KR20150102769A - System and method for operating tail gate - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a tailgate operating system and a method thereof. The tailgate operating system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a smart key recognition unit to recognize a smart key of a user located inside a constant area from the vehicle; a rear sensor to receive an opening and closing order of a tailgate according to a body detection algorithm of the user located inside a setting distance of a predetermined direction when the smart key is recognized; an LED lamp unit to display a body detection input state by sequentially putting out multiple lamps which are circularly arranged with the rear sensor as the center; a control unit to control a gate driving unit with an opening or closing action if the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a constant time within the predetermined distance; and the gate driving unit to open and close the tailgate by using a driving unit according to a control signal which is applied from the control unit.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING TAIL GATE

The present invention relates to a vehicle tailgate operating system and method.

Generally, users of Recreation Vehicle (RV) such as Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) and Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) tend to mount more luggage on a vehicle than users of a general sedan.

In addition, the demand for leisure vehicles (RV) is continuously increasing because the income level is improved and the working conditions for 5 days a week are improved to increase the number of people who enjoy various leisure and hobbies.

Conventionally, when the user approaches the vehicle with his / her hands full, the user must open the tailgate by using the remote control key after placing the baggage on the floor near the vehicle. Here, the tail gate means a power tailgate of a vehicle that is automatically opened or closed.

In addition, there has been an inconvenience that the load must be closed by using the remote control key after lowering the load on the floor as described above in the process of moving a large amount of the load placed on the vehicle to another place.

In order to solve the conventional inconveniences, various techniques have been developed in which a driver operates the gate of a leisure car (RV) without using his or her hand and opens the car automatically.

For example, when a driver with a load on both hands approaches the vehicle, the smart key system is used to sense the driver's approach, and then the sensor on the door handle is touched or the kick switch is kicked A technology has been developed that automatically opens a locked door by receiving a door open input in a way that intercepts the laser beam.

However, this conventional method has a problem that a door open input method of a user is simple, and malfunction such as unintended door opening may occur.

In addition, in the conventional method of blocking the laser beam, there is a problem that an additional sensor for recognizing motion is installed, which causes an increase in cost, and a user must shake one foot to detect the sensor, There is a problem that the center of gravity may be disturbed, which is not easy to use.

In addition, the conventional gate drawing techniques only describe the opening of the door, and there is a problem that it is impossible to control the load of the door, which is used to move a large amount of the load placed on the vehicle, to the door.

Patent Document 1: United States Patent No. 2007-0132552 (published on June 14, 2007)

An embodiment of the present invention provides a full-auto type vehicle gate operating system and method for automatically opening and closing a tail gate stably through body detection of a user even when both hands of a driver are not free .

According to an aspect of the present invention, a tailgate operating system of a vehicle includes: a smart key recognizing unit for recognizing a smart key of a user located in a predetermined area from the vehicle; A rear sensor that receives an opening / closing operation command of a tail gate according to a body detection algorithm of a user located within a preset distance in a predetermined direction in a state where the smart key is recognized; An LED lamp unit for displaying a plurality of LED lamps circularly arranged around the rear sensor for sequentially displaying a body detection input state for a predetermined period of time according to an input of an opening / closing operation command of the tail gate; When the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a predetermined time within the set distance, the control unit controls the gate driving unit to the opening operation or the closing operation; And a gate driver for opening / closing the tail gate by using driving means in accordance with a control signal applied from the controller.

Also, the rear sensor may be a distance sensor using ultrasonic waves installed at the rear of the vehicle, and may be a rear sensor disposed at the rightmost one of the plurality of rear sensors.

Also, the LED lamp unit may turn on the plurality of LED lamps when the smart key is recognized, and sequentially turn off the LED lamps in one direction for the predetermined time.

The controller may control the gate driver to be opened when the body detection input state is released after the user maintains the body detection input state for a predetermined time while the tail gate is closed .

The controller may further include a tail gate operation for controlling the gate driver to a closing operation when the body detection state is released after the user maintains the body detection input state for a predetermined time while the tail gate is open, system.

Also, the controller may be configured to release the body detection state after the user maintains the body detection input state for the first time while the tail gate is open, and to reset the body detection re- The gate driver can be controlled to be closed by releasing the body detection re-input state.

The tailgate operation system may further include a tailgate for visually displaying an overall tailgate operation processing step according to a user's body detection input by blinking the emergency ramp; And a speaker for audibly outputting the tailgate operation processing step through a beep sound.

