JP7665648B2 - Method for determining operator requirements - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for determining an operator's desire during a manual action on a vehicle component that is movable relative to the vehicle body, and then detecting the speed of the vehicle component as a function of time.

Today, motor vehicle components that are movable relative to the motor vehicle body are often equipped with an additional drive or drive unit and/or braking unit. This applies not only to motor vehicle side doors, but also in particular to motor vehicle tailgates. With such motor vehicle components, the problem often arises, for example, that the operator does not know or is unaware that the motor vehicle component is equipped with a drive unit. In practice, this often means that the operator wants to forcefully close the motor vehicle component, for example a motor vehicle side door, and thus takes over all or part of the operation of the drive or drive unit provided for this purpose. This can cause the drive unit to be destroyed in the event of a strong impact.

For this reason, the general state of the art according to DE 10 2008 008 178 A1 already relates to a method for assisting the operation of a manually movable body component of a vehicle. The body component is moved with the aid of a controllable electric drive. A sensor can be used to detect a signal, on the basis of which a control unit controls the electric drive so that the body component is moved between an open position and a closed position or to any desired intermediate position.

Furthermore, the speed or change in speed of movement of the body component can also be detected. In any case, the known teachings generally ensure that the body component in question will automatically engage the locking device and lock there. This is known in principle.

Furthermore, DE 10 2007 062 472 B4 relates to a device for adjusting the actuation force of an actuator. The actuation force is adjusted as a function of the operating situation of the associated motor vehicle door. These include in particular the speed and/or acceleration values of the motor vehicle door, for example as explained in claim 2.

DE 10 2014 218 085 A1 generally relates to an arrangement for controlling automatically opening and closing car doors. It does not address the forces exerted on the car door by an operator and the resulting "throwing movement."

The state of the art is basically known, but functions more or less statically. With the teaching according to DE 10 2008 008 178 A1, an operator-controlled or sensor-controlled movement of the body component is generally made available. As a result, the manual force that the user has to exert in order to operate the body component can be reduced. However, the known teaching does not allow to distinguish between actions by the operator and actions caused by a gust of wind, for example by parking the vehicle on a slope. The present invention generally seeks to improve this.

overview

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing a method, which allows the operator's wishes to be accurately determined and in particular to be distinguished from interference effects affecting the motor vehicle component. Furthermore, a suitable device for this should be specified.

To solve this technical problem, a general method for determining an operator's wishes during manual action on a vehicle component movable relative to the vehicle body is characterized according to the invention in that the speed profile of the vehicle component as a function of time is evaluated with regard to the fulfillment, individually or in combination, of at least one criterion from the following group:
A) Group exceeding the speed threshold;
B) a group that is primarily guided by speed reduction tolerance; and
C) Groups according to the amount of time that the automotive components move and/or the amount of time that they slow down.

Within the scope of the present invention, the speed of the detected automotive component as a function of time is specifically evaluated. The speed profile as a function of time is evaluated to determine whether one of the above criteria A), B) or C) or several of these criteria are fulfilled. In this case, the speed profile of the automotive component in question as a function of time is interpreted in the sense that it corresponds to the desires of a user or operator and is not due to, for example, interference effects affecting the automotive component. The invention is based on the fundamental discovery that the speed profile of the automotive component as a function of time has a characteristic appearance that will be explained in more detail below with reference to the description of the drawings. In fact, the speed profile initially has an impact-like characteristic or impact range, which can be explained by the fact that the operator applies a corresponding impact or "push" on the automotive component in order to overcome its mass inertia. What is important in this case is that a certain speed threshold according to criterion A) is typically exceeded.

Following this shock-like transition, there is a gradient with an approximately linear progression, which corresponds to the aforementioned speed drop. The approximately linear progression of this gradient and the associated speed drop allows one to identify a tolerance range for this speed drop, i.e., a negative slope associated with the gradient with respect to criterion B). Alternatively or additionally, the fact that it primarily follows a specific tolerance range indicates that the speed profile of the automotive component determined as a function of time is indeed caused by an operator.

