METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELECTROMOTIVE ADJUSTING DEVICE

Abstract

A method for operating an electromotive adjusting device of a motor vehicle, in particular a window opener. The electric motor is hereby regulated to a setpoint rotational speed, the setpoint rotational speed being set as a function of an external parameter.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electromotive adjusting device of a motor vehicle, in particular a window opener, the method comprising: regulating the electric motor to a setpoint rotational speed; and setting the setpoint rotational speed as a function of an external parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a volume level is used as the external parameter.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a first setpoint rotational speed is selected at a first volume level and a second setpoint rotational speed is selected at a second volume level, the first volume level being greater than the second volume level and the first setpoint rotational speed being greater than the second setpoint rotational speed.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the volume level is detected in an interior space of the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external parameter is based on a vehicle speed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the setpoint rotational speed is lowered if the vehicle speed is less than a first limit value.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external parameter is provided via a bus system.

8. An electromotive adjusting device of a motor vehicle, in particular a window opener, comprising a speed controller and which is operated in accordance with the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematically simplified, an electromotive window opener,

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for operating the electromotive window opener,

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a dependency of a setpoint rotational speed on a volume level,

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a dependency of the setpoint rotational speed on a vehicle speed, and

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates a dependency of the setpoint rotational speed on an electrical supply voltage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 schematically shows an electric window opener 2 with a window pane 4, which is integrated in a door 6 of a motor vehicle. The window pane 4 is moved along an adjustment path 10 by means of an electric motor 8. For this purpose, a worm wheel of a worm gear (not shown) of the electric window opener 2 is operatively connected with a worm associated with the electric motor 8 on the shaft side, the rotational movement of the electric motor 8 being converted into a translational movement of the window pane 4 by means of the worm wheel and by means of a cable drum or a spindle.

[0037] The electric motor 8 is controlled by means of a control unit 12, which is activated via a button 14 by a user of the motor vehicle. Within the control unit 12 there is a speed control 16 for the electric motor 8. In this case, by means of variation of the pulse/pause ratio, the electrical energy supplied to the electric motor 8 is controlled/regulated. The control unit 12 also has an algorithm for detection in the event of jamming, wherein, for example, the force applied by the electric motor 8 and/or the position of the window pane 4 along the adjustment path 10 are used as input variables. For example, when a certain threshold value of the force applied by the electric motor 8 is exceeded, a jamming event is detected.

[0038] The control unit 12 is supplied with electrical energy via a power supply cable 18 by a battery 20 of an onboard power supply 22. During normal operation, the onboard power supply 22 carries an electrical supply voltage U of 12V. The battery 20 is fed by an electrical generator, not shown. The actual electrical supply voltage U is monitored by means of a voltage sensor 24. The measured value is fed into a CAN bus system 26, to which the control unit 12 is also connected via a signal path. An onboard computer 30 is also connected to the CAN bus system 26, with which a vehicle speed v of the motor vehicle is detected/processed. The onboard computer 30 controls, for example, an internal combustion engine and/or a braking system of the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle further comprises a microphone 32, which is arranged in an interior space 34 of the motor vehicle, in which the button 14 is also located. By means of the microphone, a volume level 36 can be detected in the interior space 34. The microphone 32 is also connected to the CAN bus system 26. The control unit 12, the microphone 32, the voltage sensor 24 and the onboard computer 30 exchange data via the CAN bus system 26.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a method 38 for operating the electric window opener 2. In a first operating step 40, the actuation of the button 14 is detected by the user. In a subsequent second operating step 42, an external parameter 44 is detected. The external parameter 44 is the volume level 36 in the interior space 34, which is detected by means of the microphone 32 and is provided via the CAN bus system 26. Furthermore, the vehicle speed v, which is provided by the onboard computer 30 via the CAN bus system 26, is used as the external parameter 44. The electrical supply voltage U, which is detected by means of the voltage sensor 24 and is also provided via the CAN bus system 26, is also used as the external parameter 44. In a subsequent third operating step 46, a setpoint rotational speed 48 is set as a function of the external parameters 44.

