Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control apparatus and a vehicle control method. A vehicle control device includes an input device, a sensor device, a memory, and a controller. The vehicle control apparatus recognizes state information of a tailgate of a host vehicle using a sensor device, and determines whether a specified condition regarding loss of the state information is satisfied when a command to open and close the tailgate is received through an input device. The vehicle control apparatus further controls opening and closing of the tailgate according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of an environmental condition, the training data, a change amount of the current data, a change amount of revolutions per minute (RPM), or any combination thereof, when it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0134470 filed on October 10, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method, and more particularly, to a technology for controlling the opening and closing of a tailgate of a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] The vehicle may include various doors. For example, an open space (e.g., a trunk) may be provided at the rear of the vehicle, generally for loading luggage or items. A door (e.g., a tailgate) may be provided corresponding to the space.

[0005] In the past, trucks were used by people opening and closing the tailgate directly. However, with the development of technology and the evolution of various user needs, the automatic opening and closing of the tailgate has become more and more popular.

[0006] As more and more people camp in their cars or park at designated locations with the tailgate open to rest, the use of vehicles with the tailgate open for long periods of time is also increasing.

[0007] However, in a fully automatic solution, the power consumption of opening and closing the tailgate is limited. For example, compared to a state in which the tailgate is closed, in a state in which the tailgate is open, the current consumption increases due to continuous tracking of the opening state of the tailgate (e.g., the opening angle) or recognition of manually changed movements. When the tailgate is open for a long time, the status information of the tailgate is often lost. In addition, the status information of the tailgate may be lost when a control device for controlling the vehicle is initialized or when the battery of the vehicle is reconnected. In this case, since the vehicle control device cannot recognize the status information of the tailgate in a fully automatic solution, and the vehicle control device cannot know the status information unless the user requests an operation to close the tailgate, the vehicle control device cannot handle the opening and closing operations in a fully automatic solution. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art while maintaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for performing a tailgate opening and closing control function based in part on identifying status information including a real-time opening and closing status of the tailgate when an opening and closing command for closing the tailgate is received from a user, and for controlling the closing of the tailgate based on revolutions per minute (RPM) corresponding to the identified status information.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device, which is used to control the opening and closing of the tailgate according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data, a change in current data, a change in RPM, or any combination thereof, when it is recognized that the status information of the tailgate is lost because the vehicle meets specified conditions.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device, which is used to: when it is identified that the status information of the tailgate is lost, drive the tailgate in a direction of very slightly closing the tailgate during a very short period of time using a driving device; identify the amount of change during the time period (for example, the amount of change in current data and the amount of change in RPM) using a Hall sensor; and compare (or match) the identified data segments with training data previously stored in a memory to estimate the real-time status information of the tailgate (for example, opening angle information).

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control apparatus for closing a tailgate based on an estimated RPM corresponding to estimated state information.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for storing training data segments, which are provided differently according to environmental conditions such as the slope or temperature of a road on which the host vehicle is located. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for: recognizing real-time environmental conditions about the environment around the host vehicle using a sensor; recognizing a comparison result based on designated data corresponding to the recognized environmental condition among a plurality of data segments included in the training data; and calculating an estimated RPM based on the recognized comparison result.

[0014] The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems. A person skilled in the art in the field to which the present disclosure belongs should more clearly understand any other technical problems not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device may include an input device, a sensor device, a memory, and a controller. The memory may store at least one instruction and training data about RPM and current data according to the opening and closing state of the tailgate. The controller may be operatively connected to the input device, the sensor device, and the memory. For example, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: use the sensor device to identify the state information of the tailgate of the vehicle. At least one instruction may also be configured to cause the vehicle control device to: when a command to open and close the tailgate is received through the input device, determine whether a specified condition regarding the loss of state information is met. At least one instruction may also be configured to cause the vehicle control device to: when it is determined that the specified condition is met, control the opening and closing of the tailgate according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data, a change in current data, a change in RPM, or any combination thereof.

[0016] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: determine that a specified condition is satisfied and the state information is lost when it is recognized that the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit.

[0017] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction can be configured to cause the vehicle control device, when executed by the controller, to: utilize status information to identify the current opening degree of the tailgate when it is determined that a specified condition is not met; based on the current opening degree, identify the required RPM required to close the tailgate; and close the tailgate based on the required RPM.

[0018] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: identify state information of the tailgate using a Hall sensor included in the sensor device when a command to open and close the tailgate is received.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control device may further include: a tailgate drive device including at least one motor configured to open and close the tailgate. For example, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: close the tailgate based on the estimated RPM using the tailgate drive device when it is determined that a specified condition is met.

[0020] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: drive the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time when it is determined that a specified condition is satisfied. At least one instruction may also be configured to cause the vehicle control device to: identify an estimated RPM based on a result of comparing an amount of change in current data and an amount of change in RPM during a specified time with RPM and current data included in training data.

[0021] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: estimate real-time opening angle information of the tailgate based on the comparison result; and close the tailgate based on an estimated RPM corresponding to the real-time opening angle information.

