Methods, apparatus, computing devices, and vehicles for controlling a seat track

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for controlling a seat slide rail. The method comprises: when receiving a seat moving instruction, controlling a slide rail unlocking motor to perform an unlocking action on an unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail to enable a locking mechanism of the seat slide rail to exit a locking hole; if normal unlocking, controlling a slide rail slide way motor to perform a moving action on the seat slide rail according to the seat moving instruction; if normal moving, controlling the slide rail slide way motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism to enable the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail to fall into the locking hole in a time period during the moving process, using a proportional integral algorithm. The present application can prevent or reduce speed fluctuation and locking noise caused by external force interference and enable the motor speed to be stabilized at a target speed by using a proportional integral algorithm to control the motor during the locking of the seat slide rail, avoiding the phenomenon of locking slide teeth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicle seat control technology, and more specifically, to methods, apparatus, computing devices, seats, and vehicles for controlling vehicle seat slide rails. Background Technology

[0002] Comfort has always been one of the most important factors for users when it comes to vehicles. As a crucial component of the entire vehicle, vehicle seats are subject to increasingly higher demands for comfort from occupants (including drivers and passengers). To enhance occupant comfort, manage interior space, and provide flexibility, seat rails can be used to adjust the position of car seats. For example, some vehicles on the market today have multiple rows of seats, and long sliding rails can be used to change the seat arrangement, layout, and locking functions.

[0003] However, when sliding rails (especially long sliding rails) are disturbed by external forces during the locking process (e.g., seats of different weights, passengers, obstruction or pushing by other objects), speed fluctuations and loud locking noise are likely to occur, which will affect the user experience of passengers and may also cause locking slippage, thus affecting the application of certain linkage scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art, this invention provides a method, apparatus, computing device, seat, and vehicle for controlling seat slide rails. By employing a proportional-integral algorithm to control the motor during the seat slide rail locking process, this invention prevents or mitigates speed fluctuations and locking noise caused by external interference, and stabilizes the motor speed at the target speed, thus avoiding locking slippage.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a seat slide rail is provided, the method comprising: when a seat movement command is received, controlling a slide rail unlocking motor to perform an unlocking action on an unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail so that a locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can disengage from a lock hole; if unlocking is normal, then according to the seat movement command, controlling a slide rail track motor to perform a movement action on the seat slide rail; if movement is normal, then during a period of time during the movement, using a proportional-integral algorithm to control the slide rail track motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into a lock hole.

[0006] The method for controlling a seat slide rail according to the first aspect described above may include, individually or in combination, any of the following preferred features.

[0007] Preferably, during a certain time period in the movement process, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism using a proportional-integral algorithm includes: during the time period, based on a locking advance amount, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism using a proportional-integral algorithm, wherein the locking advance amount is determined based on the locking time of the slide rail unlocking motor performing the locking action, the rotational speed of the slide rail motor before the time period, the gap of the lock hole, and the previous movement direction of the seat slide rail.

[0008] Preferably, the method further includes: identifying a hard stop point of the slide rail where the seat slide rail moves by moving the seat slide rail, in order to determine the movable position of the seat slide rail.

[0009] Preferably, the method further includes: when the seat slide rail is in a locked state, controlling the slide rail motor to move the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail within the lock hole, and identifying the gap of the lock hole by detecting the stall of the slide rail motor on both sides of the lock hole.

[0010] Preferably, the method further includes: before the time period during the movement process, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail at a uniform speed.

[0011] Preferably, before the time period during the movement process, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail at a constant speed includes: detecting the power supply voltage of the slide rail motor; and determining the PWM value of the slide rail motor based on the power supply voltage to control the speed of the slide rail motor to remain constant.

[0012] Preferably, the start of the time period corresponds to receiving a seat stop command or the seat slide rail moving to a designated section.

[0013] Preferably, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism using a proportional-integral algorithm includes: for each of the slide rail motor and the slide rail unlocking motor, using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor.

[0014] Preferably, using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor includes: calculating the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor based on the current error between the target speed and the actual speed of each motor, the tilt angle of the seat rail, the weight of the seat rail, and the weight of the occupant on the seat rail.

