Method for adjusting an adjusting part on a vehicle and storing signal curves and measured value curves for subsequent testing

Abstract

A method for adjusting an adjusting part of a vehicle including controlling by an electronic detection device configured to detect a potential obstacle in an adjustment path of the adjusting part based on at least one first measured value and generates at least one control signal. The method including storing and correlating, over a defined time period, at least one of a curve of the control signal the first measured value, and a curve of at least one second measured value changing significantly in response to a collision of the adjusting part and an obstacle for a subsequent plausibility check.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting an adjusting part of a vehicle, the method comprising: adjusting the adjusting part of the vehicle; detecting, by an electronic detection device, a potential obstacle in an adjustment path of the adjusting part based on at least one first measured value, measured by the electronic detection device; generating at least one control signal to control the adjustment of the adjusting part; and storing at least one of: (a) a first curve of the control signal over a first defined time period in response to the adjusting part colliding with an obstacle and (b) a second curve over a second defined time period extending between the at least one first measured value and at least one second measured value measured by the electronic detection device, in response to the adjusting part colliding with the obstacle; and correlating the curve of the control signal and the at least one first measured value and the at least one second measured value with each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step is triggered automatically in response to the detecting step.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: defining, by the electronic detection device, at least one of the first defined time period and the second defined time period, in response the adjustment step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step includes storing at least one of the first and second curves and at least one electronic time stamp.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: temporarily caching at least one of the first and second curves in response to at least one of: (a) the detecting step and (b) detecting the obstacle colliding with the adjusting part.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the temporarily caching step is performed for each adjustment of the adjusting part.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the temporarily caching step includes temporarily caching the first and second curves between two adjustments of the adjusting part.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the temporarily caching step includes repeatedly temporarily caching the first and second curves over a defined minimum time period between the two adjustments of the adjusting part.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second measured value is representative of at least one of an acceleration of the adjusting part, a speed of a drive configured for power-operated adjustment of the adjusting part, and a motor current of the drive.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic detection device comprises at least one capacitive sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a lidar sensor, and a radar sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing at least one item of collision information in response to detecting the adjusting part colliding with the obstacle, the at least one item of collision information indicative of a successful detection of the obstacle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing at least one person-specific parameter including at least one item of identification information associated with a user of the vehicle; and evaluating, by the electronic detection device, whether the user is disposed in surroundings of the vehicle during the adjustment of the adjusting part.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second curves are stored locally in an on-board storage device (5) and/or via an Internet connection in a cloud memory.

14. A computer program product for use in an electronic control unit of an adjustment system for a vehicle, the computer program comprising: instructions configured cause at least one processor of the electronic control unit to carry out the method of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: completing, by the electronic detection device, a plausibility check for a subsequent adjustment of the adjusting part and detection of another potential obstacle.

16. A method for of monitoring an adjustment of an adjusting part of a vehicle, the method comprising: adjusting the adjusting part along an adjustment path; controlling, by an electronic detection device, the adjustment of the adjusting part; detecting, by the electronic detection device, a potential obstacle in the adjustment path at least based on one first measured value; generating at least one control signal for controlling the adjustment of the adjusting part; and storing, by the electronic detection device over a defined time period, at least one of (a) a curve of the at least one control signal, (b) the first measured value, (c) a position measurement value indicative of an adjustment position of the adjusting part and at least one second measured value significantly changing in response to a collision of the adjusting part.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: correlating the curve of the at least one control signal, the first measured value, the position measurement value, and the at least one second measured value to one another.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: storing identification information associated with a user of the vehicle; and evaluating, by the electronic detection device, whether the user is disposed in a predefined radius of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: temporarily caching at least one of (a) a curve of the at least one control signal, (b) the first measured value, (c) a position measurement value indicative of an adjustment position of the adjusting part and at least one second measured value significantly changing in response to a collision of the adjusting part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIGS. 1-4 show various exemplary signal and measured value curves for different scenarios of an adjusting movement of an adjusting part in the form of a vehicle door;

(3) FIG. 5 in a side view and sectionally shows a vehicle with a design variant of a proposed adjustment system, which is utilized for generating the signal and measured value curves shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

