of the respective trigger signals p, p.sub.1 and p.sub.2 for example can be electronic control devices and in particular control devices within the vehicle FZ, which for example control the key search or are associated with the liftgate lock HS and the liftgate drive HM and which via a LIN or CAN bus are connected to the electronic control device SE.

[0061] The generation and the beginning of the sending of a trigger signal p, p.sub.1 or p.sub.2 in principle can be dependent on at least one additional criterion, in particular on a measurement value of the sensor elements 1A or 1B and/or on a measurement value of a further (non-illustrated) sensor element. For example, the sending of the trigger signal/trip signal p.sub.1 for the start of an authentication process can be avoided when an additional evaluation reveals that the presence of a pre-kick event and hence also at a later time the presence of a permissible operating event is improbable. To this end, for example, a temporal development of successive measurement values for the measurement signal s and/or the value of a maximum of detected measurement values in the detection time interval t1 or a subinterval of this detection time interval t1 can be employed.

[0062] It is of course not absolutely necessary that the at least one additional criterion for the beginning of the sending of a trigger signal p, p.sub.1 or p.sub.2 also is employed for the final evaluation as to whether or not a valid operating event is present. Thus, with regard to the evaluation as to whether a permissible operating event is present the at least one additional criterion can have an at least partly redundant information content. During the execution of a kick movement this additional criterion can however be utilized already in order to exclude a real kick (against the or in the direction of the bumper ST).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0063] 1A, 1B sensor element [0064] 10A, 10B detection area [0065] B leg [0066] F foot [0067] FZ vehicle [0068] H liftgate (vehicle closing element) [0069] HM liftgate drive [0070] HS liftgate lock [0071] P, p.sub.1, p.sub.2 trip/control signal (trigger signal) [0072] p.sub.s pulse/signal strength [0073] s measurement signal [0074] s1, s2 threshold value [0075] SE electronic control device [0076] ST bumper [0077] t time [0078] T transponder (identification means) [0079] t.sub.A activation end [0080] t.sub.C time of the detection of a permissible operating event [0081] t.sub.E signaling end [0082] t.sub.K time of the completion of the key search/of the authentication process [0083] t.sub.P start of the pre-kick signaling [0084] t.sub.P1 start of the preliminary signaling [0085] t.sub.S beginning of the evaluation for a possible operating event