[0015] Preferably, using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor includes: based on the current error and previous error between the target speed and the actual speed of each motor, the tilt angle of the seat slide rail, the weight of the seat slide rail, and the weight of the occupant on the seat slide rail, using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor.

[0016] Preferably, the method further includes: during the process of the slide rail unlocking motor performing the unlocking action, detecting whether the slide rail unlocking motor has an abnormality; if an abnormality is detected, controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; wherein the abnormality includes at least one of motor abnormal jamming, motor slippage, or Hall effect fault.

[0017] Preferably, the method further includes: detecting whether an anti-pinch mechanism is triggered before the time period during the movement; if an anti-pinch mechanism is triggered, controlling the slide rail motor to retract; during the retraction process, detecting whether an abnormality occurs in the slide rail motor; if an abnormality is detected, controlling the slide rail motor to move in the opposite direction, and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; wherein, the abnormality includes at least motor slippage.

[0018] Preferably, the method further includes: detecting whether the slide rail motor malfunctions during the time period; if an malfunction is detected, controlling the slide rail motor to move in the opposite direction, and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; wherein the malfunction includes at least motor slippage.

[0019] Preferably, the method further includes: after controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism, when the seat slide rail is in a locked state, using the current position of the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail in the lock hole to update the correction position of the lock hole.

[0020] Preferably, the corrected position of the keyhole is the center position of the keyhole.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling a seat slide rail is provided, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a seat movement command; and a control unit configured to: when the seat movement command is received, control a slide rail unlocking motor to perform an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can disengage from the lock hole; if unlocking is successful, control a slide rail track motor to perform a movement action on the seat slide rail according to the seat movement command; if movement is successful, during a period of time during the movement, control the slide rail track motor to move the seat slide rail using a proportional-integral algorithm and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into the lock hole.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the invention, a computing device is provided, the computing device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the aforementioned first aspect.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a seat is provided, the seat comprising: a seat rail; and a means for controlling the seat rail according to the second aspect above or a computing device according to the third aspect above.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising a means for controlling a seat slide rail as described in the second aspect above, a computing device as described in the third aspect above, or a seat as described in the fourth aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood through the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the seat slide rail in the unlocked state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a seat slide rail in a locked state according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the determination of the movable position of the seat slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the determination of the keyhole gap according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 5A schematic diagram illustrating the determination of the locking advance amount according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for controlling a seat slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 7 A flowchart of a seat slide rail self-learning method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 8 A flowchart of a motor adaptive control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0034] Figure 9 A flowchart of a method for controlling a motor during the locking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Figure 10 A flowchart of an abnormal situation handling method for a slide rail unlocking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] Figure 11 A flowchart of an anomaly handling method for a slide rail movement process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Figure 12 A flowchart of an exception handling method for the locking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 13 A flowchart of a position self-calibration method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Figure 14 A block diagram of a device for controlling a seat slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0040] Figure 15 A block diagram of a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0041] In the existing technology, when the slide rail (especially the long slide rail) is disturbed by external force during the locking process, it is prone to speed fluctuation and loud locking noise, and the locking tooth slippage phenomenon is also prone to occur.

[0042] As described below, some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide methods, apparatus, computing devices, seats, and vehicles for controlling seat slide rails. More specifically, the aforementioned problems are addressed by using a proportional-integral algorithm to control the motor during the locking process.