Finally, as a further possible criterion C), a time amount is used, which must be followed in such a way that the speed profile of the automotive component as a function of time can be interpreted as following a manual action by an operator. This time amount can be specified in terms of the total movement of the automotive component, i.e. from the idle position to a minimum and definable speed. Alternatively or additionally, this time amount can also be identified with a speed reduction that is regularly evaluated with regard to compliance with a tolerance range.

In this context, the amount of time may be or must be the minimum amount of time over which a slowdown is observed, or the minimum period of time over which the slowdown lies within said tolerance range. Similarly, the amount of time can be a maximum amount of time over which a slowdown is evaluated. However, in principle, compliance with a time amount includes compliance with both a minimum and a maximum amount of time.

Alternatively or additionally, the same applies if the movement of the automotive component is evaluated with respect to complying with the time amount. Again, a minimum time amount, a maximum time amount, or both a minimum and a maximum time amount may be defined.

Here too, only criterion C) is interpreted as being already sufficient to classify the speed profile of the motor vehicle component as a function of time, so that it is a profile that reflects the actions of the operator, i.e. the operator's wishes, and does not reflect interference effects from wind, a sloped road, etc. Of course, the above-mentioned criteria A) to C) can also be evaluated or met cumulatively. In any case, the evaluation indicates whether or not any of the criteria A) to C) is met. If the answer is "yes", the fulfillment of at least one of these criteria is interpreted according to the invention to the effect that this corresponds to an operator acting on the motor vehicle component and corresponds to the wishes of the corresponding operator. As a result, the speed profile of the motor vehicle component as a function of time can be evaluated so that it corresponds to the wishes of the user or the wishes of the operator.

This user wish can be advantageously implemented and/or assisted by the aid of a drive/brake unit. This means, for example, that in the case of a car side door, an operator's movement in the direction of "slamming" the car side door in question results in the drive unit assisting the wish to close the car door. The car door in question is thus automatically closed.

Conversely, an opening movement of the vehicle door in question, which is interpreted as an operator's wish or a user's desire, can activate the braking unit in order to brake the movement of the vehicle door in question, if necessary, and to avoid a hard stop. In any case, the operator's wish or the user's desire can be extracted from the evaluation of the speed profile of the vehicle component as a function of time, taking into account the criteria A) to C) specified above. This operator's wish or the user's desire can then be implemented and/or assisted with the help of the drive/braking unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the speed drop as a function of time is evaluated within characteristic B) to determine whether this speed drop is outside of the tolerance range within deformation range B) for a predefined amount of time. This means that the invention explicitly allows that within criterion B), the speed drop can be outside of the set tolerance range for a predefined amount of time. This is expressed and explained by the fact that in the scope of application of criterion B), there is talk of "mainly following" the tolerance range.

The specific amount of time during which the decrease in speed as a function of time may be outside the tolerance range within the deformation range B) is generally measured up to 30% of the above-mentioned maximum amount of time. In particular, the predetermined amount of time is up to 20% of said maximum amount of time.

The speed threshold within the range of criterion A) can be advantageously determined as a function of the motor vehicle component, in particular its moment of inertia. Alternatively or additionally, the speed threshold can also be set as a fixed or variable value depending on the operator. In this case, there is a further possibility to derive the speed threshold from a plurality of stored speed profiles of the motor vehicle component as a function of time depending on the operator. In other words, in this case, the respective stored speed profiles of the motor vehicle component as a function of time are evaluated to determine, for example, which speed maximum is observed in the first observed "shock range". The speed threshold can then be determined based on these various determined maximum values, for example 60% to 80% of the average maximum value of the speed. The maximum value of the speed depends on the action of the operator, which also explains why the speed threshold can be set as a fixed or variable value depending on the operator.

The speed profile of the automotive component as a function of time may also be evaluated with respect to its direction of movement. The invention is based on the knowledge that the automotive component in question can generally only be opened and closed relative to the vehicle body. This results, for example, in a negative or positive progression of the speed as a function of time compared to a fixed zero point. From this, in turn, the direction of movement in the "open" or "closed" orientation can be derived.

As explained above, taking into account criteria A) to C), on the basis of the analysis of the speed profile of the vehicle component as a function of time carried out according to the invention, a distinction can be made with respect to interference effects affecting the vehicle component. Such interference effects are due, for example, to wind acting on the vehicle component, the position of the vehicle on an incline, etc. This distinction may even make it possible in principle to exclude such interference effects of the vehicle component with respect to the speed profile as a function of time.

