Vehicle liftgate control for cargo management

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "Vehicle liftgate door control for cargo management." Methods and apparatus for vehicle liftgate door control for cargo management are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a liftgate door having a sensor on an interior surface and a processor. The liftgate door provides access to a cargo area. When an object is in the cargo area, the processor uses measurements from the sensor to detect when the object is packed against the liftgate door and, when the object is packed and a command to open the liftgate door is received, automatically opens the liftgate door to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to lift-up doors of vehicles, and more specifically to lift-up door controls for cargo management. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle includes lift-up doors that can open and close automatically based on user input. Input can come from mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, etc.), key fobs, buttons configured to be pressed by the user's foot, or hardware or software buttons on the center console. These lift-up doors provide external access to the vehicle's cargo area. Because the lift-up doors can be opened remotely (e.g., when the user is not present), they can open without the user seeing the status of the goods within the vehicle's cargo area. When the vehicle is in motion, the goods in the cargo area may shift due to road bumps and curves and / or acceleration and deceleration. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application is defined by the appended claims. This disclosure summarizes various aspects of the embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the claims. Other implementations are also conceivable based on the technology described herein, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon study of the accompanying drawings and the detailed description section, and these implementations are intended to fall within the scope of this application.

[0004] Exemplary embodiments of vehicle liftgate control for cargo management are disclosed. An exemplary vehicle includes a liftgate with sensors on its inner surface and a processor. The liftgate provides access to a cargo area. When an object is in the cargo area, the processor uses measurements from the sensors to detect when the object is abutting against the liftgate and when the object is abutting and a command to open the liftgate is received, the processor automatically opens the liftgate to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed.

[0005] An exemplary method includes using a liftgate sensor to determine whether an object is in the cargo area of ​​a vehicle. The exemplary method also includes using a vehicle processor to determine whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle from the cargo area. Additionally, the exemplary method includes automatically opening the liftgate to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed when the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle and a command to open the liftgate is received. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To better understand the present invention, reference can be made to the embodiments shown in the following figures. Components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases, the scale may have been enlarged to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. Furthermore, as is known in the art, system components may be arranged in different ways. Additionally, in the figures, the same reference numerals throughout several views designate corresponding portions.

[0007] Figure 1A and Figure 1B A vehicle operating in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A and Figure 1B A block diagram of the electronic components of a vehicle.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for managing the movement of a liftgate in response to cargo displacement, the method being... Figure 2 The electronic components are implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0010] While the invention may be embodied in various forms, some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood that this disclosure should be regarded as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

[0011] The vehicle includes a liftgate that can automatically open and close based on user input. In some examples, to facilitate opening and closing the liftgate when the user is not standing next to it, the vehicle responds to user input to automatically open or close the liftgate. For example, the vehicle may accept input from mobile devices, key fobs, and / or buttons on the center console. In some examples, to facilitate opening and closing the liftgate when the user's hands are holding items, the vehicle includes a button or sensor near the liftgate, which is designed and configured to be pressed by the user's foot. In such scenarios, the liftgate can be opened without the user needing to determine the state of objects in the cargo area. Typically, objects in the cargo area will shift as the vehicle moves. For example, road characteristics (e.g., curves, road gradients, etc.) and / or driving characteristics (e.g., acceleration and / or deceleration, etc.) may cause objects in the cargo area to shift. Objects may shift such that they accumulate against the liftgate. If the liftgate is opened while objects are stacked against it, the objects may roll off the cargo area onto the ground and be damaged.

[0012] As used herein, a "lift-up door" refers to a door or panel at the rear of a vehicle that opens upward to provide access to the vehicle's cargo area, trunk, or other compartments. In some examples, a lift-up door includes a hatch that is connected to the body of the vehicle (e.g., a sports utility vehicle (SUV), minivan, hatchback, etc.) via hinges positioned along the upper edge of the cargo area or cargo compartment. In other examples, a lift-up door includes a trunk lid that is connected to the body of the vehicle (e.g., a sedan, small car, etc.) via hinges along the outer edge of the trunk.

