EP2057340B1 - Adjusting device for a displaceable body part of a motor vehicle and method for adjusting of the displaceable body part - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an adjusting device for a movable body part of a motor vehicle and a method for adjusting the movable body part according to the preamble of the independent claims.

State of the art

In motor vehicles, actuators are increasingly being used which are intended to facilitate actuation of movable body parts or serve as anti-trap protection or closing aid. For example, from the DE-A 198 13 513 an opening and closing control system for a vehicle sliding door, which is mounted on one side of a vehicle body. The sliding door is driven by a drive source, such as an electric motor, according to inclination of the sliding door when the motor vehicle is vertically inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, that is, when the vehicle stops on an inclined road.

The DE-A 10 2005 019 846 discloses a control device for improving the function of opening and closing a tailgate equipped with a gas spring damper, comprising a sensor for detecting the temporary opening angle of the tailgate relative to a vehicle body. An electronic control unit receives a detected angle from the sensor and outputs a pressure regulating control signal. The gas spring regulates the pressure of a cylinder according to the control signal of the electronic control unit.

From the EP-A 1 652 708 Furthermore, a two-part tailgate with an upper and a lower body part is known. With the help of electric motors, the upper and lower body parts are controlled so that they move synchronously with each other. The JP-A 2005 194 767 shows a motion sensor for checking the position of a sliding door, wherein the sensor is arranged and configured such that a deep discharge of a vehicle battery is avoided. In the JP-A 2005 016 252 In addition, a motion sensor is disclosed which transmits a signal to a control arrangement for actuating an actuator for gently opening or closing a vehicle door.

From the DE-A 197 55 259 It is known that microprocessors for controlling various actuators can be brought into a sleep mode in order to reduce the power consumption in a motor vehicle. By means of an electronic circuit arrangement, the microprocessor can be acted upon by wake-up and action signals via an external switch associated with the circuit arrangement in order to transfer it from idle mode into a working mode. In this case, the circuit arrangement has a sleep mode circuit for generating a wake-up interrupt triggering wake-up signal when the microprocessor is to be brought from the sleep mode to the work mode, and a work mode circuit for generating action signals, the sleep mode circuit to a wake-up digital input and the work mode circuit abut an analog input of the microprocessor and two circuits is associated with the at least one external switch.

From the EP-A-625 625 already a door control unit is known. This includes a motor that opens or closes a door. If a manual movement of the door is detected at a predetermined distance while the engine is not active, the motor is activated to move the door in the direction of the detected movement to complete the manually initiated door movement.

Disclosure of the invention

The adjusting device according to the invention for a movable body part of a motor vehicle, with an actuator for adjusting the movable body part, and with a control device for driving the actuator in an operating state, wherein the control device of the operating state goes into an idle state, if within a defined period no adjustment of movable body part takes place, and the corresponding method for adjusting the movable body part have over the cited prior art has the advantage that in addition to a further reduction of the quiescent current consumption on an additional sensor element for detecting a movement of the movable Body part, can be dispensed with an additional switching means and / or on a supplementary current measurement, to put the control device back from the idle state to the operating state. This is now effected by a manual adjustment of the movable body part.

Another advantage results from the detection of the current position of the movable body part in the operating state of the control device by a position detector, wherein the control device stores the detected by means of the position detector, current position of the movable body part before its transition from the operating state to the idle state in a memory. This also allows an interruption of the power supply of the position detector by the control device for further reduction of the quiescent current consumption. After re-setting the control device in the operating state, the stored position is then read out of the memory again, wherein the control device activates the position detector again for detecting the position of the movable body part.

During the adjustment of the movable body part in the idle state or in the wake-up phase of the control device, a deviation between the stored and the actual position of the movable body part can occur. In a particularly advantageous manner, the control device therefore has correction means for correcting the position of the displaced body part which has changed from the idle state to the operating state during the wake-up phase, the wake-up phase of the control device counting the time span from the manual adjustment of the movable body part to the reading out of the stored position from the memory includes. The correction means can be designed, for example, in the form of an algorithm or a look-up table stored in the control device, the correction value being a function of the determined back EMF of the actuator. As a further correction value can serve in this context, the detected slope of the back EMF change, which is a measure of the force on the movable body part during manual adjustment. It is also conceivable to determine an average number of the clock pulses of the position detector during the wake-up phase and to store this as a correction value in the control device.

Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the features specified in the dependent claims and from the drawings and the description below.

In an advantageous embodiment, the actuator is an electric motor which operates to generate the wake-up signal as a generator and thus the back-EMF or counter-EMF (Electromotive Force), which acts on the windings as a result of the manual adjustment of the movable body part. The manual adjustment of the movable body part thus generates a voltage and / or current pulse which serves as a wake-up signal for the control device. In an alternative embodiment, a waking means is in operative connection with the movable Karsosserieteil, so that the manual adjustment of the movable body part causes a voltage and / or current change, which serves as a wake-up signal for the control device. In this case, a potentiometer, in particular a sliding potentiometer, and / or a Hall sensor integrated in the actuator is used as a wake-up means in an advantageous manner.

In order to always ensure the most accurate possible determination of the current position of the movable body part, it is further provided that the control device at defined times in the respective end position of the movable body part, So in the fully open or closed state, performs a calibration. The frequency of calibrations carried out depends on the required accuracy of the wake-up and adjustment processes.

Particularly at higher ambient temperatures, a leakage current may occur via the diagnostic branch and / or an interference suppression circuit of the actuator, which leads to unintentional waking up of the control device. In order to prevent this, electrical means are provided which, in the case of an embodiment as at least one switching means, decouple the diagnostic branch and / or the interference suppression circuit of the actuator from an electrical ground potential. An alternative provides that the electrical means comprise at least one resistor network connected to the diagnostic branch and / or the interference suppression circuit of the actuator, which is dimensioned such that a voltage drop caused by the leakage current does not exceed a defined limit value for waking up the control device.

The adjusting device according to the invention or the corresponding method are suitable in a particularly advantageous manner for movable body parts in the form of a tailgate, a vehicle door, a folding top, a hood or a gas cap closure of the motor vehicle.

drawing

The invention will be described below with reference to the FIGS. 1 to 5 explained by way of example, wherein like reference numerals in the figures indicate like components with a same operation.

• Fig. 1: eine schematische Darstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Verstellvorrichtung für ein bewegliches Karosserieteil eines Kraftfahrzeugs,
• Fig. 2: ein erstes Flussdiagramm des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zur Verstellung des beweglichen Karosserieteils,
• Fig. 3: ein zweites Flussdiagramm des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zur Verstellung des beweglichen Karosserieteils,
• Fig. 4: ein Diagramm eines durch manuelle Verstellung des beweglichen Karosserieteils an einem Aktuator gemessenen Spannungsimpulses in Abhängigkeit von der Zeit und
• Fig. 5: ein Blockschaltbild eines Diagnosezweigs des Aktuators zur Lieferung des Aufwecksignals.

Show it

• Fig. 1 : a schematic representation of the adjusting device according to the invention for a movable body part of a motor vehicle,
• Fig. 2 FIG. 1 shows a first flow chart of the method according to the invention for adjusting the movable body part, FIG.
• Fig. 3 FIG. 2 shows a second flowchart of the method according to the invention for adjusting the movable body part, FIG.
• Fig. 4 FIG. 2: a diagram of a voltage pulse as a function of time and. measured by manual adjustment of the movable body part on an actuator
• Fig. 5 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a diagnostic branch of the actuator for providing the wake-up signal.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the adjusting device 10 according to the invention for a movable body part 12 of a motor vehicle 14 using the example of a tailgate 16 and a rear side door 18 shown. 20 with an actuator for adjusting the movable body part 12 is characterized, which may be attached to the body of the motor vehicle 14 or on the movable body part 12. The actuator 20 is formed in the example shown as an electric motor 22. However, it is also possible to use other actuators 20 suitable for the invention, for example gas pressure dampers or the like. As movable body parts 12 come in addition to the shown tailgate 16 and the rear side door 18, other doors of the motor vehicle 14, a hood, a folding top, a tank cap or the like in question.

