Control assembly for operating motor vehicle locking system

Abstract

The invention relates to a control assembly for operating a motor vehicle locking system (2), the motor vehicle locking system (2) having a drive (3) with a drive motor (4), the control assembly (1) controlling the drive (3) in accordance with an operating event in order to provide a motor locking function for an adjustable locking element (5) of a motor vehicle (6), wherein the control assembly (1) has a rechargeable electrical energy store (7) comprising at least one capacitor (8), the energy store (7) providing an emergency supply voltage during emergency operation, in particular when a normal supply voltage is interrupted. According to the invention, a charging / discharging circuit (9) is provided, which is designed to charge the capacitor (8) on the basis of a normal supply voltage by means of a switching element arrangement (10) operating in a pulsed manner and an inductor (11) in a charging routine, and to discharge the capacitor (8) by means of the same inductor (11) in a discharging routine.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a control component for operating a motor vehicle locking system according to the preamble of claim 1, a motor vehicle locking system according to claim 10, and a method for operating a motor vehicle locking system according to the preamble of claim 12.

[0002] The motor vehicle locking system discussed here refers to all types of motor locking functions for the locking elements of motor vehicles. These specifically include locking elements such as side doors, rear doors, tailgates, tailgates, engine hoods, etc. These locking elements can, in principle, be designed as revolving doors or sliding doors. The motor locking function specifically relates to the motor vehicle locks assigned to the motor vehicle locking system.

[0003] This includes the operation of a motor vehicle locking system with a latch and a locking pawl as locking elements. The latch can be brought to a locked position, in which the latch remains engaged with the locking portion, and in which the latch is secured by the pawl. The motor vehicle lock is also equipped with an electric actuator that can raise the pawl, allowing the latch, which releases the locking portion, to be adjusted to its open position.

[0004] To meet the power supply safety requirements of such vehicle locks, a rechargeable energy storage device can be installed, so that even in emergency situations, especially when the normal power supply voltage is interrupted, the power supply of the vehicle lock system can be ensured by an emergency power supply voltage.

[0005] The prior art upon which this invention is based (DE 11 2013 006 192 T5) also relates to the use of an energy storage device equipped with a capacitor. To ensure operational status, the capacitor is charged in a charging routine using a pulse-width modulated (PWM) pulse charging voltage. The charging routine is used to monitor the equivalent series resistance (ESR) and / or capacitance value of the capacitor.

[0006] One challenge is that charging capacitors with pulsed charging voltage cannot meet all the requirements of practical applications of vehicle locking systems.

[0007] The core issue of this invention is to design and improve similar control components in order to further optimize the state settings and monitoring of energy storage devices.

[0008] The above problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

[0009] The key point is the following basic consideration: to achieve the charging and discharging of the energy storage device (specifically the capacitor) using the simplest possible circuitry. Inductors, preferably designed as a single component, are utilized to achieve both flexibly adjustable charging and discharging currents.

[0010] Specifically, the present invention proposes to provide a charging / discharging circuit configured to charge a capacitor in a charging routine by means of a switching element configured to operate in a pulse manner and an inductor based on the normal supply voltage, and to discharge the capacitor in a discharging routine by means of the same inductor.

[0011] Compared to pulse charging via an additional resistor, using an inductor allows for a higher overall current value because it generates less heat, thus significantly shortening the capacitor's charging time. The charge / discharge circuit also facilitates efficient capacitor discharge compared to a traditional buck converter. The less heat generated during operation also ensures better measurement of the capacitor's (potentially temperature-dependent) characteristics.

[0012] The current regulating device for charging and / or discharging according to claim 2 is particularly preferred, and the current regulating device can be easily implemented by using an inductor as suggested in this invention.

[0013] The current regulation device can be implemented via a cascaded regulator, which is the subject of claim 3. Claim 4 specifies preferred variations of the target charging / discharging current, which are implemented in particular via a cascaded regulator.

[0014] In the particularly simple design according to claim 5, a half-bridge is used, the associated switching elements of which are used for charging or discharging via inductors, and the aforementioned current regulation device is specifically implemented.

[0015] A particularly preferred design is that according to claim 6, different operating modes of the motor vehicle are provided, and different target capacitor charging states for these operating modes are achieved through the charging and discharging routines proposed in this invention. Preferably, for the parking mode, the capacitor is at least partially discharged, thereby optimizing the capacitor's lifespan.

