FR3133878A1 - Method for automatically controlling the opening and closing of a motor vehicle window - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for automatically activating the opening and closing of the driver's window of a motor vehicle (10) comprising an electrically controlled opening and closing system (11) of said window (12), a geolocation system of the vehicle (13) comprising a cartographic database (15), said method consisting of controlling the opening of said window (12) from the electrically controlled opening and closing system (11) of said window (12 ) when the vehicle (10) is geolocated, in real time, near at least one specific location identified in relation to a command to open said window (12), and its speed is zero or less than a threshold determined speed. (Figure 1)

Description

Method for automatically controlling the opening and closing of a motor vehicle window

The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles having an electrically controlled window lift system and in particular relates to a method for automatically controlling the opening and closing of a motor vehicle window.

A power window system generally includes an electric motor coupled to a mechanism which is itself coupled to the base of the window. When it receives an electrical control signal following a manual press of a button, the motor activates the mechanism to open or close the window. By automatic control method, we mean a method in which the opening and closing of a side window of the vehicle are controlled automatically (without human intervention) following information or signal received by one or more sensors of the vehicle . Thus, methods are known that automatically control the closing of one or more windows of a vehicle following the detection of raindrops or an attempted break-in.

On the other hand, situations in which the driver is involved are not taken into account for the automatic activation of the window opening and closing control.

Many areas with protected access for vehicles are closed by barriers or doors (parking entrance/exit, motorway toll booth, etc.) whose opening requires the presentation of a badge (or another element such as a bank card, proof of payment, etc.) on a reader.

In this type of situation, the driver must stop his vehicle and carry out an operation which requires opening his window, in order to continue his journey:

- Opening a barrier or automatic door at the entrance to a car park or a protected access area:

• presentation of a magnetic badge or a receipt proving payment;
• payment with a bank card, smartphone or cash;
• entering a code (for example in hotel car parks);
• use of a fingerprint recognition device;
• etc.

- Validation by a guard of an access authorization (industrial site, etc.):

• visual identification of the driver;
• presentation of paper proof;
• signing a document;
• etc.

- Toll on road with paid access (motorway, tunnel, etc.):

• payment with a bank card, smartphone or cash.

- Fast food drive (or other):

• taking an order or presenting a QR code;
• payment with a bank card, smartphone or cash;
• recovery of the order.

- Crossing a border post:

• presentation of proof of identity.

Some of these operations take place in places with a repetitive nature:

- parking lot of a residential building;

- access to a protected area of the workplace;

- shopping center parking lot used regularly for shopping;

- etc.

Access to the window opening and closing control button can sometimes be difficult, especially with a badge in one hand and the steering wheel in the other hand.

The present invention aims to provide a solution to assist the driver with regard to the actions of opening and closing the window controls on his side in situations listed above in a non-exhaustive manner.

Although the invention can be applied to any window of the vehicle, having an electrically controlled window lift system, the present invention is more particularly interested in the driver's side window which is the window most often requested both when opening and closing. For simplification, the driver's side window is hereinafter referred to as: "driver's window".

To this end, the present invention has as its first object, a method for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the driver's window of a motor vehicle comprising an electrically controlled opening and closing system for said window, a vehicle geolocation system comprising a map database, said method consisting of controlling the opening of said window from the system for opening and closing said window when the vehicle is geolocated, in real time, near at least one specific location identified in relation to a command to open said window, and that its speed is zero or less than a determined speed threshold.

According to one characteristic, the method consists, to identify a specific location, in a prior phase, of referencing in a cartographic database coupled to the geolocation system, at least one location for which a command to open the window is potentially necessary , after immobilization of the vehicle.

According to another characteristic, the method consists of further conditioning the opening command, according to the number of opening and non-opening commands of the window when the vehicle is geolocated near the location. identified, and over a specific configurable period of time; the numbers of opening and non-opening orders associated with the location being recorded during said period.

According to a variant, the method consists of further conditioning the opening command, according to the number of opening and non-opening commands of the window over a determined configurable period, when the vehicle is geolocated near a previously registered location for which a window opening command for said location has been activated.

According to another characteristic, the method consists of controlling the opening of the window when the number of opening commands is greater than a minimum determined number of opening commands and the number of non-opening commands is equal to zero. .

According to another characteristic, the method consists of controlling the opening of the window when the ratio between is the number of opening commands and the number of non-opening commands is greater than a determined number.

The second object of the present invention is a vehicle implementing the method as described above, comprising:

- an infotainment system comprising at least one computer implementing a decision algorithm, capable of controlling the automatic opening and closing of the driver's window;

- a vehicle geolocation system comprising at least one map database;

- an electrically controlled window lift system capable of receiving a control signal for opening and closing the driver's window delivered by the computer.