The electric motor 22 is controlled via a control device 24, for example a microprocessor, an ASIC, or a corresponding discrete or integrated circuit. For this purpose, the control device 24, which is connected to a supply voltage U ₊ and an electrical ground potential GND, a corresponding control signal S _s from a not shown, preferably outside the adjusting device 10 arranged signal generator. This can for example be designed as a radio receiver of a radio remote control for the motor vehicle 14 or as a disposed within the motor vehicle 14 switching or feeler. However, it is also conceivable that the radio receiver is already integrated in the adjusting device 10 or even the control device 24.

For the sake of clarity, was in FIG. 1 dispensed with the representation of a ground connection for the electric motor 22. This can be realized for example by means of a known half-bridge, which is located between the control device 24 and the electric motor 22. Via two control branches 25 and 26, in each of which a Zener diode 27 is arranged for voltage stabilization, the electric motor 22 can be driven in two different directions for opening or closing the movable body part 12. In this case, the switching of the direction of movement by a polarity reversal by means of a relay 28, which is arranged in the Ansteuerzweig 26. Likewise, it is possible without limiting the invention that the Ansteuerzweig 25, the relay 28, or that in both Ansteuerzweigen 25 and 26, a corresponding relay is.

The control device 24 has a diagnostic interface 30 for diagnosing the electric motor 22 via corresponding diagnostic branches 32 during the operating state. It is possible that - as in FIG. 1 either all connections of the electric motor 22 or control branches 25, 26 have a diagnostic branch 32, or only a subset of the connections is monitored. The diagnostic branches 32 are connected via circuits 34, in connection with FIG. 5 will be discussed in more detail, and corresponding diagnostic lines 33 connected to the diagnostic interface 30 of the control device 24. Alternatively, a separate diagnostic interface 30 may also be provided in the control device 24 for each diagnostic branch 32. The diagnostic branches 32 serve in the idle state of the control device 24 but also, as in connection with the FIGS. 2 to 5 is still shown, for waking the control device 24 by means of a wake-up signal S _A. For this purpose they are connected via the circuits 34 and corresponding wake-up lines 35 to a wake-up interface 36 of the control device 24, which is active in the idle state and inactive in the operating state. As for the diagnostic interface 30, so also applies to the wake-up interface 36, that this may be provided alternatively for each Ansteuerzweig 25, 26 or connection of the electric motor 22. If both control branches 25 and 26 are connected via the circuit 34 to the wake-up interface 36, this ensures a waking up of the control device 24 by a manual adjustment of the movable body part 12 in both directions. It continues possible that the diagnostic interface 30 and the wake-up interface 36 are combined in a common interface (in FIG. 1 Not shown). In this case, the common interface operates in the idle state of the control device 24 as a wake-up interface and in the operating state of the control device 24 as a diagnostic interface.

For detecting the position of the movable body part 12 is a position detector 37, which is designed here as a Hall sensor 38 and integrated in the electric motor 22. Via a magnetic disk, not shown, which is non-rotatably mounted on a rotor shaft of the electric motor 22, the position of the rotor and thus also that of the movable body part 12 can be detected in a simple and known manner. Likewise, other position detectors such as AMR sensors (anisotropic magnetoresistive sensors) or the like may be used. It is also possible that instead of a Hall sensor 38, a potentiometer 40 is used for detecting the position of the movable body part 12, which is in operative connection with the rotor shaft of the electric motor 22 or the movable body part 12 itself. In the case of an operative connection with the movable body part 12, the potentiometer 40 could be designed in particular as a sliding potentiometer. Instead of the potentiometer 40, a linear sensor or the like can also be used. A non-inventive alternative results from a detector-free or sensorless detection of the position of the movable body part by the residual ripple of the commutation of the electric motor 22 driving commutation signal S _{C is} evaluated by the control device 24 in the context of a ripple count method. In the following, a Hall sensor 38 is assumed, whose position signal S _{P is transferred} to the control device 24 for storing the current position of the movable body part 12 in a memory 42. A corresponding procedure can also be applied to the already mentioned alternatives of the Hall sensor 38.

