WO2008083957A2

WO2008083957A2 - Motor-driven adjusting device and method for controllling the same

Info

Publication number: WO2008083957A2
Application number: PCT/EP2008/000107
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen Buhlheller
Original assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Hallstadt
Priority date: 2007-01-10
Filing date: 2008-01-09
Publication date: 2008-07-17
Also published as: DE202007000363U1; EP2108074A2; WO2008083957A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a simple control method for a motor-driven adjusting device (1) for use in a motor vehicle, which method allows a reliable operation of the adjusting device. The invention is characterized in that prior to any automatic adjusting process, at least one variable (T, M) influencing the performance characteristics of the adjusting device (1) is ascertained and evaluated. The adjusting process is only carried out if the one or every variable (T, M) has a value that is within a predetermined admissible range.

Description

Description Motor control device and control method for such

The invention relates to a control method for a motor actuating device provided for use in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to an adjusting device for carrying out the method.

Motorized actuating devices are used in the field of automotive engineering, in particular as motorized windows. Furthermore, adjusting devices are also used for adjusting other movable vehicle parts, in particular sliding and folding roofs, vehicle doors, seats, etc. Such an adjusting device usually comprises an electric servomotor, which is coupled via an adjusting mechanism to the vehicle part to be adjusted, in the case of a window regulator of a vehicle window, such that the vehicle part can be moved along a predetermined travel path between two end positions. In the case of a window lift, these end positions are predetermined by the closed position and the opening position of the vehicle window.

Such an adjusting device can usually be manually operated on the one hand. In this case, a setting process is only triggered when an operator actuates a corresponding control button. The setting process is maintained only for the duration of this manual operation. In addition, a conventional actuator can often be used for automatic actuation, which are initiated or maintained without a manually triggered control command. An automatic actuation of a window lift takes place, for example, when opening and closing a motor vehicle folding top. In this case, the side windows of the motor vehicle are first completely or partially lowered prior to opening or closing the folding top, and moved after opening or closing the folding top again in the closed position.

According to the standards and legal regulations applicable in many countries, for the automatic actuation of a vehicle window or certain other vehicle parts under certain conditions, eg when the engine is switched off, an input be provided terminal protection. According to the provisions in force in Europe, it must therefore be ensured, in particular, that the closing process of the vehicle windscreen is reversed if, within an opening range of the windscreen between 200 mm and 4 mm, the disk advance is resisted by a resistance of at most 100 N relative to the closed position of the windscreen.

The indirect anti-jamming protection is conventionally used e.g. made via a speed detection of the servomotor. It is exploited that the speed of the servo motor - apart from an initial transient phase and the final inlet of the vehicle window in a window seal - is substantially constant. The detection of a trapping case is based here usually on a comparison of the measured speed with a predetermined threshold, the anti-trap is triggered when the speed falls below the threshold.

In the transient phase at the beginning of a setting process and when the vehicle window enters the seal, the speed is inherently not constant. The realization of an effective anti-pinch protection, in particular when the vehicle window enters the seal, is complicated by the fact that the operating behavior of the adjusting device, and in particular also the sensed rotational speed of the actuating motor, depends significantly on specific operating or environmental parameters. These parameters include in particular the ambient temperature of the adjusting device.

On the one hand, this temperature dependence is due to the fact that the sealing material has different material properties depending on the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the kinematic properties of the actuating mechanism and the servomotor itself are dependent on temperature to some extent. For a fixed operating point, the sealing profile can be taught (adapted).

The behavior of the adjusting device is furthermore dependent on the amount of the supplied supply voltage, in particular therefore the battery voltage of a vehicle battery. When the battery voltage is low, as is the case in particular when the engine is switched off and, if necessary, a partially discharged battery, the servomotor has naturally According to a comparatively low power, which in turn affects the engine speed, and this also on the anti-trap.

It has proven to be extraordinarily costly in practice to optimize a pinch contactor with complex kinematics, in particular when the vehicle window enters the gasket, so that it meets the legal requirements for all eventualities, in particular all possible temperatures and battery voltages.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple to implement control method for a motor-driven actuator, which simultaneously allows safe operation of the actuator. The invention is further based on the object of specifying a particularly suitable for carrying out this method adjusting device.

