Motor vehicle locking device

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle door lock. A motor vehicle locking device has a locking mechanism (1, 2) mainly comprising a bolt (1) and a pawl (2). Furthermore, an electric drive (4, 5, 6, 7) for opening the locking mechanism (1, 2) is provided. Furthermore, an emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is provided for manually and / or electrically emergency opening of the locking mechanism (1, 2). The emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is equipped with at least one electronic control unit (14) for evaluating the at least one emergency opening signal. According to the invention, the control unit (14) of the emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is designed as an application specific integrated circuit (14) or ASIC.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle door lock, which has: a locking mechanism mainly including a lock tongue / ratchet and a lock claw / ratchet; an electric drive device for opening the locking mechanism; an emergency opening device for manually and / or electrically opening the locking mechanism in an emergency, wherein the emergency opening device is equipped with at least one electronic control unit for evaluating at least one emergency opening signal. Background Art

[0002] Motor vehicle locking devices, in particular motor vehicle locks, have a so-called servo-opening feature for reasons of comfort in most cases. This servo-opening is achieved by means of an electric drive, which ensures the opening of the locking mechanism. For this purpose, the electric drive acts indirectly or directly on a pawl as a component of the locking mechanism and disengages the pawl from its locking engagement with the bolt. The bolt can thus be opened in a spring-assisted manner and releases the previously caught locking pin.

[0003] The following basic problem exists about this servo lock, that is, the locking mechanism cannot be opened in this way and method (anymore) when the onboard power supply voltage is too low or the onboard power supply voltage or the electric drive fails. An emergency opening device is provided for this purpose. Such an emergency opening device is described in the prior art of this type according to WO 2019 / 076402A1. In fact, a control lever system is provided here, which is indirectly or directly locked in normal operation and is released for emergency opening. For this purpose, an adjusting element is provided, which is equipped with a motor and an output element. Here, the motor responds to the signal of a sensor, in particular a collision sensor.

[0004] The adjusting element interacts directly with the lever of the operating lever system. In addition, the adjusting element is arranged in the region of an outer operating lever as a component of the outer operating lever system. As a result, the operating lever system or the outer operating lever system can be released for emergency opening by means of the adjusting element when necessary, depending on the signal of the crash sensor. This has been proven in principle.

[0005] However, improvements can be made in this regard. Therefore, the signal of the crash sensor is evaluated with the help of a control unit, which is itself powered by the onboard power supply voltage. That is to say, possible problems related to the use of the onboard power supply can also lead to the fact that emergency opening cannot be performed or can no longer be performed in a functionally adapted manner. In addition, the known control units are integrated into the entire control architecture of the associated motor vehicle. That is to say, possible software faults, insignificant functional states, etc., in general, can lead to a failure of the emergency opening in connection with a low onboard power supply voltage, which is in principle possible. This is particularly unacceptable in the event of a crash or when the onboard power supply voltage fails or is too low, because this reduces the comfort as a whole. The present invention will remedy this as a whole. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to develop such a motor vehicle locking device in such a way that a functionally particularly adapted and largely self-sufficient operation of the emergency opening device is provided.

[0007] In order to solve the technical problem, the present invention proposes, with respect to this type of motor vehicle locking device, that the control unit of the emergency opening device is designed as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0008] Compared to the prior art of this type according to WO 2019 / 076402 A1, the present invention therefore uses a control unit, i.e. an application-specific integrated circuit, specifically for the emergency opening device. This is an integrated circuit whose function cannot be changed after manufacture. That is to say, subsequent reprogramming or reprogramming is clearly not possible. More precisely, the application-specific integrated circuit in question is manufactured according to customer requirements and delivered in this form. Customer requirements can be, for example, requirements as to which signals to be additionally evaluated by the application-specific integrated circuit are considered for emergency opening, which possible signal thresholds are to be taken into account, etc.

[0009] In practice, the application specific integrated circuit is advantageously equipped with at least one sensor according to the invention. The sensor may be a sensor integrated into the circuit. The sensor may be designed, for example, as a contact sensor / tactile sensor, so that it activates the emergency opening. Of course, it is also conceivable in this respect to use other sensors, for example, motion sensors, switches, etc., instead of contact sensors. In addition, different response thresholds may be defined for the contact sensor.

[0010] The adaptation to the respectively desired sensors, their response thresholds, etc. is now carried out in a customer-specific manner and according to customer requirements, i.e. can be predefined for each motor vehicle locking device and cannot be changed after installation and production by using the application-specific integrated circuit used according to the invention. Thus, for example, the possible actuation thresholds for the contact sensor during an emergency opening process are predefined once and for all and cannot be (anymore) changed subsequently.

