Integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat

Abstract

An integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) carried out by an integrated controller (300) connected to a plurality of electrically adjustable seats (100, 100-1, 100-2), the method comprising the following steps: a signal input step (S120) of receiving a power seat operation signal input that a user inputs through an interface of a vehicle; a determination step (S130) of determining an operating condition for operating a motor module (110) that is installed in the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) and moves a specific area of ​​the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2); and an information transmission step (S140) of transmitting drive information for controlling the motor module (110) according to a type of the operation signal, wherein the motor module (110) comprises a drive motor (111) and a motor controller (112) that controls the drive motor (111), and a LIN communication bus (400, 400-1, 400-2) is provided between the integrated controller (300) and each electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2), wherein the motor controller (112) is integrated into the motor module (110) and the motor controller (112) is equipped with a power supply unit (1123), wherein the power supply unit (1123) is configured to apply power received from a battery (20) to a Hall sensor (114), and wherein in the information transmission step (S140) the integrated controller (300) transmits the drive information to the motor controller (112) through the LIN communication bus (400, 400-1, 400-2).

Description

BackgroundTechnical area

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an integrated control method for a power seat, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a power seat by using an integrated controller that can control all power seats without a master controller for each power seat. Description of the state of the art

[0002] A vehicle is equipped with various comfort features, the primary purpose of which is to improve the comfort of a driver or passenger. One example is a power seat. Generally, a vehicle seat includes a seatback that supports the passenger's back, a seat cushion, a headrest, a legrest, etc., which serve to enable the passenger to sit comfortably. A power seat is a seat equipped with a device capable of electrically driving all such parts of the seat using a motor.

[0003] Here, not only a reclining device mounted at a connecting portion between the seat back and the seat cushion but also a relaxation device that simultaneously performs the reclining operation of the seat back and the forward movement and tilting operation of the seat cushion are employed as a device provided in the power seat to change the seating position of the passenger. Furthermore, seats of some luxury vehicles are provided with a leg support device that can support the passenger's legs. In addition, a leg support extension device may be further provided that operates to not only raise the leg support in conjunction with the leg support device but also extend the length of the leg support extension toward the front of the seat to support the leg more comfortably.In addition to the above-mentioned devices, the power seat may further include a device for driving the headrest. As the drive device gradually increases for passenger comfort, the motor providing driving force increases proportionally.

[0004] Traditionally, a higher-level controller, located outside the motor, is provided individually for each seat and is electrically connected to each motor driving each part of the seat. When the passenger's operation intention is input through the vehicle's interfaces (buttons, etc.), the higher-level controller transmits a signal to control each motor in the forward or reverse direction, thus controlling the seat's movement.

[0005] However, as described above, with increasing specifications, the number of motors increases, and accordingly, the drive circuit in the master controller also increases. Therefore, there is a problem in that the volume of the master controller increases. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure a large space in which the master controller is located for each seat. This is disadvantageous in terms of space utilization.

[0006] In addition, in the existing method of driving a motor in the higher-level controller, each time the number of motors increases by one, a circuit line for sending a signal to drive the motor and a power line for connecting to a Hall sensor must be connected between the higher-level controller and the motor in a DC motor. Therefore, in the case of a wiring harness connecting the controller and the motor, four connecting lines are provided for each additional motor. In the case of a BLDC motor, connecting lines of the Hall sensor and three-phase power lines are provided, for a total of eight connecting lines. Consequently, a major problem arises in that the volume of the wiring harness increases.

[0007] In the past, when seat-to-seat interaction was required, the interaction was implemented by the higher-level controllers communicating using the vehicle's CAN (Controller Area Network) communication bus, and the interaction logic was executed. If a CAN communication error occurs in this case, a problem may arise in that the interaction is not executed properly.

[0008] US 2023 / 0 311 718 A1 discloses a system for controlling the position of a vehicle seat, which system has actuators and controls to control a seat adjustment based on detected seat positions and depending on whether or not an operator's presence is detected. State of the art documentPatent document

[0009] Korean Patent KR 10 1 619 619 B1 Brief description of the technical problem

[0010] The object of the present disclosure is that cooperation between the seats can be carried out normally even if an abnormality occurs in the CAN communication bus of a vehicle.

