JP2007001366A - Power seat control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a power-seat control device which prevents the generation of unpleasant noise at the time of operation. <P>SOLUTION: The power-seat control device provided with a motor for moving a movable part is provided with a first control means (11) and a second control means (12). The first control means (11) outputs a drive signal for the motor (37), and the second control means (12) adjusts the voltage of the drive signal and supplies it to the motor. The second control means detects the revolution of the motor (35, 36), and adjusts the voltage of the drive signal (32, 34) so that the revolution of the motor becomes constant. Then the second control means detects the polarity of the drive signal (31), determines the absolute value of the voltage of the drive signal (33), and controls regular/reverse rotation of the motor corresponding to the polarity of the drive signal (32, 34). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a power seat control device, and more particularly, to a device for controlling a power seat incorporating a motor for moving a movable part.

Power seats of automobiles and the like can change the front-rear position, the vertical position, the reclining angle, and the like by a built-in motor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-84526 (page 1-2, FIGS. 1 and 5)

  When the power seat is activated, noise is generated due to the rotation of the motor. When the load of the motor fluctuates due to the accuracy and structure of the mechanism, the intensity of the noise changes and the level changes, giving the user discomfort.

  In particular, in a driver's seat power seat having a memory function, the motor is driven at a high speed so as to reach a pre-stored position and posture in the shortest time in order to enable quick start, thus increasing noise. Doubles discomfort.

  Thus, an object of the present invention is to realize a power seat control device that does not cause unpleasant noise during operation.

  The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problem is a device for controlling a power seat including a motor for moving a movable part, and is a first control means for outputting a drive signal for the motor. And a second control unit that adjusts the voltage of the drive signal and supplies the adjusted motor signal to the motor.

  In the invention according to claim 2 for solving the above-mentioned problem, the second control means detects the polarity of the drive signal, obtains the absolute value of the voltage of the drive signal, and sets the polarity of the drive signal. The power seat control device according to claim 1, wherein forward and reverse rotations of the motor are controlled correspondingly.

  The invention according to claim 3 for solving the above-mentioned problem is a device for controlling a power seat incorporating a motor for moving the movable part, and is a first control means for outputting a control signal for the motor. And a second control means for supplying a drive signal whose voltage can be adjusted based on the control signal to the motor.

  In the invention according to claim 4 for solving the above-mentioned problem, the second control means detects the rotation speed of the motor, and sets the voltage of the drive signal so that the rotation speed of the motor becomes constant. The power seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the power seat control device is adjusted.

  The invention according to claim 5 for solving the above problem is characterized in that the second control means boosts the voltage of the drive signal in advance. It is the power seat control apparatus as described in one.

  The invention according to claim 6 for solving the above-mentioned problem is characterized in that the second control means varies the voltage of the drive signal according to the rotation direction of the motor. The power seat control device according to claim 5.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling a power seat incorporating a motor for moving a movable part includes: a first control unit that outputs a drive signal for the motor; and a voltage of the drive signal. Since the second control means that adjusts and supplies the motor to the motor is provided, a power seat control device that does not cause unpleasant noise during operation can be realized.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the second control means detects the polarity of the drive signal and obtains the absolute value of the voltage of the drive signal, and corresponds to the polarity of the drive signal. Since the forward / reverse rotation is controlled, a power seat control device that performs rotation control corresponding to the polarity of the drive signal can be realized.

  According to the invention of claim 3, an apparatus for controlling a power seat incorporating a motor for moving a movable part is based on first control means for outputting a control signal for the motor, and the control signal. Since the second control means for supplying a voltage-adjustable drive signal to the motor is provided, a power seat control device that does not cause unpleasant noise during operation can be realized.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the second control means detects the rotational speed of the motor and adjusts the voltage of the drive signal so that the rotational speed of the motor is constant, A power seat control device that does not cause unpleasant noise can be realized.
be able to.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the second control means boosts the voltage of the drive signal in advance, the number of rotations of the motor can be increased.
According to the invention of claim 6, since the second control means varies the voltage of the drive signal according to the rotation direction of the motor, it is possible to vary the rotational force according to the rotation direction of the motor. it can.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the best mode for carrying out the invention. FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of the configuration of a power seat system. As shown in FIG. 1, the power seat system includes a battery 10, a body ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 11, a seat ECU 12, and a seat 13.