[0013] As described below, the two-hand vehicle includes a liftgate that automatically opens and closes upon receiving a command from a user. The liftgate includes one or more sensors, such as cameras, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc. The sensors are mounted on the inner surface of the liftgate so that when the liftgate is closed, the sensor's field of view (FOV) faces inward toward the cargo area. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the sensors are mounted on the side panel of the cargo area such that the sensor's FOV faces toward an object in the cargo area for detection. By using the sensors, the vehicle determines whether an object is present in the cargo area. When an object is detected, the vehicle monitors the object to determine whether it is piled against the inside of the liftgate (e.g., leaning, tilting, etc.) such that when the liftgate is opened, the object will fall out of the cargo area. In some examples, the vehicle determines properties of the object that indicate it will fall out of the cargo area. For example, an object with a smooth surface might fall out of the cargo area. In some examples, when an object is not against the interior of the liftgate, the vehicle predicts whether the object will fall out of the cargo area based on the disturbance caused by the opening of the liftgate. In some such examples, the vehicle's prediction is based on the vehicle's orientation (e.g., pitch, roll, and / or yaw of the vehicle relative to its axis) and / or the properties of the object in the cargo area, as determined by orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.). For example, when the vehicle is parked on a ramp (so that the front of the vehicle is raised relative to the rear) and the object is spherical, oval, or oblong (such as a watermelon), the vehicle may determine that the object is likely to shift when the liftgate is opened, causing the object to fall out of the cargo area.

[0014] When the vehicle determines that an object is pressed against the liftgate or may move toward the liftgate when it is opened, the vehicle provides an audio and / or visual alert to the user in response to receiving input indicating that the liftgate is open. In some examples, the alert is generated by the vehicle (e.g., via lights, via horn and / or speakers, via a center console display, etc.). In some examples, the vehicle sends a message to a mobile device or key fob (e.g., via a device such as...). The message (using a wireless protocol such as a local area network protocol) causes the mobile device or key fob to provide a warning. Additionally, the vehicle requests the user to confirm by providing input that she / he wishes to open the liftgate. Upon receiving confirmation, the vehicle opens the liftgate to an intermediate position at a slower speed than its normal opening speed. The intermediate position is between the fully open and fully closed positions. The intermediate position is defined such that the gap between the liftgate and the cargo area does not allow objects piled against the liftgate to fall out of the liftgate area. For example, the intermediate position could be a liftgate position with a gap of 4.58 cm (2 inches) between the liftgate and the cargo area. After opening the liftgate to the intermediate position, the vehicle requests the user to confirm again (e.g., by providing input) that the user wishes to continue opening the liftgate. In response to receiving input, the vehicle opens the liftgate. In some examples, the vehicle opens the liftgate at a slower speed.

[0015] Figure 1A and Figure 1B A vehicle 100 operating in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure is illustrated. Vehicle 100 may be a standard gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and / or any other type of vehicle. Vehicle 100 includes mobility-related components, such as a powertrain having an engine, transmission, suspension, drive axle, and / or wheels. Vehicle 100 may be a semi-autonomous vehicle (e.g., where some conventional motion functions, such as parking, are controlled by vehicle 100) or an autonomous vehicle (e.g., where motion functions are controlled by vehicle 100 without direct driver input). In this illustrated example, vehicle 100 includes a liftgate 102, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver 104, a Restraint Control Module (RCM) 106, one or more vehicle sensors 108, a wireless node 110, and a Body Control Module (BCM) 112.