[0011] By using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (application-specific integrated circuit) used according to the invention, on the one hand, lower manufacturing costs are achieved for the circuits involved, and on the other hand, as described, they cannot be changed after installation. In particular, the application-specific integrated circuit as a control unit for the emergency opening device is designed to be somewhat independent of the remaining network structure of the motor vehicle, the software used there, and other controllers additionally provided or control units additionally implemented on the motor vehicle side. Due to this independent property, the emergency opening device is ultimately separated from the rest of the motor vehicle in terms of its operating principle according to the invention. Therefore, the application-specific integrated circuit as a control unit for the emergency opening device can be supplied with a lower voltage as the on-board power supply voltage, for example. That is to say, the application-specific circuit advantageously has its own power supply. This own power supply can be an energy storage device.

[0012] The energy storage device is advantageously designed as a battery, although other energy storage devices, such as capacitors, in particular high-power capacitors, can also be used here in principle. By using its own power supply, the function of the emergency opening device according to the invention is therefore particularly independent of the situation that, for example, the onboard power supply of the associated motor vehicle has too low a voltage or no voltage at all. Rather, the emergency opening device according to the invention, in conjunction with an application-specific integrated circuit and its own power supply, is also able to ensure a complete emergency opening in this case. This is a major advantage of the invention.

[0013] Although application-specific integrated circuits are already used in the motor vehicle sector in the prior art and are also associated with motor vehicle locks, as is clearly described in KR 101233817 B1 or KR 101307916 B1. However, this does not relate to either the opening process or the emergency opening process. A similar situation applies to DE 10 2013 004 178 A1, which describes a locking system in a motor vehicle. An integrated circuit of the type ASIC is used in the process of the authentication check and the implementation of the electronic key. This has nothing to do with the emergency opening and the emergency opening device specially modified according to the invention.

[0014] According to another advantageous embodiment, at least one vehicle-side control unit is additionally provided. Furthermore, the ASIC has at least one sensor that can be integrated into the circuit. Furthermore, in most cases, a relay arranged downstream of the ASIC is also provided. The motor for emergency opening can be actuated by means of the relay. Thus, the low voltage and low energy of the emergency opening device are sufficient to actuate the relay, which in turn switches on the motor for emergency opening.

[0015] In principle, the control unit of the emergency opening device in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit used according to the invention can also be connected to the onboard power supply of the motor vehicle instead of or in addition to its own power supply. For example, it is conceivable that the emergency opening device uses an energy storage device designed as a battery for its own power supply. The battery itself can be regularly charged by means of the onboard power supply of the motor vehicle.

[0016] However, according to the invention, the emergency opening device is usually equipped with its own power supply and, in this context, advantageously its own and separate battery in order to ensure the functionality of the emergency opening device regardless of the onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle.

[0017] Furthermore, the sensors assigned to the ASIC allow the possibility of also operating motor vehicle doors without handles or so-called handleless doors, for example. In this case, the emergency opening device can ensure that, for example, a lowered handle is opened, an additional hook for gripping the door becomes visible, etc.

[0018] Furthermore, the dedicated circuit can also be equipped with its own fault diagnosis system. In connection with this fault diagnosis system, it is conceivable that the emergency opening device sends a corresponding signal to a higher-level control unit on the vehicle side in the event of a fault. The signal in question can be a pulse-excited signal, such as a PWM signal (pulse width modulated signal). As a result, the control unit on the vehicle side can then, for example, issue a fault message in a display, i.e., the emergency opening device is disrupted or has a fault.

[0019] Finally, the emergency opening device according to the invention is advantageously equipped with a transmitting / receiving unit. This transmitting / receiving unit, like the sensor, can be embedded in an application-specific integrated circuit or be a component thereof. With the aid of the transmitting / receiving unit, a supplementary authentication check can be performed. With the aid of an authentication check performed by "key exchange", it is possible and conceivable that the operator is additionally authorized for the emergency opening device.

[0020] In this case, data is usually exchanged between a key on the operator's side and the relevant transmitting / receiving unit, which is embedded or integrated into the application-specific integrated circuit according to the invention. During this data exchange, the key and thus the operator's authorization are checked. This ensures that only authorized operators can actually trigger the emergency opening device and ensure the desired emergency opening of the associated motor vehicle door.