  The battery 10 is a power supply unit in this system. The body ECU 11 and the seat ECU 12 are control units in this system. The body ECU 11 is installed on the body side of an automobile or the like. The seat ECU 12 is installed on the seat side of an automobile or the like. Each of the body ECU 11 and the seat ECU 12 includes a microcomputer (microcomputer) and its peripheral devices. The body ECU 11 is an example of a first control unit in the present invention. The seat ECU 12 is an example of a second control unit in the present invention.

  The sheet 13 is a controlled unit in this system. The seat 13 includes motors 14 and 15. The motor 14 changes the reclining angle of the seat 13, and the motor 15 moves the seat 13 back and forth. In addition to the motors 14 and 15, the seat 13 may include a motor for other purposes such as a motor for moving up and down.

  The body ECU 11 outputs a drive signal for reclining or moving the seat 13 back and forth based on an operation signal input through a switch or the like (not shown). The drive signal is output by turning on / off the voltage of the battery 10 with a relay or the like. The polarity of the drive signal becomes positive or negative depending on the direction of reclining or forward / backward movement.

  The drive signal is input to the seat ECU 12. The seat ECU 12 is provided with two systems corresponding to the two motors 14 and 15, and the drive signal is input to the corresponding system depending on whether reclining or forward / backward movement. When the seat 13 includes three or more motors, the seat ECU 12 is also provided with three or more systems.

  The seat ECU 12 adjusts the voltage of the input drive signal and supplies it to the motor 14 or 15. That is, the drive signal output from the body ECU 11 is adjusted to an appropriate voltage by the seat ECU 12 and supplied to the motor 14 or 15 instead of the voltage of the battery 10 as it is.

  FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the control unit. This control unit is an example of the best mode for carrying out the invention. An example of the best mode for carrying out the invention relating to the power seat control device is shown by the configuration of the control unit.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the seat ECU 12 includes a polarity detection unit 31, a microcomputer 32, a polarity conversion unit 33, a motor drive unit 34, a rotation information input unit 35, and a rotation detection unit 36. The microcomputer 32 is the center of the seat ECU 12, and the polarity detection unit 31, the polarity conversion unit 33, the motor drive unit 34, the rotation information input unit 35, and the rotation detection unit 36 are peripheral devices of the microcomputer 32.

  The polarity of the drive signal input from the body ECU 11 is detected by the polarity detection unit 31. The polarity detection signal is input to the microcomputer 32. The microcomputer 32 controls the polarity converter 33 based on the polarity detection signal. The polarity conversion unit 33 converts the drive signal into a single polarity signal under the control of the microcomputer 32 and inputs the signal to the motor drive unit 34. For example, a relay or the like is used as the polarity conversion unit 33.

  Under the control of the microcomputer 32, the motor drive unit 34 adjusts the voltage of the drive signal having a single polarity, returns the polarity to the original, and supplies it to the motor 37. The motor 37 is the motor 14 or 15 in FIG.

  For example, an FET or the like is used as the motor drive unit 34. The voltage adjustment of the drive signal is performed by, for example, PWM control. The voltage of the drive signal increases or decreases in accordance with the increase or decrease of the duty ratio of PWM control.

  The rotation number of the motor 37 is detected by the rotation detection unit 36 and fed back to the microcomputer 32 through the rotation information input unit 35. As the rotation detection unit 36, for example, a Hall IC or a current detection circuit is used.

  When a Hall IC is used, a change in the pulse width of the rotation detection signal represents a change in the number of rotations. An increase in the pulse width represents a decrease in the rotational speed, and a decrease in the pulse width represents an increase in the rotational speed. When the current detection circuit is used, a change in current value represents a change in rotation speed. An increase in current value represents a decrease in rotational speed, and a decrease in current value represents an increase in rotational speed. The fluctuation of the rotational speed corresponds to the fluctuation of the load.

  The microcomputer 32 controls the output voltage of the motor drive unit 34 based on the feedback signal so that the rotation speed of the motor 37 becomes a predetermined constant value. That is, when the rotational speed is decreasing, the output voltage is increased to increase the driving force of the motor, and when the rotational speed is increasing, the output voltage is decreased to decrease the driving force of the motor.

  In addition, since the voltage of the drive signal is adjusted by PWM control, the average value of the voltage of the drive signal is lower than the voltage of the battery and the rotation speed of the motor becomes slow. In order to avoid this, the preceding stage of the motor drive unit 34 Alternatively, a voltage booster may be provided at the subsequent stage.

  FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the operation of the seat ECU 12. The operation of the seat ECU 12 starts with the input of a drive signal from the body ECU 11. Polarity detection is performed in step 301. If the polarity of the drive signal corresponds to “front” of reclining or back-and-forth movement, the polarity is left as it is. If it corresponds to “backward”, the polarity is converted in step 303. As a result, the polarity of the drive signal is unified. On the contrary, the unification of the polarities is performed by leaving the polarity as it is when the polarity of the drive signal corresponds to “rear” and converting the polarity at step 303 when it corresponds to “front”. You may make it perform.

  In step 305, the PWM value is set as an initial set value. The initial set value is, for example, a PWM value corresponding to the center voltage of the control range. In step 307, the voltage of the set PWM value is applied to the motor 37. Application of the voltage of the set PWM value is performed by performing PWM control with the set PWM value.

  In step 309, it is determined whether or not the number of rotations has been detected. When the rotation speed is detected by measuring the pulse width of the detection signal, it is determined whether or not the rotation pulse width has been measured. If the rotation pulse width has not been measured (No), it is determined in step 319 whether or not the operation has ended. Since the end of the operation is indicated by the disappearance (down) of the drive signal of the body ECU 11, it is determined whether or not it is in such a state.

  If the drive signal of the body ECU 11 is down (Yes), the operation ends. However, if the drive signal continues, it is determined that the operation is not ended (No), and the process returns to Step 307. While the determination results of steps 309 and 319 are both No, the operations of steps 307, 309, and 319 are repeated.

  If the determination result in step 309 is Yes, it is determined in step 311 whether or not the rotation pulse width is longer than the reference set value. The reference set value is a set value corresponding to the reference rotation speed. If the rotation pulse width is longer than the reference set value, the PWM value is increased in step 313. As a result, the driving force of the motor 37 increases, and the reduced rotational speed increases.

  If the rotation pulse width is not longer than the reference set value, it is determined in step 315 whether or not the rotation pulse width is shorter than the reference set value. If the rotation pulse width is shorter than the reference set value, the PWM value is lowered at step 317. As a result, the driving force of the motor 37 decreases, and the increased number of rotations decreases.

When the rotation pulse width is neither longer nor shorter than the reference set value, the PWM value is not changed. For this reason, the driving force of the motor 37 does not change, and the number of rotations does not increase or decrease.
Such an operation is performed while the drive signal of the body ECU 11 continues. As a result, the seat 13 is reclined or moved back and forth by the motor 37 rotating at a constant rotational speed. Thus, since the motor 37 always rotates at a constant rotational speed regardless of the load fluctuation, the generated noise does not change in level and strength, and does not cause discomfort.

  The conventional example described in Patent Document 1 corresponds to the one in which the motor 37 is driven only by the body ECU 11, but this has the above-described drawbacks. In the present invention, the disadvantage is eliminated by making the drive voltage of the motor 37 variable by interposing the seat ECU 12.

  Since the seat ECU 12 only performs voltage control, it can be realized using an inexpensive microcomputer. Further, the seat ECU 12 is interposed, so that it is easy to enable reclining and soft start / stop of forward and backward movement.

  Since it is such a system, the existing power sheet can be easily modified to the power sheet of this system. Instead of interposing the seat ECU 12, the function of the seat ECU 12 may be incorporated into the body ECU 11 side.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows another example of the configuration of the power seat system. As shown in FIG. 4, the power seat system includes a battery 20, a body ECU 21, a seat ECU 22, and a seat 23.

  The battery 20 is a power supply unit in this system. The body ECU 21 and the seat ECU 22 are control units in this system. The body ECU 21 is installed on the body side of an automobile or the like. The seat ECU 22 is installed on the seat side of an automobile or the like. Each of the body ECU 21 and the seat ECU 22 includes a microcomputer and its peripheral devices. The body ECU 21 is an example of a first control unit in the present invention. The seat ECU 22 is an example of a second control unit in the present invention.

  The seat 23 is a controlled unit in this system. The seat 23 includes motors 24 and 25. The motor 24 changes the reclining angle of the seat 23, and the motor 25 moves the seat 23 back and forth. In addition to the motors 24 and 25, the seat 23 may include a motor for another purpose such as a motor for vertical movement.

  The body ECU 21 outputs a control signal for reclining or moving the seat 23 back and forth based on an operation signal input through a switch or the like (not shown). The control signal is input to the seat ECU 22. The seat ECU 22 returns a status signal to the body ECU 21.

