SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A VEHICLE DOOR RELATIVE TO A VEHICLE BODY

Abstract

A system for adjusting a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body including an electromotive adjusting device, a control device configured to control the adjusting device and receive an operating command and control the adjusting device based on the receipt of the operating command for adjusting the vehicle door. A sensor device for detecting an object, the control device configured for collision protection monitoring, in order to recognize an object detected by the sensor device in a recognition area as a collision obstacle. The control device is configured to limit an adjustment of the vehicle door on recognition of a collision obstacle to an adjustment path dependent on the location of the collision obstacle, in that the control device determines a projection of the collision obstacle and defines the adjustment path in dependence on the projection.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body, the system comprising: an adjusting device; a sensor device configured to, detect an object, recognize the object or another object, disposed in a recognition area, as a collision obstacle; and a control device configured to provide collision protection monitoring, in which the control device is configured to, control the adjusting device to adjust the vehicle door based on a received operating command, limit an adjustment of the vehicle door to an adjustment path based on a location of the collision obstacle, in response to the sensor device recognizing the collision obstacle, determine a projection of the collision obstacle, and defining the adjustment path based on the projection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to project a location of the collision obstacle along a predetermined spatial direction and to identify a spatial area swept over by the projection as a collision area to determine the projection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to, determine whether an operating command is received via an operating device disposed in a near area relative to the vehicle door, operate in a first operating mode, in which the control device is configured to use a first recognition area in response to receiving the operating command via the operating device disposed in the near area to recognize the object detected by the sensor device in the first recognition area as the collision obstacle, and operate in a second operating mode, in which the control device is configured to use a second recognition area, wherein the second recognition area is different from the first recognition area, in response to receiving the operating command from an area other than the near area, to recognize another object disposed in the second recognition area and detected by the sensor device as a collision obstacle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operating device is formed by a handle or a tip switch of the vehicle door, a gesture recognition device, or a remote-control unit.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first recognition area at least partially overlaps the second recognition area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to provide the collision protection monitoring in response to opening of the vehicle door.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to generate location information of the detected object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device is a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a TOF camera device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device is arranged on an inner side of a windowpane of the vehicle door.

10. A method of adjusting a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body, the method comprising: receiving an operating command to adjust the vehicle door; controlling, by a control device of an electromotive adjusting device, an adjusting device based on receiving the operating command; and detecting, by a sensor device, an object; recognizing the object or another object, detected by the sensor device and disposed in a recognition area, as a collision obstacle; limiting, by the control device, an adjustment of the vehicle door to an adjustment path based on a location of the collision obstacle in response to the recognizing step; determining a projection of the collision obstacle; and defining the adjustment path based on the projection.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: operating the control device in a first operating mode, in which the control device is configured to use a first recognition area in response to receiving the operating command via an operating device disposed in a first area, wherein the recognizing step includes recognizing the object disposed in the first recognition area as the collision obstacle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: operating the control device in a second operating mode, in which the control device is configured to use a second recognition area, wherein the second recognition area is different than the first recognition area and the recognizing step further includes recognizing the other object in the second recognition area as the collision obstacle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second recognition area is further away from the vehicle than the first recognition area.

14. An adjustment system for use in a vehicle door, the adjustment system comprising: an adjusting device configured to adjust the vehicle door between an open position and a closed position; a sensor configured to detect a number of obstacles disposed in a recognition area formed by a first detection boundary and a second detection boundary collectively forming an angle with respect to the sensor; and a controller configured to, responsive to receiving an operating command, recognize a first object of the number of the number of objects as a collision obstacle or not as a collision obstacle, and command the adjusting device to adjust the door based on the recognition of the collision obstacle such that the door does not contact the collision obstacle.

15. The adjustment system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second boundaries lie along a blind area, in which the sensor is not configured to detect the number of obstacles, and the controller is further configured to project a projection from the collision obstacle into the blind area and command the adjusting device to adjust the door based on a location of the projection.

