Vehicle spoiler movement control system

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle spoiler movement control system. The vehicle spoiler control system includes: a vehicle spoiler; at least one spoiler actuator configured to move the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle; one or more vehicle sensors configured to acquire at least one vehicle parameter; and a vehicle control module configured to: determine a spoiler pinch risk condition based on the at least one vehicle parameter; in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than a threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a first torque value; and in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than or less than the threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a second torque value, where the second torque value is greater than the first torque value.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently designated inventors, to the extent that it is described in this section, and aspects of the description that may not have originally been prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] Some vehicles include spoilers for aesthetic and / or aerodynamic performance. In some cases, one or more actuators are used to raise and lower the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle, such as a liftgate of the vehicle to which the spoiler is mounted. In some cases, movement of the vehicle spoiler may create a pinch hazard to an occupant of the vehicle or another person adjacent to the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] A vehicle spoiler control system includes: a vehicle spoiler; at least one spoiler actuator configured to move the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of a vehicle; one or more vehicle sensors configured to obtain at least one vehicle parameter; and a vehicle control module configured to: determine a spoiler pinch risk condition based on the at least one vehicle parameter; in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than a threshold, control the spoiler actuator to operate with a torque less than or equal to a first torque value; and in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than or less than the threshold, control the spoiler actuator to operate with a torque less than or equal to a second torque value, wherein the second torque value is greater than the first torque value.

[0004] In other features, the at least one vehicle parameter includes at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle transmission state, a vehicle liftgate state, a spoiler end stop position, or a spoiler angle.

[0005] In other features, the one or more vehicle sensors are configured to acquire a current of the at least one spoiler actuator, and the vehicle control module is configured to compare the current of the at least one spoiler actuator to an overcurrent threshold to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred.

[0006] In other features, in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to cease operation of the at least one spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0007] In other features, in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to reverse operation of the spoiler actuator to move the vehicle spoiler to a target pinch relief position to relieve the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler.

[0008] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to use jump detection logic to determine if an output shaft of the spoiler actuator and a motor angle of the spoiler actuator are misaligned to stop operation of the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0009] In other features, the one or more vehicle sensors are configured to acquire one or more spoiler actuator parameters, and the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred based on the one or more spoiler actuator parameters.

[0010] In other features, in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to cease operating the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0011] In other features, the at least one spoiler actuator includes: a first spoiler actuator coupled to lift a first portion of the vehicle spoiler; and a second spoiler actuator coupled to lift a second portion of the vehicle spoiler, the second portion being located adjacent an end of the vehicle spoiler different from the first portion.

[0012] In other features, the one or more spoiler actuator parameters include at least one of: a motor speed of at least one of the first spoiler actuator or the second spoiler actuator, a stopped motor of at least one of the first spoiler actuator or the second spoiler actuator, or a misalignment of the first spoiler actuator and the second spoiler actuator.

[0013] In other features, the at least one spoiler actuator is configured to move the vehicle spoiler from a deployed position to a stowed position, and the vehicle spoiler is closer to the surface of the vehicle in the stowed position than in the deployed position.

[0014] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to identify a first end stop of the vehicle spoiler in the stowed position and a second end stop of the vehicle spoiler in the deployed position, and the vehicle control module is configured to determine the spoiler pinch risk condition based at least in part on a position of the vehicle spoiler relative to at least one of the first end stop and the second end stop.

[0015] A vehicle spoiler control system includes: a vehicle spoiler; at least one spoiler actuator configured to move the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of a vehicle; one or more vehicle sensors configured to obtain at least one vehicle parameter; and a vehicle control module configured to: obtain a current of the at least one spoiler actuator; compare the current of the at least one spoiler actuator with an overcurrent threshold to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred; and in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, stop operation of the at least one spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0016] In other features, in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to reverse operation of the spoiler actuator to move the vehicle spoiler to a target pinch relief position to relieve the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler.

[0017] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to use jump detection logic to determine if an output shaft of the spoiler actuator and a motor angle of the spoiler actuator are misaligned to cease operating the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0018] In other features, the one or more vehicle sensors are configured to acquire one or more spoiler actuator parameters, and the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred based on the one or more spoiler actuator parameters.

[0019] In other features, in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to cease operating the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0020] A method for controlling movement of a vehicle spoiler comprises: moving the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle by at least one spoiler actuator; acquiring at least one vehicle parameter via one or more vehicle sensors; determining a spoiler pinch risk condition based on the at least one vehicle parameter; in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than a threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate with a torque less than or equal to a first torque value; and in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than or less than the threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate with a torque less than or equal to a second torque value, wherein the second torque value is greater than the first torque value.