[0022] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: use the sensor device to identify environmental conditions about the environment surrounding the vehicle. At least one instruction may also be configured to cause the vehicle control device to: compare the specified data corresponding to the environmental conditions in the training data with the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM, and identify the comparison result.

[0023] According to an embodiment, at least one instruction may be configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: drive the tailgate in a direction to close the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time when it is determined that a specified condition is satisfied.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the environmental condition may include at least one of temperature information of an area adjacent to the host vehicle, slope information of a road on which the host vehicle is located, or any combination thereof.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method may include: identifying, by a controller, state information of a tailgate of the vehicle using a sensor device. The method may also include: determining, by a controller, whether a specified condition regarding loss of state information is satisfied when a command to open and close the tailgate is received through an input device. The method may also include: controlling the opening and closing of the tailgate by the controller according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data stored in a memory, a change in current data, a change in RPM, or any combination thereof when it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied.

[0026] According to an embodiment, when a command to open and close the tailgate is received through an input device, determining through the controller whether a specified condition regarding the loss of status information is met may include: when it is identified that the battery of the vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, determining through the controller that the specified condition is met and the status information is lost.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control method may further include: when it is determined that the specified condition is not satisfied, identifying, by the controller, the current opening degree of the tailgate using the state information. The method may further include: identifying, by the controller, the required RPM required to close the tailgate based on the current opening degree; and closing the tailgate based on the required RPM by the controller.

[0028] According to an embodiment, identifying, by the controller, the state information of the tailgate of the host vehicle using the sensor device may include: identifying, by the controller, the state information of the tailgate using a Hall sensor included in the sensor device when a command to open and close the tailgate is received.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the vehicle may further include: a tailgate drive device including at least one motor configured to open and close the tailgate. According to an embodiment, for example, the vehicle control method may further include: when it is determined that a specified condition is satisfied, closing the tailgate based on the estimated RPM using the tailgate drive device.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control method may further include: when it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, by the controller, driving the tailgate based on the specified voltage during the specified time. The method may further include: by the controller, identifying the estimated RPM based on the result of comparing the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM during the specified time with the RPM and current data included in the training data.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control method may further include: estimating, by the controller, real-time opening angle information of the tailgate based on the comparison result; and closing, by the controller, the tailgate based on an estimated RPM corresponding to the real-time opening angle information.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control method may further include: identifying, by the controller, environmental conditions about the environment around the vehicle using a sensor device. The method may further include: comparing, by the controller, designated data corresponding to the environmental conditions in the training data with the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM, and identifying, by the controller, the comparison result.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control method may further include: when it is determined that the designated condition is satisfied, driving the tailgate in a direction of closing the tailgate based on a designated voltage during a designated time.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the environmental condition may include at least one of temperature information of an area adjacent to the host vehicle, slope information of a road on which the host vehicle is located, or any combination thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing components of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 2is a conceptual diagram showing components and operations of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the vehicle and tailgate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 4A is an operational concept diagram of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 4B is an operational concept diagram of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0043] Figure 7 A computing system of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0044] Regarding the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

[0045] Description of Reference Numerals

[0046] 100: Vehicle control device 110: Input device

[0047] 120: sensor device 130: memory

[0048] 140: Controller 150: Tailgate drive device

[0049] 160: Communication device 210: Switch

[0050] 220: Hall sensor 240: Controller

[0051] 242: Motor current verification device 244: Tailgate RPM calculation device

[0052] 246: Training data storage device 250: Motor

[0053] 260: Communication bus 301: Own vehicle

[0054] 310: Input device 340: Controller

[0055] 350: driving device 360: communication device

[0056] 390: Tailgate 490: Tailgate

[0057] 495: First direction 497: First curve

[0058] 499: Second curve 452: First angle

[0059] 454: Second Direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In the following, some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to the components in each figure, it should be noted that even if the same components are shown in other figures, they are represented by the same reference numerals. In addition, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the main points of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions are omitted.

[0061] When describing the components according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, "A", "B", (a), (b) etc. may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, but do not limit the corresponding elements, regardless of the order or priority of the corresponding elements. In addition, unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as the meaning generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. Terms such as terms defined in a general dictionary will be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field. These terms will not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless they are clearly defined in this application as having such a meaning. When the controller, component, device, element, etc. of the present disclosure are described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the controller, component, device or element shall be deemed to be "configured to" meet the purpose or perform the operation or function in this article. As part of a device, each controller, component, device, element, etc. may be implemented as or include a processor and a memory separately, such as a non-temporary computer-readable medium.

[0062] In the following, reference is made to Figures 1 to 7 Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0063] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the vehicle control device 100 may include at least one of an input device 110 , a sensor device 120 , a memory 130 , a controller 140 , a tailgate driving device 150 , a communication device 160 , or any combination thereof. Figure 1 The components of the vehicle control device 100 shown are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle control device 100 may further include Figure 1Components not shown (e.g., at least one of an interface, a display, a notification device, or any combination thereof).