With reference to the flow charts according to the Figures 2 and 3 Now, the inventive method for adjusting the movable body part 12 will be described. With 100 of the operating state of the adjusting device 10 is referred to, in which both a manual adjustment and an automatic adjustment of the movable body part 12 via the remote control or within the motor vehicle 14 arranged switching or Tastmittel is possible. It is under a manual Adjustment, for example, an adjustment by hand and an automatic adjustment to understand an adjustment by means of the actuator 20. In a first step 102, the remote control or the tactile means is actuated, whereby the movable body part 12 is adjusted in response to the control signal S _S in the direction of a closed or opened state. By way of the diagnostic branches 32 and the diagnostic interface 30 of the control device 24, the actuator 20 can be monitored by means of a diagnostic signal S _D. Moreover, the energized control device 24 detects the position of the movable body part 12 by means of the position detector 37, as described above. In a subsequent step 104, the movable body part 12 is stopped in any position and the current, detected by the position detector 37 position stored as a position signal S _P in the memory 42 of the control device 24. However, storing the position signal S _P immediately after each stop of the movable body part 12 is not fundamentally necessary.

If now within a defined period of time, for example 30 seconds after the last adjustment, no renewed manual or automatic adjustment of the movable body part 12, then in step 106, the adjusting device 10 or the control device 24 is placed in a rest, sleep or energy saving state and stored the currently detected position of the movable Karossieteils 12 as a position signal S _P in the memory 42 of the control device 24. In this case, the diagnostic interface 30 is deactivated and the wake-up interface 36 is activated. Thus, since the power supply for the control device 24, the position detector 37 and the electric motor 22 is greatly reduced or completely interrupted, sets a very low quiescent current. This is of considerable importance in particular in today's motor vehicles, since the increasing number of electrical consumers requires a well-thought-out closed-circuit concept in order to minimize or avoid a load on the motor vehicle battery when the motor vehicle 14 is switched off and the associated risk of a deep discharge. If a bus control of the actuator 20, for example, via a CAN or LIN bus of the motor vehicle 14, it is alternatively possible according to the step 108 shown in dashed lines, to activate the idle state of the Vestellvorrichtung 10 by means of the data bus.

A manual adjustment of the movable body part 12 in step 110 causes the electric motor 22 operates as a generator, due to the resulting back or Counter-EMF generates a voltage and / or current pulse. An example of a voltage pulse U _A as a function of time t shows FIG. 4 for a manual adjustment of the movable body part 12 in the direction of a more open (voltage pulse U _A1 ) and a more closed state (voltage pulse U _A2 ), wherein the basis of a base value U _o outgoing positive or negative orientation of the voltage pulse U _A from the direction of rotation of the electric motor 22 depends. The voltage pulse U _A acts on the diagnostic branches 32 of the respective Ansteuerzweige 25, 26 for opening or closing the movable body part 12, the circuits 34 and the wake-up lines 35 as a wake-up signal S _A on the wake-up interfaces 36 of the control device 24 (see FIG. 1 ). Then, the adjusting device 10 is put back in step 112 from its idle state to the operating state.

A detailed description of the wake-up phase and the correction of the stored position of the movable body part 12 according to step 110 will be described below in connection with FIG FIG. 3 , The manual adjustment of the movable body part 12 in step 110a generates the already mentioned voltage and / or current pulse according to step 110b FIG. 4 in the electric motor 22. This pulse acts as a wake-up signal S _A via the diagnostic branches 32 to the wake-up interface 36 of the control device 24. It is also conceivable with reference to the above description that instead of the actuator 20 serving as a wake-up 44 potentiometer 40 or the Hall Sensor 38 generates the wake-up signal S _A.

In step 110c, the control device 24 is set from its rest state into the operating state and supplied with energy as a result of the wake-up signal S _A. Then, in step 110d, it reads out the position of the movable body part 12 stored in its memory 42 before putting it into the idle state. The time elapsed during steps 110a-110d thus defines the wake-up phase of the controller 24.

In step 110e, the controller 24 effects power supply of the position detector 37 formed as a hall sensor 38 or potentiometer 40 to re-detect the current position of the movable body panel 12 in step 110f.