[0011] Furthermore, the object of the present disclosure is to change a specification related to the controller of the power seat only by updating an integrated controller arranged outside the power seat, without replacing a motor module assembled in combination with a frame of the power seat, even if the specifications need to be changed. Technical solution

[0012] One embodiment is an integrated control method for a power seat executed by an integrated controller connected to a plurality of power seats. The integrated control method for a power seat includes: a signal input step of receiving a power seat operation signal input that a user inputs through an interface of a vehicle; a determination step of determining an operation condition for operating a motor module installed in the power seat and moving a specific portion of the power seat; and an information transmission step of transmitting drive information for controlling the motor module according to a type of the operation signal.The motor module includes a drive motor and a motor controller that controls the drive motor. A LIN communication bus is provided between the integrated controller and each power seat. The motor controller is integrated into the motor module, and the motor controller is equipped with a power supply unit, the power supply unit being configured to apply the power received from a battery to the Hall sensor. In the information transmission step, the integrated controller transmits the drive information to the motor controller through the LIN communication bus.

[0013] The determination step includes: a step of determining an external condition related to operation of the power seat 100; a step of determining a control target drive motor based on the operation signal; and a step of receiving a failure state signal of the control target drive motor from the motor controller and determining whether or not the control target drive motor is driven.

[0014] The step of determining an external condition determines whether an operating power condition, a starting condition, and a traveling condition are all satisfied, determines that the operating power condition is satisfied when the integrated controller satisfies a minimum voltage for operating the power seat, determines that the starting condition is satisfied when both an IGN1 signal and an IGN2 signal of the vehicle are in an on state or in an off state, or when the IGN1 signal is in an off state and the IGN2 signal is in an on state, and determines that the traveling condition is satisfied when the vehicle is traveling at a speed less than a predetermined speed.

[0015] The step of determining whether the control target drive motor is drivable or not determines that it is impossible to drive the control target drive motor when the error state signal input from the motor controller of the control target drive motor is a Hall sensor error signal representing a state in which a Hall sensor signal is not input to the motor controller, a disturbance error signal representing a state in which the drive motor can no longer be driven due to a disturbance with an external object while the control target drive motor is being driven, and / or an overcurrent error signal representing a state in which an overcurrent flows through the control target drive motor,and further determines a possibility of occurrence of a physical interference between a non-controllable power seat and the power seat to be controlled based on the Hall sensor signals input from the motor controller of the control target drive motor and the non-controllable motor controller of a drive motor, and thus determines whether the control target drive motor is drivable or not.

[0016] When the operation signal is a manual operation signal for allowing a user to directly move the power seat to a position desired by the user, the information transmission step is to check a drive direction of the power seat input through the interface and transmit drive information corresponding to the drive direction and a manual operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller to the motor controller of a control target drive motor.When the operation signal is an automatic operation signal to move the power seat to a pre-stored target position, the information transmission step is to check drive information corresponding to an automatic operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller and a Hall count value corresponding to the pre-stored target position, and transmit the Hall count value and the drive information to the motor controller of the control target drive motor.

[0017] When the operation signal is the automatic operation signal to move the power seat to the pre-stored target position, the information transmission step is to determine from the motor controller of the control target drive motor whether or not a motor calibration that learns a distance that the power seat can be moved maximum forward and backward is completed.

[0018] The integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat further comprises a step of receiving operating state information of the drive motor from the motor controller prior to the signal input step. The operating state information includes an error state signal representing whether the drive motor is drivable or not, a Hall sensor signal representing current position information of the drive motor, and an operating direction signal comprising information about an immediately preceding operating direction of the drive motor. Beneficial effects

[0019] According to the present invention, the integrated controller transmits engine drive information to an engine controller via a communication bus independent of the vehicle's main CAN communication bus. Even if an abnormality occurs in the main CAN communication bus, the interaction between the seats can be performed normally.

