Control Device and Control Method for a Vehicle Having an Automatically Opening and/or Automatically Closing Hatch

Abstract

A control device and method for a vehicle having an automatically opening and/or automatically closing flap includes an operating switch which can be operated contactlessly in the form of a proximity sensor and a programmable functional module. The method includes the following steps: firstly, an operating requirement signal is generated upon recognition of a predetermined proximity pattern consisting of the raw sensor signal of the proximity sensor for output of a resulting control signal to an unlocking and locking mechanism for the actual automatic opening or closing the valve, secondly, it is determined whether a predetermined absolute limit value of the raw sensor signal is exceeded, and thirdly, when the predetermined limiting value is exceeded, the output of the control signal is also suppressed when the operating requirement signal is generated, wherein this provision is also designated in short below as suppression mode.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle having an automatically opening and/or automatically closing hatch, which has at least one operating switch actuatable in a contactless manner, comprising: a proximity sensor forming the operating switch; at least one programmable electronic functional module, wherein a raw sensor signal of the proximity sensor is an input signal of the at least one programmable functional module, said signal being formed such that, using said signal: upon identification of a prescribed proximity pattern from the raw sensor signal, an operating request signal can be generated for emitting a control signal resulting therefrom to an unlocking and locking mechanism for an actual automatic opening or closing of the hatch, an exceeding of a prescribed absolute limit value of the raw sensor signal is determinable and, upon exceeding of the prescribed limit value, a suppression mode, in which the emission of the control signal is suppressed even in the case of a generated operating request signal, is activatable.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one functional module is configured such that the exceeding of the prescribed limit value has to be present at least for a prescribed first period for activation of the suppression mode.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one functional module is configured such that the undershooting of the prescribed limit value has to be present at least for a prescribed second period for deactivation of the suppression mode.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one functional module is configured such that, in the case of a generated operating request signal, during the suppression mode, a control signal resulting therefrom can be emitted in a delayed manner after the deactivation of the suppression mode when a prescribed third interval between the generation of the operating request signal and the end of the suppression mode has not yet been exceeded.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one functional module is configured such that the undershooting of the prescribed limit value has to be present at least for a prescribed second period for deactivation of the suppression mode.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one functional module is configured such that, in the case of a generated operating request signal, during the suppression mode, a control signal resulting therefrom can be emitted in a delayed manner after the deactivation of the suppression mode when a prescribed third interval between the generation of the operating request signal and the end of the suppression mode has not yet been exceeded.

7. A control method for a vehicle having an automatically opening and/or automatically closing hatch, which, via an operating switch in the form of a proximity sensor actuatable in a contactless manner, and by way of a programmable functional module, carries out the method comprising the steps of: first, upon identification of a prescribed proximity pattern from raw sensor signal of the proximity sensor, generating an operating request signal for emitting a control signal resulting therefrom to an unlocking and locking mechanism for actual automatic opening or closing of the hatch; second, determining whether a prescribed absolute limit value of the raw sensor signal has been exceeded; and third, upon exceeding of the prescribed limit value, suppressing the emission of the control signal even in the case of a generated operating request signal.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code sections that, when executed by a processor, carry out the steps of: first, upon identification of a prescribed proximity pattern from raw sensor signal of the proximity sensor, generating an operating request signal for emitting a control signal resulting therefrom to an unlocking and locking mechanism for actual automatic opening or closing of the hatch; second, determining whether a prescribed absolute limit value of the raw sensor signal has been exceeded; and third, upon exceeding of the prescribed limit value, suppressing the emission of the control signal even in the case of a generated operating request signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle having an automatically opening and/or closing hatch, which in this case is automatically closed, for example, from an open state on account of a close command, having a proximity sensor and two function modules according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows possible signal sequences according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the hatch 2 (also known as a flap) is designed as a tailgate of a motor vehicle 1. For example, in this case, automatic closing of the hatch 2 proceeding from an open state of the tailgate 2 is initiated at a locking and unlocking mechanism 2a, 2b by way of a close command in the form of a control signal c of a programmable control unit (in this case consisting of two functional modules 3 and 5). The tailgate 2 is then transferred to a closed position either on account of spring pretensioning or on account of an activated (e.g. electric, hydraulic or pneumatic) motor function.

