Vehicle electric door control method and controller

Abstract

The application relates to vehicle electric door control technology and discloses an electric door control method and a controller. The method comprises the following steps: controlling the electric door to enter a follow-up mode; detecting the movement speed of the electric door; determining a target output torque for driving the electric door to move according to the movement speed; and controlling the driving motor to output according to the target output torque so as to drive the electric door to move. The target output torque is adjusted according to the change of the movement speed, the driving torque corresponding to the target output torque gradually decreases in the process of increasing the movement speed, and the driving torque is changed into a gradually increasing braking torque after the movement speed reaches a preset threshold. The application can dynamically adjust the output torque according to the movement state of the electric door, realize the smooth transition of the driving torque and the braking torque, and improve the smoothness and user experience in the movement process of the electric door.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle electric door control technology, and more particularly to a vehicle electric door control method and controller. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing electrification and intelligence of automobiles, electric door control technology is being adopted more and more in vehicle door systems such as side doors and tailgates. Electric doors are typically equipped with a drive motor, transmission mechanism, and controller to achieve automatic opening and closing of the doors, thereby improving user convenience and comfort.

[0003] To enhance the user experience with electric doors, most electric door control systems now employ a power-assisted mode. In power-assisted mode, when a user applies a pushing or pulling force to the door, the control system detects parameters such as the door's movement, force, displacement, and speed to identify the user's intention. It then drives the motor to apply auxiliary power, causing the door to move in the desired direction. In power-assisted mode, users do not need to rely entirely on their own strength to open or close the door; they only need to apply a small amount of force, thus reducing the user's workload and improving comfort.

[0004] Building upon the power-assisted mode, follow-up control technology has been developed to further enhance ease of operation. Follow-up control refers to the system's ability to automatically take over the subsequent movement process when it detects that a user's action meets preset conditions. This allows the door to continue opening or closing to the target position according to the current direction of movement. For example, when the user pushes the door to a preset opening condition, the system automatically drives the door to continue opening to the set opening degree; or when the user pulls the door to a preset closing condition, the system automatically drives the door to continue closing until it is fully closed.

[0005] Compared to the power-assisted mode, the follow-up control mode eliminates the need for the user to continuously exert force on the door. In power-assisted mode, the user continuously supports or pushes the door during its movement, and the system provides auxiliary output based on the force applied by the user. In follow-up control mode, once a preset trigger condition is detected, the user can release the door, and the control system will automatically drive the door to continue moving in the corresponding direction to the target position.

[0006] In existing technologies, after triggering the automatic door closing mechanism, the control system typically accelerates or decelerates the door to a preset target speed and then performs the subsequent closing action at a fixed speed. However, since the door itself is already in a certain state of motion when the user triggers the automatic door closing mechanism, and existing control strategies often directly control it according to the preset fixed speed, it is easy to cause sudden changes in the door's movement speed. This makes the transition between the movement states before and after the automatic door closing mechanism is not natural enough, resulting in a noticeable acceleration or deceleration sensation. Especially when the user has already pushed the door in assisted mode, if a fixed speed control strategy is still used after entering the automatic door closing mechanism, it is easy to make the door movement process stiff and discontinuous, thereby affecting the user's operating experience and the overall quality of the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a method and controller for controlling electric doors in vehicles, which can improve the smoothness of the electric door movement process and the user experience in the follow-up control of electric doors.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling an electric door, comprising: controlling the electric door to enter a follow-up mode; detecting the movement speed of the electric door in the follow-up mode; determining a target output torque for driving the electric door based on the movement speed; and controlling a drive motor to drive the electric door according to the target output torque; wherein the target output torque is adjusted as the movement speed changes, and as the movement speed increases, the driving torque corresponding to the target output torque gradually decreases, and after the movement speed reaches a preset threshold, it transforms into a gradually increasing braking torque.

[0009] In some implementations, determining the target output torque for driving the electric door based on the movement speed includes: determining the target output torque based on the relationship between the movement speed and multiple preset speed thresholds.