Wherein the control unit outputs the announcement item so that the user can safely retreat behind the open / close area of the tail gate through the speaker during the opening and closing operation of the gate driver.

On the other hand, a tailgate operating method for operating a tailgate operating system of a vehicle in an open state with a tailgate closed, according to one aspect of the present invention, comprises the steps of: a) recognizing a smart key of a user located in a certain area Activating and illuminating the LED lamp unit; b) detecting a user's body located within a set distance in a predetermined direction from the rear sensor of the vehicle; c) displaying a body detection input state by sequentially turning off a plurality of LED lamps arranged in a circle around the rear sensor for a predetermined period of time according to an input of an opening / closing operation command of the tail gate; And d) if the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a predetermined time within the set distance, controlling the gate driver to be an open operation.

On the other hand, a tailgate operating method for operating a tailgate operating system of a vehicle in a closed state with a tailgate open, according to an aspect of the present invention, comprises: a) recognizing a smart key of a user located in a certain area from the vehicle Activating and illuminating the LED lamp unit; b) detecting a user's body located within a set distance in a predetermined direction from the rear sensor of the vehicle; c) stopping the turning off of the plurality of LED lamps arranged circularly around the rear sensor, sequentially turning off a predetermined number of LED lamps for a first time required according to the input of the opening / closing operation command of the tail gate, Re-executing the light-off of the LED lamp for a second required time when the LED lamp is retracted out of the set distance and then approaches again within the set distance; And d) if the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a second time during which all the LED lamps are turned off, controlling the gate driver to the closing operation.

In addition, the step b) may detect the user's body using the right rear sensor among a plurality of rear sensors provided behind the vehicle.

In addition, the step c) may output a beep sound or a melody sound through the speaker when the LED lamp is turned off.

Also, in step d), it is possible to operate the tail gate after blinking the speaker and the emergency light indicating that the body detection input for the tail gate opening operation is completed.

The step d) may further include operating all the rear sensors of the vehicle to check whether the user's body does not exist within a second set distance farther than the open / close operation range of the tailgate, have.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the tailgate can be opened safely and accurately through the body detection of the vehicle rear-side sensor in a state in which the load is not placed on the floor.

It also improves the convenience of the vehicle by providing a full auto type tailgate operation system that automatically closes the tailgate through the body detection signal input even when the user who has finished driving can take the luggage out of the luggage room and can not use both hands. .

In addition, since the rear sensor installed in the vehicle is utilized, additional parts required for the conventional kick motion or step recognition can be omitted, and the production cost can be reduced.

Further, there is an advantage that the recognition time and the operation processing time are fast because the user is approached by the lower body approach, and stability is improved because there is no unstable operation such as the conventional kick motion and step recognition.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing a tailgate operating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tailgate operating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method of opening and closing a tailgate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a body detection input process for opening the tailgate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart schematically showing a method of closing the tail gate according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates a body detection input process for a closed operation of a tailgate according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a comparison chart of the effect of the prior art compared to the tail gate operation technique according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without excluding other elements unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms " part, "" module," and " module ", etc. in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function or operation and may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software have.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tailgate operating system and method according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing a tailgate operating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a tailgate operating system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention automatically opens and closes a tailgate in a situation where a user can not use both hands to solve a conventional inconvenience (Hereinafter referred to as " open " for convenience).

For this purpose, the tailgate operating system 100 can easily detect the tailgate by detecting the user's body through the rear sensor 120 installed in the leisure vehicle (RV) such as MPV and SUV. A command for automatically opening and closing can be inputted.

Here, the rear sensor 120 uses the rear sensor 120 located at the rightmost rear side of the vehicle due to the characteristic that the tail gate opens or closes to the rear of the vehicle. This can ensure safety in the opening and closing operation process by guiding the tailgate to stand in the rearward direction of the vehicle in which the tailgate is operated rather than being positioned.

Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the tailgate operating system 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 below.

2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tailgate operating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, a tailgate operating system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a smart key recognizer 110, a rear sensor 120, an LED lamp 130, a gate driver 140, An emergency light 150, a speaker 160, and a control unit 170.

The smart key recognizing unit 110 recognizes that the user is located within a predetermined area from the vehicle by performing short-distance communication with the smart key possessed by the user.

The rear sensor 120 is a device for assisting safe driving by detecting an object or a person located behind the vehicle through ultrasonic waves. The distance can be measured by an operation that a user hides an ultrasonic wave by the body.