[0021] In other features, the method includes: obtaining, by the one or more vehicle sensors, a current of the at least one spoiler actuator; comparing the current of the at least one spoiler actuator to an overcurrent threshold to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred; and in response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, ceasing operation of the at least one spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

[0022] In other features, the at least one vehicle parameter includes at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle transmission state, a vehicle liftgate state, a spoiler end stop position, or a spoiler angle.

[0023] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present disclosure will be more fully understood through the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a vehicle including a control system for controlling movement of a vehicle spoiler.

[0026] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example system with a vehicle spoiler in a deployed position.

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Block diagram of a vehicle with a spoiler in a stowed position.

[0028] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a control system for determining whether a pinch risk condition exists based on vehicle parameters.

[0029] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a control system used to determine whether a pinch hazard event has occurred.

[0030] Figure 6 is a flow chart depicting an example method of controlling movement of a vehicle spoiler.

[0031] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Some example embodiments include a control system solution for detecting pinch hazard or pinch risk conditions of a vehicle spoiler. When an active spoiler is in operation (e.g., when the spoiler is moving between positions), the pinch system can detect these conditions and modify the operation of the spoiler's actuator without the need for external hardware or external pinch event sensors.

[0033] An example control system may be configured to identify boundaries of spoiler movement in the system, use vehicle data to determine pinch hazard conditions (e.g., to dynamically change motor torque settings for spoiler actuators), and monitor motor characteristics to accurately determine when a spoiler pinch event occurs, thereby providing protection and comfort to occupants or persons adjacent to the vehicle.

[0034] For example, the vehicle control module may process the motor current data of the spoiler actuator to dynamically calculate an over-current pinch threshold based on the instantaneous performance of the motor and / or other components of the system. If the vehicle control module detects that the average motor current of the spoiler actuator has exceeded the over-current threshold during movement of the vehicle spoiler, the vehicle control module sets a 'pinch detected' flag to shut down the motor of the spoiler actuator. After detecting a spoiler pinch event, the vehicle control module may calculate a new target position based on the direction and position of the obstacle to alleviate the pinch condition.

[0035] Reference now Figure 1 , the vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. Figure 1 , the drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive lines 16, 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include different types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (ICE), or other types of vehicles.

[0036] Some examples of drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, power inverter, and motor controller configured to control power switches within the power inverter to adjust motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. The battery system provides power to or receives power from the electric motor of drive unit 14 via the power inverter during propulsion or regeneration.

[0037] Although in Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes one drive unit 14, but the vehicle 10 may have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units may drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units may drive individual wheels, etc. As can be appreciated, other vehicle configurations and / or drive units may be used.

[0038] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding a torque setting of an electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 may receive inputs for controlling components of the vehicle, such as signals received from a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, etc. For safety purposes, the vehicle control module 20 may monitor the vehicle's telematics, such as vehicle speed, vehicle location, vehicle braking and acceleration, etc.

[0039] The vehicle control module 20 may receive signals from any suitable component for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors 21 (such as cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, position sensors such as global positioning system (GPS) antennas, spoiler position sensors, spoiler actuator motor sensors, etc.). The vehicle control module 20 may communicate with another device via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for sending and / or receiving wireless communication signals.

[0040] For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate via any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with a remote computing device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. With respect to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g., V2X signal transmission and / or reception antennas).

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a spoiler 22. The spoiler 22 can be any suitable spoiler installed in any suitable position of the vehicle (such as installed on the liftgate at the rear of the vehicle). The spoiler 22 can be an active spoiler movable between multiple positions, such as a stowed position adjacent to the surface of the vehicle (with a small gap or no gap between the spoilers of the vehicle) and an extended position away from the surface of the vehicle (e.g., rising upward from the stowed position). The spoiler 22 can also be located at any position between the stowed position and the extended position, and can be configured to rotate to change the angle of the surface of the spoiler 22 relative to the ground or the direction of travel of the vehicle 10.

[0042] For example, the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26 are coupled to drive movement of the spoiler 22. In other example embodiments, more or fewer spoiler actuators may be used and may be coupled to other portions of the spoiler 22. Each spoiler actuator may include, for example, a solenoid actuator, an electric motor, etc.