[0020] According to the present invention, the drive motor drive information is also stored in the integrated controller instead of the motor controller. While the integrated controller provides the drive information to the motor controller, the motor controller controls the drive motor based on the received drive information. Accordingly, the drive information can be changed simply by updating the integrated controller, while the motor module, which is not easy to replace and update because it is coupled to the frame of the power seat, is left as it is.

[0021] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description illustrating the present invention by way of example. Since various changes or modifications in the spirit and scope of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, specific embodiments, such as embodiments included in the following detailed description illustrating the present invention, are to be considered as illustrative only. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional control system for a power seat; Fig. 2 shows that a master controller of each seat is connected via a main CAN communication bus of a vehicle in the conventional power seat control system; Fig. 3 is a view including an internal block diagram of the higher-level controller arranged for each seat in the conventional power seat control system; Fig. 4 is a schematic view of an integrated control system for a power seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a motor controller in the integrated control method for the power seat according to the embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a view showing the integrated control system for the power seat of Fig. 4, which includes an internal block diagram of an integrated controller; Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b are flowcharts showing an operation sequence of the integrated disturbance from Fig. 6 in an integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat according to the embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 8a and Fig. 8b are flowcharts showing an operating sequence of the engine control system from Fig. 5 in the integrated control method for the power seat according to the embodiment of the present invention. Detailed description

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Since the present invention is susceptible of various embodiments and modifications, specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the drawings.

[0024] While terms such as "the first and the second, etc." may be used in the description of the present invention to describe different components, the components are not necessarily limited by the above-mentioned terms. The terms are used merely to distinguish between one component and other components. For example, the first component may be referred to as the second component without departing from the scope of the invention. Likewise, the second component may be referred to as the first component.

[0025] Likewise, the second component may be referred to as the first component. The term "and / or" may encompass a combination of, or one of, a plurality of mentioned related elements.

[0026] When it is expressed that a component is "connected" to or "accesses" another component, it should be noted that not only is the component directly connected to or accessing the other component, but another component may also exist between them. When it is expressed that a component is "directly connected" to or "directly accesses" another component, it should be noted that no component exists between them.

[0027] Terms used in this specification are provided to describe specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting. A singular term includes a plural term unless the context expressly indicates otherwise.

[0028] In the present description, it should be noted that the term "comprising" or "having" and the like is intended to specify properties, numbers, steps, modes of operation, components, parts, or any combinations thereof mentioned in the description and is not intended to exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of at least one other property.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention is directed. Terms, such as commonly used terms defined in a dictionary, should be construed to have the exact same meaning in the context as in the related art. Unless terms are clearly and explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be fully or excessively construed to have a formal meaning.

[0030] The embodiment is provided to provide a more comprehensive description to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shapes and sizes of components in the drawings are exaggerated for clarity of description.

[0031] Fig. 1 to 3 are views for describing a conventional control system for a power seat. Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional control system for a power seat. Fig. 2 shows that a master controller of each seat is connected through a main CAN communication bus of a vehicle in the conventional power seat control system. Fig. 3 is a view including an internal block diagram of the higher-level controller arranged for each seat in the conventional power seat control system.

[0032] With reference to Fig. 1 to 3, in a conventional power seat 10, a master controller 11 is disposed on each power seat 10, and the master controller 11 is connected to a battery 20 of the vehicle. The master controller 11 receives power from the battery 20 and transmits a signal to drive DC motors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4, respectively, via a drive circuit provided in the master controller 11. Each of the DC motors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4 is also connected to drive units (not shown), which are power transmission members for moving each part of the power seat 10.

[0033] Here, the drive units can be configured on a frame forming the frame of the power seat 10 and can have different shapes. For example, the drive unit for driving a seatback is a reclining device that receives power from the DC motor 12-1. The drive unit is connected to a frame of the seatback and tilts the seatback backward at a certain angle or moves the tilted seatback forward again.