[0010] In some embodiments, the plurality of preset speed thresholds include a first speed threshold, a second speed threshold, a third speed threshold, and a fourth speed threshold; when the motion speed is between the first speed threshold and the second speed threshold, a preset driving torque is determined as the target output torque; when the motion speed is between the second speed threshold and the third speed threshold, the driving torque is determined based on the motion speed, and the driving torque is negatively correlated with the motion speed; when the motion speed is between the third speed threshold and the fourth speed threshold, the braking torque is determined based on the motion speed, and the braking torque is positively correlated with the motion speed; and when the motion speed is greater than the fourth speed threshold, a preset braking torque is determined as the target output torque.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the speed of motion is between a second speed threshold and a third speed threshold, the driving torque decreases linearly as the speed of motion increases; when the speed of motion is between a third speed threshold and a fourth speed threshold, the braking torque increases linearly as the speed of motion increases.

[0012] In some implementations, the target output torque is determined according to a preset speed-torque correspondence.

[0013] In some embodiments, controlling the electric door to enter the follow-up mode includes: detecting the induced electromotive force of the drive motor, wherein the induced electromotive force is the induced electromotive force generated by the user applying a force to the electric door, causing the drive motor to rotate; when the induced electromotive force is greater than a preset electromotive force threshold, controlling the drive motor to output a preset assist torque; and when the movement state of the electric door meets a preset follow-up trigger condition, controlling the electric door to enter the follow-up mode.

[0014] In some embodiments, the motion state includes the motion acceleration of the electric door, and the motion acceleration of the electric door is detected during the period when the drive motor outputs the preset assist torque; the motion state satisfies a preset follow-up trigger condition, including: the motion acceleration is greater than a preset acceleration threshold.

[0015] In some implementations, the induced electromotive force is used to characterize the force applied by the user to the electric door, and the user's intention to operate the electric door is identified based on the induced electromotive force.

[0016] An electric door controller according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor and a memory; the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the electric door control method of various embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor performs the electric door control method described in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] A computer program product according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute the electric door control method described in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] Beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention:

[0020] In this embodiment of the invention, after the electric gate enters the follow-up mode, the target output torque is dynamically determined based on the gate's movement speed, and the target output torque is adjusted according to changes in the movement speed. Compared to the prior art method of controlling at a fixed speed after entering the follow-up mode, this invention can adjust the output torque in real time according to the current movement state of the electric gate, making the transition between the movement states before and after follow-up control more natural, reducing abrupt acceleration or deceleration caused by fixed speed control, thereby improving the smoothness of the electric gate's movement. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Other details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below. It should be understood that the following drawings are merely illustrative and should not be considered as limiting the invention. A detailed description will be given below with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the electric door control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the follow-up mode triggering process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric door controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0027] Electric gates typically support both power-assisted and follow-up modes.

[0028] In the power-assisted mode, when a user pushes or pulls the door in the opening or closing direction, the electric door control system recognizes the user's intention and outputs auxiliary power to reduce the user's workload. In power-assisted mode, the user typically maintains continuous contact with the door, and the door's movement is primarily user-controlled.

[0029] In follow-up mode, after detecting that the user has a clear intention to open or close the door, the control system takes over the door movement process. Even if the user no longer applies force or stops contacting the door, the system still drives the door to continue moving to the target position.

[0030] Generally, after the follow-up mode is triggered, the control system usually controls the door to accelerate or decelerate to a preset fixed speed and then executes the subsequent movement process at that fixed speed. Since the door itself already has a specific movement state when the user triggers the follow-up mode, the fixed speed control method can easily lead to discontinuous speed transitions before and after the follow-up is triggered, resulting in a noticeable acceleration or deceleration sensation. This makes the door movement process feel abrupt and affects the user experience.

[0031] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment provides an electric door control method. In this embodiment, after the electric door enters follow-up mode, a fixed speed control strategy is no longer used. Instead, the motor output torque is dynamically adjusted based on the current speed of the electric door, establishing a correlation between the output torque and the electric door's motion state.