[0021] The emergency opening device according to the present invention can be designed as a module, i.e. a separate functional unit, which is assigned to the motor vehicle locking device independently of the associated motor vehicle locking device. The modular characteristics of the emergency opening device implemented according to the present invention can also be emphasized and enhanced in the following way, that is, the dedicated integrated circuit includes a sensor and a transmitting / receiving unit and defines the installation module as a whole. The installation module can be without its own circuit board in principle. However, in principle, an additional circuit board can also be implemented. In any case, the dedicated integrated circuit includes an energy storage device and optional other elements, such as a sensor and a transmitting / receiving unit, which can usually form a module, which is for example received in its own housing or constitutes an installed component with the aid of an insulating casting material. The own module can be directly placed in the interior of the housing for the motor vehicle locking device in a flange connection, but can also be placed on the outside of the housing involved. High functional safety is ensured by the energy self-sufficient characteristics of the emergency opening device according to the present invention and the decoupling from the control unit on the motor vehicle side. In addition, the functional safety is actually maintained during the entire vehicle service life and is provided and ensured independently of whether a possible software update of the control unit on the motor vehicle side is performed. This is the main advantage of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show only one embodiment; in the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 A motor vehicle locking device according to the invention in the form of a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, is shown in a schematic overview. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] exist Figure 1 , a motor vehicle locking device in the form of a motor vehicle lock or motor vehicle door lock is shown. For this purpose, the motor vehicle locking device has a locking mechanism 1, 2 in its basic structure, which mainly includes a locking tongue 1 and an associated locking pawl 2. The locking tongue 1 is locked in the locked position by means of the locking pawl 2. In order to open the locking mechanism 1, 2, it is necessary to swing the locking pawl 2 about its axis in the clockwise direction shown schematically according to this embodiment. As a result, the locking tongue 1 is disengaged from the locking pawl 2 and can be opened in a spring-assisted manner in the clockwise direction. In this way, the previously caught locking pin 3 is released. As a result, the associated motor vehicle door can be opened.

[0025] According to this embodiment, the electric drive 4, 5, 6, 7 ensures the opening of the locking mechanism 1, 2. The electric drive 4, 5, 6, 7 itself has a motor 4, which rotates the output-side worm 5. The output-side worm 5 engages in the worm wheel 6 and ensures the opening of the locking mechanism 1, 2, which rotates in the counterclockwise direction according to this embodiment. Therefore, the bolt 7 connected to the worm wheel 6 can be moved against the pawl 2 and the pawl can be pivoted in the clockwise direction, which is schematically shown, so that the locking mechanism 1, 2 is then opened as described.

[0026] In addition to the servo-opening of the locking mechanism 1, 2 by means of the electric drive 4, 5, 6, 7, the locking mechanism 1, 2 can also be opened in an emergency. This emergency opening is necessary and required, for example, when the crash sensor 8 generates a corresponding crash signal. This crash signal usually corresponds to an acceleration or deceleration of the motor vehicle exceeding several g. However, in general, the emergency opening of the locking mechanism 1, 2 is realized when the electric drive 4, 5, 6, 7 fails or the onboard power supply voltage for the electric drive 4, 5, 6, 7 is insufficient or is not (any longer) sufficient to operate the electric drive.

[0027] In practice, emergency opening devices 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 are provided here. Emergency opening devices 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 can be used for manual and / or electric emergency opening of locking mechanisms 1, 2. This will be explained in detail below. For this purpose, the emergency opening devices 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 firstly have an electronic control unit 14, by means of which at least one emergency opening signal is evaluated or can be evaluated. The emergency opening signal can be the signal of the crash sensor 8 already mentioned above, which is connected to the relevant control unit 14 for this purpose.

[0028] However, the emergency opening signal for the control unit 14 usually originates from a sensor 12, which is loaded by the operator to start the emergency opening. The sensor 12 is a sensor 12 integrated into the electronic circuit or the electronic control unit 14 according to this embodiment. In fact, the sensor 12 is designed as a contact sensor 12 according to this embodiment. However, in principle, the sensor 12 can also be various other sensors, such as a switch, etc.

[0029] According to the invention, it is particularly important that the control unit 14 is designed as an application-specific integrated circuit or ASIC as a component of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Therefore, all functions of the control unit 14 are specified by the manufacturer and then after production and installation are clearly not modifiable (any more), for example by software updates. This has already been explained at the outset.