(4) With a view to the driver side, FIG. 5 sectionally shows a vehicle F in which a body opening O in a body K of the vehicle F can be closed by an adjusting part in the form of a lateral vehicle door 1. The vehicle door 1 can be pivoted along an adjustment path from a completely closed position into a maximally open adjustment position on the body K. The vehicle door 1 of FIG. 5 can be opened and closed manually. Alternatively or additionally, a power-operated adjustment of the vehicle door 1 is possible. A respective pivot position of the vehicle door 1 and hence an adjustment position of the vehicle door 1 is defined by an opening angle . This opening angle can be electronically detected and evaluated as a position measurement value that is indicative of the current adjustment position of the vehicle door 1 with respect to the body K.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Independently of the kind of adjustment, there is provided an electronic detection device 2 by means of which an obstacle can be detected in an adjustment path of the vehicle door 1. The electronic detection device for example is used to monitor an adjustment range of the vehicle door 1 on opening, in order to prevent a collision of the vehicle door 1 with an obstacle. During a manual adjustment, the electronic detection device 2 for example generates an alarm signal and/or increases an operating force to be applied for the adjustment and hence the further opening of the vehicle door 1, so that it becomes noticeably more difficult for a user to further open the vehicle door 1. During a power-operated adjustment of the vehicle door 1, a triggered adjustment of the vehicle door 1 is inhibited when an obstacle is detected in the adjustment path, so that the vehicle door 1 for example remains in its closed position. Alternatively or additionally, a power-operated and hence motor-controlled adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 is stopped and/or reversed when an obstacle is detected, in order to prevent a collision of the vehicle door 1 with an obstacle on opening (or closing).

(6) For the detection of a potential obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1, the electronic detection device 2 comprises at least one obstacle sensor, in the present case for example in the form of a radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20. On the basis of first measured values generated by this radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20 it can be electronically inferred whether an obstacle is present in front of the vehicle door 1 to be adjusted and hence in its adjustment path.

(7) First measured values detected by the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20 are transmitted to an electronic control unit 21 of the electronic detection device 2. This electronic control unit 21 includes an evaluation logic, for example implemented in a microcontroller including at least one processor. In the electronic control unit 21, a comparison of the received first measured values of the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20 with at least one stored threshold value can be used to evaluate whether an obstacle possibly is present in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1.

(8) The electronic control unit 21 can send a control signal to a door-side drive gear 3 in order to control the adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1. Via a corresponding control signal of the electronic control unit 21, a braking force counteracting the adjustment consequently can be generated for example in the event of a manual adjustment of the vehicle door 1, which leads to an increase of the operating force required for the adjustment. In the event of a power-operated adjustment of the vehicle door 1, the drive gear 3 can stop and/or reverse an adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 in response to a corresponding control signal of the electronic control unit 21, so that a collision with an obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1 thereby is excluded.

(9) In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the electronic control unit 21 of the electronic detection device 2 among other things is additionally coupled to a door-side acceleration sensor 4 or the electronic control unit 21 includes an acceleration sensor 4. The acceleration sensor 4 can generate an acceleration signal that is representative of an acceleration of the vehicle door 1. In addition, the drive gear 3 can transmit a velocity or speed signal to the control unit 21, which is representative of a speed with which a motor drive of the drive gear 3 drives the vehicle door 1. Alternatively or additionally, the drive gear 3 can transmit a motor current signal and hence a (further) second measured value, which is representative of a motor current needed by a motor drive of the drive gear 3, to the electronic control unit 21.

(10) Combined with the first measured values of the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20, second measured values supplied by sensors of the drive gear 3 and/or the acceleration sensor 4 allow to draw conclusions as to possible malfunctions of the electronic detection device 2 and also to possible manipulations or incorrect operations of the vehicle door 1. A controller including the electronic control unit 21 therefor can be cross-linked with a controller of the drive gear 3 or with a controller of the vehicle F using acceleration signals of the acceleration sensor 4, e.g., via a vehicle bus system.

(11) A design variant of the proposed solution provides to store, at least for a defined time period, a curve of the first measured values supplied by the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20, a curve of control signals transmitted by the electronic control unit 21 to the drive gear 3 and at least second measured values, which can be read out from the acceleration sensor 3 and/or from the drive gear 3 and can be correlated with each other for a subsequent plausibility check, in a storage device 5. The storage device 5 includes an interface for reading out data stored therein. The storage device 5 can be provided locally in a controller of the electronic detection device 2. Alternatively or additionally, the storage device 5 can form part of a cloud memory that can be addressed by the electronic control unit 21 of the electronic detection device 2 via an Internet interface of the vehicle F.