[0016] In the design according to claim 7, the use of the capacitor is further optimized by implementing a temperature-dependent approach to the target capacitor's charging state. In particular, the solution proposed in this invention allows for targeted discharge of the capacitor as the temperature rises.

[0017] Claim 9 relates to the measurement of the charging / discharging current of a capacitor. The average current value can be reliably monitored by taking the measurement at the midpoint between two pulses of a switching element configuration, a monitoring method used, for example, in current regulating devices.

[0018] According to another teaching as described in independent claim 10, protection is sought for a motor vehicle locking system having an actuator having a drive motor for providing motor locking functionality for an adjustable locking element of the motor vehicle, and a control assembly proposed in this invention. Please refer to all embodiments regarding the proposed control assembly.

[0019] In the preferred embodiment of claim 11, a motor vehicle lock for a locking element of a motor vehicle is also provided, wherein an electric actuator is used for the motor lifting of the locking pawl of the motor vehicle lock. In this case, the proposed solution can take into account the special security requirements of the motor vehicle lock.

[0020] According to another teaching as described in claim 12, which is also independently significant, protection is claimed for a method of operating a motor vehicle locking system. The key point is that, by means of a charging / discharging circuit of a control component, a capacitor is charged in a charging routine using a pulse-operated switching element configuration and an inductor based on the normal supply voltage, and in a discharging routine, the capacitor is discharged through the same inductor. Reference can be made to all embodiments of the proposed control component and the proposed motor vehicle locking system.

[0021] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments only. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle having the motor vehicle locking system proposed in this invention and a motor vehicle lock having the control components proposed in this invention is shown in a partially disassembled side view.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the charging / discharging circuit of the control component proposed in this invention.

[0024] This invention relates to a control component 1 for operating a motor vehicle locking system 2. The motor vehicle locking system 2 has a driver 3 with a drive motor 4, which, in normal operation, is powered, in particular by a normal supply voltage, to provide a motor locking function for an adjustable locking element 5 of the motor vehicle 6 according to an operational event.

[0025] In this context, the term "drive motor" encompasses all types of electric actuators, particularly rotary and linear actuators. Drive motor 4 is preferably a rotary motor, and more preferably designed as a brushed DC motor or a brushless DC motor. The normal operating voltage used during normal operation is the supply voltage of the vehicle's onboard electrical network, which is preferably provided by the vehicle's central battery. The central battery is preferably a battery that provides the electrical energy required to start and / or drive the vehicle.

[0026] The motor locking function should be understood as the adjustable locking element 5 of the motor vehicle 6 being released, adjusted, opened or closed, and / or locked or unlocked directly or indirectly by the movement generated by the electric actuator 3. Regarding the design of the locking element 5, reference can be made to the introductory embodiment, in which case... Figure 1 The operating mode of the vehicle locking system 2 for use as a locking element 5 designed as a tailgate is shown. However, all embodiments are equally applicable to all other types of locking elements 5 in the vehicle 6.

[0027] Control component 1 preferably has an electronic control device for performing control tasks related to the motor locking function. Specifically, control component 1 is used here to control the electric drive 3. Control component 1 monitors the presence of operational events, for example, via a microcontroller, which are transmitted as operational signals by an operating element (such as a door handle). Control component 1 can also be used to manage electrical locking states (such as unlocked, locked, anti-theft, child safety lock, etc.), and to execute or suppress the motor locking function based on these locking states.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown in a), the control component 1 has a rechargeable energy storage device 7, which has at least one capacitor 8. During emergency operation, particularly in cases of interruption of normal power supply voltage or collision accidents, the energy storage device 7 provides an emergency power supply voltage to the power drive 3. In this case, it is preferable to provide the emergency power supply voltage based on the capacitor voltage of the at least one capacitor 8. In this case, the energy storage device 7 preferably has a capacitor connected after the at least one capacitor 8. Figure 2 The boost stage is not shown. This boost stage is used to boost the capacitor voltage of at least one capacitor 8 to the emergency supply voltage.

[0029] In a particularly preferred design, the energy storage device 7 has a single capacitor 8, specifically a single double-layer capacitor. The double-layer capacitor is an electrochemical energy storage device 7. Energy storage occurs in the electrochemical double layer, also known as the "Helmholtz layer." Such double-layer capacitors are also referred to as "supercapacitors," "supercapacitors," "ultra-large capacitors," etc. The double-layer capacitor can provide high power density for the vehicle locking system 2.