  The seat ECU 22 is provided with two systems corresponding to the two motors 24 and 25, and the control signal is input to the corresponding system depending on whether reclining or forward / backward movement. When the seat 23 includes three or more motors, the seat ECU 22 is also provided with three or more systems.

  The seat ECU 22 adjusts the voltage of the battery 20 according to the control signal and supplies it to the motor 24 or 25. That is, the voltage of the battery 20 is adjusted to an appropriate voltage by the seat ECU 22 and supplied to the motor 24 or 25.

  FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the control unit. This control unit is an example of the best mode for carrying out the invention. An example of the best mode for carrying out the invention relating to the power seat control device is shown by the configuration of the control unit.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the seat ECU 22 includes a microcomputer 42, a motor drive unit 43, a rotation information input unit 44, and a rotation detection unit 45. The microcomputer 42 is the center of the seat ECU 22, and the motor drive unit 43, the rotation information input unit 44 and the rotation detection unit 45 are peripheral devices of the microcomputer 42.

  The motor drive unit 43 adjusts the voltage of the battery 20 and supplies it to the motor 46 under the control of the microcomputer 42. At this time, the polarity of the voltage is determined according to the order of reclining or forward / backward movement. The motor 46 is the motor 24 or 25 in FIG.

  For example, an FET or the like is used as the motor drive unit 43. The voltage adjustment of the drive signal is performed by, for example, PWM control. The voltage of the drive signal increases or decreases in accordance with the increase or decrease of the duty ratio of PWM control.

  The rotation number of the motor 46 is detected by the rotation detection unit 45 and fed back to the microcomputer 42 through the rotation information input unit 44. As the rotation detection unit 45, for example, a Hall IC or a current detection circuit is used.

  When a Hall IC is used, a change in the pulse width of the rotation detection signal represents a change in the number of rotations. An increase in the pulse width represents a decrease in the rotational speed, and a decrease in the pulse width represents an increase in the rotational speed. When the current detection circuit is used, a change in current value represents a change in rotation speed. An increase in current value represents a decrease in rotational speed, and a decrease in current value represents an increase in rotational speed. The fluctuation of the rotational speed corresponds to the fluctuation of the load.

  Based on the feedback signal, the microcomputer 42 controls the output voltage of the motor drive unit 43 so that the rotation speed of the motor 46 becomes a predetermined constant value. That is, when the rotational speed is decreasing, the output voltage is increased to increase the driving force of the motor, and when the rotational speed is increasing, the output voltage is decreased to decrease the driving force of the motor.

  In addition, since the voltage of the drive signal is adjusted by PWM control, the average value of the voltage of the drive signal is lower than the voltage of the battery and the rotation speed of the motor becomes slow. In order to avoid this, the preceding stage of the motor drive unit 34 Alternatively, a voltage booster may be provided at the subsequent stage.

  FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the operation of the seat ECU 22. The operation of the seat ECU 22 is started by a control signal from the body ECU 21. In step 605, the PWM value is set as an initial set value. The initial set value is, for example, a PWM value corresponding to the center voltage of the control range. In step 607, the voltage of the set PWM value is applied to the motor 46. Application of the voltage of the set PWM value is performed by performing PWM control with the set PWM value.

  In step 609, it is determined whether or not the number of rotations has been detected. When the rotation speed is detected by measuring the pulse width of the detection signal, it is determined whether or not the rotation pulse width has been measured. If the rotation pulse width has not been measured (No), it is determined in step 619 whether the operation has ended. Since the end of the operation is indicated by a control signal from the body ECU 21, it is determined whether or not such a state is present.

  If the control signal of the body ECU 21 is finished (Yes), the operation is finished, but if the operation is not finished (No), the process returns to Step 607. While the determination results of steps 609 and 619 are both No, the operations of steps 607, 609 and 619 are repeated.

  If the determination result in step 609 is Yes, it is determined in step 611 whether the rotation pulse width is longer than the reference set value. The reference set value is a set value corresponding to the reference rotation speed. If the rotation pulse width is longer than the reference set value, the PWM value is increased in step 613. As a result, the driving force of the motor 46 increases, and the reduced rotational speed increases.

  If the rotation pulse width is not longer than the reference set value, it is determined in step 615 whether or not the rotation pulse width is shorter than the reference set value. If the rotation pulse width is shorter than the reference set value, the PWM value is lowered at step 617. As a result, the driving force of the motor 46 decreases, and the increased number of rotations decreases.