After the current position has been detected by the position detector 37 in step 110f, the stored position is updated with the current position by the control device 24 in step 110g. Thus, the adjustment device 10 is guaranteed to work with the correct data. Nevertheless, due to the momentary movement of the movable body 12 during the sleep phase of the control device 24, the occurrence of an inaccurate position signal S _{P is} possible because the actual position of the movable part 12 and the position stored in the memory 42 may differ from each other. The control device 24 therefore has correction means 46, which enable a correction of the position of the displaced body part 12 which has changed during the wake-up phase from the idle state into the operating state. The correction means 46 can be designed, for example, in the form of an algorithm or a look-up table stored in the control device 24, the correction value being a function of the determined back EMF of the electric motor 22. As a further correction value can serve in this context, the detected slope of the back EMF change, which is a measure of the force on the movable body part 12 during manual adjustment. Likewise, it is conceivable to determine an average number of the clock pulses of the position detector 37 during the wake-up phase and store it as a correction value in the memory 42 of the control device 24 to the the originally stored position signal S _{P is} corrected as a function of the adjustment direction of the movable body part 12. Here is a detection of the adjustment - as from FIG. 4 can be seen - based on the voltage and / or current pulse generated by the electric motor 22 possible.

After the possible correction of the position read from the memory 42, step 110 is completed and the method proceeds according to step 112 FIG. 2 above. The adjustment device 10 has now returned to its normal operating state and allows a manual or automatic adjustment of the movable body part 12. The diagnostic interface 30 is then in an activated and the wake-up interface 36 in a deactivated state. In addition, it can be provided that the control device 24 at defined times in the respective end position of the movable body part, ie in the fully open or closed state, performs a calibration process, so that these absolute positions a reference (0% or 100%) for the detector or by means of the position detector 37 during the adjustment measured positions. Among other things, the frequency of the calibration operations depends on the particular application, ie which type of movable body part 12 is adjusted, and / or on the required accuracy of the adjustment and Aufweckvorgänge. The higher the accuracy requirements, the more frequently a calibration process should be performed. Furthermore, it is expedient to carry out the calibration process after each reset of the control device 24 or of the adjusting device 10, for example as a result of a battery voltage interruption or reduction. In this case, an early detection of the battery voltage reduction by monitoring a voltage regulator, not shown, or the like can take place, wherein a corresponding output signal triggers the calibration process. In conjunction with a recalibration carried out, the functionality of the adjustment device 10 can be limited such that immediately after the recalibration no automatic adjustment of the movable body part 12 by means of the actuator 20 is possible. An exception to this, however, is possible in connection with a not shown anti-jamming sensor for the movable body part 12, which allows to increase the safety of an automatic running despite lack of calibration. Furthermore, it is conceivable to define a maximum number of permitted adjustment processes, upon reaching which a calibration process has to be performed. Thus, for example, be provided that the movable body part 12 after every hundredth or 200th calibration process is automatically calibrated on the next complete opening and / or closing. Likewise, a calibration can also be carried out after each complete, manual opening or closing, wherein a correspondingly mounted sensor signals the respective end position and forwards it to the control device 12.

In FIG. 5 is a detail view of one of the FIG. 1 shown circuits 34 for diagnosis of the electric motor 22 and for waking the control device 24 via the Ansteuerzweig 25 shown. In this case, in each case a circuit 34 is advantageously connected to the Ansteuerzweig 25 and 26 to allow awakening in both adjustment directions of the movable body part 12. Each circuit 34 is further connected via the diagnostic line 33 to the diagnostic interface 30 and via the wake-up line 35 to the wake-up interface 36 of the control device 24 for transferring the diagnostic signal S _D in the operating state and the wake-up signal S _A in the idle state.

The circuits 34 have a first voltage divider 48 and 49, respectively, which is connected to the Ansteuerzweig 25 and 26 between the anode of the Zener diode 27 and a terminal of the operating as an actuator 20 electric motor 22 and the other via a switching means 50th can be connected to the electrical ground potential GND. For this purpose, the switching means 50 designed, for example, as a bipolar transistor, field effect transistor, relay or the like can be activated or deactivated by means of a diagnostic switching signal S _DS via a second voltage divider 52. In this case, the diagnosis switching signal S _{DS can be,} for example, a DC voltage of approximately 5 V and can be generated by a control device arranged outside the adjusting device 10 or by the control device 24 itself.