[0034] For example, the drive unit for driving a seat cushion is a relaxation device that receives power from the DC motor 12-2. The drive unit is connected to the frame of the seat cushion and lifts the seat cushion upward and moves the raised seat cushion back down. Alternatively, the relaxation device can operate to lift only the front of the seat cushion, taking into account a comfortable posture of a passenger.

[0035] For example, the drive units for driving a legrest may also be a legrest device and a legrest extension device, which receive power from DC motors 12-3 and 12-4, respectively. Each of the devices is connected to a frame of the legrest and works together to raise the legrest and simultaneously extend the length of the legrest forward.

[0036] Since it is known that the detailed operation structure of the conventional power seat 10 can be implemented by various types of power transmission members constituting drive units as described above, a description thereof is omitted herein.

[0037] Meanwhile, as described above, more parts of the power seat 10 can be designed to move to accommodate the passenger in a more comfortable seating posture. Accordingly, the number of motors included in the power seat 10 is gradually increasing.

[0038] Between the conventional host controller 11 and a DC motor 12-1, a connecting line for driving the DC motor forward and reverse, and a connecting line for supplying power to a Hall sensor are required. Accordingly, as the number of DC motors to be connected to the host controller 11 increases by one, the number of connecting lines increases by four. If a BLDC (or brushless DC) motor is used to drive the power seat 10, the number of connecting lines increases by eight in total as the number of BLDC motors to be connected to the host controller 11 increases by one, namely, three-phase connecting lines U, V, and W for driving the BLDC motor and the Hall sensor connecting line (two power connecting lines and three signal transmission lines for each three phase).

[0039] In addition, the conventional higher-level controller 11 is connected to communicate via a vehicle's main CAN (Controller Area Network) communication bus 30. CAN is a standard communication protocol designed to allow microcontrollers or devices to communicate with each other without a host computer in the vehicle. Electronic control units (ECUs) in the vehicle communicate using the CAN protocol. Here, the vehicle's main CAN communication bus 30 mentioned in this specification may mean that the main CAN communication bus 30 is provided so that the ECU of each part of the vehicle and the higher-level controller 11 of the power seat 10 can communicate with each other.In this way, in a situation where the higher-level controllers 11 communicate and cooperate via the main CAN communication bus 30 of the vehicle, the cooperation between the power seats 10 cannot be carried out appropriately if an abnormality occurs in the main CAN communication bus 30 (see . Fig. 2).

[0040] In addition, the conventional higher-level controller has a built-in drive circuit for transmitting a drive signal to the DC motors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4. When the number of DC motors to be connected to the higher-level controller 11 increases by one, the drive circuit in response to the added DC motor must also be additionally provided in the higher-level controller 11 (see Fig. 3).

[0041] In other words, when the number of motors increases for passenger comfort, a problem occurs because the volume of a wire harness connecting the host controller 11 and the motor increases excessively, and a problem occurs because the volume of the host controller 11 itself increases.

[0042] In the following, an embodiment of the present invention, namely an integrated control system for a power seat designed to solve these problems, will be described.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of an integrated control system for a power seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a motor controller in the integrated control system for a power seat according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a view showing the integrated control system of the power seat of Fig. 4, which includes an internal block diagram of an integrated controller.

[0044] The integrated control system for a power seat according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of power seats 100 arranged in a vehicle and an integrated controller 300 that integrates and controls the plurality of power seats 100 based on seat information.

[0045] Here, each of the plurality of power seats 100 may include at least one motor module 110 that receives seat information from the integrated controller 300 to move a specific area of ​​the power seat 100. Specifically, the motor module 110 is a component that drives each of the above-mentioned reclining device, relaxation device, leg support device, leg support extension device, etc. To drive the above-described devices, the motor module 110 may include a drive motor 111 and a motor controller 112 that controls the drive motor.

[0046] The drive motor 111 can rotate based on a control signal from the motor controller 112 included in the motor module 110. A rotational force generated by the rotation of the drive motor 111 is transmitted to a power transmission unit (not shown) so that each part of the power seat 100 can move. Here, the drive motor 111 can be a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. Most motors 12 used in the conventional power seat 10 are DC motors. When the power seat with the DC motor is used for a long period of time, a brush is abraded by continuous contact between the brush and an electromagnet, and thus dust is generated. Noise and vibration also occur.When the BLDC motor is provided as the drive motor 111 of the motor module 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the problems described above do not occur.