In particular, in the embodiment of the present invention, the rear sensor 120 inputs an open / close operation command of a tail gate according to an algorithm for detecting a user's body located within a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction in a state where a smart key of a user is recognized Can receive.

In the following description, the term "body detection input" refers to the fact that the user is located within a set distance from the rear sensor 120 for a tailgate operation command. The above algorithm means a condition that the user must maintain the body detection input state for a predetermined time within a set distance in order to input an opening / closing operation command of the tail gate.

On the other hand, automatic opening and closing of the tailgate is also important, but when the user is located in the operating region of the tailgate, a collision with the user may occur in the operation of opening or closing the tailgate.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, body detection is performed through the rear sensor 120 installed on the far-right side of the rear sensors of the vehicle, so that the user can move in the lateral direction (i.e., It is possible to prevent a safety accident caused by a collision by inducing it to move naturally. Further, it is obvious from the foregoing description that the rear sensor provided on the leftmost side may be used according to the design, not limited to the case of using the right rear sensor.

The LED lamp unit 130 includes a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) lamps arranged in a circle around the rear sensor 120 to display a body detection state.

The LED lamp unit 130 visually displays the body detection input state of the user for a certain period of time according to the input of the opening / closing operation command of the tail gate through the lighting of the LED lamp (light emission) and the lighting of the LED lamp.

For example, the LED lamp unit 130 emits all of the LED lamps when the smart key of the user is recognized. The LED lamp unit 130 sequentially extinguishes the LED lamps one by one in a one-side direction (e.g., clockwise) during a time period during which the body detection input through the rear sensor 120 is counted, Express it visually.

This is to prevent malfunction of the tail gate due to a simple input method.

Therefore, if the user keeps the body detection input state for the predetermined input time, the qualifying tail gate opening / closing command is normally input, and if the body detection input state is released before the predetermined distance, the opening and closing command can be canceled.

The gate driver 140 is a device that automatically opens and closes a gate using driving means such as a motor and an actuator according to an applied control signal, and has the same meaning as a power tail gate, a power gate, and a power trunk. The structure of the gate driving unit 140 may be a technique known before the application, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The emergency light 150 blinks the emergency lamp to visually display the overall tailgate operation processing step in which the user approaches the rear sensor 120 to perform the body detection input.

The speaker 160 audibly outputs the overall tailgate operation processing step like the emergency light 150. [

The display and output operations of the emergency light 150 and the speaker 160 not only guide the tail gate operation input state but also warn the user that the opening and closing operation of the tail gate is started, This is to prevent accidents.

The control unit 170 controls the overall operation of each configuration of the tailgate operating system 100 according to a tailgate opening and closing algorithm programmed for operation of the gate driver 140. [

The control unit 170 can recognize that the legitimate user is located at a position close to the vehicle through the recognition information of the smart key recognition unit 110. [

If the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input for a predetermined time within the set distance through the rear sensor 120, the controller 170 controls the gate driver 140 to be opened or closed do.

In addition, the controller 170 may output the status of each stage for performing the opening logic and the closing logic of the tail gate through the speaker 160 and the emergency light 150. [ In particular, if the user holds the body detection input state normally, the control unit 170 may output the announcement through the speaker 160 before the tail gate is opened or closed to thereby retract the user behind the open / close region of the gate.

The tail gate operating method based on the configuration of the tail gate operating system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following embodiments.

 [First Embodiment]

The method of opening the tailgate according to the first embodiment of the present invention assumes that a user holding a load in both hands approaches a vehicle in which a tailgate is closed to load a load.

3 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method of opening and closing a tailgate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a body detection input process for opening the tailgate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the tailgate operating system 100 extinguishes all the LED lamps in an inactive state of the LED lamp unit 130 (S101), recognizes the smart key of the user (S102; YES ) All LED lamps are turned on to wait for the user to access the rear sensor 120 (S103).

When the user approaches the rear sensor 120, the tailgate operating system 100 measures the sensing distance of the user through the rear sensor 120 and determines whether the sensed distance of the measured user is within a set distance for the body detection input (S104).

At this time, if the sensing distance to the user is within the set distance for the body detection input (S104; Yes), the tail gate operating system 100 turns off the LED lamps one by one in the clockwise direction during a certain body detection holding time, Beep sound is output (S105).