(12) Via the curves stored in the storage device 5 and representative of an adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 and via the data formed therewith, respectively, it can subsequently be evaluated and hence be made plausible for example whether an obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1 has correctly been identified by the electronic detection device 2 and the vehicle door 1 nevertheless has collided with the obstacle, or whether for example a collision with an obstacle has occurred, as the electronic detection device 2 previously has detected no obstacle by mistake. This is of considerable economic interest, such as in view of possible warranty claims. The proposed solution creates the technical prerequisites therefor.

(13) It is provided for example that via the electronic detection device 2 a storage of the aforementioned curves is triggered automatically when an adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 is effected. The curves initially can be stored temporarily and hence be cached in a volatile way with each adjustment of the vehicle door 1 so that from a certain number of adjustments previous curves are again overwritten. When during an adjustment of the vehicle door 1 the electronic detection device 2 of the illustrated adjustment system has detected an obstacle in the adjustment path, the previously merely temporarily cached curves are transmitted into the storage device 5, in which the curves then remain stored permanently and hence in a non-volatile way. The curves are stored together with at least one electronic time stamp and hence for example synchronized with an on-board time system, so that the curves and the data generated therewith can be evaluated in the manner of an event protocol. Such an event protocol then for example not only contains possible control commands, the curve of the opening angle and/or accelerations detected by means of the acceleration sensor 4, but also status information of the respective sensors, a possible slope of the vehicle F, information on the opening angle for which a collision has been detected and/or available information of other sensors, such as e.g. of a so-called corner radar, which is provided on the vehicle F for detecting cyclists for a lane change or turn.

(14) In the illustrated design variant, a temporary storage of detected curves with a parking vehicle F furthermore can also be effected, and for example, independently of an adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1. A permanent storage of the previously cached curves in the storage device 5 is effected when a collision with an obstacle has been electronically detected on the vehicle door 1 for a parking vehicle F. Even with a non-moving vehicle door 1 it can thus easily be detected via the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20 whether the stationary vehicle door 1 collides with a moving obstacle. With reference to the permanently stored curves it thus is possible to make a statement as to whether the collision has occurred with a stationary vehicle door 1, and for example, that such collision then cannot result from a possible malfunction of the electronic detection device 2. This might rather be a so-called parking pump or some other collision which indicates that the vehicle door F has been damaged by third parties.

(15) In principle, the permanently stored curves can also be stored linked with a date-Latin and time indication.

(16) In one design variant, the electronic control unit 21 of the electronic detection device 2 furthermore can receive at least one person-specific parameter via the vehicle bus system for storage in the storage device 5. Such a person-specific parameter signals for example whether a person, for example, an authenticated user, has been staying in the surroundings of the vehicle door 1 during an adjustment of the vehicle door 1. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one person-specific parameter can contain an item of identification information to be associated with a particular user of the vehicle F, for example an identification number that is associated with that user, or a particular vehicle key or mobile device via which the vehicle F was opened before the adjustment of the vehicle door 1 has been effected.

(17) As is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 with reference to different signal curves, it can easily be analyzed via an already small number of curves recorded and stored so as to be read out and correlated with each other, as to whether and how a possible collision event has occurred on the vehicle door 1.

(18) FIG. 1 by way of example shows different signal curves over the time t for an obstacle-free opening movement of the vehicle door 1 from a completely closed position at the vehicle F. The electronic control unit 21 of the electronic detection device 2 here specifies a control signal in the form of a target angle signal r(t) on the basis of first measured values that are generated by the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20. In the case of an obstacle-free adjustment, this target angle signal r(t) always lies above a constructional maximally possible opening angle .sub.max of the vehicle door 1. In other words, during obstacle-free opening an opening angle (t) of the vehicle door 1 can approach and finally reach this maximum opening angle .sub.max without the specified target angle signal r(t) of the drive gear 3 signaling to the vehicle door 1 to first stop an opening movement of the vehicle door 1.