[0018] The motor vehicle 1 further includes at least one proximity sensor, in this case in the form of a sensor system 4 having two partial proximity sensors 4 and 4 and a sensor signal evaluation module 3 as the first functional module according to the invention, which is operatively connected to the control module 5 as the second functional module according to the invention. In the following text, only one proximity sensor 4 is discussed for reasons of simplification. The proximity sensor 4 is a programmable operating switch, which can be deliberately actuated in a contactless manner. Upon successful actuation, said operating switch generates an operating request signal a, which is formed from a capacitance change signal or raw sensor signal S and is fed to the control module 5 as an input signal.

[0019] The control module 5, the sensor signal evaluation module 3 and the proximity sensor 4 can be separate but cooperating modules or can be integrated in one single electronic programmable functional module in the form of an electronic controller. The invention can be incorporated in each module in the form of a program or in the form of program parts. Preferably, separate modules are used, wherein a comparatively simple electronic module that consumes as little electrical energy as possible in the activated state is used for the proximity sensor 4.

[0020] The functional module 5 is preferably configured in such a way that not only the presence of the operating request signal a is monitored but also further stipulated conditions are monitored before said module emits a control signal c for opening or closing the tailgate. A further stipulated condition of this kind is, for example, the additional presence of a defined vehicle state signal x, which can be used, for example, to eliminate an unauthorized start-up of the vehicle. A state signal x of this kind can be, for example, an unlocking state signal of the central locking system or an identification signal about the presence of an access authorization device 6 in the locking state. For the second alternative, a check is carried out, for example, by including the control module 5, as to whether there is an access authorization device (generally a user carrying a radio key or a key card with them) within a prescribed region U around the vehicle. Monitoring devices of this kind are already known.

[0021] The at least one proximity sensor 4 is preferably arranged in such a way that a user can cause said proximity sensor to switch or can switch it by pivoting one's foot (short kick) in the region between the vehicle body and the road surface. In particular, the proximity sensor 4 is arranged underneath a bumper 7 or on the bottom side of a bumper 7 integrated therein.

[0022] If the operating request signal a and, preferably, additionally the signal x are present in the control module 5, the control module activates by way of the control signal c the unlocking/locking mechanism 2a, 2b in this case for actually automatically closing the hatch 2 when the following expansion function according to the invention is evaluated, which is explained in more detail in the following text with reference to FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates graphically the following signal profiles over time t: [0024] the raw sensor signal S of the proximity sensor 4, [0025] the first time window t1 for activating the suppression mode (S mode), [0026] the second time window t2 for deactivating the suppression mode (S mode), [0027] the activation and deactivation of the suppression mode (S mode), [0028] the operating request signal a after identification of a prescribed proximity pattern M from the raw sensor signal S, [0029] the third time window t3 for the possibly delayed emission of the control signal c, [0030] the control signal c resulting from an operating request signal a in the non-suppression mode (normal mode), and [0031] optionally the presence of a signal x for identifying the access authorization (e.g. radio key present).

[0032] An exceeding of a prescribed absolute limit value G of the raw sensor signal S is now checked according to the invention according to the signal profiles in FIG. 2. If the exceeding of the prescribed limit value G is determined at least for a prescribed first period t1, the suppression mode (S mode) is activated. In this case, the emission of the control signal c is also suppressed even in the case of a generated operating request signal a.

[0033] The suppression mode (S mode) is deactivated when the prescribed limit value G has been undershot at least for a prescribed second period t2.

[0034] In the case of a generated operating request signal a.sub.1, during the suppression mode (S mode), a control signal c.sub.1 resulting therefrom is preferably emitted in a delayed manner immediately after the deactivation of the suppression mode (S mode) when a prescribed third interval t3 between the generation of the operating request signal a, and the end of the suppression mode (S mode) in this case at the time t0 has not yet been exceeded.

[0035] The prescribed limit value is preferably determined in an empirical manner in such a way that a person who has been located very close to the bumper 7 for a relatively long time, for example sitting on the loading sill, can be inferred therefrom, for example.

[0036] The first time window t1 and the second time window t2 are likewise determined in an empirical manner in such a way that it is possible to identify a person located close to the vehicle for a longer time or a person located remote from the vehicle for a longer time again (e.g. in the range of 0 to 10 seconds).

[0037] The third time window t3 describes a period for which a possible operating request signal a is noticed by the customer and then discarded as possibly undesired (e.g. in the range of 0 to 5 seconds).

[0038] The raw sensor signal S comprises, in particular, all the capacitance change values that can be present both in absolute terms and in normalized or calibrated form.

[0039] The invention is applicable when a hatch 2 can be automatically opened and/or automatically closed.

[0040] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.