When the rotation pulse width is neither longer nor shorter than the reference set value, the PWM value is not changed. For this reason, the driving force of the motor 46 does not change, and the number of rotations does not increase or decrease.
Such an operation is performed based on a control signal from the body ECU 21. As a result, the seat 46 is reclined or moved back and forth by the motor 46 rotating at a constant rotational speed. Thus, since the motor 46 always rotates at a constant rotational speed regardless of the load fluctuation, the generated noise does not change in level and strength and does not cause discomfort.

  Further, since the seat ECU 12 is interposed, it is easy to enable the reclining and the soft start / stop of the forward / backward movement. Instead of interposing the seat ECU 22, the function of the seat ECU 22 may be incorporated into the body ECU 21 side.

  When changing the reclining angle, the motor load is greater when tilting forward than when tilting backward. In order to cope with such directionality of the load, it is preferable that the rotational force of the motor when tilting forward is larger than that when tilting backward.

  An example of a flowchart of the operation of the power seat control device that makes it possible is shown in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the operation of the power seat control apparatus shown in FIG. This flowchart corresponds to a part of the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the same parts as those in FIG.

  In the polarity detection in step 301, it is determined whether the vehicle is tilted forward or backward. When the vehicle is tilted forward, the PWM value is set to the initial setting value 1 in step 305 '. When the vehicle is tilted backward, after the polarity is converted in step 303, the PWM value is set to the initial setting value 2 in step 306.

  The initial setting value 1 is set larger than the initial setting value 2. For this reason, when a voltage of the set PWM value is applied in step 307, a larger voltage is applied to the motor 37 with the initial set value 1, so that the motor 37 rotates with a stronger force. Thereby, the motor drive corresponding to the large load at the time of forward tilt is performed.

  Another example of a flowchart of the operation of the power seat control device is shown in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the operation of the power seat control apparatus shown in FIG. This flowchart corresponds to a part of the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, the same parts as those in FIG.

  In the direction detection in step 601, it is determined whether the vehicle is tilted forward or backward. When the vehicle is tilted forward, the PWM value is set to the initial setting value 1 in step 605 '. When the vehicle is tilted backward, in step 606, the PWM value is set to the initial setting value 2.

  The initial setting value 1 is set larger than the initial setting value 2. For this reason, when the voltage of the set PWM value is applied in step 607, the motor 46 rotates with a strong force because the larger voltage is applied to the motor 46 with the initial set value 1. Thereby, the motor drive corresponding to the large load at the time of forward tilt is performed.

  In addition, the motor drive corresponding to such directionality of the load can be applied not only to the power seat but also to controlling a power window having different loads when the window glass is raised and lowered.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of a power seat system. It is a block diagram of an example of a power seat control device of the best mode for carrying out the invention. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of a power seat control apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of a power seat system. It is a block diagram of an example of a power seat control device of the best mode for carrying out the invention. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of a power seat control apparatus. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of a power seat control apparatus. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of a power seat control apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10: Battery 11: Body ECU
12: Seat ECU
13: Seat 14: Motor 15: Motor 20: Battery 23: Seat 24: Motor 25: Motor 31: Polarity detection unit 32: Microcomputer 33: Polarity conversion unit 34: Motor drive unit 35: Rotation information input unit 36: Rotation detection unit 37: Motor 42: Microcomputer 43: Motor drive unit 44: Rotation information input unit 45: Rotation detection unit 46: Motor

Claims (6)

A device for controlling a power seat with a built-in motor for moving a movable part,
First control means for outputting a drive signal for the motor;
Second control means for adjusting the voltage of the drive signal and supplying it to the motor;
A power seat control device comprising: The second control means detects the polarity of the drive signal and obtains the absolute value of the voltage of the drive signal, and controls forward and reverse rotation of the motor according to the polarity of the drive signal;
The power seat control device according to claim 1. A device for controlling a power seat with a built-in motor for moving a movable part,
First control means for outputting a control signal for the motor;
Second control means for supplying to the motor a drive signal whose voltage is adjustable based on the control signal;
A power seat control device comprising: The second control means detects the rotation speed of the motor and adjusts the voltage of the drive signal so that the rotation speed of the motor is constant;
The power seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the power seat control device is a power seat control device. The second control means boosts the voltage of the drive signal in advance;
The power seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power seat control device is provided. The second control unit varies the voltage of the drive signal according to the rotation direction of the motor;
The power seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the power seat control device is a power seat control device.

Images