Device for analyzing the intensity of automotive door impact, method using said device and vehicle

Description

1 / 5 DEVICE FOR ANALYZING THE INTENSITY OF AUTOMOTIVE DOOR IMPACT, METHOD USING SAID DEVICE AND VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] This invention relates to the technical field of devices and methods for analyzing automotive parameters, more particularly, the present invention relates to devices and methods for analyzing and increasing the durability of automotive components. STATE OF THE ART

[002] In recent years, in the face of growing consumer demand for increasingly durable and easy-to-maintain vehicles, significant advances have been made in the automotive industry with regard to the development of devices and analysis methods to increase the durability of automotive components.

[003] Among the automotive components that exhibit the greatest wear and tear over time due to misuse and / or high frequency of use throughout the life cycle of a car, automotive doors stand out. These components, although robust, exhibit constant wear over time resulting from daily use in the common operation of automobiles, wear that is further accelerated when doors are closed improperly by applying excessive force.

[004] In this sense, in order to evaluate the parameters involved in the closing of an automotive door in its daily use, some solutions have been developed that are found in the state of the art. Among the known solutions for evaluating the use of automotive doors, patent documents CN118782098 and CN116384172 stand out as representatives of the state of the art. These documents present solutions to evaluate and / or predict the noise generated when an automotive door is closed; more specifically, they are solutions developed for use in vehicle manufacturing and testing environments. In accordance with these solutions presented, however, no solutions are observed in the state of the art that evaluate parameters involved in the closing of an automotive door and provide the user with feedback to allow for the assessment of the adequacy of the intensity of the applied force and the risk of increased wear based on this. Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, page 8 / 16 2 / 5

[005] Thus, in order to overcome the deficiency found in the state of the art, the present invention was conceived, which provides a device and method for analyzing the intensity of automotive door slamming that provides users with feedback in order to provide information and instruction regarding possible excessive forces in closing the door. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[006] The objective of the invention claimed herein is to provide a device for evaluating and analyzing the intensity of the forces involved in closing an automotive door.

[007] Another objective of the invention claimed herein is to present a methodology for evaluating and analyzing the intensity of the forces involved in closing an automotive door.

[008] Yet another objective of the invention claimed herein is to provide visible feedback to the user in order to guide action based on the information collected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[009] These and other features will become clearer from the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, where: Figure 1 shows a visualization of the interior of a vehicle, illustrating the arrangement of microphones and the device for user feedback / display of results within the vehicle. Figures 2a and 2b show visualizations of the graphic layouts presented to the user on the vehicle's return device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[010] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific component parts of the devices described, since such devices may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting.

[011] It should also be understood that the modalities disclosed here are not individual modalities that would not relate to each other. The characteristics discussed with one modality should also be disclosed in connection with other modalities shown here. If, in one case, a specific characteristic is not disclosed with a Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, p. 9 / 16 3 / 5 modality, but with another, a technician in the field would understand that this does not necessarily mean that the aforementioned characteristic is not intended to be disclosed with the other modality, but that the essence of the request is to disclose the aforementioned characteristic also for the other modality, and that only for the sake of clarity and to keep this descriptive report in a manageable volume, this was not done.

[012] The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, relates to a device and method for analyzing the intensity of automotive door impacts. The device comprises at least one user interface for data analysis and visualization, as well as microphones inside the vehicle, and by receiving and processing the signals received by the microphones, the impact force is estimated based on the amplitude and characteristics of the sound, and the device provides real-time feedback to the user and a classified evaluation of the applied force.

[013] By processing the acoustic data, the system determines whether a door has been slammed shut too hard, closed too softly, or handled correctly. Feedback is displayed to the user via the vehicle's infotainment system or a mobile app, offering guidance on optimal door handling and thus preventing wear and tear on door components due to forced slamming, ensuring doors are securely closed, and identifying early signs of mechanical or alignment problems.

[014] Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that the aforementioned device also encourages user awareness and promotes better habits, reducing the discomfort of hard impacts and improving passenger satisfaction. This innovative solution enhances the user experience while contributing to the durability and safety of the vehicle.

[015] Thus, in one embodiment, the module responsible for the BCM (Body Control Module) or DCM (Door Control Module) constantly checks the door closing status via the LIN (Local Area Network) and sends said status, via the CAN (Controller Area Network), to the module responsible for the user interface.

[016] Thus, if the door status changes from closed to open, the module responsible for the user interface starts recording ambient audio using the microphones. Subsequently, if the door status changes from open to closed, the Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, page 10 / 16 4 / 5 module responsible for the user interface to record ambient audio using microphones.