[0043] refer to Figure 1A schematic diagram 100 is shown, illustrating a seat slide rail 110 in an unlocked state according to an embodiment of the present invention. In schematic diagram 100, a slide rail unlocking motor 101 performs an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism 111 (e.g., guide pin) of the seat slide rail 110, causing the locking mechanism 112 (e.g., locking teeth) of the seat slide rail 110 to disengage from the locking hole 121 of the slide rail 120, thereby placing the seat slide rail 110 in an unlocked state. For example, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 can control the rotating mechanism 140 to drive the pressure plate 130 to rotate (e.g., from contact with the blocking block 150 to contact with the unlocking mechanism 111) to push the unlocking mechanism 111 downward, thereby causing the locking mechanism 112 of the seat slide rail 110 to disengage from the locking hole 121 of the slide rail 120. For example, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 can be coupled to the rotating mechanism 140 via a transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0044] refer to Figure 2 A schematic diagram 200 is shown showing a seat slide rail 110 in a locked state according to an embodiment of the present invention. In schematic diagram 200, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 performs a locking action on the unlocking mechanism 111 of the seat slide rail 110, allowing the locking mechanism 112 of the seat slide rail 110 to fall into the lock hole 121 of the slide rail 120, thereby placing the seat slide rail 110 in an unlocked state. For example, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 can control the rotating mechanism 140 to drive the pressure plate 130 to rotate (e.g., the maximum range of motion (or stroke) from contact with the blocking block 150 to contact with the unlocking mechanism 111), allowing the unlocking mechanism 111 to move upward, thereby causing the locking mechanism 112 of the seat slide rail 110 to fall into the lock hole 121 of the slide rail 120.

[0045] In schematic diagrams 100 and 200, the slide rail motor 102 is used to control the movement of the seat slide rail 110 relative to the slide rail 120. For example, the slide rail motor 102 can be coupled to the seat slide rail 110 via a transmission mechanism (not shown) to control the direction of movement of the seat slide rail 110, so that the seat moves relative to the slide rail 120 and finally aligns with a lock hole to achieve the locking action via the slide rail unlocking motor 101, thereby stabilizing the seat in the desired position.

[0046] refer to Figure 3A schematic diagram 200 is shown illustrating the determination of the movable position of the seat slide rail 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In schematic diagram 200, when the seat slide rail 110 is in the unlocked state, after the seat slide rail 110 is moved to the foremost hard stop point 160 of the slide rail by controlling the slide rail motor 102, this position can be determined as the initial movable position of the seat slide rail 110. For example, this initial position corresponding to the hard stop point 160 can be reset to the 0% position. Similarly, after the seat slide rail 110 is moved to the rearmost hard stop point of the slide rail by controlling the slide rail motor 102, this position can be determined as the final movable position of the seat slide rail 110. For example, this final position can be reset to the 100% position.

[0047] refer to Figure 4 A schematic diagram 300 is shown illustrating the determination of the lock hole gap according to an embodiment of the present invention. In schematic diagram 300, when the seat slide rail 110 is in the locked state, the slide rail motor 102 is controlled to... Figure 4 The locking mechanism 112 of the movable seat slide rail 110 in the second keyhole can identify the gap 170 of the keyhole (e.g., the movable distance of the locking mechanism 112 within the keyhole) by detecting the stalling of the slide rail motor 102 on both sides of the keyhole. For example, when the locking mechanism 112 moves to the leftmost side of the keyhole and cannot move forward, the stalling of the slide rail motor 102 can be detected; when the locking mechanism 112 moves to the rightmost side of the keyhole and cannot move backward, the stalling of the slide rail motor 102 can be detected. Therefore, the gap 170 of the keyhole can be identified based on the rotational speed of the motor during movement by detecting the stalling on both sides of the keyhole.

[0048] Go to Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 500 for controlling a seat slide rail 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 500 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 6 As shown, method 500 includes steps 510 to 530.

[0049] In step 510, upon receiving a seat movement command, the control rail unlocking motor performs an unlocking action on the seat rail unlocking mechanism to allow the seat rail locking mechanism to disengage from the lock. For example, a vehicle user (e.g., driver or passenger) can directly initiate a seat movement command via a human-machine interface (e.g., a display screen) or a button, or issue a seat movement command based on a specific application scenario, such as receiving the command via vehicle control or a communication bus. When a seat movement command is received, the seat rail needs to be released from the unlocked state, for example, by controlling... Figure 1 The slide rail unlocking motor 101 performs an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism 111 of the seat slide rail 110.

[0050] In step 520, if the unlocking is successful, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail according to the seat movement command. For example, the seat movement command can indicate the target position to be moved to, such as the specific keyhole or target distance, thus determining the movement direction and distance based on the current position of the seat slide rail. Alternatively, the seat movement command can indicate the movement direction, thereby controlling the movement based on the current position of the seat slide rail and the indicated movement direction. Figure 1 The slide rail motor 102 performs movement actions on the seat slide rail 110.

