JP2003200783A - Electric mirror control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately tilt the mirror surface of an electric mirror at a tilting limiting angle. <P>SOLUTION: When the mirror surface under tilting operation reaches a detection limiting angle, the tilting of the mirror surface is continued by a tilting continuing time corresponding to the usual tilting speed of the mirror surface. Thus, the tilting stop of the mirror surface before reaching an actual tilting limiting angle due to a detection or mounting error of an angle sensor is prevented and accurate tilting of the mirror surface at the tilting limiting angle is allowed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric mirror control device for adjusting the angle of a mirror surface by an actuator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric mirror control device for adjusting the angle of a mirror surface by a motor actuator is known.
This type of electric mirror tilts the mirror angle of the rearview mirror downward when the shift lever is set to the reverse position when reversing due to garage entry, etc., making it easy to check the white line and wheel clasps on the road surface behind the vehicle. There is a reverse interlocking door mirror.

[0003]

In this reverse interlocking door mirror, when the mirror surface angle is close to the downward tilt limit angle, if the mirror surface tilts downward when the vehicle retreats, the mirror surface tilts slightly downward. The tilt limit angle may be reached just by doing, and the tilt of the drive system may continue downward even though the tilt limit angle of the downward direction is reached, and the gears of the drive system may make a gear jump and generate an abnormal noise.

In order to solve this problem, the vertical angle and the horizontal angle of the mirror mirror surface are detected by sensors, respectively, and when the angle detected by the sensor reaches a predetermined tilt limit angle, the downward tilt of the mirror surface is stopped. It is possible to do it.

However, according to this method, an accurate mirror surface angle cannot be detected due to a detection error and a mounting error of the mirror surface angle sensor, and in some cases, the sensor detection angle reaches the tilt limit angle before the actual tilt limit angle is reached. The mirror tilt may be stopped.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric mirror control device in which the mirror surface angle of the electric mirror can be accurately tilted to the tilt limit angle.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided tilting means for tilting a mirror mirror surface, and a detection angle range narrower than a tilt angle range of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting means. Angle detection means for detecting the angle of the mirror mirror surface in the angle range, speed calculation means for calculating the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting means based on the detected angle value of the mirror mirror surface, and tilt continuation with respect to the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface. When the angle detecting means reaches the detection limit angle while the mirror mirror surface is tilted by the tilting means and the storage means for storing the time table, the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface is calculated from the storage means. The tilting duration is read out, the tilting means tilts the mirror mirror surface by the tilting duration, and then the tilting means tilts the mirror mirror surface. And control means for stopping. (2) According to another aspect of the electric mirror control device of the present invention, the speed calculating means calculates the tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface based on the amount of change in the angle detection value of the mirror mirror surface per unit time. (3) In the electric mirror control device according to the third aspect, the angle detection unit detects the angle detection value of the mirror mirror surface when the control unit tilts the mirror mirror surface by the tilting unit and the angle detection value becomes constant. It is determined that the limit angle has been reached. (4) The electric mirror control device according to claim 4 is used for an electric door mirror of a vehicle, and when the tilting means sets a shift lever of a vehicle transmission to a retracted position, the mirror surface of the electric door mirror is moved by a target tilt angle. It is designed to tilt downward.

[0008]

According to the invention of claim 1, when the mirror mirror surface being tilted reaches the detection limit angle, the mirror mirror surface is tilted for the tilt duration time corresponding to the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface until then. Since it is continued, it is possible to prevent the mirror surface tilt from being stopped before the actual tilt limit angle is reached due to the angle sensor detection error or mounting error, and accurately tilt the mirror mirror surface angle to that tilt limit angle. can do. Further, since the tilting duration after the mirror mirror surface reaches the detection limit angle is determined according to the tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface until then, the higher the power supply voltage supplied to the tilting means, the faster the tilting speed. Therefore, a short tilting duration can be set, and the tilting duration can be determined in consideration of the fluctuation of the power supply voltage. As a result, when the power supply voltage is high, it is possible to prevent an accident in which the mirror mirror surface is tilted even after it reaches the tilt limit angle, and the gear that constitutes the mirror mirror surface drive mechanism causes a gear jump and makes an abnormal noise. . (2) According to the invention of claim 2, the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface is calculated based on the amount of change per hour in the detected angle value of the mirror mirror surface. It is possible to obtain the tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface with an inexpensive structure without installing the mirror. (3) According to the invention of claim 3, when the angle detection value of the mirror mirror surface becomes constant while the mirror mirror surface is tilted, it is determined that the detection limit angle is reached.
It is possible to reliably and inexpensively detect that the mirror mirror surface has reached the detection limit angle.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electric door mirror of a vehicle will be described. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of one embodiment. 2A and 2B show an electric door mirror body mounted on a vehicle left door according to an embodiment, FIG. 2A is a front view showing the inside of a door mirror with a mirror surface removed, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the door mirror. 1 and 2, only the door mirror installed on the left door of the vehicle is shown, but a similar door mirror is installed on the right door of the vehicle.