[0065] According to an embodiment, the input device 110 may include at least one input device (eg, a button and / or a touch screen) configured to receive a control command for controlling the opening and closing of the tailgate from a user.

[0066] For example, the input device 110 may receive a tailgate opening and closing control input (e.g., pressure input and / or touch input) from a user to at least one input device. For example, when receiving a command to open and close the tailgate to the input device 110, the controller 140 may recognize the user's intention to open or close the tailgate based on the type of input received and / or the real-time tailgate opening and closing degree (e.g., opening angle information).

[0067] For example, the input device 110 may be disposed in at least one area of ​​the interior of the vehicle. The input device 110 may be disposed in at least one area of, for example, a center panel, a steering wheel, a tailgate, a front seat, a rear seat, or any combination thereof.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the sensor device 120 may acquire (or recognize) various information about the state of the host vehicle.

[0069] For example, the sensor device 120 may include at least one sensor including at least one of a camera, radio detection and ranging (RADAR), light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or any combination thereof.

[0070] For example, the sensor device 120 may include at least one sensor (eg, a Hall sensor) configured to acquire information about an operating state of a component of the host vehicle (eg, a tailgate).

[0071] As an example, the sensor device 120 may include at least one Hall sensor, which is arranged in an area inside the vehicle (for example, an area of ​​the tailgate) to obtain (or identify) status information about the opening angle of the tailgate and / or the moving direction of the tailgate when the tailgate moves.

[0072] For example, the sensor device 120 may include at least one sensor for identifying real-time information (eg, environmental information) about the environment around the host vehicle.

[0073] As an example, the sensor device 120 may include at least one sensor for identifying at least one of temperature information of an area near the host vehicle, slope information of a road on which the host vehicle is located, or any combination thereof.

[0074] According to an embodiment, the memory 130 may store commands or data. For example, the memory 130 may store one or more instructions that, when executed by the controller 140, cause the vehicle control device 100 to perform various operations.

[0075] For example, the memory 130 and the controller 140 may be implemented as one chipset. The controller 140 may include at least one of a communication processor or a modem.

[0076] For example, the memory 130 may store various information related to the vehicle control device 100. As an example, the memory 130 may store information about the operation history of the controller 140. As an example, the memory 130 may store information related to the state and / or operation of a component of the host vehicle (e.g., at least one of the engine control unit (ECU), the input device 110, the sensor device 120, the controller 140, the tailgate drive device 150, the communication device 160, or any combination thereof).

[0077] For example, the memory 130 may store training data about RPM and current data according to the opening and closing state of the tailgate. In other words, the memory 130 may store training data (e.g., a mapping table) corresponding to the RPM and current data corresponding to the opening and closing degree (or opening degree) of the tailgate.

[0078] As an example, the training data may include a plurality of data sets divided according to states of environmental conditions regarding the environment surrounding the host vehicle (eg, the ambient temperature of the host vehicle environment or the slope of the road on which the host vehicle is located).

[0079] As an example, the training data may include a mapping table defined when a developer inputs predefined parameters in a stage of developing the vehicle control device 100. At least some of the data sets included in the training data may be changed by settings of a user and / or a developer.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may be operatively connected to at least one of the input device 110, the sensor device 120, the memory 130, the tailgate drive device 150, the communication device 160, or any combination thereof. For example, the controller 140 may control the operation of at least one of the input device 110, the sensor device 120, the memory 130, the tailgate drive device 150, the communication device 160, or any combination thereof.

[0081] For example, the controller 140 may utilize the sensor device 120 to identify status information of a tailgate of the vehicle.

[0082] As an example, the controller 140 may identify the status information of the tailgate of the vehicle using the Hall sensor included in the sensor device 120. For example, the status information of the tailgate may include information about at least one of the real-time opening and closing degree (or opening angle information) of the tailgate, whether the tailgate moves, the moving direction of the tailgate, or any combination thereof.

[0083] As an example, when receiving a tailgate opening and closing command described below, the controller 140 may identify status information of the tailgate using the sensor device 120 .

[0084] For example, when a command to open and close the tailgate is received through the input device 110 , the controller 140 may determine whether a prescribed condition regarding the loss of state information is satisfied.

[0085] As an example, the command to open and close the tailgate may be a control command to close the tailgate input in a state where the tailgate is open. As another example, the command to open and close the tailgate may be a control command to open the tailgate input in a state where the tailgate is closed.

[0086] As an example, the loss of status information may mean that when at least some of the components of the vehicle, the components of the vehicle control device 100 and the components related to the tailgate meet specified conditions, the controller 140 cannot recognize the status information of the tailgate and loses the status information of the tailgate.

[0087] As an example, when recognizing that the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller 140 is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, the controller 140 may determine that the specified condition is satisfied and the status information is lost.

[0088] For example, when it is determined that the designated condition is not satisfied, the controller 140 may use the tailgate driving device 150 to perform an operation corresponding to the tailgate opening and closing command received from the user using the state information.