[017] Furthermore, when the door is closed, the module responsible for the user interface calculates the intensity applied during closing and displays said intensity in the form of a scale.

[018] This feature works for all doors, including the hood and trunk. The method involves the device detecting the correct door / slam through the door status signal. The score is calculated based on a minimum score being the ideal noise level for closing the door and a maximum score being the noise level for slamming the door with excessive force, for example: 50 dB and 80 dB (these values ​​can be configured by the vehicle manufacturer for each door, including the hood and trunk).

[019] As shown in Figure 1, the device features, in one embodiment, microphones located in the upper front region (1) of the vehicle, in the front doors (2, 3) and in the rear doors (4, 5), and the feedback to the user is made in the region where the vehicle's multimedia system (6) is located. The applicant also highlights that the invention includes the placement of microphones in all other vehicle doors, such as the trunk and hood.

[020] As shown in Figures 2a and 2b, in one embodiment, the intensity of the doors is calculated and each intensity level is highlighted on the displayed circumference. In addition, the specific door that was knocked on is identified by a highlighted color. In the first example, the intensity is 6, while in the second, it is 9. Naturally, the design can be adjusted or modified as needed.

[021] In this method, the recorded audio is stored in a fixed-duration buffer, continuously maintaining a predefined recording time window. As new audio data is captured, older data is automatically discarded, ensuring that the system retains only the last 10 seconds of recording (this value can be configured by the manufacturer). In this way, user privacy is preserved, since no data beyond what is necessary is stored. If the doors remain open for more than 2 minutes, the feature will abort the activation (this value can also be configured by the vehicle manufacturer). Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, page 11 / 16 5 / 5

[022] In another embodiment, additional sensors are integrated into the system and installed directly on the door, such as accelerometers, which capture the deceleration and vibration generated at the moment of impact, providing a more precise measurement of the applied force, as well as other sensors, such as pressure sensors, which measure the load exerted during closing, helping to differentiate light knocks from more intense impacts, and finally, gyroscopes, which are added to the doors to complement the analysis, allowing a more detailed evaluation of the closing dynamics, such as, for example, evaluating the angular variations of the door. The applicant also points out that the aforementioned sensors can be used in any combination - whether using the group of all sensors combined or using any subset of them, including the possibility of using any of them individually.

[023] It is worth noting that the drawings presented are not necessarily to scale, being merely conceptual in nature. Nevertheless, it is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function in the same way to achieve the same results as the elements claimed herein are within the scope of the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention covers other possible variations, not being limited solely by the content of the appended claims, including possible equivalents. Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, page 12 / 16

Claims

1 / 2 Claims 1. DEVICE FOR ANALYZING THE INTENSITY OF AUTOMOTIVE DOOR IMPACT characterized by comprising at least one user interface and a microphone.

2. DEVICE FOR ANALYZING THE INTENSITY OF AUTOMOTIVE DOOR IMPACT, according to Claim 1, characterized by being capable of being implemented on all doors of a vehicle, including the hood and trunk.

3. DEVICE FOR ANALYZING THE INTENSITY OF AUTOMOTIVE DOOR IMPACT, according to Claim 1, characterized by comprising at least the group consisting of an accelerometer, a pressure sensor and a gyroscope, or any subassembly of said group.

4. METHOD FOR ANALYZING AUTOMOTIVE DOOR SLAM INTENSITY characterized by using a device as per Claim 1 and comprising, at least: a) Receiving signals from the vehicle's internal microphones; b) Establishing maximum and minimum parameters, the maximum parameter being the noise generated when slamming the door with excessive force and the minimum parameter being the ideal noise for closing the door; c) Starting audio recording in the vehicle when the door status changes from closed to open; d) Stopping audio recording in the vehicle when the door status changes from open to closed; e) Calculating and providing measurable feedback in the form of a scale to the user based on the noise received when closing the door and the established maximum and minimum parameters; 5. METHOD, according to Claim 4, characterized in that the maximum and minimum values ​​are modifiable by the manufacturer.

6. METHOD, according to Claim 4, characterized by receiving signals from at least one of the groups comprising an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, and a gyroscope, or any subset of said group. Petition 870250012356, dated 14 / 02 / 2025, p. 13 / 16 2 / 2 7. METHOD, according to Claim 4, characterized in that the feature is aborted if the automotive door remains open for more than 2 minutes.

8. METHOD, according to Claim 4, characterized in that the audio is stored in a 10-second buffer, discarding old data to protect user privacy.

9. VEHICLE characterized by using a device and method as described in any of the preceding claims. Petition 870250012356, dated 02 / 14 / 2025, p. 14 / 16

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