For example, the tailgate operating system 100 can turn off one LED lamp at intervals of one second while counting a certain body detection holding time, and output a beep sound through the speaker 160 in accordance with the turn-off of the LED lamp can do. At this time, the speaker 160 is not limited to the beep sound output, and may output the melody sound source having the body detection holding time as one cycle, so that the user can grasp the input progress state by referring to the playback section of the melody sound that is familiar to the user.

The tailgate operation system 100 displays that the body detection input for the tailgate opening operation is completed when all the LED lamps of the LED lamp unit 130 are turned off (S106; YES), the beep sound and the emergency light 150 are blinked Then, the tail gate is operated by opening.

At this time, the tail gate operating system 100 may operate to automatically open the tail gate by applying a control signal to the gate driver 140 to mechanically operate the tail gate.

On the other hand, if the smart key is not recognized in step S102 (S102: NO), the tailgate operating system 100 maintains the inactivated state of the LED lamp unit 130. [

If the user's body sensing distance of the rear sensor 120 is not within the set distance in step S104 (S104: NO), the tail gate operation system 100 does not start the body detection input operation.

If the body detection input state is canceled before all the LED lamps are turned off in step S106 (S106: NO), the tail gate operation system 100 cancels the body detection input in progress and outputs a corresponding beep sound (S107).

Here, the termination of the body detection input state means that the user has not completed the input maintaining condition while maintaining the body within the set distance while the body detection input is in progress.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, there is an effect that the tail gate can be opened safely and accurately through the body detection of the vehicle rear-side sensor in a state where the user does not put the load on the floor on both hands.

[Second Embodiment]

A method of closing the tailgate according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described on the assumption that a user holding a load on both hands in a state in which the tailgate of the vehicle is open automatically closes the tailgate through the body detection input .

The second embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the risk is improved by adding an avoidance motion since the tail gate can be hit by a user in a tail gate that is suddenly closed in an operation of automatically closing the tail gate.

5 is a flowchart schematically showing a method of closing the tail gate according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a body detection input process for a closed operation of a tailgate according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, a method of closing the tailgate according to the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment in that the method of inputting body detection through the rear sensor 120 is simplified Explain.

When the tailgate operating system 100 recognizes the smart key of the user in the deactivated state of the LED lamp unit 130, all the LEDs are lit and the sensing distance of the user, measured through the rear sensor 120, If it is within the set distance, the LED lamp is turned off one by one in the clockwise direction and a beep sound is output (S201 to S205).

When the four LED lamps are turned off (S206; Yes), the tailgate operating system 100 waits for the LED lamps to be turned off, resumes the set distance, and re-executes the LED lamps when the user approaches the set distance again S207).

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the body detection input and the light output are temporarily stopped after four LED lamps are turned off, the rear sensor 120 recognizes the operation when the user is backing off, And body detection input can be resumed.

Thereafter, the tailgate operating system 100 notifies the beep sound and the emergency light 150 that the body detection input for the tail gate closing operation is completed (step S206; YES), when all the LED lamps of the LED lamp part 130 are turned off The tail gate is operated to be closed (S210).

At this time, the tail gate operating system 100 may operate to automatically close the tail gate by applying a control signal to the gate driver 140 to mechanically move the tail gate.

If the body detection input state is released (S206 / S208; No) before the four LED lamps are turned off in step S206 or all the LED lamps are turned off in step S208, The body detection input is canceled and a corresponding beep is output (S209).

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a fully automatic type tailgate which automatically closes the tailgate by inputting a body detection signal even in a situation where the user who has finished driving takes out the luggage from the luggage room and can not use both hands, By providing an operating system, the convenience of using the vehicle can be improved.

Meanwhile, FIG. 7 is a comparison chart of the prior art compared to the tail gate operation technique according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the tailgate operating system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention utilizes a rear sensor that is installed in the vehicle as a base, so that the additional required parts for kick motion or step recognition It can be omitted and there is an advantage in cost competitiveness.

Further, there is an advantage that the recognition time and the operation processing time are fast because the user is approached by the lower body approach, and stability is improved because there is no unstable operation such as the conventional kick motion and step recognition.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

For example, in the step of completing the body detection input according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment to open or close the tail gate (S108 or S210), the tail gate operating system 100 transmits 2 The tailgate can be operated after checking whether the user's body exists within the set distance.

Here, the second set distance is set to a distance greater than the opening / closing operation range of the tail gate, and is different from the set distance for the body detection input.