[0051] In step 530, if the movement is normal, during a certain time period of the movement, a proportional-integral algorithm is used to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism, so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into the lock hole. For example, when the seat slide rail is in the unlocked state, the movement process of the seat slide rail can be divided into a slide rail movement time period and a slide rail locking time period. During the slide rail movement time period, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail, and the slide rail unlocking motor does not perform any operation. During the slide rail locking time period, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail, and the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the slide rail.

[0052] Method 500 uses a proportional-integral algorithm to control the motor during the seat rail locking process, which can prevent or reduce speed fluctuations and locking noise caused by external interference, and stabilize the motor speed at the target speed, thus avoiding locking slippage.

[0053] In some embodiments, step 530 may include: during the locking time period, based on the locking advance amount, using a proportional-integral algorithm to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism, wherein the locking advance amount is determined based on the locking time of the slide rail unlocking motor performing the locking action, the rotational speed of the slide rail motor before the locking time period, the gap of the lock hole, and the previous movement direction of the seat slide rail. The following will combine... Figure 5 To describe this step.

[0054] In some embodiments, the locking time period may correspond to receiving a seat stop command or the seat slide rail moving to a designated section. In some cases, the locking time period may correspond to receiving a seat stop command, and if the distance between the slide rail position and the nearest keyhole position at this time is less than the locking advance amount, then by, for example, controlling... Figure 1 The slide rail motor 102 moves the seat slide rail 110 to a lock hole position that matches the locking advance amount. In some cases, the locking time period can correspond to the seat slide rail moving to a designated section, for example, a position at a distance from the target lock hole position equal to the locking advance amount. Figure 5 As described.

[0055] Go to Figure 5 A schematic diagram 400 illustrates the determination of the locking advance amount 180 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, if the seat slide rail 110 needs to move to the left to a target position 190 (e.g., the center position of the lock hole) within the second lock hole and lock, the starting position 192 of the seat slide rail 110 can be determined, and the distance 180 between the target position 190 and the starting position 192 is the locking advance amount. For example, the locking advance amount can be calculated in the following manner:

[0056] Locking advance = Theoretical advance + Keyhole clearance correction + Previous movement direction correction

[0057] The theoretical lead time is the distance determined based on the locking time of the slide rail unlocking motor during the locking action and the rotational speed of the slide rail motor before the locking time period. This theoretical lead time indicates that the locking mechanism will fall into the keyhole when locking begins. However, due to the influence of manufacturing sample tolerances and movement directions (e.g., different tolerances due to different movement directions of the transmission mechanism), to prevent friction (e.g., noise) caused by the locking mechanism not falling correctly into the keyhole, a keyhole gap correction and a previous movement direction correction can be added to allow the seat slide rail to adapt to different environments and ensure locking stability. For example, the keyhole gap correction can be the product of the keyhole gap and the keyhole correction coefficient, and the previous movement direction correction can be a correction amount determined based on different movement directions.

[0058] Figure 7 A flowchart of a seat slide rail self-learning method 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 600 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 7 As shown, method 600 includes steps 610 to 620.

[0059] In step 610, a seat rail self-learning command is received. For example, a vehicle user (e.g., driver or passenger) can directly initiate a seat rail self-learning command via a human-machine interface (e.g., display screen) or a button, or issue a seat rail self-learning command based on a specific application scenario. The command can be received via vehicle control or communication bus. Alternatively, the seat rail self-learning command can be initiated after detecting a seat or seat rail replacement.

[0060] In step 620, the seat slide rail self-learning is triggered. For example, seat slide rail self-learning may include self-learning of the slide rail's movable position or self-learning of the lock hole gap. (As described above...) Figure 3 As described, when the seat slide rail 110 is in the unlocked state, the movable position of the slide rail can be determined by moving it to the foremost or rearmost position. (As described above...) Figure 4 As described, when the seat slide rail 110 is in the locked state, the gap 170 of the lock hole can be identified by detecting the stall of the slide rail motor 102 on both sides of the lock hole.

[0061] Method 600 enables the control of the seat slide rail to adapt to different seat slide rails by triggering self-learning of the seat slide rail, without needing to know the relevant parameters of the slide rail in advance.