[0030] It is also conceivable to provide multiple (double-layered) capacitors connected in series and / or parallel. When discussing the uses and characteristics of capacitor 8 below, such as capacitor voltage, this also includes the characteristics of multiple capacitors. Therefore, capacitor voltage can also refer to the total voltage of multiple capacitors connected in series, the average capacitor voltage of multiple capacitors, or similar situations. Accordingly, the charging and discharging described below can be performed jointly or individually for multiple capacitors.

[0031] The key point is to configure the charging / discharging circuit 9, which is configured to charge the capacitor 8 based on the normal supply voltage using the switching element configuration 10 and the inductor 11 operating in a pulse manner during the charging routine, and to discharge the capacitor 8 using the same inductor 11 during the discharging routine.

[0032] The switching element configuration 10 is used to pulse the voltage to capacitor 8 via inductor 11 based on the normal supply voltage (preferably the battery voltage Ubat of the central battery). The switching element configuration 10 is also used to pulse the capacitor 8 to a reference potential (here, ground) via inductor 11, thereby discharging capacitor 8. The pulsed connection is preferably periodic, particularly achieved through pulse width modulation (PWM), which is preferably implemented via charge / discharge driver 12.

[0033] Inductor 11 is an electrical component, such as one or more coils, specifically designed to provide inductive characteristics as its primary electrical characteristic to influence the charging / discharging current. Therefore, the inductor 11 described herein is not the self-inductance of other components or the circuit itself. Inductor 11 is preferably designed as a structural element. Inductor 11 is preferably designed to prevent the charging / discharging current from dropping to zero or rising sharply with the start of a pulse, based on the pulsed connection achieved through the switching element configuration 10. Furthermore, inductor 11 is preferably designed such that the temporal variation of the charging / discharging current is less than the order of magnitude of the charging / discharging current.

[0034] The charging / discharging current can be understood as a measure of the current flowing from inductor 11 to capacitor 8 (charging) or from capacitor 8 to inductor 11 (discharging). Figure 2 a) schematically shows current measurement 13, which enables the direct measurement of the actual charging / discharging current. As described below, the actual charging / discharging current can also be measured (indirectly) in other ways.

[0035] Particularly preferably, the charging / discharging circuit 9 is used to charge or discharge the energy storage unit 7 in the charging and / or discharging routines via the current regulating device 14 for the charging / discharging current of the capacitor 8.

[0036] In a simple design, the current regulating device 14 has a regulator that adjusts the actual charging / discharging current to a predetermined target charging / discharging current and can output parameters (such as the PWM sampling rate for controlling the switching element configuration 10) as manipulated variables, for example, via an actuator.

[0037] However, a further preferred embodiment is that the current regulating device 14 employs a cascaded design. Further as... Figure 2As shown in b), the current regulating device 14 may have a current regulator 15 for regulating to a target charging / discharging current (Isoll) and a pulse regulator 16 for regulating to a target charging / discharging voltage (Ucmd) output by the current regulator 15, wherein the switching element configuration 10 is controlled by the pulse regulator 16.

[0038] The pulse regulator 16 generates parameters (such as PWM sampling rate or similar parameters) based on the target charging / discharging voltage output by the current regulator 15 and the normal supply voltage (here, the battery voltage Ubat) to control the switching element configuration 10, thereby also taking into account changes in the normal supply voltage.

[0039] Furthermore, the current regulating device 14 preferably includes a voltage regulator 17, which measures the target charging / discharging current based on the actual capacitor voltage and the target capacitor voltage. Preferably, the capacitor voltage is measured directly above the capacitor 8, which... Figure 2 The voltage measurement is shown as 18. The voltage regulator 17 preferably includes a current limiter 19 that limits the charging / discharging current output by the regulating element of the voltage regulator 17 to a maximum, for example, a preset current value. In this way, excessive charging / discharging current can be avoided by the voltage regulator 17. In particular, the voltage regulator 17 can reliably perform the start-up phase of the charging routine (especially when the capacitor 8 is fully discharged) and / or charging near the target capacitor voltage.

[0040] Preferably, the current regulating device 14 regulates the charging / discharging current to a predetermined constant target charging / discharging current or a predetermined target charging / discharging current curve during the charging and / or discharging routines.