[0030] The dedicated integrated circuit of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or the control unit 14 according to the present invention has its own power supply according to this embodiment. The own power supply is designed as an energy storage device 11 here. The energy storage device 11 is an integrated battery 11. The battery 11 can be designed as a storage battery and is regularly charged, for example, by the connected vehicle power supply. However, it is usually also a non-rechargeable battery, so that the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is designed as an independent functional unit or module as a whole and can therefore be installed on or in the housing of the associated motor vehicle locking device. Through the self-sufficient design of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, for example, the software update of the control unit 15, which is also additionally provided in most cases and on the motor vehicle side, does not work, or the working principle of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is irrelevant to this.

[0031] The basic structure of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 includes not only a control unit 14 designed as an application-specific integrated circuit 14. In addition to the sensor 12 and the battery or energy storage device 11 mentioned above, a relay 10 and a motor 9 are also provided. The motor 9 can be controlled by means of the relay 10 in order to disengage the pawl 2 from its engagement with the lock tongue 3 during the emergency opening process. For this purpose, the motor 9 can act on a mechanical intermediate element 16, by means of which the motor 9 is connected to the pawl 2. Here, the intermediate element can be a Bowden cable.

[0032] In principle, however, the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 can also be provided for manually emergency opening the locking mechanism 1, 2. In this case, the motor 9 is not necessary. In this case, the locking mechanism 1, 2 is manually emergency opened by means of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, so that after the emergency opening signal recorded by the sensor 12, for example, a mechanical connection of the handle with the pawl 2 is realized by the relay 12 with the intermediate element 16 connected in the middle, for example, instead of the motor 9. That is, the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 ensures in this case that the handle is mechanically connected to the intermediate element 16 and therefore to the pawl 2, so that the pawl 2 can be disengaged from its engagement with the bolt 3 by the handle during the emergency opening process.

[0033] A transmitting / receiving unit 13 is also provided as a further component of the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Here, the transmitting / receiving unit 13 can be integrated into the control unit 14, just like the sensor 12 and the energy storage device 11. The same also applies to the relay 10. Thus, a compact and practically ready-to-install module 10, 11, 12, 13 is provided, into which the motor 9 can also be integrated at the same time in principle.

[0034] An authentication check is performed with the aid of the transceiver unit 13. For this purpose, data is exchanged between the transceiver unit 13 and a key on the operator side (not shown). During the data exchange, the key and thus the operator's authorization are checked, thus ensuring that only authorized operators can open the locking mechanism 1, 2 in an emergency.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 14 or the ASIC 14 is connected to a control unit 15 on the motor vehicle side. This connection ensures that, for example, a possible fault in the emergency opening device 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 can be transmitted to the control unit 15 and displayed there. In this case, the data exchange can be realized by a pulse-driven signal, for example a PWM signal (pulse width modulation signal). Of course, this is only an example and is by no means restrictive.

[0036] List of reference numerals:

[0037] 1 Lock tongue

[0038] 2 Locking claws

[0039] 1.2 Locking mechanism

[0040] 4 Motor

[0041] 5 Worm gear on output side

[0042] 6 Worm gear

[0043] 7 bolts

[0044] 4, 5, 6, 7 Electric drive device

[0045] 8 Collision Sensor

[0046] 9 Motor

[0047] 10 Relay

[0048] 11 Accumulator

[0049] 12 Contact Sensor

[0050] 13 Send / receive unit

[0051] 14 Electronic Control Unit

[0052] 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Emergency opening device

[0053] 15 Control unit on the vehicle side

[0054] 16 Intermediate components

Claims

1. A motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle door lock, comprising: a locking mechanism (1, 2) mainly comprising a locking tongue (1) and a locking claw (2); an electric drive device (4, 5, 6, 7) for opening the locking mechanism (1, 2); an emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) for manually and / or electrically opening the locking mechanism (1, 2) in an emergency, wherein: The emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is equipped with at least one electronic control unit (14) for evaluating at least one emergency opening signal, It is characterized in that The control unit (14) of the emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is designed as an application-specific integrated circuit (14) or ASIC.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The ASIC (14) has its own power supply.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The own power supply is designed as an energy storage device (11).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that The energy storage devices (11) are designed individually or collectively as accumulators, batteries, or high-power capacitors.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that In addition, a motor vehicle-side control unit (15) is provided.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The application specific integrated circuit (14) has at least one sensor (12).

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The sensor is designed as a sensor (12), for example a contact sensor (12), which is integrated into an electrical circuit (14).

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The application specific integrated circuit (14) is provided with a downstream relay (10).

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The relay (10) is used to control the motor (9) for emergency opening.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The emergency opening device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) is equipped with a transmitting / receiving unit (13) for an authentication check.

Images