[0062] refer to Figure 8 A flowchart of a motor adaptive control method 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 700 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 8 As shown, method 700 includes steps 710 to 720.

[0063] In step 710, the power supply voltage of the motor is detected.

[0064] In step 720, based on the supply voltage, the pulse width modulation (PWM) parameter values ​​(or simply PWM values) of the motor are determined. For example, the motor (including...) Figure 1The supply voltage of the slide rail unlocking motor 101 and the slide rail motor 102 may vary for various reasons (e.g., affected by vehicle use, operating mode, or weather conditions), causing changes in motor speed. To compensate for these voltage variations, the motor's PWM value (e.g., duty cycle) can be adjusted to provide a stable motor speed, thus maintaining stability during slide rail movement. For example, when the voltage is 13.5V, the duty cycle is 60%; when the voltage changes to 16V, the duty cycle needs to be adjusted to 45%. The relationship between the motor's supply voltage and the PWM value can be established, for example, through curve fitting or a lookup table, and the PWM value can be determined based on this relationship.

[0065] Method 700 compensates for the power supply voltage of the motor, enabling the seat slide rail to adapt to different environments and ensuring the stability of the locking mechanism.

[0066] refer to Figure 9 A flowchart of a method 800 for controlling a motor during the locking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 800 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 9 As shown, method 800 includes steps 810 to 860.

[0067] In step 810, input motor (including Figure 1 The set speed Vref of the slide rail unlocking motor 101 and the slide rail track motor 102. The difference between the set motor speed input in step 810 and the actual control motor speed Vact output in step 860 is ΔV.

[0068] In some embodiments, method 800 calculates an output PWM value in step 850 through a proportional adjustment (P) step 820 and an integral adjustment (I) step 830, which in turn is used to generate the output control motor actual speed Vact.

[0069] In some embodiments, method 800 calculates an output PWM value in step 850 through a proportional (P) step 820, an integral (I) step 830, and a derivative (D) step 840, which in turn is used to generate the output control motor actual speed Vact.

[0070] For example, the proportional adjustment (P) step 820 can be performed by calculating the proportional adjustment term as follows:

[0071] Proportional adjustment term = Kp * Err hall-width

[0072] Among them, Err hall-width The target motor Hall pulse width value minus the actual motor Hall pulse width value (i.e., the current error of the motor Hall pulse width value) is Kp. The value of Kp can be determined based on the tilt angle of the seat rail, the weight of the seat rail, and the weight of the occupant of the seat rail.

[0073] For example, the integral adjustment (I) step 830 can be calculated using the following method:

[0074] Integral adjustment term = Ki * Integral_hall_width

[0075] Where Integral_hall_width is the error integral of the motor Hall pulse width value, and the value of Ki can be determined based on the tilt angle of the seat slide rail, the weight of the seat slide rail, and the weight of the occupant of the seat slide rail.

[0076] For example, the differential adjustment (D) step 840 can be performed by calculating the differential adjustment term as follows:

[0077] Differential adjustment term = Kd * (Err) hall-width -Last_Err hall-width )

[0078] Among them, Err hall-width and Last_Err hall-width These represent the current error and the previous error of the motor Hall pulse width, respectively. The value of Kd can be determined based on the tilt angle of the seat rail, the weight of the seat rail, and the weight of the occupant.

[0079] Method 800 controls the slide rail unlocking motor 101 and the slide rail motor 102 to lock by proportional-integral (PI) or further proportional-integral-derivative (PID) adjustment, which can stabilize the speed at the target speed during the locking process and avoid large locking noise and locking tooth slippage.

[0080] In some embodiments, method 800 calculates the output PWM value in step 850 through a proportional adjustment (P) step 820, an integral adjustment (I) step 830, and a derivative adjustment (D) step 840, wherein the coefficient of integral adjustment (I) can be 0.

[0081] refer to Figure 10 A flowchart of an abnormal situation handling method 900 for a slide rail unlocking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 900 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 10 As shown, method 900 includes steps 910 to 920.

[0082] In step 910, an abnormal situation is detected in the slide rail unlocking motor during the unlocking action.

[0083] In step 920, if an abnormality is detected in the slide rail unlocking motor, the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail.