[0016] A liftgate 102 is a door or panel hinged to the upper part of the entrance to a cargo area 114 located at the rear end of vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, the liftgate 102 opens upward to provide access to the cargo area 114. When the liftgate 102 is closed, its inner surface 116 faces the interior of vehicle 100. The liftgate 102 includes a latch 118 and a motor 120. The latch 118 unlocks based on a signal received from, for example, a body control module 112. The motor 120 opens and closes the liftgate 102 based on signals received from, for example, the body control module 112. The motor 120 opens and closes the liftgate 102 at different speeds. In some examples, the motor 120 is configured to open the liftgate 102 at a normal speed or a low speed. In such examples, the low speed is slower than the normal speed.

[0017] In the illustrated example, the liftgate 102 includes an internal sensor 122 mounted on the inner surface 116 of the liftgate. Alternatively, in some examples, the internal sensor 122 is mounted in different locations, such as on a side wall defining the cargo area 114, on the ceiling above the cargo area 114 inside the vehicle 100, and / or on the C-pillar of the vehicle 100. The internal sensor 122 has a sensing area (sometimes referred to as a “field of view”) that surrounds the cargo area 114 when the liftgate 102 is closed. The internal sensor 122 can be any suitable sensor capable of detecting an object (e.g., object 124) within the cargo area 114 and determining the position of object 124 within the cargo area 114. In some examples, the internal sensor 122 is a camera, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor, etc.

[0018] The restraint control module 106 controls one or more safety systems of the vehicle 100, such as the deployment of airbags. The restraint control module 106 includes one or more inertial sensors that determine the orientation of the vehicle 100 (e.g., pitch, yaw, and / or roll). For example, the restraint control module 106 may include accelerometers and / or gyroscopes.

[0019] Vehicle sensors 108 can be arranged in and around vehicle 100 in any suitable manner. Vehicle sensors 108 can be installed to measure properties of the external surroundings of vehicle 100. Alternatively, some vehicle sensors 108 can be installed inside the passenger compartment of vehicle 100 or in the body of vehicle 100 (such as engine compartment, wheel wells, etc.) to measure properties inside vehicle 100. For example, such vehicle sensors 108 may include accelerometers, odometers, tachometers, pitch and yaw sensors, wheel speed sensors, microphones, tire pressure sensors, and biometric sensors, etc. In the illustrated example, vehicle 100 includes vehicle sensors 108, which include sensors for detecting the presence of a user (e.g., radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras, etc.).

[0020] Wireless node 110 is communicatively coupled to a mobile device to enable vehicle 100 to receive commands from and / or send alarms and prompts to the user operating the mobile device. Wireless node 110 includes hardware (e.g., processor, memory, storage device, antenna, etc.) and software for controlling the wireless network interface. In some examples, wireless node 110 implements standards-based protocols, such as... Low power consumption And / or wireless LAN (e.g., IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc.).

[0021] The body control module 112 controls various subsystems of the vehicle 100. For example, the body control module 112 may control an anti-theft control system and / or power mirrors, etc. The body control module 112 is electrically coupled to circuits such as driving relays (e.g., to control windshield washer fluid, etc.), driving brushed DC motors (e.g., to control power seats, power locks, power windows, windshield wipers, etc.), driving stepper motors, and / or driving LEDs, etc. In the illustrated example, the body control module 112 controls the latch 118 and the motor 120 of the liftgate 102. As described below, the body control module 112 responds to user input by unlocking the latch 118, opening the liftgate 102, and closing the liftgate 102. Input may be received from mobile devices, hardware or software buttons on a key fob or center console, and / or buttons or sensors designed and configured near the liftgate for user foot operation. In the illustrated example, the body control module 112 includes a liftgate controller 126.