The connected to the Ansteuerzweig 26 circuit 34 is shown for clarity only in parts. Its structure corresponds essentially to that of the circuit connected to the Ansteuerzweig 25 34. In the event that a waking of the control device 24 only in one direction of movement is required or only one of the Ansteuerzweige 25, 26 is to be monitored, the circuits 34 may well from each other differ, for example, by waiving the Aufweckleitung 35 or the diagnostic line 33 and the related components. The following is the operation and the Structure of the circuits 34 will be explained with reference to the control branch 25 connected to the circuit 34. Between the two resistors 48a and 48b of the first voltage divider 48, a center tap 48c is provided for an existing of a resistor 54 and a capacitor 56 RC element 58, wherein a first terminal 56a of the capacitor 56 via a center tap 58a of the RC element 58 with the anode of a diode 60 and a second terminal 56b of the capacitor 56 is connected to the electrical ground potential GND. Furthermore, there is a connection of the center tap 58a via the diagnostic line 33 to the diagnostic input 30 of the control device 24 for transferring the diagnostic signal S _D in the operating state of the control device 24 with activated or low-impedance switching means 50. The cathode of the diode 60 is finally connected via a resistor 62 and the Wake up line 35 connected to the wake-up interface 36 of the control device 24 for transferring the wake-up signal S _A in the idle state, while it is connected via a further resistor 64 to the electrical ground potential GND.

In the operating state of the control device 24 of the switching means 50 is activated by means of the diagnosis switching signal S _DS , so that the second resistor 48b of the first voltage divider 48 has a connection to the electrical ground potential GND. In this case, a clear diagnosis of the electric motor 22 by the control device 24 is possible due to the current flow through the first resistor 48a of the first voltage divider 48, the resistor 54 of the RC element 58 and the diagnostic line 33.

In the idle state of the control device 24, its diagnostic interface 30 is deactivated, so that a current flow can only act on the wake-up interface 36. As a result of an increased ambient temperature (eg 80 ° C), however, a direct current connection of the first voltage divider 48 may result in a leakage current through the Zener diode 27, which causes unintentional waking up of the control device 24 via the wake-up interface 36. A corresponding leakage current can also be caused by a suppressor circuit (not shown and connected to the electric motor 22). In order to avoid such leakage currents, the switching means 50 for decoupling the first voltage divider 48 from the electrical ground potential GND is deactivated by using the diagnosis switching signal S _DS . If the capacitor 56 of the RC element 58 is charged, so there is no connection to the electrical ground potential GND on these. Since the control device 24 in Sleep mode, there is no diagnosis of the electric motor 22 via the diagnostic interface 30th

In the following example, a typical for a tailgate application leakage current of about 200 uA at 80 ° C is assumed. This corresponds to a maximum quiescent current for applications in motor vehicles and for a temperature range of -40 ° C to +85 ° C, the adjustment being made, for example, via the first voltage divider 49 of the circuit 34 connected to the control branch 26. Assuming that this first voltage divider 49 has two resistors 49a and 49b with values of 6.8 kΩ and 1 kΩ respectively, wherein the 1 kΩ resistor can be connected to the electrical ground potential GND, the result is the leakage current of 200 μA a voltage drop across the electric motor 22 in the amount of about 1.56 V, which also drops above the connected to the Ansteuerzweig 25 circuit 34. The circuits 34 are in this case, although predominantly the same, but have different sized components.

By way of example, assuming that the first resistor 48a and the second resistor 48b of the first voltage divider 48 of the circuit connected to the drive branch 25 have values of 47 kΩ and 27 kΩ, respectively, and that the second resistor 48b of the first voltage divider 48 due to the deactivated Switching means 50 and the 27 kΩ dimensioned resistor 54 of the RC element 58 due to the charged capacitor 56 have no connection to the electrical ground potential GND, so is above the 1MΩ demensionierten resistor 64, taking into account that above the diode 60, a forward voltage of 0.6 V, a voltage of about 0.9 V at. Since the resistor 62 connected via the wake-up line 35 to the wake-up interface 36 of the control device 24 has a negligible value of 1.2 kΩ with respect to the resistor 64, then a voltage of almost 0.9 V is also present at the wake-up interface 36.

The wake-up interface 36 is now designed so that a voltage of at least 1 V is required to enable the control device 24 from its idle state to the operating state. If the movable body part 12 is manually adjusted, it acts on the electric motor 22, which operates as a generator as a result of the back-EMF or counter-EMF and a voltage pulse U _A according to FIG. 4 generated. As a result of this Voltage pulse U _A increases the voltage applied to the wake-up interface 36 voltage of about 0.9 V to about 1 V, so that the voltage pulse U _A in the sense of a wake-up signal S _A wakes the controller 24. A corresponding behavior is also possible if the diagnostic interface 30 and the wake-up interface 36 are combined in a common interface. In this case, only switching of the function of the common interface by the control device 24 depending on its state is required.