With regard to the method, the object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Accordingly, it is provided to ascertain and evaluate at least one parameter influencing the operating behavior of the adjusting device before the start of an automatic setting process. In the course of this evaluation, the setting process is only carried out if the or each parameter has a value lying within a predefined permissible range.

With respect to the associated adjusting device, the object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 10. Thereafter, in particular designed as a window lift actuator comprises a servomotor and an actuating mechanism which is coupled to the servo motor such that by actuation of the servo motor by means of the actuating mechanism to adjustable vehicle part between two end positions is adjustable. The adjusting device furthermore comprises a control unit designed in particular as a microcontroller or integrated circuit for controlling the servomotor. The control unit is in this case circuit and / or program technically designed to collect and evaluate at least one parameter before the start of an automatic setting process. The control unit is further configured to adjust the setting only if the or each characteristic has a value lying within a predetermined permissible range.

The invention is based on the finding that it is possible with comparatively little effort to optimize anti-pinch protection, in particular an associated gasket adaptation, in such a way that it works safely and in conformity with the legal requirements in the vast majority of applications occurring in practice. It is recognized, however, that the lawful implementation of anti-pinch protection is made more difficult in particular by the fact that a large number of operating conditions must be taken into account, which are only rarely or only rarely occur in daily practice. Such exceptional operating conditions are characterized for example by very high and / or very low temperatures or very high and / or very low supply voltages.

As is known, it is often not even necessary for such exceptional operating conditions to provide automatic adjusting operations within the scope of an adjusting device. For example, in the case of a motor vehicle, an optionally available folding roof will with high probability not be opened when the outside temperature falls below the freezing point. It is therefore not recognized in this case also necessary to provide the required for the soft top automatic disc operation.

Based on these findings, the safety of the anti-trap protection is not achieved - as by conventional method - by considering all conceivable operating situations, but by limiting the use of automatic control operations to a permissible range of parameters, outside this range no automatic actuation, but at least no safety-critical automatic actuation be admitted and thus no anti-trap protection is required. As a result, automatic parking operations are possible without loss of security for the vast majority of all applications occurring in practice. At the same time, the realization of the anti-trap protection becomes significant. simplified, especially since unlikely and rarely occurring operating conditions need not be considered.

Alternatively, within the scope of the invention, automatic setting processes outside the permissible characteristic range are not completely switched off, but are carried out with changed settings of at least one operating parameter which precludes or at least reduces the risk of damage in the event of pinching. Such altered parameter settings are, in particular, a lower actuating speed and / or a lower maximum torque and / or a smoother starting and / or a gentler sealing inlet. As a start, the course of the positioning speed when starting the adjusting device is called. As a seal inlet the course of the actuating speed when entering the vehicle window is referred to in the seal. In this variant of the invention, therefore, a differentiation is made between an automatic (normal) setting process and an associated automatic special setting process with the changed parameter settings. The normal positioning process is always executed when all the measured parameters are within the permissible range. The special setting process is executed instead of the associated normal setting process if one or more characteristics in a special area are outside the permitted range.

Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a plurality of special setting operations with cascaded, parameter settings and corresponding successive special areas for the or each parameter for a normal setting operation. For example, the actuating device is driven at the lower actuating speed, the farther one of the parameters is removed from the permissible range.

In a preferred embodiment of the method and the associated apparatus, a temperature variable that is characteristic of the temperature of the adjusting device and / or a voltage measuring variable of an electrical supply voltage of the adjusting device are ascertained as the parameter.

The temperature measured variable is measured directly in an expedient variant of the invention by means of a temperature sensor associated with the adjusting device. Of the Temperature sensor can optionally be integrated into the control unit of the adjusting device or be a separate part of the adjusting device. Alternatively, as a temperature measurement or basis for the design of such a vehicle outside temperature can be used. The vehicle exterior temperature is in this case expediently provided by an on-board computer - in the context of which the vehicle exterior temperature is usually collected by default anyway - provided.