[0022] The liftgate controller 126 determines whether an object (e.g., object 124) located within the cargo area 114 is (a) stacked against the liftgate 102, or (b) whether it is likely to fall out of the vehicle 100 when the liftgate 102 is opened. Generally, the liftgate controller 126 waits until a user or the user's mobile device is near the vehicle 100. In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 uses vehicle sensors 108 and / or wireless nodes 110 to detect the user and / or the user's mobile device. Using internal sensors 122, the liftgate controller 126 determines whether object 124 is within the cargo area 114. When object 124 is detected, the liftgate controller 126 monitors object 124 to determine whether object 124 is stacked (leaning, tilting, etc.) against the inner surface 116 of the liftgate 102, such that object 124 will fall out of the cargo area 114 when the liftgate 102 is opened. In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 determines that the object 124 is stacked against the liftgate 102 when it comes into contact with the inner surface 116 of the liftgate 102. In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 also determines whether the object 124 is stacked against the liftgate 102 based on the surface properties of the object 124. For example, if the object 124 has one or more smooth surfaces and comes into contact with the inner surface 116 of the liftgate 102, the liftgate controller 126 may determine that the object 124 is stacked against the liftgate 102. Alternatively, in some examples, the liftgate controller 126 determines that the object 124 is stacked against the liftgate 102 based on whether the object 124 is in the cargo area 114.

[0023] In some examples, when object 124 is not stacked against the inner surface 116 of liftgate 102, liftgate controller 126 predicts whether object 124 may fall out of cargo area 114 in response to disturbances caused by opening liftgate 102. Liftgate controller 126 bases this prediction on one or more of the following: (A) the orientation of vehicle 100 (e.g., pitch, roll, and / or yaw of the vehicle relative to its axis); (B) surface properties of object 124; and / or (C) the movement of object 124 as vehicle 100 moves. For example, if vehicle 100 is parked on a ramp, with the front of vehicle 100 higher than the rear, and object 124 moves as vehicle 100 moves, liftgate controller 126 may predict that object 124 will fall out of vehicle 100 when liftgate 102 is opened.

[0024] In some examples, to determine the vehicle's orientation, the lift-up door controller 126 uses measurements from one or more inertial sensors (e.g., the inertial sensors of the constraint control module 106). Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the lift-up door controller 126 uses navigation data based on coordinates from the GPS receiver 104 to determine the vehicle 100's orientation. For example, the navigation data may indicate that the vehicle 100 is currently located on a road with a slope or ramp.

[0025] In some examples, to determine the surface properties of object 124, lift-up door controller 126 analyzes measurements from internal sensors 122. In some such examples, lift-up door controller 126 may associate the probability of object 124 falling out of vehicle 100 with objects having smooth surfaces (such as spherical, oval, or elongated ellipsoidal objects) and / or objects having generally smooth surfaces (such as surfaces with many tessellated regular polygons).

[0026] In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 monitors the cargo area 114 as the vehicle 100 moves. In some examples, the liftgate 102 includes a force sensor along the bottom portion of the inner surface 116 of the liftgate 102, which detects when an object 124 contacts the liftgate 102 as it moves within the cargo area 114. In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 analyzes inertial sensor data to detect vibrations caused by the movement of the object 124 within the cargo area 114. In some examples, the liftgate 102 includes a microphone or accelerometer mounted on the glass of the liftgate 102 for detecting sound caused by the movement of the object 124 within the cargo area 114. An example of an accelerometer mounted on the glass of vehicle 100 to detect sound is described in application serial number 15 / 802,254, filed November 11, 2017, entitled “Accelerometer-Based External Sound Monitoring for Backup Assistance in a Vehicle,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] When the liftgate controller 126 determines that an object 124 is abutting against or potentially moving toward the liftgate 102 when it is opened, the liftgate controller 126 provides an audio and / or visual alert to the user in response to receiving input to open the liftgate 102 (e.g., via a mobile device, via a key fob, via a button, via a foot sensor, etc.). In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 uses the vehicle 100 to generate an alarm (e.g., via lights, via a horn and / or speaker, via a notification on a center console display, etc.). In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 sends a message to the mobile device or key fob via a wireless node 110. In such examples, the message causes the mobile device or key fob to provide an alert (e.g., display a notification, generate a sound, vibration, etc.).