[0047] The motor controller 112 is a component for controlling the drive motor 111 and may include a controller 1121 and an inverter 1122. The controller 1121 generates a drive signal for controlling the rotation of the drive motor 111. The inverter 1122 receives the drive signal from the controller 1121 and operates the drive motor 111. Since the motor controller 112 is included in the motor module 110, the role of the drive circuit, which is mounted on a separate housing outside a conventional motor and controls each motor, can be integrated into the motor module 110.

[0048] A connector 113 may be coupled to the motor controller 112. Here, the connector 113 is a component for connecting the integrated controller 300, which receives a drive command of the power seat, and the motor controller 112 installed in the motor module 110.

[0049] Meanwhile, the motor controller 112 may be composed of a printed circuit board on which circuit elements constituting the controller 1121, the inverter 1122, etc., which will be described later, are mounted. The connector 113 may be detachably coupled to the printed circuit board.

[0050] The controller 1121 may transmit the drive signal for the drive motor 111 to a gate driver 1124. The controller 1121 may communicate with the integrated controller 300 via a motor module communication unit 1125 described later and may receive information related to the movement of the power seat 100 from the integrated controller 300. The controller 1121 may consist of a microcontroller (MCU).

[0051] The motor controller 112 may further include a power supply unit 1123 directly connected to the vehicle's battery 20. The power supply unit 1123 may receive power from the battery 20 and supply the power to the controller 1121. The power supply unit 1123 may be connected to the battery 20 via the connector 113. The power supply unit 1123 may distribute the power transmitted from the battery 20 using a regulator and may supply the power as operating power to components that require drive power, such as the controller 1121, the gate driver 1124, and a Hall sensor 114 described below, etc. In addition, the power supply unit 1123 may supply the power transmitted from the battery 20 to the drive motor 111 via the inverter 1122.

[0052] Meanwhile, when the conventional higher-level controller 11 is not integrated with the DC motor 12 and is provided outside the DC motor 12 as a separate component, a connection line for applying power to the Hall sensor is included in the wiring harness between the higher-level controller 11 and the DC motors 12 (see Fig. 3). However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the motor module 110 includes the power supply unit 1123 in the motor controller 112 integrated with the motor module 110, and the power supply unit 1123 is configured to supply the power received from the battery 20 to the Hall sensor 114. Therefore, it is not necessary for the connection line for supplying power to the Hall sensor 114 to be provided between the integrated controller 300 and the motor module 110. That is, there is an advantage in that the volume of the wiring harness between the integrated controller 300 and the motor module 110 can be reduced.

[0053] The inverter 1122 is connected to the gate driver 1124 and the drive motor 111 and can receive the drive signal from the gate driver 1124 and operate the drive motor 111. The inverter 1122 can include a plurality of semiconductor switching elements that are switched on and off to convert the DC power of the vehicle battery 20 into alternating current (AC) and sequentially apply power to each phase of the motor 111. The drive signal from the gate driver 1124 can refer to a switching signal for switching on or off at least one of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements.

[0054] The motor module 110 may further include a motor module communication unit 1125 for receiving a command input from the integrated controller 300. Here, the command includes drive information related to the control of the drive motor 11 (e.g., rotation direction, speed, etc.) and indicates information corresponding to seat information.

[0055] The integrated controller 300 and the motor controller 112 in the motor module 110 may be connected only by a communication line 200. The motor module communication unit 1125 may consist of one or more communication modules to receive a command from the integrated controller 300. The communication module may, for example, execute LIN (Local Interconnect Network) communication according to the configuration. Alternatively, the communication module may, for example, execute CAN (Controller Area Network) communication according to the configuration. The motor module communication unit 1125 may be built into the controller 1121.