The subject of the invention is also a device for determining the wishes of an operator during manual action on a component of a motor vehicle that is movable relative to the body of the motor vehicle, as described in more detail in claim 9. An advantageous embodiment of this device is the subject of claim 10.

As a result, a method and an apparatus are available, by which the operator's wish can be accurately determined during manual action on the motor vehicle component and can in particular be distinguished from interference actions. As a result, the operator's wish or user's wish, for example in the "open" or "close" orientation, can be derived in a completely and reproducible manner from the evaluation. The user's wish or user's wish can be implemented by means of a drive/braking unit, so that the desired opening or closing action of the motor vehicle component is automatically implemented. In principle, however, it is also possible to assist the operator's or user's wish, so that the motor vehicle component is opened or closed in a servo-assisted manner. This is where the essential advantage lies.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings which show only one exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention for determining operator wishes purely diagrammatically. FIG. 2 shows a typical velocity profile of an automotive component as a function of time.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a device for determining the wishes of an operator during manual action on a vehicle component 2 that is movable relative to a vehicle body 1. In this embodiment, the vehicle component 2 is a vehicle side door 2 that can be moved from a closed position shown in solid lines in Figure 1 to an open position shown in dashed lines. This corresponds to the opening and closing movements shown by the double arrows.

For this purpose, the device has at least one sensor 3 connected to a control unit 4. Also implemented in this embodiment is a drive/brake unit 5 for the vehicle component 2 or the vehicle side door 2. In principle, the drive/brake unit 5 can be omitted when determining the operator's wish or general gesture recognition. Nevertheless, the drive/brake unit 5 in question is implemented and provided in the exemplary embodiment. The drive/brake unit 5 can be acted upon with the aid of the control unit 4, for example, to open the vehicle side door 2 (servo-assisted) or to brake it in the case of a manually initiated closing process.

For this purpose, an operator or user wish in the sense of "open" or "close" is first determined. In order to determine this operator wish or user wish using the control unit 4 and convert it into a corresponding application of the drive/brake unit 5, the speed of the vehicle component or vehicle side door 2 in this example is first detected as a function of time. The speed or speed profile as a function of time according to FIG. 2 results from a manual action on the part of the operator. For this purpose, the speed of the vehicle side door 2 is determined in this example by means of a sensor 3 located on the relevant axis of rotation.

This generally results in a progression of the velocity v(t) of the automotive component or vehicle side door 2 over time t, as shown in FIG. 2. First, we recognize the impact region 6 of the velocity profile as a function of time, and then we recognize the slope 7, which has an approximately linear profile, but which reflects the end of the movement of the vehicle side door 2 in this example.

Now, the speed profile of the motor vehicle component or motor vehicle side door 2 as a function of time shown in FIG. 2 is evaluated with regard to fulfilling at least one criterion A) to criterion C), individually or in combination. Criterion A) corresponds to the fact that the speed profile as a function of time has exceeded or exceeds the speed threshold value 8 shown in FIG. 2. In the scope of criterion B), the question is whether the speed reduction in the range of the gradient 7 is maintained within the tolerance ranges 9a, 9b, with the possible gradient or reduction thresholds given therein.

There is an additional possibility that the decrease in speed as a function of time may be outside the tolerance ranges 9a, 9b in question within the deformation range B) for a certain amount of time t1. If this amount of time t1 in the example is up to about 30% of the amount of time t2, which will be explained in more detail below, the decrease in speed in the tolerance ranges 9a, 9b as a function of time, shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2, is considered to be acceptable in such a way that criterion B) is met.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the above-mentioned amount of time t2 corresponds to the amount of time t2 during which the motor vehicle component 2 or the motor vehicle side door 2 generally performs the movement of the motor vehicle component. According to an exemplary embodiment, this means the range of the speed reduction or the gradient 7 and the criteria for which the gradient 7 in question, and therefore the speed reduction, lies within the tolerance range 9a, 9b or follows the tolerance range 9a, 9b in question. The amount of time t2 can be the minimum amount of time for which the gradient 7 or the speed reduction lies within the tolerance range 9a, 9b. In principle, the amount of time t2 can also mean the maximum amount of time for the speed reduction or, according to an exemplary embodiment, follow the tolerance range 9a, 9b.