16. The adjustment device of claim 15, wherein the projection extends from the collision obstacle in a downward direction.

17. The adjustment system of claim 15, wherein the recognition area includes a first portion and a second portion separated by a perpendicular boundary extending substantially perpendicular to a portion of the door, wherein the controller is further configured to command the sensor to not detect objects in the first portion of the recognition area.

18. The adjustment system of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the recognition area is closer to the vehicle than the second portion of the recognition area.

19. The adjustment system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to command the sensor to not detect obstacles in the first portion of the recognition area in response to receiving an operating command from an operating device disposed within an area proximal to the vehicle.

20. The adjustment system of claim 19, wherein the operating device is a handle of the vehicle door.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The idea underlying the invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures, in which:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle with a vehicle door arranged on a vehicle body;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic rear view of the vehicle;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the vehicle, representing a recognition area of a sensor device for recognizing a collision obstacle;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of the vehicle, comprising a near area in the region of the vehicle door;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows another schematic view of the vehicle, comprising a recognition area for the purpose of collision protection monitoring;

[0043] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of the vehicle, with a partly open vehicle door and an adapted recognition area;

[0044] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a vehicle, with a different configuration of a sensor device; and

[0045] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a vehicle, representing a limited adjustment path of the vehicle door, which is determined in dependence on a projection of a collision obstacle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0047] In an adjustment system known from DE 10 2012 014 243 B4 for the automatic movement of a vehicle wing, for example, a tailgate, an evaluation and control unit is provided, which is configured to perform a prioritization of operating points in order to assign a higher priority for the operation of the vehicle wing to a first operating point as compared to a second operating point.

[0048] From EP 1 407 106 B2, there is known a method for opening and closing a part rotatably or tiltably mounted on a vehicle, wherein on adjustment of the part by an adjusting motor, parameters representative of an adjusting force of the part are detected and evaluated for an obstacle recognition.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle 1 which includes a vehicle door 11 pivotally arranged relative to a vehicle body 10 in the form of a tailgate arranged at the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0050] In the system shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle door 11 can be adjusted relative to the vehicle body 10 via an electromotive adjusting device 2, for example in the form of a spindle drive or the like, in order to bring the vehicle door 11 from a closed position into an open position along an opening direction O or, vice versa, to close the vehicle door 11 against the opening direction O out of an open position.

[0051] A control device 4 serves for controlling the adjusting device 2.

[0052] Via a sensor device 3, signals can be detected in order to carry out collision protection monitoring in a recognition area E on the vehicle door 11 and, when the vehicle door 11 is adjusted, to prevent the vehicle door 11 from getting in contact with an object in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 11 so as to exclude any danger to the object and damage to the vehicle door 11.

[0053] As can be taken from the rear view of the vehicle 1 as shown in FIG. 2, the sensor device 3 can be arranged for example on the inside of a windowpane 110 of the vehicle door 11 and for example be located approximately centrally in the region of a foot 112 of a wiper 111 of the vehicle door 11.

[0054] It is also conceivable to integrate the sensor device 3 into the foot 112 of the wiper 111.

[0055] An operation of the vehicle door 11 for example for opening purposes can be effected by different operating devices 113, 114, 115.

[0056] A user for example can touch a handle or tip switch 113 of the vehicle door 11 so as to generate an operating command and bring the vehicle door 11 for example from a closed position into an open position, wherein upon operation of the handle or tip switch 113 an operating command is generated and the adjusting device 2 is actuated via the control device 4 for the electromotive, automatic adjustment of the vehicle door 11.

[0057] Alternatively, a user can generate an operating command via a remote control unit 114, which leads to an adjustment of the vehicle door 11, for example to an opening of the vehicle door 11.

[0058] Again as an alternative, a user can carry out a gesture, for example in the form of a kicking gesture, which can be recognized via a gesture recognition device 115 and leads to an adjustment of the vehicle door 11, for example to an opening.

[0059] A gesture detection for example can also be carried out via the sensor device 3, which serves for collision protection monitoring.