[0084] For example, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 may experience the following abnormalities during the unlocking process:

[0085] 1) If the slide rail unlocking motor 101 jams abnormally during the unlocking process, causing the unlocking stroke to be less than the reasonable range, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 should immediately perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism 111 of the seat slide rail 110.

[0086] 2) If the slide rail unlocking motor 101 slips abnormally during the unlocking process, causing the unlocking stroke to exceed the reasonable range, the slide rail unlocking motor 101 should immediately perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism 111 of the seat slide rail 110.

[0087] 3) If a Hall fault is detected in the slide rail unlocking motor 101 during the unlocking process (e.g., the control line is accidentally disconnected), the slide rail unlocking motor 101 should immediately lock the unlocking mechanism 111 of the seat slide rail 110 and enter the degraded mode.

[0088] Method 900 ensures the normal operation of the slide rail by considering and handling possible abnormal situations that may occur during the unlocking process.

[0089] refer to Figure 11 A flowchart of an anomaly handling method 1000 for a slide rail movement process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 1000 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 11 As shown, method 1000 includes steps 1010 to 1040.

[0090] In step 1010, during the time period of the slide rail's movement or motion, it is detected whether the anti-pinch function is triggered during the slide rail's movement.

[0091] In step 1020, if the anti-pinch trigger is detected, the slide rail motor is controlled to retract.

[0092] In step 1030, during the retraction process, it is detected whether any abnormality has occurred in the slide rail motor.

[0093] In step 1040, if an abnormal situation of motor slippage is detected, the slide rail motor is controlled to move in the opposite direction, and the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail.

[0094] Method 1000 considers possible abnormal situations that may occur during the movement of the slide rail and takes measures to deal with these abnormal situations, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the slide rail.

[0095] refer to Figure 12 A flowchart of an exception handling method 1100 for a locking process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 1100 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 12 As shown, method 1200 includes steps 1210 to 1240.

[0096] In step 1110, during the locking process or during the locking period of the slide rail, abnormal conditions of the slide rail motor are detected.

[0097] In step 1120, if an abnormal situation of motor slippage is detected in the slide rail motor, the slide rail motor is controlled to move in the opposite direction, and the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail.

[0098] Method 1100 considers the abnormal situations that may occur during the locking process of the slide rail and handles these abnormal situations to ensure the normal operation of the slide rail.

[0099] refer to Figure 13 A flowchart of a position self-calibration method 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 1200 can be applied to, for example... Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110, and can be made of, for example Figure 14 Device 1300 for controlling seat slide rails, or Figure 15 The execution is performed by any of the computing devices 1400, the seat controller, or the vehicle controller. Figure 13 As shown, method 1200 includes steps 1210 to 1250.

[0100] In step 1210, the traversal starts from the first keyhole.

[0101] In step 1220, determine whether the currently traversed keyhole is within a valid keyhole. If the result is "yes", proceed to step 1230.

[0102] In step 1230, determine whether the current position of the locking mechanism (e.g., locking teeth) of the seat slide rail is within the nth locking hole. If the determination result is "yes", proceed to step 1240; otherwise, if the determination result is "no", proceed to step 1250.

[0103] In step 1240, the current position of the locking mechanism (e.g., locking teeth) of the seat slide rail is updated to the corrected position of the nth lock hole. For example, the corrected position could be the center position of the lock hole.

[0104] In step 1250, traverse the next keyhole.

[0105] Method 1200, by taking into account the uncertainty of the slide rail manufacturing tolerance, performs a self-calibration of the lock hole position (e.g., the center position of the lock hole) based on the location after each lock is engaged. This self-calibration can ensure that the feedback position percentage is consistent each time the lock is engaged in the same lock hole, which is beneficial for determining the scene (e.g., linked scene) mode.

[0106] refer to Figure 14 A block diagram of a device 1300 for controlling a seat slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The modules of the device 1300 can be implemented using software, hardware (e.g., integrated circuits, FPGAs, etc.), or a combination of both. Figure 14 As shown, the device 1300 includes a receiving unit 1310 and a control unit 1320.

[0107] The receiving unit 1310 is configured to receive seat movement commands.