[0089] As an example, when it is determined that a specified condition is met, the controller 140 may operate the tailgate drive 150 according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data, a change in current data, a change in RPM, or any combination thereof, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the tailgate.

[0090] As an example, when a specified condition regarding the loss of the state information is not satisfied, the controller 140 may determine that the state information can be utilized, and may identify a current or real-time opening degree of the tailgate using the state information.

[0091] As an example, the controller 140 may identify a required RPM required to close the tailgate based on the identified current opening degree of the tailgate, and may operate the tailgate driving device 150 to close the tailgate based on the required RPM.

[0092] For example, when an opening and closing command is received from a user, the controller 140 may recognize state information of the tailgate using a Hall sensor included in the sensor device 120 .

[0093] As an example, when it is determined that a prescribed condition regarding the state information loss is satisfied, the controller 140 may operate the tailgate driving device 150 to close the tailgate based on the estimated RPM.

[0094] As an example, when it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, the controller 140 may drive the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time. The specified voltage may refer to a voltage required to control the tailgate in a direction of closing the tailgate. The specified time may refer to a voltage from Figure 4B From t1 to Figure 4B The time t2 in , which is described below. For example, the specified time can be, for example, a very short time.

[0095] As an example, the controller 140 may identify the estimated RPM based on a result of comparing the amount of change in current data and the amount of change in RPM during a specified time period with the RPM and current data included in the training data. For example, the controller 140 may use the training data previously stored in the memory 130 to identify the estimated RPM corresponding to the amount of change in real-time current data and the amount of change in RPM.

[0096] As an example, the controller 140 can estimate the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate based on the result of comparing the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM during the specified time with the RPM and current data included in the training data. In other words, based on the comparison result, the controller 140 can identify information about the current opening degree of the tailgate.

[0097] As an example, the controller 140 may identify environmental conditions about the environment around the host vehicle using the sensor device 120. The controller 140 may compare the specified data corresponding to the environmental conditions among the training data stored in the memory 130 with the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM, and may identify the comparison result.

[0098] As an example, the controller 140 may operate the tailgate driving device 150 to close the tailgate based on the estimated RPM corresponding to the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate.

[0099] As an example, the environmental condition may include at least one of temperature information of an area adjacent to the vehicle, slope information of a road on which the vehicle is located, or any combination thereof.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the tailgate driving device 150 may include at least one motor configured to open and close the tailgate.

[0101] For example, the tailgate driving device 150 may be disposed between the tailgate and a designated area of ​​the host vehicle (eg, an area of ​​the trunk). The controller 140 may operate the tailgate driving device 150 to open or close the tailgate based on a designated RPM.

[0102] According to an embodiment, the communication device 160 may include at least one communication bus used for data transfer between components of the vehicle control device 100 and / or communication between the vehicle control device 100 and an external device (eg, a server).

[0103] For example, the communication device 160 may identify environmental conditions regarding the environment surrounding the host vehicle based on information received from an external device.

[0104] Figure 1 The components of the vehicle control device 100 shown are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle control device 100 may further include a notification device (not shown).

[0105] According to an embodiment, the notification device may include at least one display device, at least one tactile device and / or at least one sound output device.

[0106] For example, the controller 140 may provide the user with visual, auditory, and / or tactile content regarding at least one of the opening and closing state of the tailgate, whether the tailgate moves, the moving direction of the tailgate, or any combination thereof using a notification device.

[0107] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating components and operations of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] According to an embodiment, a vehicle control device (eg, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 100 may include a switch 210 (eg, Figure 1 Input device 110), Hall sensor 220 (for example, Figure 1 sensor device 120), controller 240 (e.g., Figure 1 Controller 140), motor 250 (eg, Figure 1 tailgate drive device 150), a communication bus 260 (eg, Figure 1For example, the Hall sensor 220 may be a sensor device (e.g., Figure 1 For example, the controller 240 may be operatively connected to at least one of the switch 210, the Hall sensor 220, the motor 250, or any combination thereof.

[0109] Figure 2 The structure of the components shown is illustrative, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle control device may further include Figure 2 In addition, components shown as included in the controller 240 (e.g., the motor current verification device 242, the tailgate RPM calculation device 244, and / or the training data storage device 246) may be implemented as separate devices independent of the controller 240.

[0110] For example, the controller 240 may control the operation of at least one of the switch 210 , the Hall sensor 220 , the motor 250 , or any combination thereof.

[0111] As an example, the controller 240 may receive an operation command from the switch 210. The operation command may be a tailgate opening and closing command corresponding to a user input (e.g., a pressure input and / or a touch input) received from a user. The tailgate opening and closing command may include a control command generated to control the tailgate to open and close.

[0112] For example, controller 240 may receive operating commands, temperature information, and / or grade information from communication bus 260 .

[0113] As an example, the controller 240 may receive the operating command directly from the switch 210 , and may receive the operating command through the communication bus 260 .