First, referring to FIG. 2, the door mirror body includes a door mirror housing 1, a power unit 3 for tilting the mirror mirror surface 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a vertical angle sensor 4 for detecting the vertical angle of the mirror mirror surface 2.
And a horizontal angle sensor 5 for detecting the horizontal angle of the mirror mirror surface 2. The power unit 3 is provided with a motor that tilts the mirror mirror surface 2 in the vertical direction, a motor that tilts the mirror mirror surface 2 in the horizontal direction, and a drive mechanism that transmits the rotation of each motor to the mirror mirror surface 2.

1, in the power unit 3 of the door mirror, in addition to the vertical angle sensor 4 and the horizontal angle sensor 5, the vertical tilting motor 6 for tilting the mirror mirror surface 2 in the vertical direction, and the mirror mirror surface 2 to the left and right. A left and right tilting motor 7 that tilts in the direction is provided. The up-down angle sensor 4 and the left-right angle sensor 5 are potentiometers each including a resistor and a slider that slides on the resistor, and the slider is a resistor depending on the up-down and left-right angles of the mirror mirror surface 2. Slide on the body.

A constant voltage is applied to both ends of the resistors of the sensors 4 and 5 by an angle detection unit 13 of the controller 10 which will be described later. A voltage is generated according to the angle. As shown in FIG. 3A, the slider of the vertical angle sensor 4 has a + 3V to + 1V depending on the vertical angle of the mirror mirror surface 2 in the detection angle range from +8 degrees upward to -8 degrees downward. Voltage is generated. Upward +8 degrees and downward -8 degrees are mirror mirror surface 2 by the vertical angle sensor 4.
Is the detection limit angle in the vertical direction. In the range exceeding the detection limit angle +8 degrees, the generated voltage of the slider of the vertical angle sensor 4 is constant at + 3V. Further, in the range below the detection limit angle of -8 degrees, the generated voltage of the slider of the vertical angle sensor 4 becomes constant at + 1V.

On the other hand, the slider of the left / right angle sensor 5 has
As shown in FIG. 3B, in the detection angle range from +8 degrees outward (direction away from the vehicle body) to 8 degrees inward (direction toward the vehicle body) −8 degrees, depending on the angle of the mirror mirror surface 2 in the left-right direction. A voltage of + 3V to + 1V is generated. The outward +8 degrees and the inward -8 degrees are the detection limit angles of the mirror mirror surface 2 in the horizontal direction by the horizontal angle sensor 5. In the range exceeding the detection limit angle +8 degrees, the generated voltage of the slider of the left and right angle sensor 5 is constant at + 3V. Further, in the range below the detection limit angle of -8 degrees, the generated voltage of the slider of the left and right angle sensor 5 is constant at + 1V.

Now, the relationship between the detection limit angles of the vertical angle sensor 4, the horizontal angle sensor 5, and the angle detection section 13 and the actual tilt limit angle of the mirror mirror surface 2 will be described. If the potentiometers of the angle sensors 4 and 5 are completely in contact with the rear surface of the mirror mirror surface 2 when the mirror mirror surface 2 is at the tilt limit angle, the tilt limit angle is reached based on the detection angles of the angle sensors 4 and 5. Therefore, if the tilting motors 6 and 7 are stopped at that time, the mirror mirror surface 2 can be accurately stopped at the tilting limit angle. However, as described above, when the mirror mirror surface is at an angle close to the tilt limit angle, the potentiometer does not always come into contact with the back surface of the mirror mirror surface 2 due to manufacturing variations, and therefore the potentiometer does not contact the mirror mirror surface 2. When the mirror mirror surface 2 is not in contact with the back surface of the mirror, even if the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilted toward the tilt limit angle based on the detection angles of the angle sensors 4 and 5, the mirror mirror surface 2 can be tilted exactly to the tilt limit angle. Not possible, mirror mirror surface 2
Stops before the tilt limit angle.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the detection angle range of the vertical angle sensor 4, the horizontal angle sensor 5, and the angle detection section 13 is set to a range slightly narrower than the actual tilt angle range of the mirror mirror surface 2, and this is accompanied. The detection limit angle is slightly smaller than the tilt limit angle.