[0028] Additionally, the liftgate controller 126 requests user confirmation of their wish to open the liftgate 102 by providing additional input. Upon receiving confirmation, the liftgate controller 126 opens the liftgate 102 to an intermediate position at a slower speed than its normal opening speed. The intermediate position is the position of the liftgate 102 between fully open and fully closed. The intermediate position is defined such that the gap between the liftgate 102 and the cargo area 114 does not allow objects piled against the liftgate to fall out of the liftgate area. Figure 1A The liftgate 102 is shown in the fully closed position. Figure 1B A liftgate in an exemplary intermediate position is shown. For example, the intermediate position could be a liftgate position where the clearance between the liftgate and the cargo area is 4.58 cm (2 inches). After the liftgate is opened to the intermediate position, the liftgate controller 126 requests confirmation from the user (e.g., by providing input) that the user wishes to continue opening the liftgate 102. In response to receiving the input, the liftgate controller 126 continues to open the liftgate. In some examples, the liftgate controller 126 opens the liftgate at a slower rate.

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A and Figure 1B A block diagram of the electronic components 200 of the vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, the electronic components 200 include a GPS receiver 104, a restraint control module 106, a vehicle sensor 108, a wireless node 110, a body control module 112, a lift-up door motor 120, an internal sensor 122, and a vehicle data bus 202.

[0030] The body control module 112 includes a processor or controller 204 and a memory 206. In the illustrated example, the body control module 112 is configured to include a lift-up door controller 126. The processor or controller 204 can be any suitable processing device or set of processing devices, such as, but not limited to: a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, a suitable integrated circuit, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 206 can be volatile memory (e.g., RAM, which may include non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, and any other suitable form); non-volatile memory (e.g., disk storage, FLASH memory, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile solid-state memory, etc.); non-replicable memory (e.g., EPROM); read-only memory; and / or high-capacity storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, solid-state drives, etc.). In some examples, the memory 206 includes a variety of memories, particularly volatile and non-volatile memories.

[0031] Memory 206 is a computer-readable medium on which one or more sets of instructions, such as software for operating the methods of this disclosure, may be embedded. These instructions may embody one or more methods or logic described herein. In a particular embodiment, during instruction execution, the instructions may reside wholly or at least partially within any one or more of memory 206, the computer-readable medium, and / or processor 204.

[0032] The terms “non-transient computer-readable medium” and “tangible computer-readable medium” should be understood to include single or multiple media, such as centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers storing one or more sets of instructions. The terms “non-transient computer-readable medium” and “tangible computer-readable medium” also include any tangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for processor execution, or any tangible medium that causes a system to perform any one or more methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term “tangible computer-readable medium” is explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, and excludes propagated signals.

[0033] The vehicle data bus 202 will be communicatively coupled to the components connected to the vehicle data bus. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 202 includes one or more data buses. The vehicle data bus 202 can be configured according to the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol, the Media-Oriented System Transport (MOST) bus protocol, the CAN Flexible Data (CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7), and / or the K-line bus protocol (ISO 9141 and ISO 14230-1) and / or Ethernet as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-1. TM It is implemented using bus protocols such as IEEE 802.3 (since 2002).

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for managing the movement of a liftgate 102 in response to cargo displacement, the method being... Figure 2 The electronic component 200 is implemented. Initially, at block 302, the lift-up door controller 126 monitors the area around the vehicle 100 for the presence of a user. For example, the lift-up door controller 126 may use vehicle sensor 108 to detect a user and / or use wireless node 110 to detect the user's mobile device. At block 304, the lift-up door controller 126 determines whether a user has been detected. When a user is detected, the method continues at block 306. When no user is detected, the method returns to block 302.

[0035] At box 306, the lift-up door controller 126 monitors for the presence of an object (e.g., object 124) in the cargo area 114. At box 308, the lift-up door controller 126 determines whether an object has been detected. If an object is detected, the method continues at box 310. Otherwise, if no object is detected, the method continues at box 330. At box 310, the lift-up door controller 126 monitors the vehicle 100 to determine if the vehicle 100 is in motion. At box 312, the lift-up door controller 126 monitors the cargo area 114 in response to the movement of an object. At box 314, the lift-up door controller 126 determines whether the vehicle 100 is parked. If the vehicle is parked, the method continues to box 314. If the vehicle 100 is not parked, the method returns to box 310.