[0041] The predetermined constant target charging / discharging current can be a pre-set value or a result of using the voltage regulator 17 described above. Conversely, the predetermined target charging / discharging current profile can cause the charging / discharging current to vary with time during the charging and / or discharging routines. In this case, the target charging / discharging current profile does not necessarily have to be directly related to time. For example, the target charging / discharging current profile can be set based on the capacitor voltage.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown in a), the switching element configuration 10 can be designed as a half-bridge for the inductor 11, and the high-side switching element 20 of the half-bridge is used for pulse charging through the inductor 11 in a charging routine, and the low-side switching element 21 of the half-bridge is used for pulse discharging through the inductor 11.

[0043] To execute charging and discharging routines, the high-side switching element 20 and the low-side switching element 21 are controlled by the charge / discharge driver 12. These switching elements may be MOSFETs. Figure 2 In view a), the high-side switching element 20 is operated in the charging routine to pulse the battery voltage Ubat to the inductor 11. In the discharging routine, the low-side switching element 21 is operated to pulse the capacitor 8 to the ground via the inductor 11.

[0044] Preferably, an additional switching element 22 is provided here for disconnecting the capacitor 8 from the inductor 11 and / or the switching element configuration 10. This disconnection is preferably performed after the charging and / or discharging cycles have ended to prevent undesirable discharge of the capacitor 8.

[0045] Here, the charging / discharging circuit 9 is also preferably configured to execute charging and / or discharging routines when the operating mode of the vehicle 6 changes, wherein the operating mode of the vehicle 6 corresponds to the charging state of the relevant target capacitor (especially the voltage of the target capacitor), which forms the basis for the charging and / or discharging routines.

[0046] For example, the active operating mode can be transmitted to the control component 1 via other components of the vehicle 6 (such as the central vehicle controller). Similarly, a value for the target capacitor's charging state can also be transmitted to the control component 1. The target capacitor's charging state (here, the target capacitor voltage) can be transmitted to the aforementioned current regulating device 14, which executes corresponding charging and / or discharging routines to achieve the target capacitor's charging state.

[0047] In a preferred design, a parking mode is provided as an operating mode, for example, when the vehicle 6 is stationary, particularly when the drive drive is off. In this case, the parking mode is assigned a lower target capacitor state of charge compared to the operating mode provided as a driving mode. Emergency operation is unlikely in parking mode, therefore the capacitor 8 can be placed at a lower state of charge, in which case the possibility of discharging through the inductor 11 used for charging can be advantageously utilized. When the vehicle 6 switches to driving mode, particularly rapid charging can be achieved by the control component 1 proposed in this invention, thereby making the capacitor 8 fully usable. Other operating modes may also be provided.

[0048] Here, the charging / discharging circuit 9 is also preferably configured to perform charging and / or discharging routines according to temperature, wherein the temperature value corresponds to the relevant target capacitor charging state (in particular the target capacitor voltage), which forms the basis of the charging and / or discharging routines.

[0049] Preferably, the target capacitor's state of charge is set as a function of a temperature value; specifically, the higher the temperature value, the lower the target capacitor's state of charge, thereby extending the lifespan of the capacitor 8. The temperature value preferably represents the temperature of the control component 1, particularly the temperature of the capacitor 8. Specifically, the control component 1 has a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature value. The temperature sensor may, for example, be integrated into a component of the control component 1 and / or mounted on the capacitor 8. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the temperature value of the control component 1 may be transmitted, for example, by a central vehicle controller, where this temperature value may also represent the ambient temperature of the vehicle 6.

[0050] In a particularly preferred design, the charging / discharging circuit 9 is used to perform diagnostic steps, wherein the capacitance and / or ESR value of the capacitor 8 is determined based on the charging / discharging current. In this process, the diagnostics can be performed using the flexible setting of the charging / discharging current achieved through the solution provided by this invention.

[0051] For example, the capacitance value can be measured over a period of time, which is the time required for a voltage difference to be generated across capacitor 8 under the charging / discharging current. The capacitance value can be measured based on a constant charging / discharging current, or it can be based, for example, on the integral value of the charging / discharging current curve. The ESR value can be measured based on targeted changes in the charging / discharging current. For example, by briefly increasing or decreasing the charging / discharging current, the ESR value can be inferred from the resulting voltage difference.

[0052] In this case, it is particularly advantageous that the charging / discharging circuit 9 can be configured to perform diagnostic steps during the charging phase of a charging routine and / or during the discharging phase of a discharging routine. According to the solution provided by the invention, there is no need to interrupt the charging and / or discharging routines.