The mirror control switch 8 is an operation member for selecting the left and right door mirrors and changing the direction of the mirror mirror surface 2 up, down, left and right. The switch 8a is a switch for selecting the right door mirror, and the switch 8b is a switch for selecting the left door mirror. Further, a switch 8c is a switch for turning the mirror mirror surface 2 upward, a switch 8d is a switch for turning the mirror mirror surface 2 downward, a switch 8e is a switch for turning the mirror mirror surface 2 inward, and a switch 8f is a switch for turning the mirror mirror surface 2 outward. It is a switch. The driver operates the selection switch 8a or 8b to select a mirror for adjusting the mirror angle of the left and right door mirrors, and operates the direction switches 8c to 8f to adjust the direction of the mirror mirror surface 2. The switch 9 is a reverse switch that is turned on when a shift lever (not shown) is set to the reverse (R) position.

Controller 10 for controlling the door mirror
Is a microcomputer 11 and a motor drive unit 1.
2, an angle detector 13 and a switch state detector 14 are provided. The motor drive unit 12 drives the vertical tilt motor 6 and the horizontal tilt motor 7 according to a drive command from a microcomputer control unit 11a described later, and adjusts the vertical and horizontal angles of the mirror mirror surface 2.

The angle detector 13 applies a constant voltage to both ends of the resistors of the vertical angle sensor 4 and the horizontal angle sensor 5, and the sensors 4 and 5 corresponding to the vertical and horizontal angles of the mirror mirror surface 2. The voltage of the slider is input at regular intervals, for example, every 20 msec. Then, the mirror surface angle corresponding to the sensor output voltage is obtained from the characteristic data of the sensor output voltage with respect to the mirror surface angle shown in FIG. 3, and the vertical and horizontal mirror surface angles are output. As described above, +8 degrees upward and -8 degrees downward and +8 degrees outward and -8 degrees inward are the detection limit angles of the mirror mirror surface 2 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Even if these detection limit angles are exceeded, the mirror mirror surface angle does not increase, it becomes constant at +8 degrees in the upward and outward directions, and − in the downward and inward directions.
It becomes constant at 8 degrees. The characteristic data of the sensor output voltage with respect to the mirror surface angle shown in FIG. 3 is preset and stored in the angle detection unit 13.

The switch state detector 14 is an interface for inputting the operating state of the mirror control switch 8 and the state of the reverse switch 9.

The microcomputer 11 includes a control unit 11a and a tilt determination unit 1 which are configured by software.
1b, a speed calculation unit 11c, a timer unit 11d, and a storage unit 11e, the shift lever position from the switch state detection unit 14 and the operation state of the mirror control switch 8, and the mirror mirror surface 2 from the angle detection unit 13. Control the motor drive unit 12 based on the current angle,
The angle of the mirror mirror surface 2 is adjusted vertically and horizontally.

The speed calculation unit 11c has a function of the angle detection unit 13
Of the vertical angles of the mirror mirror surface 2 that are repeatedly detected every 0 msec, the latest angle An and the previous angle An-
The tilting speed V of the mirror mirror surface 2 in the vertical direction is calculated based on 1 and the angle detection time interval of 20 msec. Here, the tilting speed V of the mirror mirror surface 2 is the tilting angle of the mirror mirror surface 2 per unit time.

In response to the determination request from the control unit 11a, the tilt determination unit 11b determines from the vertical mirror mirror surface angle detected by the angle detection unit 13 whether the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilting. That is, if there is a change between the vertically detected vertical mirror mirror surface angle An-1 and the currently detected vertical mirror mirror surface angle An, it is assumed that the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilting. On the other hand, when there is no change between the vertical mirror mirror surface angles An-1 and An of the previous time and this time, it is determined that the vertical angle sensor 4 has exceeded the detection limit angle.

The timer section 11d starts timing in response to the timing start request from the control section 11a. Storage unit 11e
Is the target tilt angle Ae in the vertical direction when the vehicle moves backward.
Then, the vertical mirror surface initial angle A0 before the vehicle retreats is stored. Here, the vertical mirror surface initial angle A0 is an angle detection value before the mirror mirror surface 2 is adjusted downward with the backward movement of the vehicle.