[0060] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, an operating command generally can be triggered by a user U in different spatial areas of a vehicle.

[0061] For example, a user U can be present in a near area N directly at the vehicle door 11 in order to act on the handle or tip switch 113 or carry out a gesture on the gesture recognition device 115, as this can be taken from FIG. 4. A user U in the near area N likewise can operate a remote control unit 114.

[0062] However, a user U also can be present in a distant area F outside the near area N, when for example triggering an operating command for adjusting the vehicle door 11 via a remote control unit 114. In this case, the user U thus is not present in close proximity to the vehicle door 11, but is away from the vehicle door 11. The user U for example is also present in such a distant area F when he stays in the vehicle interior space and effects an adjustment of the vehicle door 11 by a suitable actuating device in the vehicle interior space.

[0063] Depending on whether the user U is present in the near area N or outside the near area N when operating the vehicle door 11, collision protection monitoring for adjusting the vehicle door 11 can be effected in different ways.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor device 3, which for example is realized by a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a TOF camera device, is designed to generate sensor signals for example, for the spatial localization of objects O1, O2 in a recognition area E. The recognition area E here (in the sectional plane shown in FIG. 3, which is defined by the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle vertical direction) extends over an angle α between detection boundaries A1, A2. By measuring the distance, the sensor device 3 can determine where a respective object O1, O2 is located in the recognition area E.

[0065] For example, when opening the vehicle door 11, a user U performing an operation of the vehicle door 11 from the near area N should not be recognized as a collision obstacle in order to prevent that due to the presence of the user U an adjustment of the vehicle door 11 is prevented. This proceeds from the fact that the user U must stay in the near area N in order to for example act on the handle or tip switch 113 or to carry out a gesture in the region of the gesture recognition device 115. The user U, however, usually will automatically step out of the near area N when the vehicle door 11 opens in response to such an operation.

[0066] To prevent that the presence of the user U prevents an opening of the vehicle door 11, collision protection monitoring is carried out in different ways depending on the spatial origin of an operating command.

[0067] For the purpose of collision protection monitoring, the control device 4 uses a first recognition area Z1, which corresponds to a partial area of the recognition area E and is defined by a boundary G, when an operating command is triggered by a user U in the near area N, for example in that the operating command is received via the handle or tip switch 113, a remote control unit 114 in the near area N, or the gesture recognition device 115. In such a first operating mode, collision protection monitoring thus is carried out only in an area above the vehicle door 11, but not in an area in which a user U is present at the vehicle door 11.

[0068] On the other hand, when an operating command is not received in the near area N, but from the distant area F, the control device 4 in a second operating mode uses a second recognition area E for the purpose of collision protection monitoring, so that in the second operating mode a recognition is carried out in the area Z2 and thus in the entire detection area of the sensor device 3 in addition to a recognition in the area Z1.

[0069] Thus, in the first operating mode an object O1 in the area Z1 is recognized as a collision obstacle, whereas an object O2 outside the area Z1 is not recognized as a collision obstacle. In the second operating mode, on the other hand, both objects O1, O2 are recognized as collision obstacles.

[0070] In dependence on the recognition of a collision obstacle, the adjusting operation then can be controlled such that the vehicle door 11 for example is not opened at all or is only opened to such an extent that the vehicle door 11 does not abut against the object O1, O2, but is stopped before.

[0071] The recognition areas Z1, Z2 can be firmly defined and unchangeable.

[0072] Alternatively, for example, the recognition area Z1 can also be variable, however, in the first operating mode, for example in dependence on the position of the vehicle door 11 just taken for example on opening, as this is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The boundary G of the recognition area Z1 thus can be adapted in dependence on the adjustment position of the vehicle door 11 such that the boundary G always points perpendicularly upwards from a defined, but possibly also variable location at the vehicle door 11 so that an area above the vehicle door 11 is always monitored, as this is shown in the transition from FIG. 5 towards FIG. 6.