[0053] In one design, a current sensor 23 is provided for measuring the charging / discharging current of capacitor 8 via a low-side shunt. Figure 2 The current sensor 23 is located between the low-side switching element 21 and ground. It can also be used in charging routines to measure the current flowing from inductor 11 between pulses of the high-side switching element 20. The current sensor 23 can also be used in other applications, preferably for monitoring the drive current when controlling the driver 3.

[0054] Preferably, at least one current value is measured as a charging / discharging current at the midpoint between two pulses of the switching element configuration 10. This current value can be measured at a time point centered between the end of the previous pulse and the beginning of the next pulse. This current value represents the time-averaged current value. Similarly, at least one current value can also be measured at the beginning of each pulse of the switching element configuration 10.

[0055] When the control switching element configuration is 10, center-aligned PWM can be preferably used to simplify the evaluation.

[0056] According to another teaching, a motor vehicle locking system 2 is proposed, which has an actuator 3 and a control component 1 proposed in this invention, the actuator having a drive motor 4 for providing a motor locking function for an adjustable locking element 5 of a motor vehicle 6. All embodiments relating to the proposed control component 1 can be referred to.

[0057] Furthermore, a vehicle lock 24 is preferably provided for the locking element 5 of the motor vehicle 6. The vehicle lock 24 in... Figure 1 The figure is shown in a partially disassembled side view and includes a latch 26 that pivots about a latch axis 25 to engage with a locking portion 27, and a locking pawl 29 assigned to the latch 26 that pivots about a locking pawl axis 28. The locking portion 27 may be a locking bracket, a locking bolt, or the like. For example, a vehicle lock 24 is mounted on the locking element 5, while the locking portion 27 is fixed to the body of the vehicle 6.

[0058] Locking pawl 29 can be moved to Figure 1 The retracted position shown holds the latch 26 in the locked position. Furthermore, the locking pawl 29 can be electrically lifted by the electric actuator 3. For this purpose, the drive motor 4 is preferably connected to the locking pawl 29 via a drive cable 30. Figure 1 In this configuration, the motor-driven lifting of the locking pawl 29 corresponds to a clockwise pivoting of the locking pawl 29 about the locking pawl axis 28. In principle, the locking pawl 29 can also be part of a locking pawl system consisting of two or more sequentially arranged locking pawls assigned to the latch 26. The motor-driven lifting of the locking pawl 29 is triggered by an operational event, such as the operation of an operating element like a door handle.

[0059] As a supplement or alternative to the locking function of the vehicle lock 24 explained in detail herein, the vehicle locking system 2 may also have a drive assembly for motor adjustment of the aforementioned locking element 5 of the vehicle 6, wherein the drive assembly is used for motor adjustment of the locking element 5, particularly opening and / or closing. Further examples of the locking function include the motor adjustment of operating elements and internal and external components of the vehicle 6, such as fan elements, interior rearview mirrors, side rearview mirrors, lighting, etc.

[0060] According to another teaching, a method for operating a motor vehicle locking system 2 is proposed, wherein the motor vehicle locking system 2 has a driver 3 with a drive motor 4, wherein a control component 1 controls the driver 3 according to an operation event to provide a motor locking function for an adjustable locking element 5 of the motor vehicle 6, wherein the control component 1 has a rechargeable energy storage device (7) including at least one capacitor 8, which provides an emergency power supply voltage in emergency operation, particularly when the normal power supply voltage is interrupted.

[0061] In the charging / discharging circuit 9 of the control component 1, the capacitor 8 is charged based on the normal supply voltage by means of the switching element configuration 10 and the inductor 11 operating in a pulse mode during the charging routine, and the capacitor 8 is discharged through the same inductor 11 during the discharging routine.

[0062] Reference can be made to all embodiments of the control component 1 and the vehicle locking system 2 according to the invention. The corresponding method steps should also be disclosed based on the characteristics of the vehicle locking system 2, the control component 1, and their components (these characteristics are also characterized by performing the method steps).