[0043] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 is configured to control the operation of the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26. For example, the vehicle control module 20 may control the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26 to move the vehicle spoiler, which may include controlling the amount of torque permitted by the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26. The vehicle control module 20 may control the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26 based on one or more vehicle parameters, such as parameters acquired via the vehicle sensors 21, parameters of the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26, etc.

[0044] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may implement closed-loop control that utilizes multiple parallel algorithms to enhance pinch protection, optimize system performance, improve vehicle noise, vibration, and harness (NVH) performance and quality, and the like.

[0045] For example, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to learn the end stops of movement of the spoiler 22 (such as during initial installation of the spoiler 22 to the vehicle 10 ), and determine a critical pinch zone (e.g., where the spoiler angle is large enough to fit 99% of human hands) by calculating the distance of the spoiler 22 from the end stops, etc.

[0046] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to determine a pinch risk hazard based on vehicle conditions using various signals, such as vehicle speed, transmission state, liftgate state, spoiler end stops, spoiler angle, etc. The vehicle conditions may be evaluated for possible pinch risks, and the vehicle control module 20 may command rear spoiler actuation at an appropriate torque and target position to increase the safety and performance of the system (e.g., by maintaining the torque of the left and right spoiler actuators 24, 26 below a threshold torque value to reduce the forces applied to an occupant or others adjacent to the vehicle in the event of pinching).

[0047] Hardware protection of the spoiler can be implemented by utilizing vehicle status signals (e.g., sensed vehicle parameters) and the position of the rear liftgate (when the vehicle spoiler 22 is installed on the vehicle's liftgate) to add additional hardware protection to the rear active spoiler. The spoiler 22 can be commanded to retract if there is a risk of impacting the lower upper threshold and the vehicle control module 20 determines that it is safe to do so to avoid injury to the user.

[0048] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to evaluate and determine a pinch event for the spoiler 22 based on the combined motor characteristics. For example, the vehicle control module 20 may monitor the instantaneous motor current of the left spoiler actuator 24 and the right spoiler actuator 26 during each movement of the spoiler 22 and use a moving average to define an overcurrent threshold.

[0049] The vehicle control module 20 can monitor the motor speed to identify whether the motor of the left spoiler actuator 24 or the right spoiler actuator 26 is moving slower than a calibrated threshold, and can monitor the motor movement state (e.g., currently in motion or stopped) and compare the difference between the target position of the spoiler 22 and the current position of the spoiler 22.

[0050] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to enable the use of a decoupling mechanism to determine when the output shaft is misaligned with the motor shaft within the left spoiler actuator 24 or the right spoiler actuator 26. The vehicle control module 20 may monitor any of these parameters (or others) to determine when a pinch event of the spoiler 22 may have occurred.

[0051] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module may be configured to improve the body alignment and flushness of the spoiler 22 with the dashboard of the vehicle by adjusting target positions of the left and right spoiler actuators 24 and 26, by adjusting speed and torque targets, etc. This may quietly, reliably, and safely position the spoiler 22 in a specified position, and may improve NVH performance using dynamic speed and torque control of the spoiler actuators.

[0052] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram of an example system 200 with a vehicle spoiler 222 in a deployed position. A left spoiler actuator 224 is coupled to a left portion of the vehicle spoiler 222 via a coupler 230, and a right spoiler actuator 226 is coupled to a right portion of the vehicle spoiler 222 via another coupler 230. For example, the vehicle spoiler 222 may be coupled to one or more mounts, rods, posts, etc., which may be moved by the coupler 230 to raise and lower the vehicle spoiler relative to a vehicle surface 228.

[0053] The system 200 includes an end stop 232, which can represent a bottom movement position of the vehicle spoiler 232. For example, the left spoiler actuator 224 and the right spoiler actuator 226 can be configured to move the vehicle spoiler 222 to a stowed position (eg, Figure 3 shown) is adjacent to the end stop 232.

[0054] The end stop 232 may be an actual physical stop that prevents any further downward movement of the vehicle spoiler, or may indicate a position where movement of the vehicle spoiler 222 is stopped to prevent the vehicle spoiler 222 from being pressed into the vehicle surface 228 .

[0055] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to monitor the position of the vehicle spoiler 222 to determine if a pinch risk condition exists. For example, the region 234 may represent a position of the vehicle spoiler 222 where a pinch event may occur (e.g., if the vehicle spoiler 222 is being lowered and a person extends their hand into the region 234 between the vehicle spoiler 222 and the vehicle surface 228).