The control unit 11a controls the mirror mirror surface angle detected by the angle detection unit 13, the mirror mirror surface tilt speed V calculated by the speed calculation unit 11c, the judgment result by the tilt judgment unit 11b, and the time measured by the timer unit 11d. , And the motor driving unit 12 based on the vertical mirror surface target tilt angle Ae and the mirror surface initial angle A0 stored in the storage unit 11e, and the vertical tilt motor 6 and the horizontal tilt motor 7 are controlled.
The direction of the mirror mirror surface 2 is adjusted by.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a mirror mirror surface tilt control program when the vehicle moves backward. The microcomputer 11 of the controller 10 has the reverse switch 9 when the shift lever is set to the reverse (R) position.
When is turned on, this control program is executed.

In step 1, prior to adjusting the mirror mirror surface 2 downward as the vehicle retreats, the current vertical mirror surface angle is read from the angle detection unit 13 and stored as the vertical mirror surface initial angle A0 in the storage unit 11e. Remember. In the following step 2, the motor drive unit 12 is controlled to drive the vertical tilting motor 6 to start the downward tilting of the mirror mirror surface 2.

At step 3 after the downward tilting of the mirror mirror surface 2 is started, the current vertical mirror surface angle A from the angle detector 13 is detected.
Read n. In the following step 4, the absolute value | A0-An | of the difference between the current vertical direction mirror surface angle An and the vertical direction mirror surface initial angle A0 stored in the storage unit 11e is obtained, and the storage unit 11
The vertical tilt mirror target tilt angle Ae stored in e is compared. Here, | A0-An | represents the vertical tilt angle of the mirror surface up to the present. Vertical mirror tilt angle up to now ｜
When A0-An | is greater than or equal to the target tilt angle Ae, it is determined that the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilted over the target tilt angle Ae, and the process proceeds to step 10, where the motor drive unit 12 is controlled to stop the vertical tilt motor 6, The downward tilting of the mirror mirror surface 2 is completed.

On the other hand, the up-and-down vertical mirror surface tilt angle |
When A0-An | is less than the target tilt angle Ae, it is determined that the mirror mirror surface 2 is not tilted by the target tilt angle Ae, and the process proceeds to step 5. In step 5, the tilt determination unit 1
It is confirmed by 1b whether the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilting downward, and if tilting downward, the process proceeds to step 6. In step 6, the tilt speed V of the mirror mirror surface 2 is calculated by the speed calculator 11c, and the process returns to step 3.

After starting the downward tilting of the mirror mirror surface 2, if the mirror mirror surface 2 is not tilted by the target tilt angle Ae (step 4) and it is determined that the mirror mirror surface 2 is not tilted (step 5), Go to step 7. That is,
If the mirror mirror surface 2 is not tilted by the target tilt angle Ae but exceeds the detection limit angle of the vertical angle sensor 4, in step 7, the mirror mirror surface tilting speed V is corresponded from the timer setting time table shown in Table 1. The timer setting time T is read out and set in the timer unit 11d. At the timer setting time T, the mirror mirror angle is the vertical angle sensor 4
This is the time (tilt continuation time) during which the downward tilting of the mirror mirror surface 2 is continued even after the detection limit angle is reached.

[Table 1] The timer set time table shown in Table 1 is preset and stored in the storage unit 11e.

In step 8, the timer section 11 starts counting time, and in the following step 9, it is confirmed whether or not the timer section 11d has reached the set time (tilt duration time) T. When the time measured, that is, the elapsed time after the mirror mirror surface angle reaches the detection limit angle of the vertical angle sensor 4 reaches the timer setting time T, the process proceeds to step 10 to control the motor drive unit 12 to move the vertical tilt motor 6 to the vertical tilt motor 6. Stop and stop the downward tilting of the mirror surface.

As described above, according to the embodiment, when the mirror mirror surface 2 reaches the detection limit angle of the vertical angle sensor 4, the mirror mirror surface 2 is tilted for the duration T according to the tilt speed V of the mirror mirror surface 2 until then. Since the downward tilt of 2 is continued, it is possible to prevent the mirror surface tilt from being stopped before the actual tilt limit angle is reached due to the detection error of the angle sensor or the mounting error, and the angle of the mirror mirror surface can be adjusted to the tilt limit. Can be tilted accurately up to an angle.