If the evaluation of the speed profile of the vehicle component or vehicle side door 2 as a function of time shown in FIG. 2 results in the fulfillment of one or more of the criteria A) to C) within the scope of the evaluation, the evaluation is overall in that it corresponds to an operator wish that can be derived therefrom. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this operator wish comprises "opening" the vehicle side door 2. This operator wish to "open" can be implemented by the drive/brake unit 5 such that the drive/brake unit 5 ensures that the vehicle side door 2 in question is fully opened by the drive/brake unit 5 or supports the operator wish to open with respect to power assistance.

Not shown is the further possibility of removing interference effects on the vehicle component, which appear in the speed profile as a function of time, which is modified or overlaid by the interference effects. The speed threshold value 8 can be determined in the control unit 4 as a function of the vehicle component or its moment of inertia. However, in this case the procedure typically consists in evaluating several speed curves of the vehicle component or of the vehicle side door 2 shown in FIG. 2. The averaged maximum value can be extracted with the help of the control unit 4 from the maximum value of the speed v(t) reached in each case within the impact range 6. This average maximum value v(t) can be converted into a speed threshold value 8 by setting the speed threshold value 8, for example, within the range of 60% to 80% of the average maximum value v(t) of said speed. This allows the speed threshold value 8 to be determined depending on the operator.

Finally, the direction in which the operator acts on the vehicle side door 2, e.g. in the sense of "open" or "close", may be determined and extracted from the speed profile shown in FIG. 2.

Explanation of symbols

1...Car body,
2...Automatic components,
3...sensor,
4...control unit,
5...Drive/brake unit,
6...Collision range,
7...gradient,
8...Speed threshold,
9a, 9b...acceptable range.

Claims (10)

A method for determining an operator's desire during a manual action on a vehicle component (2) movable relative to a vehicle body (1), the method comprising: detecting a speed of the vehicle component (2) as a function of time, the method comprising:
The velocity profile of the automotive component (2) as a function of time is determined by dividing the vehicle into the following groups:
A) Group exceeding the speed threshold (8);
B) a group according to the tolerance range (9a, 9b) for the speed reduction; and C) a group according to the amount of time (t2) for the speed reduction of the automotive component.
and evaluating the product for satisfying at least one criterion from, either individually or in combination;
determining that if one of the criteria is met, either individually or in combination, that the speed profile corresponds to a user or operator's desire and is not due to an interfering effect affecting the vehicle component;
method. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the decrease in speed as a function of time is outside the tolerance range (9a, 9b) within the range of deformation (B) for a predetermined amount of time (t1). The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined amount of time (t1) is less than 30%, in particular less than 20%, of the maximum amount of time (t2). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the speed threshold (8) is set to be fixed or variable depending on the vehicle component (2). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the speed threshold (8) is derived from a plurality of stored speed profiles of the automotive component (2) as a function of time in response to the operator. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the speed profile of the automotive component (2) as a function of time is evaluated with respect to its direction of movement. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that interference effects affecting the automotive component (2) are eliminated. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the evaluation of the speed profile of the motor vehicle component (2) as a function of time corresponds to the wishes of the operator, which are performed and/or assisted by the aid of a drive/braking unit (5). A device for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 for determining an operator's wishes during manual action on a vehicle component (2) movable relative to a vehicle body (1), comprising:
at least one sensor (3) for detecting the speed profile of the motor vehicle component (2) as a function of time and an associated control unit (4);
The control unit (4) comprises the following groups:
A) Group exceeding the speed threshold (8);
B) Groups that mainly follow the tolerances (9a, 9b) for speed reduction;
C) according to the amount of time (t2) of the speed reduction of the automotive component;
and evaluating the speed profile of the automotive component (2) as a function of time with respect to satisfying at least one criterion from the following, individually or in combination: The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the drive/brake unit (5) is additionally provided for independent or auxiliary action on the motor vehicle component (2).

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