Claims

1. Control assembly for operating a motor vehicle locking system (2), wherein the motor vehicle locking system (2) has a drive (3) with a drive motor (4), wherein the control assembly (1) controls the drive (3) in accordance with operating events in order to provide a motor lock function for an adjustable locking element (5) of a motor vehicle (6), wherein the control assembly (1) has a chargeable energy store (7) with at least one capacitor (8), which provides an emergency supply voltage in an emergency operation, in particular when the normal supply voltage is interrupted, characterized in that a charge / discharge circuit (9) is provided, which is configured to charge the capacitor (8) in a charging routine on the basis of the normal supply voltage by means of a switching element arrangement (10) which is operated in a pulsed manner and an inductance (11) and to discharge the capacitor (8) in a discharging routine by means of the same inductance (11).

2. The control assembly of claim 1, wherein, The charge / discharge circuit (9) is configured to charge or discharge the energy store (7) in the charging routine and / or in the discharging routine by means of a current regulating device (14) for the charging / discharging current of the capacitor (8).

3. The control assembly of claim 2, wherein, The current regulating device (14) is designed in a cascade, preferably with a current regulator (15) for regulating to a target charging / discharging current and a pulse regulator (16) for regulating to a target charging / discharging voltage output by the current regulator (15), wherein the switching element arrangement (10) is controlled by the pulse regulator (16), further preferably with a voltage regulator (17) for determining the target charging / discharging current on the basis of an actual capacitor voltage and a target capacitor voltage.

4. A control assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The current regulating device (14) regulates the charging / discharging current to a predetermined constant target charging / discharging current or to a predetermined target charging / discharging current profile in the charging routine and / or in the discharging routine.

5. A control assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The switching element arrangement (10) is designed as a half-bridge for the inductance (11), and a high-side switching element (20) of the half-bridge is used for pulsed charging by means of the inductance (11) in the charging routine, and a low-side switching element (21) of the half-bridge is used for pulsed discharging by means of the inductance (11).

6. A control assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The charge / discharge circuit (9) is configured to execute the charging routine and / or the discharging routine when an operating mode of the motor vehicle (6) changes, wherein the operating mode of the motor vehicle (6) corresponds to a related target capacitor charging state, in particular a target capacitor voltage, which is the basis for the charging routine and / or the discharging routine, preferably a parking mode is provided as an operating mode, which is assigned a lower target capacitor charging state compared to an operating mode which is provided as a driving mode.

7. A control assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The charging / discharging circuit (9) is designed to execute the charging routine and / or the discharging routine depending on the temperature, wherein a temperature value corresponds to a relevant target capacitor charge state, in particular a target capacitor voltage, which is the basis for the charging routine and / or the discharging routine, in particular the control assembly (1) has a temperature sensor for determining the temperature value.

8. A control assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, The charging / discharging circuit (9) is designed to execute a diagnostic step, wherein the capacitance value and / or the ESR value of the capacitor (8) is determined on the basis of the charging / discharging current, preferably the charging / discharging circuit (9) is designed to execute the diagnostic step during charging in the charging routine and / or during discharging in the discharging routine.

9. A control assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, A current sensor (23) for determining the charging / discharging current of the capacitor (8) by means of a low-side shunt is provided, preferably at least one current value at an intermediate point between two pulses of the switching element configuration (10) and / or at least one current value at the beginning of a pulse of the switching element configuration (10) is determined as the charging / discharging current.

10. A motor vehicle locking system having a drive (3) with a drive motor (4) for providing a motor lock function for an adjustable locking element (5) of a motor vehicle (6) and a control assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A motor vehicle locking system according to claim 10, characterised in that, A motor vehicle lock (24) for a locking element (5) of the motor vehicle (6) is provided, which is equipped with a latch (26) for retaining engagement with a locking portion (27) and a blocking pawl (29) assigned to the latch (26), and the electric drive (3) serves to motorically lift the blocking pawl (29).

12. A method of operating a motor vehicle locking system (2), wherein the motor vehicle locking system (2) has a drive (3) with a drive motor (4), wherein a control assembly (1) controls the drive (3) depending on an operating event in order to provide a motor lock function for an adjustable locking element (5) of a motor vehicle (6), wherein the control assembly (1) has a chargeable electrical energy store (7) comprising at least one capacitor (8), which provides an emergency supply voltage in an emergency operation, in particular when the normal supply voltage is interrupted, characterized in that by means of a charging / discharging circuit (9) of the control assembly (1), the capacitor (8) is charged in a charging routine on the basis of the normal supply voltage by means of a switching element configuration (10) working in a pulsed manner and an inductance (11) and is discharged in a discharging routine by means of the same inductance (11).

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