In general, the up-down tilt motor 6 and the left-right tilt motor 7 are supplied with electric power from an on-vehicle battery, but the terminal voltage of the battery changes depending on the charge amount, load condition, temperature, etc., and when the terminal voltage of the battery drops. The tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting motors 6 and 7 also decreases. According to this embodiment, the tilting continuation time T after the mirror mirror surface 2 reaches the detection limit angle of the vertical angle sensor 4 is calculated as the vertical tilting speed V of the mirror mirror surface 2 until then.
Since the tilt speed V becomes faster as the terminal voltage of the battery is higher, a shorter tilt duration T can be set, and the tilt duration T considering the fluctuation of the terminal voltage of the battery can be set. You can decide.
As a result, when the terminal voltage of the battery is high, the mirror mirror surface 2 can be tilted even after reaching the tilt limit angle, and the gears that make up the drive mechanism of the mirror mirror surface 2 can be prevented from jumping and making an abnormal noise. can do.

Correspondence between the constituent elements of the claims and the constituent elements of the embodiment is as follows. That is,
The up-down tilt motor 6 and the left-right tilt motor 7 serve as tilting means, the up-down angle sensor 4, the left-right angle sensor 5 and the angle detecting section 13 serve as angle detecting means, and the speed calculating section 11c of the microcomputer 11 serves as speed calculating means. The storage unit 11e of 11 constitutes a storage means, and the microcomputer 11 constitutes a control means. Note that each component is not limited to the above configuration as long as the characteristic function of the present invention is not impaired.

In the above-described embodiment, the electric mirror control device of the present invention is applied to the electric mirror of the vehicle. However, the present invention is applicable to all electric mirrors other than the electric mirror of the vehicle. You can Further, the present invention can be applied to angle adjustment of all electric mirrors for vehicles such as fender mirrors and room mirrors other than vehicle door mirrors.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the tilt duration time T after the mirror mirror surface reaches the detection limit angle of the angle sensor is determined according to the tilt speed V of the mirror mirror surface until then. However, since the tilting speed V of the mirror mirror surface changes depending on the power supply voltage that supplies power to the mirror mirror tilting motor, the terminal voltage of the vehicle battery is detected,
Instead of the tilt speed V, the tilt duration T may be determined according to the terminal voltage of the vehicle-mounted battery.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the tilting speed V of the mirror mirror surface is based on the latest angle An of the mirror mirror surface angles repeatedly detected, the previous angle An-1 and the angle detection time interval. Although the example of calculating the mirror surface tilting speed V is calculated at a plurality of angle detection time intervals, the mirror surface tilting speed V per unit time is calculated by calculating the average value thereof.
May be determined. As a result, a more accurate mirror tilting velocity V can be obtained, and a more appropriate tilting duration T can be set.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an electric door mirror body attached to a vehicle left door according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an output voltage of an angle sensor with respect to vertical and horizontal angles of a mirror mirror surface.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a mirror mirror surface tilt control program when the vehicle is retreating.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Door mirror housing 2 mirror surface 3 power units 4 Vertical angle sensor 5 Left and right angle sensor 6 Vertical tilt motor 7 Left and right tilting motor 8 Mirror control switch 8a-8f switch 9 Reverse switch 10 controller 11 Microcomputer 11a control unit 11b Tilt determination unit 11c Speed calculation unit 11d timer part 11e storage unit 12 Motor drive 13 Angle detector 14 Switch status detector

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A tilting means for tilting a mirror mirror surface, and an angle detecting means for detecting a mirror mirror surface angle within the detected angle range, the tilt angle means having a detection angle range narrower than a tilt angle range of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting means. A speed calculating means for calculating a tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting means based on the detected angle value of the mirror mirror surface; a storage means for storing a table of tilting durations for the tilt speed of the mirror mirror surface; and the tilting means. When the angle detecting means reaches the detection limit angle while tilting the mirror surface of the mirror, the tilting duration corresponding to the calculated tilting speed of the mirror surface of the mirror is read from the storage means, and the tilting means is moved for the tilting duration. And tilting the mirror mirror surface by means of the control means, and then stopping the tilting of the mirror mirror surface by the tilting means. Electric mirror control device. 2. The electric mirror control device according to claim 1, wherein the speed calculation means calculates the tilting speed of the mirror mirror surface based on the amount of change per time of the detected angle value of the mirror mirror surface. Electric mirror control device. 3. The electric mirror control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit keeps the angle detection value of the mirror mirror surface constant while the mirror mirror surface is tilted by the tilting unit. Then, the angle detecting means determines that the detection limit angle has been reached, the electric mirror control device. 4. The electric mirror control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used for an electric door mirror of a vehicle, and the tilting means is provided when a shift lever of a vehicle transmission is set to a retracted position. An electric mirror control device characterized by tilting a mirror surface of an electric door mirror downward by a target tilt angle.