[0032] Specifically, when the door is within the normal speed range, the driving torque is maintained to sustain the current motion trend; as the door's speed increases, the driving torque is gradually reduced; as the door's speed further increases, braking torque is gradually introduced and increases with the door's speed, thus allowing the driving torque to smoothly transition to the braking torque.

[0033] Therefore, the movement state of the door after entering the follow mode can be naturally connected with the movement state when the user triggers the follow mode, avoiding abrupt acceleration and deceleration caused by fixed speed control, and improving the smoothness of the door movement process and the user experience.

[0034] Furthermore, this embodiment utilizes the induced electromotive force generated by the drive motor to identify the user's operational intent. Compared to calculating the force applied by the user through Hall signals, the induced electromotive force can more directly reflect the magnitude of the force applied by the user to the vehicle door, thereby improving the accuracy of intent recognition.

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] See Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic flowchart of an electric door control method provided in this embodiment. The method can be executed by a controller, such as a vehicle body controller or a zone controller. The electric door control method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0037] S101: Controls the electric door to enter follow-up mode.

[0038] S102: In the follow-up mode, the movement speed of the electric door is detected.

[0039] S103: Determine the target output torque for driving the electric door based on the movement speed.

[0040] S104: Control the drive motor to output the target output torque to drive the electric door to move.

[0041] The target output torque is dynamically adjusted as the speed of motion changes.

[0042] In some embodiments, as the speed of motion increases, the driving torque corresponding to the target output torque gradually decreases. When the speed of motion reaches a preset threshold, the target output torque gradually transitions from driving torque to braking torque. As the speed of motion further increases, the braking torque gradually increases.

[0043] The above control method enables continuous adjustment of the door movement process.

[0044] In step S103, the controller pre-establishes the correspondence between speed and torque. In other words, the following relationship can be established: Q = f(V). Where: V represents the current speed of the electric door; Q represents the target output torque.

[0045] The controller determines the target output torque Q from the preset speed-torque correspondence based on the detected motion speed V.

[0046] In some embodiments, multiple preset speed thresholds are set, such as: a first speed threshold V1; a second speed threshold V2; a third speed threshold V3; and a fourth speed threshold V4. Wherein: V1 < V2 < V3 < V4.

[0047] When V1 ≤ V < V2, the controller determines the preset driving torque Q1 as the target output torque. At this time, the door is in a normal follow-up motion state. The controller maintains the output driving torque Q1 to keep the door in its current motion trend.

[0048] When V2 ≤ V < V3, the controller dynamically adjusts the driving torque according to the current speed. Within this range, the driving torque is negatively correlated with the speed. That is, the higher the speed, the lower the driving torque; the lower the speed, the higher the driving torque. In a preferred embodiment, the driving torque and speed have a linear relationship. For example, as the speed gradually increases from V2 to V3, the driving torque gradually decreases from Q1 to 0.

[0049] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to linear transformation, but can also be implemented using piecewise linear transformation, table lookup, nonlinear function transformation, or model calculation.

[0050] When V3 ≤ V < V4, the controller begins to output braking torque. Within this range, the braking torque is positively correlated with the speed. That is, the higher the speed, the greater the braking torque; the lower the speed, the smaller the braking torque. Preferably, as the speed increases from V3 to V4, the braking torque gradually increases from 0 to a preset braking torque Q2. In a preferred embodiment, the braking torque and speed satisfy a linear relationship, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0051] When V≥V4, the controller determines the preset braking torque Q2 as the target output torque. By outputting a stable braking torque, deceleration control can be provided for the door in high-speed motion. For example, in a door-closing scenario, it can prevent the door from impacting the locking position at high speed; in a door-opening scenario, it can prevent the impact caused by the high-speed movement of the door.

[0052] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the follow-up mode triggering process in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the electric door enters the assist mode before entering the follow-up mode. This process specifically includes:

[0053] S201: Detects the induced electromotive force of the drive motor.