[0036] At box 314, the liftgate controller 126 determines whether an object is stacked against the liftgate 102. When an object is stacked against the liftgate 102, the method continues at box 316. When the object is not stacked against the liftgate, the method continues at box 320. At box 316, the liftgate controller 126 determines whether an input to open the liftgate 102 has been received. If a command has been received, the method continues to box 324. If no command has been received, the method returns to box 314.

[0037] At box 320, the liftgate controller 126 predicts whether an object might collide with or fall off the liftgate 102 when it is opened. At box 322, the liftgate controller 126 determines whether the object might fall off the vehicle 100. If the object might fall off the vehicle 100, the method continues to box 316. If the object is unlikely to fall off the vehicle 100, the method continues at box 330.

[0038] At box 324, the liftgate controller 126 provides an alarm to the user. At box 326, the liftgate controller 126 awaits confirmation that the user wishes to open the liftgate 102. At box 328, the liftgate controller 126 slowly and automatically opens the liftgate to the intermediate position at a slower speed than a normal liftgate opening speed.

[0039] At frame 330, the lift door controller 126 opens the lift door 102 at the normal lift door opening speed in response to receiving an input to open the lift door.

[0040] Figure 3 The flowchart represents the data stored in memory (e.g.) Figure 2 Machine-readable instructions in memory 206, the instructions comprising one or more programs, when executed by a processor (e.g., memory 206). Figure 2When the processor 204) executes, the program causes the vehicle 100 to achieve Figure 1A and Figure 1B and Figure 2 An exemplary lifting door controller 126. Furthermore, although references... Figure 3 The flowchart shown describes an exemplary procedure, but many other methods for implementing the exemplary lift-up door controller 126 can also be used instead. For example, the execution order of the boxes can be changed, and / or some of the boxes described can be modified, eliminated, or combined.

[0041] In this application, the use of the conjunction "or" is intended to include a connecting meaning. The use of the definite or indefinite article is not intended to indicate cardinality. Specifically, references to "the" object or "a" and "an" object are also intended to indicate one of a possible plurality of such objects. Furthermore, the conjunction "or" can be used to express concurrent features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and / or". As used herein, the terms "module" and "unit" refer to hardware having circuitry typically combined with sensors to provide communication, control, and / or monitoring capabilities. "Module" and "unit" may also include firmware executed on the circuitry. The term "comprising" is inclusive and has the same scope as "including".

[0042] The above embodiments, and especially any "preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and are merely illustrative for the purpose of clearly understanding the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to one or more of the above embodiments without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and are protected by the appended claims.

[0043] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided having: a lift-up door having a sensor on its inner surface, the lift-up door providing access to a cargo area; and a processor, wherein when an object is in the cargo area, the processor is configured to: detect, using measurements from the sensor, when the object is piled up against the lift-up door; and when the object is piled up and a command to open the lift-up door is received, automatically open the lift-up door to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed.

[0044] According to an embodiment, the processor will generate an alarm before the liftgate is automatically opened to the intermediate position.

[0045] According to an embodiment, before automatically opening the liftgate to the intermediate position, the processor will prompt the user to repeat the command to confirm opening the liftgate.

[0046] According to an embodiment, when the liftgate is opened to the intermediate position, the processor will open the liftgate at a first speed.

[0047] According to an embodiment, when the object is not against the liftgate and in response to the command to open the liftgate, the processor will open the liftgate at a second speed, which is faster than the first speed.

[0048] According to an embodiment, when the object is not against the liftgate and is not stacked, the processor will determine whether the object may fall out of the vehicle when the liftgate is opened.