[0114] As an example, the controller 240 may receive environmental conditions (e.g., temperature information and / or slope information) about the environment surrounding the host vehicle from the communication bus 260. The communication bus 260 may transmit information about environmental conditions transmitted from an external device (e.g., a server) and / or another component (e.g., a sensor) installed on the host vehicle to the controller 240.

[0115] For example, controller 240 may include a motor current verification device 242, a tailgate RPM calculation device 244, and / or a training data storage device 246. Each of these devices may be part of a vehicle processor, or may include a processor and memory separately.

[0116] As an example, the controller 240 may use the motor current verification device 242 to verify the current applied to the motor 250 configured to control the opening and closing of the tailgate in real time.

[0117] As an example, the controller 240 may calculate (or verify) the RPM of the tailgate when it moves in real time using the tailgate RPM calculation device 244. As an example, the controller 240 may calculate an estimated RPM corresponding to the state information (e.g., opening angle information) of the tailgate using the tailgate RPM calculation device 244. The estimated RPM may refer to the RPM required to close the tailgate according to the opening degree of the tailgate.

[0118] As an example, the controller 240 may estimate the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate using the training data stored in the training data storage device 246. The controller 240 may also calculate the estimated RPM corresponding to the estimated real-time opening angle information using the tailgate RPM calculation device 244.

[0119] For example, the controller 240 may receive (or acquire) sensing data through the Hall sensor 220 .

[0120] As an example, when a command to operate (or open and close) the tailgate is received from the switch 210 , the controller 240 may recognize state information of the tailgate using the Hall sensor 220 .

[0121] As an example, when it is recognized that the battery of the vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller 240 is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, the controller 240 can determine that the specified condition is met and the state information is lost. In other words, when the above situation is recognized, the controller 240 can determine that the current state of the tailgate is a situation where the open state cannot be accurately recognized.

[0122] Therefore, the controller 240 can determine that it is difficult to perform the operation of identifying the real-time status information of the tailgate, can use the motor 250 to slightly drive the tailgate in the direction of closing the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time, and can use the Hall sensor 220 to identify the change in current data and the change in RPM while driving the tailgate.

[0123] Thereafter, the controller 240 may identify the estimated RPM based on a result of comparing the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM during a designated time with the RPM and the current data included in the training data.

[0124] For example, the controller 240 may operate the motor 250 to close the tailgate based on the estimated RPM.

[0125] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the vehicle and the tailgate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] According to an embodiment, a vehicle control device (eg, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 100) can control the opening and closing of the tailgate 390 covering the rear of the vehicle 301.

[0127] For example, the vehicle control device may include an input device 310 (e.g., Figure 1 , an input device 110 ), a controller 340 (e.g., Figure 1 Controller 140), a drive device 350 for opening and closing the tailgate 390 (eg, Figure 1 The tailgate drive device 150), the communication device 360 ​​(for example, Figure 1 at least one of the communication devices 160) or any combination thereof.

[0128] Although in Figure 3 Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle control device may further include a sensor device (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor device 120 is configured to identify status information of the tailgate 390 (e.g., at least one of the opening and closing degree of the tailgate 390, whether the tailgate 390 is moved, the moving direction of the tailgate 390, or any combination thereof).

[0129] For example, the vehicle control device may receive a tailgate opening and closing command corresponding to a user input (eg, a pressure input and / or a touch input) from a user through the input device 310 .

[0130] For example, when Figure 3 When receiving a user input through the input device 310 in the state where the tailgate 390 is shown open, the vehicle control device can recognize the tailgate opening and closing command corresponding to the user input as an operation command to close the tailgate 390 .

[0131] For example, when receiving a command to open and close the tailgate 390, the vehicle control device may determine whether a specified condition regarding the loss of state information is satisfied. When it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, the vehicle control device may close the tailgate 390 using the drive device 350 according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of an environmental condition, training data, a change in current data, a change in RPM, or any combination thereof.

[0132] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is an operational conceptual diagram of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0133] Referring to reference numeral 410, according to an embodiment, a vehicle control device (eg, Figure 1The vehicle control device 100 of the embodiment may store various parameters in a process of closing the tailgate 490 in the first direction 495 when the tailgate 490 is open in the memory (eg, Figure 1 in the memory 130).

[0134] Referring to reference numeral 412, according to an embodiment, when the slope is 0 degrees in a case where the vehicle is in a room temperature environment (e.g., 20 degrees), the vehicle control device may identify a first curve and a second curve. The first curve 497 may correspond to the current from the time point when the tailgate 490 is opened 100% (or the time point when the opening amount of the tailgate 490 is 100%) to the time point when the tailgate 490 is opened 0% (or the time point when the opening amount of the tailgate 490 is 0%) (or the time point when the tailgate 490 is completely closed). The second curve 499 may correspond to RPM.

[0135] Referring to reference numeral 414, according to an embodiment, when the slope is 20 degrees in the case where the vehicle is at room temperature (e.g., 20 degrees), the vehicle control device may identify a first curve and a second curve. The first curve 497 may correspond to the current from the time point when the tailgate 490 is opened 100% (or the time point when the opening amount of the tailgate 490 is 100%) to the time point when the tailgate 490 is opened 0% (or the time point when the opening amount of the tailgate 490 is 0%) (or the time point when the tailgate 490 is completely closed). The second curve 499 may correspond to RPM.