As voltage measurement, the battery voltage of a vehicle battery is expediently used. The voltage measurement variable is provided in a preferred embodiment of the method and the associated device either by an external vehicle controller, in particular again an on-board computer. Alternatively, the voltage measured variable can also be detected directly by the control unit of the adjusting device.

As a temperature measurement associated permissible temperature range, in particular a temperature range of about 0 ⁰ C to about + 40 ⁰ C has proven to be useful. For the voltage measured in particular a permissible voltage range of 8V to 12V has proven to be advantageous.

An advantageous embodiment of the method and the associated device goes beyond the mere check as to whether the or each parameter, in particular therefore the temperature measured variable and / or the voltage measured variable, is within the respective permissible range. Rather, it is provided in this variant to actively control the parameter or at least one of the sampled parameters in such a way that the value of this parameter is within the permissible range. Thus, if, according to the method, it is established that the parameter is outside the permissible range before the start of an automatic setting process, the parameter is first modified in such a way that it reaches the permissible range. Only then will the automatic setting process be started. Application of this variant of the invention, in particular in a motor vehicle with regulated battery voltage. In this case, the battery voltage by the adjusting device or an interacting with this external control unit of the motor vehicle for the duration of a parking operation corresponding matched to the permitted voltage range. Furthermore, an application of this method variant to the temperature measurement would be conceivable. For example, at very low outdoor temperatures, the window seal could be heated in advance of an automatic setting operation, etc.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Show:

1 to 3 each show a schematic block diagram of three embodiments of a power window designed as a motor actuating device for a vehicle window of a motor vehicle.

Corresponding parts and sizes are always provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.

1 shows a control device 1 designed as a window regulator for the motorized adjustment of a vehicle window 2.

The adjusting device 1 comprises an electric servomotor 3, which is mechanically coupled to the vehicle window 2 via an actuating mechanism 4 such that the vehicle window 2 is moved by means of the servomotor 3 along a travel path 5 between two end positions, namely an open position 6 and a closed position 7, is movable.

The adjusting device 1 further comprises a control unit 8, which is formed by a microcontroller or at least includes such. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the adjusting device 1 additionally comprises a temperature sensor 9, which is optionally integrated in the control unit 8 or, as shown, is a separate part of the adjusting device 1 connected to the control unit 8.

The servo motor 3 and the control unit 8 is made of a vehicle battery 10 (which is not an actual part of the adjusting device 1, and therefore in the figure ment shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1) is supplied with a supply voltage V electrically.

During operation of the adjusting device 1, the temperature sensor 9 raises a temperature measured variable T characteristic of the temperature of the adjusting device 1. For this purpose, the temperature sensor 9 is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the adjusting device, in particular in a vehicle door. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 9 is arranged in the vicinity of the vehicle window 2, in particular in a cooperating with the vehicle window 2 window seal. The temperature sensor 9 supplies the temperature measurement variable T to the control unit 8 as an input variable.

The control unit 8 is in turn connected to the control motor 3 for controlling the servomotor 3, thus for the delivery of control commands C. In this case, any signal is designated as a control command C, which causes the servomotor 3 to carry out a positioning operation in the sense of a movement of the vehicle window 2 in the direction of the open position 6 or closed position 7 or terminates such a positioning process. The generation and coordination of the control commands C takes place by means of a control program implemented in the control unit 8.

The control unit 8 can be caused on the one hand manually, on the other hand automatically for the generation and delivery of such control commands C. A manual setting process is triggered by an operator by pressing an operating button 11, which supplies a corresponding control signal S of the control unit 8 as an input variable in the actuated state. In a manual control operation, the control unit 8 controls the servomotor 3 always such that the vehicle window 2 is moved in the direction specified by the operation of the control key 11, as long as the control key 11 is pressed or until continued operation of the control key 11 one of the end positions. 6 or 7 is reached.