[0056] If it is determined that the vehicle spoiler 222 is located in the area 234 where a higher risk of a pinch condition exists, the left spoiler actuator 224 and the right spoiler actuator 226 may be operated with a low actuator torque setting to reduce the chance of a pinch event (because the person has more time to move their hands) or reduce the potential harm of a pinch event (because the actuators will not press the vehicle spoiler 222 down on the person with as much force).

[0057] Region 236 may represent a region of lower risk of pinching, such as when vehicle spoiler 222 is sufficiently close to vehicle surface 228 (e.g., at Figure 3 22 and the vehicle surface 228).

[0058] In region 236, higher torque settings of left spoiler actuator 224 and right spoiler actuator 226 may be used because the risk of a pinch event is much lower (or approximately zero). For situations where a lower torque setting (such as the low torque setting of region 234) may not have enough power to fully position vehicle spoiler 222, a higher torque setting may allow spoiler 222 to be in a fully stowed position.

[0059] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may provide active spoiler control that utilizes the instantaneous drive current value of the motor driver to provide real-time, sensorless pinch protection during movement of the vehicle spoiler 222 without compromising system performance. This may provide a less complex and more cost-effective software solution (e.g., as opposed to adding additional motors and pinch sensing hardware), and may have a faster response rate to any detected pinch events.

[0060] The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to determine whether a pinch risk exists and adjust the operation of the spoiler actuator accordingly (e.g., by reducing the torque of the actuator when the pinch risk is above a threshold). This approach is advantageous in improving or maximizing the performance of the spoiler actuator under conditions when a higher torque is desired or required due to external environmental loads (e.g., where a higher torque is allowed at high vehicle speeds to hold a vehicle spoiler in a desired position to handle increased aerodynamic loads because the risk of a pinch event is much lower when the vehicle is moving at high speeds).

[0061] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a control system 400 for determining whether a pinch risk condition exists based on vehicle parameters. The system 400 may be implemented, for example, in Figure 1 On the vehicle control module 20.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the pinch risk determination module 416 can be configured to determine whether the risk of pinching is above a specified threshold based on sensed vehicle parameters. The vehicle parameters can include, but are not limited to, vehicle speed 402, transmission state 404, vehicle power mode 406, liftgate state 408, learned end stops 412, spoiler position / motor state 414, etc.

[0063] If the pinch hazard determination module 414 determines that the risk of a pinch condition is below a threshold (e.g., because the vehicle spoiler is in a stowed position, because the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, etc.), the actuator(s) 436 of the vehicle spoiler are set to a high motor torque at 418. For example, the actuator(s) 436 may be allowed to operate up to a torque value that is higher than the torque value allowed when the pinch risk condition is above a threshold.

[0064] like Figure 4 As shown, if the pinch hazard determination module 416 determines that the pinch hazard risk is above a threshold and pinch protection is set to ON, then the actuator(s) 436 are set at 420 to operate at a lower torque setting that is lower than the torque allowed at 418 when the pinch hazard does not exist.

[0065] The system 400 may also determine whether a pinch event has occurred via a pinch event determination module 434. For example, the system 400 may be configured to process current of the actuator(s) 436 during movement at 422 and determine a pinch threshold at 424 (e.g., based on instantaneous motor current).

[0066] At 426, the system 400 determines whether the motor current moving average is above a threshold value. If so, or if the system determines at 428 that the output shaft of the actuator(s) 436 is different from the motor angle, the pinch event determination module 434 can be configured to determine that a pinch event has occurred (e.g., due to the OR operator 432).

[0067] The pinch event determination module 434 may be configured to determine whether the spoiler position is in a pinch risk region at 430 to identify whether control of the actuator(s) 436 should be modified (eg, to stop or provide relief from a pinch event).

[0068] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a control system 500 for determining whether a pinch hazard event has occurred. The system 500 may be similar to Figure 4 The system 400 may include a motor movement control module 536 configured to adjust the movement of the actuator(s) 436 according to the sensed motor parameters of the actuator(s) 436 .

[0069] For example, the system 500 may monitor the movement state of the motor at 522 and determine whether the difference between the target position of the spoiler and the current position of the spoiler is greater than a threshold at 530. If the motor has stopped but the spoiler is not in the target position, this may indicate that a pinch event has occurred due to an obstacle preventing the vehicle spoiler from reaching the target position.

[0070] System 500 may monitor motor speed at 524 and determine if the motor speed is below a threshold at 532. For example, a motor speed below a threshold may indicate that a pinch event has occurred due to an obstacle preventing the motor from moving the vehicle spoiler above a target speed.