[0136] The vehicle control device may store in the memory training data including data according to reference numeral 412 and reference numeral 414. In other words, training data including information on RPM and current that vary with the opening amount of the tailgate 490 in response to each of the temperature information and / or the slope information may be pre-stored in the memory.

[0137] According to an embodiment, when a specified condition regarding the loss of status information of the tailgate 490 is satisfied, the vehicle control device may utilize Figure 4B Data snippet and operating concept for closing tailgate 490.

[0138] For example, when it is recognized that the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller is initialized, or the tailgate 490 is kept open for more than a time limit, the vehicle control device can determine that the specified condition is met and the state information is lost. In other words, when the above conditions are met, since the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate 490 required for controlling opening and closing is lost, the vehicle control device can recognize that the tailgate 490 is not closed immediately.

[0139] Therefore, the vehicle control device can drive the tailgate 490 at the first angle 452 based on the specified voltage during the specified time. In other words, the vehicle control device can close the tailgate 490 at the first angle 452 based on the specified voltage during a very short time.

[0140] Referring to reference numerals 424 and 426 , according to an embodiment, the designated time may be a time from a first time point t1 to a second time point t2 .

[0141] For example, when the tailgate 490 is driven at the first angle 452, the vehicle control device may use a sensor device (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor device 120 ) identifies a first curve 497 corresponding to the current according to reference numeral 424 and a second curve 499 corresponding to the RPM according to reference numeral 426 .

[0142] In other words, the vehicle control device may identify information indicating a change amount of current from a first time point t1 to a second time point t2 for temporarily driving the tailgate 490 according to reference numeral 424 and information indicating a change amount of RPM according to reference numeral 426 .

[0143] For example, according to reference numeral 424 , the vehicle control device may recognize that the RPM generated (or required) when the tailgate 490 is driven at the first time point t1 is m, and the RPM generated when the tailgate 490 is driven at the second time point t2 is n.

[0144] For example, according to reference numeral 426 , the vehicle control device may identify that the magnitude of the current generated (or required) when the tailgate 490 is driven at the first time point t1 is k, and the magnitude of the current generated when the tailgate 490 is driven at the second time point t2 is j.

[0145] For example, the vehicle control device may compare the magnitude of the current and RPM at each of the first time point t1 and the second time point t2 (or the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM from the first time point t1 to the second time point t2) with the training data according to reference numeral 422. The vehicle control device may identify whether the real-time opening degree of the tailgate is a partial degree based on the comparison result. This embodiment may be defined as an embodiment in which the vehicle is identified as being located on a road with a slope of 0 degrees under room temperature. Therefore, the vehicle control device may identify the comparison result using a curve graph according to reference numeral 422, which is a curve graph when the slope is "0" under room temperature among a plurality of data sets included in the training data.

[0146] For example, the vehicle control device may estimate (or recognize) based on the comparison result that the opening degree of the tailgate is initially a% at the first time point t1 and that the opening degree of the tailgate is b% at the second time point t2 (or the current time point).

[0147] Thereafter, the vehicle control device may calculate an estimated RPM corresponding to the opening angle information (or the opening degree) of the tailgate, and may drive the tailgate driving device (eg, Figure 1 The tailgate driving device 150 is activated to close the tailgate in the second direction 454.

[0148] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0149] According to an embodiment, a vehicle control device (eg, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 100) can execute Figure 5 For example, a component included in a vehicle control device (e.g., Figure 1 An input device 110, Figure 1 The sensor device 120, Figure 1 Memory 130, Figure 1 Controller 140, Figure 1 Tailgate drive device 150, Figure 1 At least some of the communication devices 160 or any combination thereof) may be configured to perform Figure 5 operation.

[0150] Operations S510 to S580 in the following embodiments may be performed sequentially, but not necessarily sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Figure 5 Related content, corresponding or repeated content may be briefly described or omitted.

[0151] According to an embodiment, in operation S510, the vehicle control device may identify a tailgate state and whether the tailgate state is lost.

[0152] For example, the vehicle control device may use the sensor device to identify status information of the tailgate of the vehicle (eg, the opening degree of the tailgate, whether the tailgate is moving, or the moving direction of the tailgate).

[0153] For example, the vehicle control device may determine whether a specified condition regarding the loss of status information is met. Figure 5 In an embodiment of the present invention, the following operations may be defined assuming that specified conditions regarding state information loss are met.

[0154] According to an embodiment, in operation S520, the vehicle control device may receive a tailgate closing command.

[0155] For example, the vehicle control device may receive a tailgate closing command (or a command to open and close the tailgate) corresponding to a user input received from the user through the input device.

[0156] According to an embodiment, in operation S530 , the vehicle control device may control the motor power using a designated voltage.

[0157] For example, the vehicle control device can control the motor power with a specified voltage during a specified time to slightly (e.g., Figure 4B The tailgate is closed at a first angle 452).