[0108] The control unit 1320 is configured to: when receiving a seat movement command, control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can disengage from the lock hole; if unlocking is normal, control the slide rail motor to perform a movement action on the seat slide rail according to the seat movement command; if moving normally, during a period of time in the movement process, use a proportional-integral algorithm to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into the lock hole.

[0109] The control unit 1320 can also be configured to perform the methods in the above embodiments (e.g., any one or more steps of the aforementioned methods 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200).

[0110] refer to Figure 15The diagram illustrates a block diagram of a computing device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device 1400 includes at least one processor 1410 and a memory 1420 coupled to the at least one processor 1410. The memory 1420 stores machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 1410, cause the processor 1410 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments (e.g., any one or more steps of the aforementioned methods 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200). For example, the processor may be a seat controller or a vehicle controller (e.g., an electronic processing unit (ECU)).

[0111] The present invention further provides a seat including a seat slide rail (e.g., Figures 1-5 The seat rail 110 and the device 1300 or computing device 1400 for controlling the seat rail.

[0112] The present invention further provides a vehicle including a device 1300 for controlling a seat rail or a computing device 1400 or a seat as described in the above embodiments.

[0113] Furthermore, the control unit 1320, processor 1410, seat controller, or vehicle controller in the above embodiments can be connected to the motor drive circuit unit for control, and the motor drive circuit unit can be connected to the slide rail unlocking motor and the slide rail track motor for control, thereby enabling the control unit 1320, processor 1410, seat controller, or vehicle controller to control the slide rail unlocking motor and the slide rail track motor.

[0114] Alternatively, the above methods can be implemented using a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium carries computer-readable program instructions for executing the various embodiments of this disclosure. The computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions used by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multifunction disc (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards or recessed protrusions storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combinations thereof. The computer-readable storage medium used herein is not to be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0115] Therefore, in another embodiment, this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the methods of various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0116] It should be noted that the present invention (e.g., inventive concepts, etc.) has been described in the specification of this patent document and / or illustrated in the figures according to exemplary embodiments; embodiments of the present invention are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The structure and / or arrangement of elements of the inventive concept embodied in the present invention as described in the specification and / or illustrated in the figures are merely illustrative. Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in this patent document, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that equivalents, modifications, variations, etc., of the subject matter of the exemplary and alternative embodiments are possible and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention; all such subject matter (e.g., modifications, variations, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.) are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. It should also be noted that various modifications, variations, substitutions, equivalents, alterations, omissions, etc., may be made in the configuration and / or arrangement of exemplary embodiments (e.g., in terms of concept, design, structure, device, form, assembly, construction, means, function, system, process / method, steps, sequence of process / method steps, operation, operating conditions, performance, materials, composition, combination, etc.) without departing from the scope of the invention; all such subject matter (e.g., modifications, variations, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.) is intended to be included within the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the subject matter described in the specification and / or figures of this patent document (e.g., details, structure, function, materials, behavior, steps, sequence, system, result, etc.). Considering that the claims of this patent document will be properly interpreted to cover the full scope of the subject matter of the invention (e.g., including any and all such modifications, variations, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.); it should be understood that the terminology used in this patent document is for the purpose of providing a description of the subject matter of exemplary embodiments and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