[0071] The system 500 can monitor the motor speeds and determine if the position of the left actuator motor (and its corresponding left side of the spoiler) is different from the position of the right actuator motor (and its corresponding right side of the spoiler) at 524. If the positions of the right and left sides are too far apart, this can indicate a pinch event due to an obstacle blocking one side of the spoiler.

[0072] If any of the above motor parameters indicate a possible pinch event, the motor movement control module 536 may receive the signal or indication via the OR operator 534 and adjust the operation of the actuator(s) 436 .

[0073] In various implementations, the vehicle control module can be configured to perform a learning cycle to learn the end stops of the vehicle spoiler movement to calculate the critical pinch zone within the spoiler's range of motion. The vehicle control module can adjust the learned position based on system performance, environmental conditions, etc.

[0074] The vehicle control module may be configured to use vehicle data (e.g., vehicle speed, transmission state, liftgate state, spoiler angle, etc.) to determine if a pinch hazard may exist. The vehicle may dynamically adjust the motor torque of the spoiler actuator to achieve increased or optimal performance under normal conditions compared to conditions where a pinch hazard risk may exist.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module can monitor instantaneous motor characteristics during each movement of the vehicle spoiler to evaluate performance and system problems. The vehicle control module can detect misalignment between the motor and the output shaft of the (one or more) spoiler actuators and use this information to improve pinch detection and occupant protection.

[0076] In some example embodiments, hardware protection may be implemented where operation of the spoiler actuator is stopped when the vehicle liftgate is open and / or the spoiler encounters interference by a foreign object. The vehicle control module may implement control of spoiler actuator speed, torque, and position to adjust behavior based on immediate vehicle needs (e.g., fast operation of spoiler movement, quiet actuation, safe actuation for protection of occupants or others, etc.).

[0077] The vehicle control module may be configured to check for pinch hazard conditions based on vehicle state parameters and set motor performance limits (e.g., torque settings for spoiler actuators) accordingly. If pinch hazard risk is determined to be possible or likely, the vehicle control module may calculate a transient overcurrent threshold using the average motor current at the beginning of each movement of the vehicle spoiler (e.g., sampled over a given duration).

[0078] If during movement of the vehicle spoiler the vehicle control module detects that the average current is increasing and is greater than a previously determined over-current threshold, the vehicle control module may set a pinch detection flag which will shut down the motor.

[0079] After verifying that the motor has safely stopped, the vehicle control module can calculate a new target position for the vehicle spoiler to alleviate the pinch condition. This calculation can use the position and direction of the initial movement of the vehicle spoiler when the pinch event was detected and determine the appropriate motor position / spoiler angle to safely alleviate the pinch condition. The vehicle control module can reset the pinch detection flag to allow the system to operate with normal functionality after the pinch event has been alleviated.

[0080] If the vehicle control module determines that the risk of pinch hazards is unlikely or not expected, the vehicle control module can allow a higher motor performance setting (e.g., a higher torque value for the spoiler actuator can be allowed). When in the higher motor torque setting, the overcurrent threshold can be set to a fixed value based on the maximum current / torque capability of the motor. This allows the system to overcome higher anti-torque demands that may exist due to external environmental loads (e.g., higher aerodynamic loads on a vehicle spoiler at higher speeds).

[0081] Figure 6 is a flow chart depicting an example method of controlling the movement of a vehicle spoiler. The process may be performed by, for example Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 is executed by the vehicle control module 20. At 604, the process begins by determining the pinch hazard potential based on the vehicle state and speed (and / or any other suitable monitored vehicle parameters).

[0082] At 608, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the risk of a pinch hazard condition is greater than a threshold. If so, control sets the spoiler target position at 612 and sets the motor torque to a low setting at 616. For example, the torque of the spoiler actuator(s) may be limited to a low torque value at or below a safer torque value for a possible pinch event for an occupant or other person.

[0083] At 620 , the vehicle control module is configured to calculate a moving average of the motor current. If the average motor current is greater than or equal to the pinch threshold at 624 , control returns to 620 to continue calculating a moving average of the motor current.

[0084] If control determines at 624 that the average motor current exceeds the threshold, control proceeds to 628 to shut down the motor (eg, to avoid applying further forces to a possible pinch event). The vehicle control module is configured to relieve the pinch at 632 , such as by moving the spoiler in the opposite direction.

[0085] If the pinch relief movement is unsuccessful at 636, control returns to 632 to further move the spoiler to attempt to relieve the pinch condition. Once the pinch relief movement is successful at 636, control proceeds to 660 to display an obstacle detection signal and / or a service recommendation message (e.g., to let the driver know that a pinch event may have occurred and the spoiler should be inspected for possible damage).