[0073] The recognition area E in the second operating mode remains unchangeable, and merely the ratio between the first recognition area Z1 and the second recognition area E (corresponding to the combination of the areas Z1, Z2) is changed.

[0074] In addition or alternatively, it can be provided to switch from the first operating mode to the second operating mode for example after a predetermined time, while the vehicle door 11 is moved. This is effected against the background that it can be assumed that a user will automatically step out of the adjustment area of the vehicle door 11 after the operation via an operating device 113, 114, 115 has been effected, so that after a certain time complete collision protection monitoring can be performed in the entire recognition area E, and thus one should switch to the second operating mode.

[0075] Again in addition or alternatively, one can also switch from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, for example when it is detected by a localization of a remote control unit 114 that a user changes his position relative to the vehicle 1, for example in that a user steps out of the near area N and thus no longer is present in proximity to the vehicle door 11.

[0076] In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 the sensor device 3 is arranged in the region of the lower edge of a windowpane 110 of the vehicle door 11, as this can be taken for example from FIG. 2. However, this is by no means limiting. In principle, the sensor device 3 can be arranged at any place on the vehicle door 11, for example in the region of a spoiler 116 at an upper edge of the vehicle door 11, as this can be taken from FIG. 7. Although the detection area of the sensor device 3 is not influenced thereby, the mode of operation is not changed by another positioning of the sensor device 3.

[0077] In dependence on the recognition of an object O1, O2 as a collision obstacle, the control of the adjusting movement of the vehicle door 11 by the control device 4 will be influenced. Upon recognition of a collision obstacle, an adjusting operation of the vehicle door 11 can be prevented completely or, alternatively, an adjusting operation can be limited such that the vehicle door 11 is moved, but is approached to an obstacle only to such an extent that the vehicle door 11 does not get in contact with the obstacle.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 8, an object O3 for example can be recognized in a recognition area E of the sensor device 3 and be classified as a collision obstacle, wherein the sensor device 3 is designed to generate location information for the object O3 and thus to localize the object O3. To determine an adjustment path corresponding to an adjustment angle (3, which is dimensioned such that the vehicle door 11 is moved, but does not get in contact with the obstacle, a projection P is calculated for the object O3 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in which the object O3 is projected downwards along a perpendicular spatial direction Z corresponding to the direction of gravity. As a result, the object O3 localized by the sensor device 3 is projected into a blind area B beyond a detection limit A2 of the sensor device 3, wherein the area of the projection P is assumed as a collision area and the adjustment path is calculated such that the vehicle door 11 is not moved into the area of the projection P.

[0079] This proceeds from the fact that objects for example in the form of trees, signs or walls usually are arranged on the ground and extend (approximately) perpendicularly from the ground. Thus, there is a (not low) probability for the fact that an object O3 localized in the recognition area E extends perpendicularly downwards also into a blind area B of the sensor device 3, which should be considered correspondingly in the control of the adjusting operation of the vehicle door 11.

[0080] The idea underlying the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, but can also be realized in a different way.

[0081] The vehicle door can be a tailgate, a vehicle side door, an engine hood, a cover of a storage area (for example in a pick-up truck) or the like. Such a vehicle door can be pivotally, but possibly also shiftably arranged on a vehicle body.

[0082] The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0083] 1 vehicle [0084] 10 vehicle body [0085] 11 vehicle door (tailgate) [0086] 110 windowpane [0087] 111 wiper [0088] 112 foot [0089] 113 operating device (handle) [0090] 114 operating device (remote control unit) [0091] 115 operating device (gesture recognition device) [0092] 116 spoiler [0093] 2 adjusting device [0094] 3 sensor device [0095] 4 control device [0096] α, β angle [0097] A1, A2 detection limit [0098] B blind area [0099] E recognition area [0100] F distant area [0101] N near area [0102] O opening direction [0103] O1, O2, O3 object [0104] P projection [0105] U user [0106] Z spatial direction [0107] Z1, Z2 recognition area

[0108] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.