[0158] According to an embodiment, in operation S540 , the vehicle control device may verify the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM.

[0159] For example, the vehicle control device may continuously identify the current data and RPM generated when the tailgate is slightly closed during a specified time, and may identify the amount of change during the time.

[0160] According to an embodiment, in operation S550 , the vehicle control device may recognize environmental conditions and may verify training data.

[0161] For example, the vehicle control device may utilize the sensor device and / or the communication device to identify environmental conditions (eg, temperature information and / or slope information) regarding the environment surrounding the host vehicle.

[0162] For example, the vehicle control device may verify (or identify) training data corresponding to the identified environmental condition among a plurality of data sets included in the training data.

[0163] According to an embodiment, in operation S560, the vehicle control device may match the verified (or recognized) training data with the variation amount of the current data and the variation amount of the RPM.

[0164] For example, the vehicle control device may compare (or match) the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM verified in operation S540 with the training data verified in operation S550 .

[0165] According to an embodiment, in operation S570, the vehicle control device may estimate a current tailgate open state.

[0166] For example, the vehicle control device may estimate the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate based on the comparison result according to operation S560. In other words, the vehicle control device may estimate the current opening degree of the tailgate based on the comparison result.

[0167] According to an embodiment, in operation S580, the vehicle control device may control the driving of the tailgate based on the operating RPM (or estimated RPM) according to the estimated opening state.

[0168] For example, the vehicle control device may operate the tailgate driving device based on the estimated RPM corresponding to the opening angle information so as to completely close the tailgate.

[0169] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0170] According to an embodiment, a vehicle control device (eg, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 100) can execute Figure 6 For example, a component included in a vehicle control device (e.g., Figure 1 An input device 110, Figure 1 The sensor device 120, Figure 1 Memory 130, Figure 1 Controller 140, Figure 1 Tailgate drive device 150, Figure 1 At least some of the communication devices 160 or any combination thereof) may be configured to perform Figure 6 operation.

[0171] Operations S610 to S640 in the following embodiments may be performed sequentially, but not necessarily sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Figure 6 Related content, corresponding or repeated content may be briefly described or omitted.

[0172] According to an embodiment, in operation S610, the vehicle control device may recognize state information of the tailgate using a sensor device.

[0173] According to an embodiment, in operation S620, the vehicle control device may receive a tailgate closing command through an input device.

[0174] For example, when a tailgate closing command is received (eg, S620 —“Yes”), the vehicle control device may perform operation S630 .

[0175] For example, when the tailgate closing command is not received (eg, S620 —“No”), the vehicle control device may perform operation S610 .

[0176] According to an embodiment, in operation S630, the vehicle control device may determine whether the status information of the tailgate is lost.

[0177] For example, when recognizing that the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, the vehicle control device may determine that the specified condition is satisfied and the status information is lost.

[0178] For example, when it is determined that the state information is lost (eg, S630 —“Yes”), the vehicle control device may perform operation S640 .

[0179] For example, when it is determined that the state information is not lost (eg, S630 —“No”), the vehicle control device may perform operation S635 .

[0180] According to an embodiment, in operation S640, the vehicle control device may control the opening and closing of the tailgate based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data, a change amount of current data, a change amount of RPM, or any combination thereof.

[0181] According to an embodiment, in operation S635, the vehicle control device may control opening and closing of the tailgate based on the status information.

[0182] Figure 7 A computing system related to a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0183] Reference Figure 7 , a computing system 1000 regarding a vehicle control method may include at least one processor 1100 , a memory 1300 , a user interface input device 1400 , a user interface output device 1500 , a storage device 1600 , and a network interface 1700 connected to each other via a bus 1200 .

[0184] The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600. The memory 1300 and the storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a read-only memory (ROM) 1310 and a random access memory (RAM) 1320.

[0185] Therefore, the operations of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this specification may be directly implemented using a hardware module, a software module, or a combination of a hardware module and a software module executed by the processor 1100. The software module may reside on a storage medium (i.e., the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600) such as a RAM, a flash memory, a ROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, and a CD-ROM.

[0186] The storage medium may be coupled to the processor 1100. The processor 1100 may read information from the storage medium and may write information into the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In another case, the processor and the storage medium may reside in a user terminal as separate components.

[0187] Effects of the vehicle control device and the vehicle control method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure are described.

[0188] According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, even in the case where status information about the tailgate is lost when a specific situation occurs in a fully automatic scheme, the vehicle control device can provide the following functions: driving the tailgate slightly during a short period of time to identify the real-time opening degree of the tailgate, and closing the tailgate based on the operating parameters (e.g., RPM) corresponding to the identification result.

[0189] In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device can quickly identify information about the real-time opening and closing degree of the tailgate with only minimal power consumption when the tailgate is open, and can provide an efficient tailgate opening and closing control function based on the information.

[0190] In addition, various effects directly or indirectly determined by the present disclosure can be provided.