An automatic adjustment differs therefrom in that the setting process is started and carried out without a corresponding operation of the operating key 11 or in that a setting process is initiated by an actuation of the operating key 11, but also after the operating key 11 has been released by the control unit. 8 is continued. As an example of an automatic setting operation of the former type, the control unit 8 comprises a top function within the scope of the control program, at least in an embodiment variant provided for use with a motor vehicle with a folding top. As part of this top function, the control unit 8 lowers the vehicle window 2 from the closed position 7 by a certain amount before each opening or closing operation of the folding top. After completion of the opening or closing operation of the convertible top, the control unit 8 causes a return of the vehicle window 2 in the closed position 7. The top function is triggered by an external control unit 12 of the motor vehicle, which also coordinates the top movement, such as a central vehicle control, an on-board computer The external control unit 12 is in this case connected to the control unit 8 with the latter via a data transmission line 13, in particular a CAN bus or LIN bus.

As an example of an automatic setting of the latter type, the control unit 8 includes an automatic closing function in which it moves the vehicle window 2 until reaching the closed position 7 or the open position 6 when the operating button 11 in the appropriate direction only briefly tapped each time becomes.

The control program implemented in the control unit 8 is designed to compare the temperature measured variable T with a stored permissible temperature range before the start of each automatic setting process. The temperature range is defined, for example, as a closed temperature interval with a lower limit of, for example, 0 ^° C. and an upper limit of, for example, 40 ^° C. The control program is designed to perform the automatic setting process only when the value of the temperature variable T within the allowable temperature range, ie between ^{0 0} C and 40 ⁰ C. On the other hand, if the evaluation of the temperature measurement variable T yields that the value of the same is outside the permissible temperature range, then the control unit 8 rejects the execution of the automatic setting process. In the case of an automatic setting operation of the former type, in particular therefore the top function described, the control unit 8 in this case informs the device which requests the automatic setting process, in particular so the external control unit 12. In the case of an automatic adjustment of the latter type is optionally provided that the control unit 8 informs the operator triggering this process by a sound or light signal or an alphanumeric error message about it.

If and as long as the temperature measured variable T has a value lying outside the permissible temperature range, the control unit 8 allows only manual setting operations. Optionally, the control unit 8 in addition to such automatic parking operations to whose implementation according to legal requirements no anti-trap is prescribed.

Alternatively, an automatic normal setting operation and a special setting operation are defined in the control device 8, wherein the control device 8 drives the servomotor 3 in the special setting operation in comparison to the normal setting process with a reduced actuating speed and a reduced maximum torque. In this case, the normal setting process is carried out when the value of the temperature measurement variable T lies in the above-defined permissible range of, for example, 0 ° to 40 °. The special setting process, on the other hand, is carried out when the value of the temperature parameter T lies outside the permissible range, for example between 40 ° and 60 °, in a specified special range. If the value of the temperature characteristic T is also outside the special range, e.g. at 70 ° or -8 °, the control unit 8 in turn allows only a manual implementation of the setting process.

In a variant of the adjusting device 1 according to FIG. 2, the control unit 8 does not receive the temperature measured variable T from an adjusting device-specific temperature sensor 9. Rather, the control unit 8 in this embodiment is controlled by an external control unit 12, for example an on-board computer, the vehicle outside temperature as the temperature measured variable T via the data transmission line 13 supplied. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 is additionally supplied with a voltage measurement variable M which contains the current voltage magnitude of the supply voltage V. The voltage measurement variable M is the control unit 8 either - as shown - from the vehicle battery 10 itself or from another control unit of the motor vehicle, in particular again from an on-board computer available posed. Alternatively, the voltage measured variable M can also be calculated internally by the control unit 8.

In this embodiment, the control unit 8 evaluates both the temperature measured variable T and the voltage measured variable M before the start of an automatic actuating process. In this case, the automatic setting process is only permitted if the temperature measured variable T lies within a predefined permissible temperature range and the voltage measured variable M lies within a predefined permissible voltage range. As a permissible voltage range, a voltage interval of OV to 12V is stored in particular in the control unit 8.