Therefore, the tail gate can be safely operated by confirming whether or not the user is safe even when the tail gate is operated after completion of the body detection input.

The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described apparatuses and / or methods, but may be implemented through a program for realizing functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention, a recording medium on which the program is recorded And such an embodiment can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the description of the embodiments described above.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, It belongs to the scope of right.

100: Tail gate operation system 110: Smart key recognition unit
120: Rear sensor 130: LED lamp part
140: gate driver 150: emergency light
160: speaker 170:

Claims (14)

In a tailgate operating system of a vehicle,
A smart key recognition unit for recognizing a smart key of a user located in a predetermined area from the vehicle;
A rear sensor that receives an opening / closing operation command of a tail gate according to a body detection algorithm of a user located within a preset distance in a predetermined direction in a state where the smart key is recognized;
An LED lamp unit for displaying a plurality of LED lamps circularly arranged around the rear sensor for sequentially displaying a body detection input state for a predetermined period of time according to an input of an opening / closing operation command of the tail gate;
When the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a predetermined time within the set distance, the control unit controls the gate driving unit to the opening operation or the closing operation; And
A gate driver for opening / closing the tail gate by using driving means in accordance with a control signal applied from the controller,
And a tether gate operating system. The method according to claim 1,
The rear sensor includes:
A distance measuring sensor using an ultrasonic wave installed at the rear of the vehicle and using a rear sensor disposed at the rightmost one of the plurality of rear sensors. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The LED lamp unit includes:
Wherein when the smart key is recognized, all of the plurality of LED lamps are turned on and sequentially turn off the LED lamp in one direction for the predetermined time. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller controls the gate driver to open when the body detection input state is released after the user maintains the body detection input state for a predetermined time while the tail gate is closed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the gate driver is controlled to be closed when the body detection state is released after the user maintains the body detection input state for a predetermined time while the tail gate is open. 6. The method according to claim 1 or 5,
Wherein,
After the user holds the body detection input state for the first time while the tail gate is open, releases the body detection state, and after maintaining the body detection re-input state for the second time, And when the detection re-input state is released, the gate driving unit is controlled to be a closing operation. The method according to claim 1,
A tailgate operation process step of blinking an emergency lamp according to a user's body detection input; And
And a speaker for audibly outputting the tailgate operation processing step through a beep sound. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein,
Wherein the guide gate outputs the guide ment so that the user safely retreats behind the open / close region of the tail gate when the gate driving unit is opened and closed. A tailgate operating method for operating a tailgate operating system of a vehicle in an open state with a tailgate closed,
a) activating and illuminating the LED lamp unit when recognizing a smart key of a user located in a certain area from the vehicle;
b) detecting a user's body located within a set distance in a predetermined direction from the rear sensor of the vehicle;
c) displaying a body detection input state by sequentially turning off a plurality of LED lamps arranged in a circle around the rear sensor for a predetermined period of time according to an input of an opening / closing operation command of the tail gate; And
d) if the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a predetermined time within the set distance, controlling the gate driver to be an opening operation
/ RTI > CLAIMS 1. A tailgate operating method for operating a tailgate operating system of a vehicle in a closed state with a tailgate open,
a) activating and illuminating the LED lamp unit when recognizing a smart key of a user located in a certain area from the vehicle;
b) detecting a user's body located within a set distance in a predetermined direction from the rear sensor of the vehicle;
c) stopping the turning off of the plurality of LED lamps arranged circularly around the rear sensor, sequentially turning off a predetermined number of LED lamps for a first time required according to the input of the opening / closing operation command of the tail gate, Re-executing the light-off of the LED lamp for a second required time when the LED lamp is retracted out of the set distance and then approaches again within the set distance; And
d) if the user succeeds in maintaining the body detection input state for a second time during which all the LED lamps are turned off, controlling the gate driver to a closing operation
/ RTI > 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
The step b)
And detecting the user's body by using the right rear sensor among a plurality of rear sensors installed at the rear of the vehicle. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
The step c)
And outputting a beep sound or a melody sound through the speaker when the LED lamp is turned off. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
The step d)
Wherein the tail gate is operated after the speaker and the emergency light are blinked to indicate that the body detection input for the tail gate opening operation is completed. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
The step d)
Further comprising the step of operating the tailgate if it is determined that the user's body is not present within a second set distance that is farther than the open / close operation range of the tailgate via all the rear sensors of the vehicle.

Images