[0049] According to an embodiment, when the object may fall out of the vehicle, upon receiving the command to open the liftgate, the liftgate is automatically opened to the intermediate position.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the determination of whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle is based on the vehicle's orientation.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the determination of whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle is based on the surface shape of the object.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the determination of whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle is based on the motion of the object when the vehicle is in motion.

[0053] According to the present invention, a method includes: determining whether an object is in the cargo area of ​​a vehicle using a lift-up door sensor; determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle from the cargo area using a vehicle processor; and automatically opening the lift-up door to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed when the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle and a command to open the lift-up door is received.

[0054] According to an embodiment, determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle includes using the lift-up door sensor to detect whether the object is pressing against the lift-up door.

[0055] According to an embodiment, determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle includes determining the location of the vehicle.

[0056] According to an embodiment, determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle includes determining the surface shape of the detected object.

[0057] According to an embodiment, determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle includes determining the motion of the object when the vehicle is in motion.

[0058] According to an embodiment, determining the movement of the object when the vehicle is moving includes: determining whether the object contacts the lift-up door when the vehicle is moving.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that, before the liftgate is automatically opened to the intermediate position: an alarm is provided to the user; and the user is prompted to repeatedly enter the command to confirm opening the liftgate.

[0060] According to an embodiment, opening the liftgate to the intermediate position includes opening the liftgate at a first speed.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that, when the object is unlikely to fall out of the vehicle and in response to the command to open the liftgate, the liftgate is opened at a second speed, the second speed being faster than the first speed.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: A lift-up door with sensors on its inner surface provides access to the cargo area. and The processor, when the object is in the cargo area, is configured to: Measurements from the sensors are used to detect when the object is pressed against the liftgate. as well as When the object is piled against the liftgate and a command to open the liftgate is received, the liftgate is automatically opened to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed. This intermediate position is defined such that the gap between the liftgate and the cargo area prevents the object piled against the liftgate from falling out of the liftgate area.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor generates an alarm before the liftgate is automatically opened to the intermediate position.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein before automatically opening the liftgate to the intermediate position, the processor prompts the user to repeat the command to confirm opening the liftgate.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein during the process of opening the liftgate to the intermediate position, the processor opens the liftgate at a first speed.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein when the object is not against the liftgate and in response to the command to open the liftgate, the processor opens the liftgate at a second speed, the second speed being faster than the first speed.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the object is not piled against the liftgate, the processor determines whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle when the liftgate is opened.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein when the object may fall out of the vehicle, upon receiving the command to open the liftgate, the liftgate is automatically opened to the intermediate position.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle is based on the orientation of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle is based on the surface shape of the object.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether the object may fall out of the vehicle is based on the motion of the object when the vehicle is in motion.

11. A method for a vehicle, comprising: The lifting door sensor is used to determine whether an object is in the vehicle's cargo area; The vehicle processor is used to determine whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle from the cargo area; as well as When the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle and a command to open the liftgate is received, the liftgate is automatically opened to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed, the intermediate position being defined such that the gap between the liftgate and the cargo area does not allow the object that is likely to fall out of the vehicle to fall out of the liftgate area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the object is likely to fall out of the vehicle comprises at least one of: (a) detecting whether the object is accumulating against the liftgate using the liftgate sensor; (b) determining the orientation of the vehicle; (c) determining the surface shape of the detected object; or (d) determining the motion of the object when the vehicle is in motion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the motion of the object when the vehicle is moving comprises: Determine whether the object contacts the lift-up door when the vehicle is in motion.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising, before automatically opening the liftgate to the intermediate position: Provide alerts to users; and The user is prompted to repeat the command to confirm opening the liftgate.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: During the process of opening the lift-up door to the intermediate position, the lift-up door is opened at a first speed; as well as When it is impossible for the object to fall out of the vehicle and in response to the command to open the liftgate, the liftgate is opened at a second speed, which is faster than the first speed.

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