[0086] If control determines at 608 that the pinch hazard risk is not greater than the threshold, control proceeds to 640 to set the spoiler target position. The vehicle control module is configured to set the motor torque to a high setting at 644 so that a greater force can be applied to move the spoiler when the risk of a pinch event is low or approximately zero.

[0087] At 648, the vehicle control module is configured to detect the motor current of the spoiler actuator. If the motor current exceeds the static maximum current threshold at 652, control proceeds to 656 to shut down the motor. Control then proceeds to 660 to display an obstacle detection signal and / or a service recommendation message.

[0088] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because other modifications will become apparent when studying the drawings, descriptions and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent to," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "arranged." Unless explicitly described as "directly," when describing a relationship between a first element and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intermediate elements between the first element and the second element; but it can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intermediate elements (spatially or functionally) between the first element and the second element. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical or, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0090] In the drawings, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, generally demonstrates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange various information, but the information sent from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may be directed from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not mean that no other information is sent from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request for the information or a confirmation of receipt of the information to element A.

[0091] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0092] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functions of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed between multiple modules connected via the interface circuit. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In a further example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0093] The term code as used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class, a data structure, and / or an object. The term shared processor circuit encompasses a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit encompasses a processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules in conjunction with an additional processor circuit. References to multiple processor circuits encompass multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memory circuit encompasses a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit encompasses a memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules in conjunction with additional memory.

[0094] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium as used herein does not encompass transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); thus, the term computer-readable medium may be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital tapes or hard drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0095] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be translated into a computer program by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0096] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include stored data or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0097] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code, (iv) source code executed by an interpreter, (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be written using syntax from a language including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

Claims

1. A vehicle spoiler control system, comprising: Vehicle spoilers; at least one spoiler actuator configured to move the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle; one or more vehicle sensors configured to acquire at least one vehicle parameter; and The vehicle control module is configured to: determining a spoiler pinch risk condition based on the at least one vehicle parameter; in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than a threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a first torque value; and In response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than or less than the threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a second torque value, wherein the second torque value is greater than the first torque value.

2. The vehicle spoiler control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle parameter comprises at least one of: vehicle speed, vehicle transmission state, vehicle liftgate state, spoiler end stop position, or spoiler angle.

3. The vehicle spoiler control system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more vehicle sensors are configured to acquire a current of the at least one spoiler actuator; and The vehicle control module is configured to compare the current of the at least one spoiler actuator to an overcurrent threshold to determine if a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred.

4. The vehicle spoiler control system according to claim 3, wherein: In response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to cease operation of the at least one spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

5. The vehicle spoiler control system according to claim 4, wherein: In response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to reverse operation of the spoiler actuator to move the vehicle spoiler to a target pinch relief position to relieve the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler.

6. The vehicle spoiler control system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control module is configured to use jump detection logic to determine whether an output shaft of the spoiler actuator and a motor angle of the spoiler actuator are misaligned to stop operation of the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

7. The vehicle spoiler control system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more vehicle sensors are configured to acquire one or more spoiler actuator parameters; and The vehicle control module is configured to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred based on the one or more spoiler actuator parameters.

8. The vehicle spoiler control system according to claim 7, wherein: In response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, the vehicle control module is configured to cease operating the spoiler actuator to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

9. A vehicle spoiler control system, comprising: Vehicle spoilers; at least one spoiler actuator configured to move the vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle; one or more vehicle sensors configured to acquire at least one vehicle parameter; and The vehicle control module is configured to: obtaining a current of the at least one spoiler actuator; comparing the current of the at least one spoiler actuator to an overcurrent threshold to determine whether a pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred; and In response to determining that the pinch condition of the vehicle spoiler has occurred, operation of the at least one spoiler actuator is stopped to prevent further movement or rotation of the vehicle spoiler.

10. A method of controlling movement of a vehicle spoiler, the method comprising: moving a vehicle spoiler relative to a surface of the vehicle by at least one spoiler actuator; acquiring at least one vehicle parameter via one or more vehicle sensors; determining a spoiler pinch risk condition based on the at least one vehicle parameter; in response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than a threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a first torque value; and In response to determining that the spoiler pinch risk condition is greater than or less than the threshold, controlling the spoiler actuator to operate at a torque less than or equal to a second torque value, wherein the second torque value is greater than the first torque value.

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