(19) As is illustrated with reference to the curves shown in FIG. 1 for a motor current i(t), an acceleration a(t) of the vehicle door 1 measured by the acceleration sensor 4, and a speed v(t) of a drive motor of the drive gear 3 driving the opening movement of the vehicle door 1, the corresponding signal curves show an image consistent therewith. The vehicle door 1 initially is accelerated and then braked again towards the end of the adjusting movement. The initial acceleration of the vehicle door 1 involves an increased demand for electricity, which then remains comparatively constant and decreases again towards the end of the adjusting movement. Correspondingly, the drive motor also initially rotates at increasing speed until a constant adjustment speed of the vehicle door 1 is reached and the same decreases again before reaching the maximally open position.

(20) The signal and measured value curves of FIG. 2 are based on a scenario in which an obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1 is properly detected in a contactless way via the electronic detection device 2 and the adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 is limited and stopped in a targeted way in response thereto. The different stored curves here show an image that differs from FIG. 1, but nevertheless is characteristic. The target angle signal r(t) output due to an obstacle detected in the adjustment path specifies a maximum permitted opening angle which is smaller than the maximum opening angle .sub.max. Consequently, the vehicle door 1 is opened merely up to a time t.sub.H and in doing so only up to a smaller opening angle. The speed v of the drive motor and its motor current i decrease in a defined way at the end of the adjusting movement in order to stop the vehicle door 1 in front of the potential obstacle. Correspondingly, the vehicle door 1 is negatively accelerated in a targeted way and hence undergoes a negative acceleration a before the time t.sub.H.

(21) The signal curves of FIG. 3 on the other hand are exemplary for a malfunction of the electronic detection device 2. Here, no reduced opening angle is specified for the vehicle door 1 via the target angle signal r(t). The electronic detection device 2 and for example, its radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 20 consequently have not detected any obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1. Nevertheless, an abrupt stop of the vehicle door 1 occurs at the time t.sub.H, which is revealed by characteristic drops in the acceleration, motor current and speed signals. After the time t.sub.H, the opening angle furthermore remains at a constant value below the maximum opening angle .sub.max.

(22) On the other hand, the signal curves of FIG. 4 reveal a scenario in which the electronic detection device 2 has identified a potential obstacle in the adjustment path of the vehicle door 1 and therefor has specified a reduced opening angle for the vehicle door 1 via the target angle signal r(t). As the adjusting movement of the vehicle door 1 correspondingly is to be stopped via the drive gear 3, a manual intervention however obviously occurs and the vehicle door 1 is adjusted further in the opening direction. Due to the manual intervention, the drive gear 3 here by way of example changes into a servo mode so that the motor current signal i(t) remains unchanged. This change can be detected electronically and can likewise be stored via a corresponding parameter. Without a change into a servo mode, the motor current i(t) would rise again, before an abrupt stop of the vehicle door 1 then occurs due to an obvious collision with an obstacle.

(23) The different curves of FIGS. 1 to 4 clearly show that the different signal curves synchronized with a time stamp can be used to provide readable data to be correlated with each other, in order to plausibilize measured values and signals as well as alleged collision events subsequently detected and generated by the electronic detection device 2. Via the selectively and automatically stored signal curves, which originate from the electronic detection device 2 and its sensor system comprising the radar sensor or ultrasonic sensor 2 as well as on-board or door-side sensors cross-linked with the electronic detection device 2, different use cases thus can be distinguished from each other. With reference to the signal curves for instance a trouble-free function, such as an obstacle-free door opening or an avoided obstacle collision with a stop in front of a detected obstacle, can easily be distinguished from an obstacle collision caused by third parties or a malfunction of components of the electronic detection device 2. With reference to the signals for the acceleration a of the vehicle door 1, for the speed v and for the motor current i of a drive motor of the drive gear 3 combined with measured value and/or signal curves from the electronic detection device 2 it can easily be reconstructed in this way whether the vehicle door 1 has collided with a rigid or softer obstacle. This likewise permits to subsequently make a plausibility check of a damage possibly detectable on the vehicle door or of a scenario underlying this damage.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(24) 1 vehicle door (adjustment part) 2 detection device 20 radar sensor/ultrasonic sensor (obstacle sensor) 21 electronic control unit 3 drive gear 4 acceleration sensor 5 storage device F vehicle K body O body opening opening angle (position measurement value)