According to one characteristic, the calculator is also coupled to a database in which the opening and non-opening locations of the window are recorded over a determined and configurable period of time.

According to another characteristic, the vehicle further comprises communication means coupled to the infotainment system capable of exchanging via waves with a remote server or database.

The third object of the present invention is a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, lead it to implement the steps of the method as described above.

The solution which is the subject of the present invention has the advantage of only requiring software resources and therefore without additional economic cost if the vehicle is already equipped with a geolocation system generally called a "GPS" system, an Anglo-Saxon acronym for "Global Positioning System", which is usually the case.

Other advantages and characteristics may emerge more clearly from the description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

illustrates a block diagram of a motor vehicle implementing the method according to the invention.

The aim of the present invention is to automate the activation of the opening then closing command of the driver's window, in situations requiring such openings then closings.

The method according to the invention is based on the exploitation of the geolocation of the vehicle in real time (for example: location of the vehicle in a place comprising an automatic barrier with request for access authorization) as well as on the notion of learning the driver's habits in using the window lift system. Such learning is based on each opening and non-opening event (absence of opening when opening is expected) of the window in connection with the location of the event. These events and associated locations are recorded in a database. Learning makes it possible to deduce the repetitive aspect (or occurrence) of the event over time: during a previous passage to the same place, the driver had activated the window opening command. This repetitive aspect (number of opening and non-opening commands for the same location) is taken care of by analysis (or decision) means to decide on the automatic opening of the driver's window then the closing of the the window.

We consider in the description which follows, with reference to the , a vehicle 10 equipped with an electrically operated window lift system 11 coupled to the driver's window 12.

The vehicle 10 is also equipped with a GPS system 13 comprising a GPS receiver 14 and a map database 15 making it possible to geolocate the vehicle 10 in its environment.

The cartographic database 15 contains a certain number of points of interest, or POI (Anglo-Saxon acronym for “Point Of Interest”): paid parking, border post, etc., which may or may not be displayed on a display screen, not shown, in the vehicle passenger compartment 10, after having been selected by the driver from a menu proposed by an HMI (Human-Machine Interface) also not shown. Base 15 can be regularly updated.

The vehicle 10 includes an infotainment system 16, also called "infotainment system" in English terminology, or IVI system, English acronym for "In-Vehicle Infotainment" which manages the interactions between the sensors of the vehicle 10, the map database 15, the display screens and other HMI of the vehicle 10, not shown, as well as other information systems external to the vehicle 10 (servers, databases, etc.) and capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 when the latter is equipped with means of communication 20 by means of waves.

The vehicle 10 further comprises at least one computer 17 implementing a decision algorithm, to control the automatic opening and closing of the driver's window 12 in appropriate situations. A database 18 containing the history of opening and non-opening commands for the driver's window 12, in relation to the geolocation data of the vehicle 10, is coupled to the computer 17.

The method according to the invention consists of geolocating, in real time, the vehicle 10, near a location previously referenced as potentially requiring the opening of the driver's window 12. By referenced location, we mean a specific location which has been preselected and pre-recorded in the cartographic database 15 already existing in the vehicle or in a dedicated additional database, on board the vehicle 10 or outside the vehicle 10.

A referenced location may be, in particular:

- a parking lot of a residential building;

- access to a protected area of the workplace;

- a shopping center car park used regularly for shopping;

- etc.

The process then consists of:

- to control the automatic opening of the driver's window 12 when the vehicle 10 stops (zero speed) or as soon as the speed is lower than a determined threshold, for example at 5km/h, then;

- to control the automatic closing of the window 12 when the vehicle 10 starts (non-zero speed) or as soon as the speed is greater than a determined threshold, for example 5 km/h.

An additional condition can be introduced into the process according to the invention. This additional condition makes it possible to distinguish situations in which the opening of the window 12 can be avoided, such as for example, the validation of an access authorization with a remote control solution (remote control for the opening of a parking door, electronic toll badge for a motorway, etc.).

For this, the process is based on the driver's habits concerning opening and non-opening events of the driver's window 12 and their geolocation. These events are stored in a knowledge or learning base allowing, after analysis, to decide on future openings of the driver's window in each of the situations mentioned above.

For this purpose, the method consists, after having geolocated the vehicle 10 near a place referenced as requiring the opening of the driver's window 12:

- to analyze the events linked to a potential opening command for the window 12 in the referenced location and over a determined period in the past by calculating the number of openings NB_OUV-OK and “non-openings” NB_OUV-KO of window 12, previously recorded for said location; And

- if NB_OUV-OK>5 and NB_OUV-KO = 0, then to control the automatic opening of the window 12 when the vehicle 10 is at zero speed or as soon as the speed of the vehicle 10 is lower than a determined threshold, for example 5 km/h; And

- to control the automatic closing of the window 12 when the speed of the vehicle 10 is no longer zero or as soon as the speed is greater than a determined threshold, for example 5 km/h. Otherwise, the opening of window 12 is not controlled.