The resistors 48a, 48b, 54, 62 and 64 together form a resistor network 66 connected to the diagnostic branch 32 of the electric motor 22 which is dimensioned such that the voltage drop across the wake-up interface 36 caused by the leakage current reaches the defined limit of 1 V for waking up the control device 24 does not exceed. Also, the resistors 49a and 49b and other resistors not shown connected to the Ansteuerzweig 26 circuit 34 may be part of the resistor network 66. This is expedient insofar as with the resistors 49a and 49b, for example, the voltage drop across the electric motor 22 as a result of the leakage current can be set, which is a significant offset for exceeding or falling below the defined limit value (in this case 1 V) for waking up the control device 24 forms as a result of the manual adjustment of the movable body part 12. The corresponding resistors of both circuits 34 can therefore form the resistor network 66 for fine adjustment of the wake-up operation. The resistance values mentioned here are not restrictive but only to be understood as examples. A person skilled in the art is able to adapt the resistances to the respective requirements, for example as a function of the limit value and / or the leakage current.

It should finally be noted that the embodiments shown neither on the FIGS. 1 to 5 is still limited to the stated values for the resistors or the voltages. The use of the Zener diodes 27 in the Ansteuerzweigen 25, 26 is not to be understood as limiting the Erfmdung. It is also conceivable that the circuits 34 and the resistor networks 66 may be dimensioned differently for each Ansteuerzweig. That this represents a thoroughly useful measure, among other things FIG. 4 , which shows that the back-EMF or counter-EMF can depend strongly on the adjustment direction.

Claims (27)