[0054] S202: Determine whether the induced electromotive force is greater than the preset electromotive force threshold.

[0055] S203: If the value is greater than the preset electromotive force threshold, control the drive motor to output the preset assist torque.

[0056] S204: Detect the movement status of the electric door.

[0057] S205: If the motion state meets the preset follow-up trigger conditions, control the electric door to enter the follow-up mode.

[0058] The induced electromotive force (EMF) is the EMF generated when the electric door drives the drive motor to rotate after the user applies a pushing or pulling force to it. It should be noted that the induced EMF in this embodiment is not used to characterize the operating state of the motor during active drive, but rather to reflect the external force applied by the user to the door. Therefore, the induced EMF can be used to characterize the user's operating force and to identify the user's intention to move.

[0059] For example, when the car door slightly swings due to factors such as vehicle vibration or wind interference, the induced electromotive force is small; however, when the user actively pushes or pulls the door, a significantly larger induced electromotive force is generated. Therefore, a preset electromotive force threshold can be used to distinguish between actual user operation and environmental interference.

[0060] In some embodiments, the induced electromotive force (EMF) can be a directional EMF corresponding to the current direction of movement to further improve the accuracy of user intent recognition. For example, when it is necessary to recognize the intention to open the door, the induced EMF in the opening direction is detected; when it is necessary to recognize the intention to close the door, the induced EMF in the closing direction is detected.

[0061] In this embodiment, the motion state includes motion acceleration. The controller continuously monitors the door's motion acceleration during the output of assist torque. When the motion acceleration exceeds a preset acceleration threshold, it is determined that the user has a clear intention to move, thereby triggering the follow-up mode. By combining acceleration judgment with induced electromotive force judgment, the triggering accuracy can be improved, avoiding false triggering caused by factors such as vehicle vibration and wind disturbance.

[0062] In the above embodiments, after the electric door enters the follow-up mode, the target output torque of the drive motor is dynamically determined based on the door's movement speed, and the target output torque is adjusted according to the change in movement speed. Specifically, as the movement speed increases, the driving torque gradually decreases, and after the movement speed reaches a preset threshold, it gradually transforms into braking torque, allowing the driving torque and braking torque to dynamically switch according to the current movement state of the door. Compared to the existing technology that controls the door at a fixed speed after triggering the follow-up mode, this invention enables a smoother transition between the electric door's movement states before and after entering the follow-up mode, reducing abrupt acceleration or deceleration, improving the continuity and smoothness of the electric door's movement, and thus enhancing the user experience.

[0063] Furthermore, the induced electromotive force generated by the force applied by the user to the electric door is used to identify the user's operational intent, and this is combined with the electric door's motion state to trigger the follow-up mode. Since the induced electromotive force can more directly reflect the force applied by the user to the electric door, it can more accurately identify the user's true operational intent compared to indirectly judging the user's intent through position changes, Hall signals, or speed changes. This reduces the probability of false triggering caused by factors such as vehicle vibration and wind disturbance, and improves the reliability and accuracy of the follow-up mode triggering.

[0064] Furthermore, by setting a triggering mechanism based on induced electromotive force and motion state between the power assist mode and the follow-up mode, the present invention achieves a smooth transition between power assist control and follow-up control, enabling the electric door to automatically enter the follow-up mode according to the user's actual operation behavior, thereby ensuring control reliability while further improving the human-machine interaction experience and the overall quality of the vehicle.

[0065] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electric door controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric door controller 30 includes a processor 301 and a memory 302. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it causes the processor to execute the electric door control method in the above embodiment. Therefore, the electric door controller can realize functions such as: user intent recognition; assist mode control; follow-up mode triggering; speed-based target output torque adjustment; and switching control of driving torque and braking torque.

[0066] In addition, embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it causes the processor to perform the electric door control method described in Embodiment 1.

[0067] The computer-readable storage medium may be ROM, RAM, Flash, EEPROM, solid-state drive, disk media, or other media capable of storing program code.