The duration over which the analysis relates is configurable. For example, we can use a duration extending over a month, several months or even a full year or more. Over the duration of the period, for each location, the number of NB_OUV-OK opening command actions of the window 12 by the driver is memorized and updated, as well as the number of non-opening NB_OUV- KO on the same location. The decision logic is based on a minimum number of openings carried out (for example: NB_OUV-OK = 5) and on the absence of an opening command, or “non-opening” (NB_OUV-KO = 0). Automatic opening can also be authorized when the number of NB_OUV-OK openings is much greater than the number of NB_OUV-KO non-openings (for example NB_OUV-OK/NB_OUV_KO > 10), even if the number of NB_OUV-KO non-openings is -KO is not equal to zero. This situation can for example correspond to a breakdown of the barrier which remained open for a moment and therefore the vehicle 10 was able to enter without badges and therefore without opening the window 12.

In a variant, the method according to the invention only uses information relating to the driver's habits.

Instead of using the cartographic database 15, the method only considers the places stored in the database 18; places where the driver has, in the past, activated the window opening command 12.

With multiplexing solutions widely used in modern vehicles, the opening and closing of the electric windows 12 can be controlled from any computer of the vehicle 10 connected to the multiplexed network of the vehicle 19 (CAN network for example). Advantageously, the method is implemented by a computer or several computers 17 of the infotainment system 16. It has all the necessary information: cartographic databases 15, history of user actions 18 and geolocation data via the GPS system 13 and real-time vehicle 10.

The cartographic database 15 with information on the referenced places can either be stored on board the vehicle 10 (“on-board” solution), or on a server outside the vehicle 10 (“off-board” solution) when the vehicle 10 is equipped with a GSM 20 communication solution (for example 3G, 4G or 5G) to be able to access data remotely.

In the same way, the database 18 on the history of opening and non-opening events of the window 12 with the location, can be stored “on-board” or “off-board”. All of this data can be specific to the vehicle 10, or to the driver in the case where the vehicle 10 has a user profile management solution.

The method implements a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause it to implement the steps of the method.

This program is implemented, for example, by one or more processors linked to the infotainment system.

Such a program can be updated with the possibility of adding services using an OTA “Over The Air” type update.

Claims (10)

Method for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the driver's window (12) of a motor vehicle (10) comprising an electrically controlled opening and closing system (11) of said window (12), a system for geolocation (13) of the vehicle (10) comprising a cartographic database (15), said method consisting of controlling the opening of said window (12) from the opening and closing system (11) of said window ( 12) when the vehicle (10) is geolocated, in real time, near at least one specific location identified in relation to a command to open said window (12), and its speed is zero or less than one determined speed threshold. Method according to the preceding claim consisting, to identify a determined location, in a prior phase, to reference in a cartographic database (15) coupled to the geolocation system (13), at least one location for which an opening command of the window (12) is potentially necessary, after immobilization of the vehicle (10). Method according to claim 2, consisting in further conditioning the opening command, as a function of the number of opening and non-opening commands of the window (12) when the vehicle (10) is geolocated near the location identified, and over a specific configurable period of time; the numbers of opening and non-opening orders associated with the location being recorded during said period. Method according to claim 1, consisting in further conditioning the opening command, as a function of the number of opening and non-opening commands of the window (12) over a determined configurable period, when the vehicle (10) is geolocated near a previously recorded location for which a command to open the window (12) for said location has been activated. Method according to one of claims 3 or 4, consisting of controlling the opening of the window (12) when the number of opening commands is greater than a minimum determined number of opening commands and the number of opening commands non-opening is zero Method according to one of claims 3 or 4, consisting of controlling the opening of the window (12) when the ratio between the number of opening commands and the number of non-opening commands is greater than a determined number. Vehicle (10) implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising:
- an infotainment system (16) comprising at least one computer (17) implementing a decision algorithm, capable of controlling the automatic opening and closing of the driver's window (12);
- a geolocation system (13) of the vehicle (10) comprising at least one map database (15);
- an electrically controlled opening and closing system (11) of the window (12) capable of receiving an opening and closing control signal for the driver's window (12) delivered by the computer (17). Vehicle according to the preceding claim, in which the computer (17) is further coupled to a database (18) in which the places of opening and non-opening of the window (12) are recorded over a period of time determined and configurable. Vehicle (10) according to one of claims 7 or 8, further comprising communication means (20) coupled to the infotainment system (16) capable of exchanging via waves with a server or a database. remote data. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, lead it to implement the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6.