1. Adjusting apparatus (10) for a moving body part (12) of a motor vehicle, comprising an actuator (20) for adjusting the moving body part (12), and comprising a control apparatus (24) for actuating the actuator (20) in an operative state, wherein the control apparatus (24) moves from the operative state to an inoperative state if the moving body part (12) is not adjusted within a defined period of time, wherein, in the inoperative state, an energy supply for the control apparatus (24) is greatly reduced in comparison to the operative state or entirely interrupted, wherein manual adjustment of the moving body part (12) moves the control apparatus (24) back from the inoperative state to the operative state, wherein a position detector (37) for detecting the current position of the moving body part (12) in the operative state of the control apparatus (24) is provided, characterized in that the control apparatus (24) reactivates the position detector (37) after the control apparatus (24) is again moved to the operative state, in order to detect the position of the moving body part (12), and in that the control apparatus (24) has correction means (46) for correcting a stored position of the moving body part (12) by a current position of the adjustable body part (12), which position is changed during the wake-up phase from the inoperative state to the operative state.
2. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12) generates a voltage and/or current pulse (U_A) in the actuator (20), the said voltage and/or current pulse serving as a wake-up signal (S_A) for the control apparatus (24).
3. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, characterized by a wake-up means (44) which is operatively connected to the moving body part (12) and which causes a change in voltage and/or current as a result of the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12), the said change in voltage and/or current serving as a wake-up signal (S_A) for the control apparatus (24).
4. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the wake-up means (44) is a potentiometer (40), in particular a sliding potentiometer, and/or a Hall sensor (38) which is integrated in the actuator (20).
5. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of Claims 1-4, characterized in that the control apparatus (24) stores the detected, current position of the moving body part (12) before the changeover from the operative state to the inoperative state in a memory (42), and again reads out the memory (42) after being moved back to the operative state.
6. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the wake-up phase of the control apparatus comprises the period of time from the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12) to the time at which the stored position is read out from the memory (42).
7. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control apparatus (24) carries out a calibration process at defined time points in the respective end position of the moving body part (12).
8. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the frequency of the calibration processes depends on the required accuracy of the wake-up and adjusting processes.
9. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that electrical means (50, 66) are provided for the purpose of preventing undesired wake-up of the control apparatus (24) as a result of a leakage current.
10. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the electrical means (50, 66) comprise at least one switching means (50) which, in the inoperative state of the control apparatus (24), decouples a diagnosis branch (32) of the actuator (20) from an electrical earth potential (GND).
11. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to either of the preceding Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the electrical means (50, 66) comprise at least one resistor network (66) which is connected to the diagnosis branch (32) of the actuator (20), said resistor network being dimensioned in such a way that a voltage drop which is caused by the leakage current does not exceed a defined limit value for waking up the control apparatus (24).
12. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the moving body part (12) of the motor vehicle is a tailgate (16), a vehicle door (18), a folding top, an engine bonnet or a petrol cap closure.
13. Adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (20) is an electric motor (22) which operates as a generator for the purpose of generating the wake-up signal (S_A).
14. Motor vehicle (14) having an adjusting apparatus (10) according to one of the preceding claims.
15. Method for adjusting a moving body part (12) of a motor vehicle by means of an actuator (20) which is actuated by a control apparatus (24) during an operative state, wherein the control apparatus (24) is moved from the operative state to an inoperative state when the moving body part (12) is not adjusted within a defined period of time, wherein an energy supply for the control apparatus (24) is greatly reduced in comparison to the operative state or entirely interrupted in the inoperative state, wherein the control apparatus (24) is moved back from the inoperative state to the operative state by manual adjustment of the moving body part (12), wherein a position detector (37) detects the current position of the moving body part (12) in the operative state of the control apparatus (24), characterized in that the control apparatus (24) reactivates the position detector (37) after the control apparatus (24) is moved back to the operative state, in order to detect the position of the moving body part (12), and in that the position of the adjustable body part (12), which position is changed during the wake-up phase of the control apparatus (24) from the inoperative state to the operative state, is corrected with the aid of a correction means (46) of the control apparatus (24).
16. Method according to Claim 15, characterized in that a voltage and/or current pulse (U_A) is generated in the actuator (20) by the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12), the said voltage and/or current pulse serving as a wake-up signal (S_A) for the control apparatus (24).
17. Method according to Claim 15, characterized by a wake-up means (44) which is operatively connected to the moving body part (12), wherein a change in voltage and/or current is caused by the wake-up means (44) as a result of the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12), the said change in voltage and/or current serving as a wake-up signal (S_A) for the control apparatus (24).
18. Method according to Claim 15, characterized in that a current position of the moving body part (12) in the operative state of the control apparatus (24) is detected by a position detector (37), wherein the detected, current position before the control apparatus (24) changes over from the operative state to the inoperative state is stored in a memory (42) of the control apparatus (24), and the memory (42) is read out again after the control apparatus (24) is again moved to the operative state.
19. Method according to Claim 18, characterized in that the position detector (37) is reactivated by the control apparatus (24) after the control apparatus (24) is moved back to the operative state, in order to detect the position of the moving body part (12).
20. Method according to Claim 15, characterized in that the wake-up phase of the control apparatus (24) comprises the period of time from the manual adjustment of the moving body part (12) to the time at which the stored position is read out from the memory (42).
21. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 to 20, characterized in that a calibration process is carried out at defined time points in the respective end position of the moving body part (12).
22. Method according to Claim 21, characterized in that the frequency of the calibration processes depends on the required accuracy of the wake-up and adjusting processes.
23. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 to 22, characterized in that undesired wake-up of the control apparatus (24) as a result of a leakage current is prevented by electrical means (50, 66).
24. Method according to Claim 23, characterized in that the electrical means (50, 66) comprise at least one switching means (50), wherein, in the inoperative state of the control apparatus (24), a diagnosis branch (32) of the actuator (20) is decoupled from an electrical earth potential (GND).
25. Method according to either of the preceding Claims 23 and 24, characterized in that the electrical means (50, 66) comprise at least one resistor network (66) in a diagnosis branch (32) of the actuator (20), said resistor network being dimensioned in such a way that a defined limit value for waking up the control apparatus (24) is not exceeded due to a voltage drop which is caused by the leakage current.
26. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 to 21, characterized in that the moving body part (12) of the motor vehicle is a tailgate (16), a vehicle door (18), a folding top, an engine bonnet or a petrol cap closure.
27. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 15 to 25, characterized in that the actuator (20) is an electric motor (22) which operates as a generator for the purpose of generating the wake-up signal (S_A).

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