A third variant of the adjusting device 1 shown in FIG. 3 is intended for use in a vehicle with a regulated vehicle battery 10. In this embodiment, the function of the control unit 8 is not limited to the mere verification of the voltage measurement variable M with regard to its conformity with the permissible voltage range. Rather, the control unit 8, if it determines an impermissible value of the voltage measured variable M in advance of an automatic setting operation, by issuing a control command B, the vehicle battery 10 so that the supply voltage V raised for the duration of the adjustment operation to a value lying within the allowable range or lowered.

Incidentally, the embodiment variants of the adjusting device according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 correspond to the embodiment according to FIG. 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 adjusting device

2 vehicle window

3 servomotor

4 actuating mechanism

5 travel path

6 opening position

7 closed position

8 control unit

9 temperature sensor

10 vehicle battery

11 operating set

12 control unit

13 data transmission line

B control command

C control command

M voltage measurement

S control signal

T temperature measurement

V supply voltage

Claims

claims

1. A control method for a motorized actuating device (1) provided for use in a vehicle, in particular a window lifter, in which at least one characteristic (T ₁ M) influencing the operating behavior of the adjusting device (1) is detected and evaluated before the start of an automatic actuating operation, and wherein the adjusting operation is performed only when the or each characteristic (T ₁ M) has a value lying within a predetermined allowable range.

2. Control method according to claim 1, wherein as a characteristic for the temperature of the adjusting device (1) characteristic temperature measured variable (T) is collected.

3. Control method according to claim 2, wherein the temperature measured variable (T) by one of the adjusting device (1) associated temperature sensor (9) is measured.

4. Control method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the temperature measurement variable (T) is associated with a permissible temperature range from 0 ⁰ C to +40 ⁰ C.

5. Control method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein as a characteristic voltage measurement variable (M) of an electrical supply voltage of the adjusting device (1) is charged.

6. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the voltage measured variable (M) is associated with a permissible voltage range of OV to 12V.

7. Control method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the parameter (M) or at least one of the parameters (M) for the duration of an automatic setting process is controlled such that its value is within s the allowable range.

8. Control method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein instead of the automatic setting process, an automatic special positioning operation is performed when the characteristic (M) or at least one dero parameters (T ₁ M) has a value within an outside of the permissible range arranged special area is located, and wherein the special adjustment compared to the first-mentioned setting process by changing settings of at least one operating parameter is characterized by the risk of damage in Einklemmfall5 is excluded or reduced compared to the former setting process.

9. Control method according to claim 8, wherein the special adjusting operation with respect to the first-mentioned actuating operation is characterized by a lower actuating speed and / or a lower maximum torque and / or a smoother starting and / or a gentler sealing inlet.

10. adjusting device (1) for use in a vehicle, in particular windows,

- With a servomotor (3), 5 - with a servo motor (3) coupled to the adjusting mechanism (4) for adjusting a vehicle part (2) between two end positions (6,7), and

- With a control unit (8) for controlling the servomotor (3), wherein the control unit (8) is adapted to at least one of the performance of the Stellvorrich-device (1) influencing parameter (T ₁ M) before the start of an automatic setting operation raise and evaluate, and perform the adjustment process only if the or each characteristic (T, M) has a value lying within a predetermined allowable range.

11. Adjusting device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the control unit (8) is designed to lift as a parameter for the temperature of the adjusting device (1) characteristic temperature measured variable (T).

12. adjusting device (1) according to claim 11, with a temperature sensor (9) for measuring the temperature measured variable (T).

13. Adjusting device (1) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein in the control unit (8) for the temperature measured variable (T) an allowable temperature range of 0 ⁰ C to +40 ⁰ C is deposited.

14. Adjusting device (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the control unit (8) is adapted to raise as a parameter a voltage measured variable (M) of an electrical supply voltage of the adjusting device (1).

15. Adjusting device (1) according to claim 14, wherein in the control unit (8) for the voltage measured variable (M) a permissible

Voltage range from OV to 12V is stored.

16. Actuator (1) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the control unit (8) is adapted to control the characteristic or at least one of the parameters (M) for the duration of an automatic setting operation such that their value within the permissible range lies.