[0191] In the above, although the present disclosure is described with reference to various embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Instead, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be variously modified and changed by ordinary technicians in the field to which the present disclosure belongs without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure claimed in the attached claims.

[0192] Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present disclosure, but are provided for illustrative purposes only. The scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted based on the attached claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent to the claims should be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising: Input device; Sensor device; a memory storing at least one instruction and training data regarding revolutions per minute (RPM) and current data according to the opening and closing states of the tailgate of the host vehicle; as well as a controller operatively connected to the input device, the sensor device and the memory, wherein the at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: using the sensor device to identify the status information of the tailgate, When a command to open and close the tailgate is received through the input device, determining whether a specified condition regarding loss of the state information is satisfied, and When it is determined that the designated condition is satisfied, opening and closing of the tailgate is controlled according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of an environmental condition, the training data, an amount of change in current data, an amount of change in RPM, or any combination thereof.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When it is recognized that the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, the operation of the controller is initialized, or the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, it is determined that the prescribed condition is satisfied and the state information is lost.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When it is determined that the specified condition is not satisfied, using the state information to identify the opening degree of the tailgate, identifying a desired RPM required to close the tailgate based on the current degree of opening, and The tailgate is closed based on the desired RPM.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When a command to open and close the tailgate is received, state information of the tailgate is recognized using a Hall sensor included in the sensor device.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a tailgate drive device, comprising at least one motor for opening and closing the tailgate, wherein the at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, the tailgate is closed using the tailgate driving device based on the estimated RPM.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, driving the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time, and The estimated RPM is identified based on a result of comparing the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM during the designated time with the RPM and current data included in the training data.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: Based on the comparison result, the real-time opening angle information of the tailgate is estimated, and The tailgate is closed based on the estimated RPM corresponding to the real-time opening angle information.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: Using the sensor device, identifying environmental conditions regarding the environment surrounding the host vehicle, and The designated data corresponding to the environmental condition among the training data is compared with the change amount of the current data and the change amount of the RPM, and a comparison result is identified.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one instruction is configured to, when executed by the controller, cause the vehicle control device to: When it is determined that the designated condition is satisfied, the tailgate is driven in a direction to close the tailgate based on the designated voltage during the designated time.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The environmental condition includes at least one of temperature information of an area adjacent to the host vehicle, slope information of a road on which the host vehicle is located, or any combination thereof.

11. A vehicle control method, comprising: Using a sensor device to identify status information of a tailgate of the vehicle through a controller; When a command to open and close the tailgate is received through an input device, determining, through the controller, whether a specified condition regarding loss of the state information is satisfied; as well as When it is determined that the specified condition is met, the opening and closing of the tailgate is controlled by the controller according to an estimated RPM identified based on at least one of environmental conditions, training data stored in a memory, a change in current data, a change in revolutions per minute, i.e., a change in RPM, or any combination thereof.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: When a command to open and close the tailgate is received through an input device, determining, by the controller, whether a specified condition regarding loss of the state information is satisfied includes: When it is recognized that i) the battery of the host vehicle is reconnected, ii) the operation of the controller is initialized, or iii) the tailgate is kept open for more than a time limit, it is determined by the controller that the specified condition is satisfied and the state information is lost.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: When it is determined that the specified condition is not satisfied, identifying, by the controller, the degree of opening of the tailgate using the state information; identifying, by the controller, a desired RPM required to close the tailgate based on a current degree of opening; and The tailgate is closed, by the controller, based on the desired RPM.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: The state information of the tailgate of the vehicle is identified by the controller using the sensor device, including: When a command to open and close the tailgate is received, state information of the tailgate is recognized by the controller using a Hall sensor included in the sensor device.

15. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: The vehicle further comprises: a tailgate drive device, comprising at least one motor for opening and closing the tailgate, and The vehicle control method further comprises: When it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, the tailgate is closed using the tailgate driving device based on the estimated RPM.

16. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: When it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied, driving the tailgate based on a specified voltage during a specified time by the controller; as well as The estimated RPM is identified by the controller based on a result of comparing the amount of change in the current data and the amount of change in the RPM during the designated time with the RPM and current data included in the training data.

17. The vehicle control method according to claim 16, further comprising: estimating, by the controller, real-time opening angle information of the tailgate based on the comparison result; as well as The tailgate is closed, by the controller, based on the estimated RPM corresponding to the real-time opening angle information.

18. The vehicle control method according to claim 16, further comprising: identifying, by the controller, environmental conditions regarding the environment surrounding the host vehicle using the sensor device; as well as By the controller, designated data corresponding to the environmental condition among the training data is compared with the variation of the current data and the variation of the RPM, and a comparison result is recognized by the controller.

19. The vehicle control method according to claim 16, further comprising: When it is determined that the designated condition is satisfied, the tailgate is driven in a direction to close the tailgate based on the designated voltage during the designated time.

20. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein: The environmental condition includes at least one of temperature information of an area adjacent to the host vehicle, slope information of a road on which the host vehicle is located, or any combination thereof.

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