[0117] It should also be noted that, according to exemplary embodiments, the present invention may include conventional techniques (e.g., techniques implemented and / or integrated in exemplary embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents, etc.), or may include any other applicable techniques (now and / or in the future) with the ability to perform the functions and processes / operations described in the specification and / or illustrated in the figures. All such techniques (e.g., techniques implemented in the manner of embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents, etc.) are considered to be within the scope of the present invention of this patent document.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a seat slide rail, comprising: When a seat movement command is received, the control slide rail unlocking motor performs an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can disengage from the lock hole; If the seat is unlocked normally, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail according to the seat movement command. If the movement is normal, during a certain period of time during the movement, the proportional-integral algorithm is used to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism, so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into the lock hole; The method of using a proportional-integral algorithm to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and to control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism includes: using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor in the slide rail motor and the slide rail unlocking motor in order to control the speed of each motor; The method of using a proportional-integral algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor includes: calculating the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor based on the current error between the target speed and the actual speed of each motor, the tilt angle of the seat rail, the weight of the seat rail, and the weight of the passenger on the seat rail.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, During a certain period of the movement process, using a proportional-integral algorithm to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and controlling the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism includes: During the specified time period, based on the locking advance amount, a proportional-integral algorithm is used to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism. The locking advance amount is determined based on the locking time of the slide rail unlocking motor performing the locking action, the rotational speed of the slide rail motor before the specified time period, the gap of the lock hole, and the previous movement direction of the seat slide rail.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The movable position of the seat rail is determined by identifying the hard stop point of the slide rail where the seat rail moves by moving the slide rail.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the seat slide rail is in the locked state, the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail is controlled to move the slide rail motor within the lock hole, and the gap of the lock hole is identified by detecting the stall of the slide rail motor on both sides of the lock hole.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Before the time period during the movement, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail at a constant speed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, Before the time period during the movement, controlling the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail at a constant speed includes: Detect the power supply voltage of the slide rail motor; Based on the power supply voltage, the PWM value of the slide rail motor is determined to control the speed of the slide rail motor to remain constant.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The start of the time period corresponds to receiving a seat stop command or the seat slide rail moving to a designated section.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The proportional-integral algorithm is used to calculate the PWM value for each motor to control the speed of each motor, including: Based on the current and previous errors between the target and actual speeds of each motor, the tilt angle of the seat rail, the weight of the seat rail, and the weight of the passenger on the seat rail, a proportional-integral algorithm is used to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: During the process of the slide rail unlocking motor performing the unlocking action, it is detected whether the slide rail unlocking motor has any abnormality. If an abnormal situation is detected, the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to lock the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; The abnormal conditions include at least one of the following: abnormal motor jamming, motor slippage, or Hall effect fault.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising: Before the specified time period during the movement, detect whether the anti-pinch function is triggered; If the anti-pinch mechanism is triggered, the slide rail motor is controlled to retract. During the retraction process, check whether the slide rail motor malfunctions. If an abnormality is detected, the slide rail motor is controlled to move in the reverse direction, and the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; The abnormal situation mentioned above includes at least motor slippage.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 5, further comprising: During the stated time period, detect whether the slide rail motor malfunctions. If an abnormality is detected, the slide rail motor is controlled to move in the reverse direction, and the slide rail unlocking motor is controlled to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail; The abnormal situation mentioned above includes at least motor slippage.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the slide rail unlocking motor controls the unlocking mechanism to perform a locking action, when the seat slide rail is in the locked state, the current position of the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail in the lock hole is used to update the correction position of the lock hole.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The corrected position of the keyhole is the center position of the keyhole.

14. A device for controlling a seat slide rail, comprising: The receiving unit is configured to receive seat movement commands; as well as The control unit is configured as follows: When a seat movement command is received, the control slide rail unlocking motor performs an unlocking action on the unlocking mechanism of the seat slide rail so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can disengage from the lock hole; If the seat is unlocked normally, the slide rail motor is controlled to move the seat slide rail according to the seat movement command. If the movement is normal, during a certain period of time during the movement, a proportional-integral (PI) algorithm is used to control the slide rail motor to move the seat slide rail and control the slide rail unlocking motor to perform a locking action on the unlocking mechanism, so that the locking mechanism of the seat slide rail can fall into the lock hole. This includes using a PI algorithm to calculate the PWM value of each motor in the slide rail motor and the slide rail unlocking motor to control the speed of each motor. The calculation of the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor using a PI algorithm includes: based on the current error between the target speed and the actual speed of each motor, the tilt angle of the seat slide rail, the weight of the seat slide rail, and the weight of the occupant of the seat slide rail, the PI algorithm is used to calculate the PWM value of each motor to control the speed of each motor.

15. A computing device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform the method for controlling a seat slide rail according to any one of claims 1-13.

16. A seat, comprising: Seat rails; as well as The device for controlling a seat slide rail according to claim 14 or the computing device according to claim 15.

17. A vehicle comprising the means for controlling a seat slide rail as claimed in claim 14, the computing device as claimed in claim 15, or the seat as claimed in claim 16.

Images