[0068] In addition, this embodiment of the invention also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it causes the processor to perform the electric door control method described in the above embodiment.

[0069] The descriptions of the storage medium and program product embodiments above are similar to those of the method embodiments above, and have similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the storage medium and program product embodiments of this application, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of this application for understanding.

[0070] The aforementioned processor can be at least one of the following: Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Digital Signal Processing Device (DSPD), Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Central Processing Unit (CPU), controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc. It is understood that other electronic devices can also implement the functions of the aforementioned processor, and this application does not specifically limit the specific implementation.

[0071] The aforementioned computer storage media / memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic random access memory (FRAM), flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc.; or it can be various terminals that include one or any combination of the above-mentioned memories, such as mobile phones, computers, tablet devices, personal digital assistants, etc.

[0072] It should be noted that the above description is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. In other embodiments of the invention, the method may have more, fewer, or different steps, and the order, inclusion, and functional relationships between the steps may differ from those described and illustrated. For example, multiple steps may typically be combined into a single step, or a single step may be split into multiple steps. For those skilled in the art, variations in the order of the steps are also within the scope of protection of this invention without inventive effort.

[0073] The technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor or microcontroller to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware associated with program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments.

[0075] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Any modifications and alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electric door, characterized in that, include: Control the electric door to enter follow-up mode; In the follow-up mode, the movement speed of the electric door is detected; Based on the speed of movement, determine the target output torque that drives the electric door to move; The drive motor is controlled to output torque according to the target value to drive the electric door to move; The target output torque is adjusted as the speed of motion changes. As the speed of motion increases, the driving torque corresponding to the target output torque gradually decreases, and after the speed of motion reaches a preset threshold, it transforms into a gradually increasing braking torque.

2. The electric door control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the target output torque for driving the electric door based on the movement speed includes: The target output torque is determined based on the relationship between the motion speed and multiple preset speed thresholds.

3. The electric door control method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of preset speed thresholds include a first speed threshold, a second speed threshold, a third speed threshold, and a fourth speed threshold; When the speed of motion is between a first speed threshold and a second speed threshold, a preset driving torque is determined as the target output torque; When the motion speed is between a second speed threshold and a third speed threshold, the driving torque is determined based on the motion speed, and the driving torque is negatively correlated with the motion speed; When the speed of motion is between the third speed threshold and the fourth speed threshold, the braking torque is determined based on the speed of motion, and the braking torque is positively correlated with the speed of motion. as well as When the speed of motion is greater than the fourth speed threshold, a preset braking torque is determined as the target output torque.

4. The electric door control method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, When the speed of motion is between the second speed threshold and the third speed threshold, the driving torque decreases linearly as the speed of motion increases; When the speed of motion is between the third speed threshold and the fourth speed threshold, the braking torque increases linearly with the increase of the speed of motion.

5. The electric door control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The target output torque is determined according to a preset speed-torque correspondence.

6. The electric door control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The control of the electric door to enter the follow-up mode includes: The induced electromotive force of the drive motor is detected, wherein the induced electromotive force is the induced electromotive force generated by the user applying a force to the electric door, which causes the drive motor to rotate. When the induced electromotive force is greater than a preset electromotive force threshold, the drive motor is controlled to output a preset assist torque; and When the movement state of the electric door meets the preset follow-up triggering conditions, the electric door is controlled to enter the follow-up mode.

7. The electric door control method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The motion state includes the motion acceleration of the electric door, and the motion acceleration of the electric door is detected during the period when the drive motor outputs the preset assist torque; The motion state satisfies the preset follow-up triggering conditions, including: the motion acceleration is greater than the preset acceleration threshold.

8. The electric door control method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The induced electromotive force is used to characterize the force applied by the user to the electric door, and the user's intention to operate the electric door is identified based on the induced electromotive force.

9. An electric door controller, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory; the memory stores a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the electric door control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it causes the processor to perform the electric door control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it causes the processor to perform the electric door control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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