[0040] FIG. 3 schematically shows the dependency of the setpoint rotational speed 48 on the volume level 36. At a first volume level 50, which is greater than a second volume level 52, a first setpoint rotational speed 54 is selected. At the second volume level 52, a second setpoint rotational speed 56 is selected, which is less than the first setpoint rotational speed. The first setpoint rotational speed 54 corresponds to 90% of the maximum rotational speed of the electric motor 8, and the second setpoint rotational speed 56 corresponds to half the maximum rotational speed of the electric motor 8. The first volume level 50 is equal to 70 dB and the second volume level 52 is equal to 40 dB. Between the first and the second volume level 50, 52, the setpoint rotational speed 48 is continuously linearly increased. If the volume level 36 is greater than the first volume level 50, the first setpoint rotational speed 54 is used. Instead of directly measuring the volume level 36 in the interior space 34 by means of the microphone 32, the volume level 36 is determined in an alternative by means of a setting of a radio. In this exemplary embodiment, instead of the microphone 32, the radio is connected to the CAN bus system 26 via a signal path.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the dependency of the setpoint rotational speed 48 on the vehicle speed v. If the vehicle speed v is less than a first limit value 58, which is 50 km/h, the setpoint rotational speed 48 is decreased. A continuous, linear lowering of the setpoint rotational speed 48 takes place, whereby, for example, at a vehicle speed v, starting from 100 km/h, the first setpoint rotational speed 54 is always used, and at a vehicle speed v less than 10 km/h until a stationary state, the second setpoint rotational speed 56 is used. Between 10 km/h and 100 km/h, for example, a linear adaptation of the setpoint rotational speed 48 occurs as a function of the vehicle speed v.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows the dependency of the desired rotational speed 48 on the electrical supply voltage U. If the electrical supply voltage U is less than a second limit value 60, which is 11 V, the second setpoint rotational speed 56 and otherwise the first setpoint rotational speed 54 are used. The setpoint rotational speed 48 is determined as a function of both the volume level 36, the vehicle speed v and the electrical supply voltage U. In particular, the setpoint rotational speed 48 is first determined in each case as a function of in each case one of the external parameters 44, and the minimum is determined therefrom. This minimum is used as the setpoint rotational speed 48.

[0043] In the fourth operating step 62, which follows, the electric motor 8 is regulated to the setpoint rotational speed 48, wherein by means of the speed control 16, a pulse width modulation of an electric current or an electric voltage occurs, by means of which the electric motor 8 is acted upon. In other words, the electric current or the electric voltage is used as the manipulated variable of the speed control 16. The electric current is monitored by means of a subordinate control circuit. The actual rotational speed of the electric motor 8 is detected by means of Hall sensors (not shown) and this value is compared to the setpoint rotational speed 48. As a function of the deviation, the energization is adapted by means of the speed control 16. The external parameter 44 or the external parameters 44 continue to be detected on an ongoing basis and, as a function thereof, the setpoint rotational speed 48, to which the electric motor 8 is regulated, is set. In other words, the second, third and fourth operating steps 43, 46, 62 are executed as long as the user actuates the button 14 or until the window pane 4 has completely traversed the adjustment path 10.

[0044] On the basis of the method 38, the setpoint rotational speed 48 is adjusted in such a way when the motor vehicle is at a standstill, and if no loud consumer is active, i.e., when a radio is switched off, that a comparatively good acoustical performance is achieved. If, however, the volume level 36 in the interior space 34 is significantly increased, for example at a comparatively high vehicle speed v or, if loud music prevails in the interior space 32, then the setpoint rotational speed 48 is increased, which considerably reduces the adjustment time. In other words, the window pane 4 is moved along the complete adjustment path 10 in a shortened time. The poorer acoustics caused thereby are not perceived by the user since the volume level 36 is already increased. Consequently, a good acoustical performance of the electric window opener 2 is given when the driving noise of the electric motor is perceptible by the user. Furthermore, a comparatively high adjustment speed of the window pane 4 along the adjustment path 10 is possible when the volume level 36 is already increased due to other components of the motor vehicle 2, that is to say, when a comparatively loud background noise is present.

[0045] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. Rather, other variants of the invention can also be derived from those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, all the individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiment can also be combined with each other in another way without departing from the subject matter of the invention.

[0046] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.