[0056] The motor module 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include the Hall sensor 114. Specifically, the Hall sensor 114 is a component for detecting the rotational position of a rotor. The Hall sensor 114 utilizes a Hall effect that occurs on all conductive materials due to electric current and a magnetic field. When a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to an electrical conductor through which the current flows, the Hall sensor 114 can convert a voltage applied perpendicular to the direction of the current and magnetic field into a digital signal and a digital output. The Hall sensor 114 may be composed of a Hall element and an integrated circuit for performing digital signal processing, and may receive power from the power supply unit 1123 of the motor controller 112 such that current can flow through the Hall sensor 114.A signal related to the position of the rotor and output from the Hall sensor 114 may be input to the controller 1121. When the controller 1121 transmits a control signal to the gate driver 1124 based on the signal, the gate driver 1124 may transmit a drive signal to the inverter 1122 for driving the drive motor 111.

[0057] The integrated controller 300 is a component that integrates and controls all of the power seats 100 installed in the vehicle. The master controller 11, which is conventionally provided for each power seat 100, is no longer required because, according to the present invention, the motor controller 112, which includes the drive circuit, is integrated with the motor module 110. Accordingly, the integrated controller 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention serves only to transmit a control signal for integrating and controlling the controllers 112 incorporated in the motor module 110.

[0058] Here, the integrated controller 300 may comprise a first communication unit 310 and a second communication unit 320 (see Fig. 6). The first communication unit 310 is connected to a CAN (Control Area Network) communication bus of the vehicle. Here, the CAN communication bus refers to the main CAN communication bus described above. The CAN communication bus is characterized by performing electrically differentiated communication by using two twisted wires (CAN H and CAN L). The first communication unit 310 may include one or more communication modules for performing CAN communication.

[0059] The second communication unit 320 denotes a transceiver provided to communicate with the engine controller 112. The second communication unit 320 transmits the drive information for operating the drive motor 111 to the engine controller 112 based on the seat information via a communication bus that is independent of the main CAN communication bus. The communication bus can be a LIN communication bus or a CAN communication bus. In the embodiment of Fig. 6 shows a LIN communication bus 400 as an example of the communication bus. The LIN communication bus 400 has a characteristic of communicating using a single line, and a node connected to the LIN communication bus 400 may consist of a main element (or master) and a plurality of sub-elements (or slaves).

[0060] In this way, since the communication bus connecting the integrated controller 300 and the power seat 100 is configured independently of the CAN bus, which is the main communication bus of the vehicle, even if an abnormality occurs in the main communication bus of the vehicle, there is an advantage in that the interaction between the power seats can be carried out normally via a separately provided communication bus.

[0061] Meanwhile, a communication bus may be provided between the second communication unit 320 and each power seat 100. Referring to Fig. 6, a LIN communication bus 400-1 and 400-2 may be configured between the second communication unit 320 and each power seat 100. For example, the second communication unit 320 and a first seat (driver's seat) 100-1 are connected via a first LIN bus 400-1, the second communication unit 320 and a second seat (passenger seat) 100-2 are connected via a second LIN bus 400-2, and the second communication unit 320 and an Nth seat are connected via an Nth LIN bus. In other words, the second communication unit 320 included in the integrated controller 300 may be provided to correspond to the number of power seats 100 in the vehicle, that is, the number of power seats 100 to be controlled.

[0062] In this way, if the communication bus is configured independently for each power seat 100, even if an abnormality occurs in the communication bus of one power seat (driver's seat) 100-1, the cooperation (for example, the cooperation between the leg support device and the leg support extension device of the passenger seat) between the parts of another power seat 100-2 can be carried out normally.

[0063] The integrated controller 300 integrates and controls all of the power seats 100 arranged in the vehicle. In the embodiment of the present invention, it can be seen that the motor controller 112 denotes a sub-controller and an integrated controller 300 denotes a main controller that controls a plurality of sub-controllers.

[0064] Since the integrated controller 300 does not need to include the drive circuit for driving the drive motor 111, the volume of the integrated controller 300 does not increase significantly even if the number of drive motors 111 driving the power seat 100 increases. The integrated controller 300 can receive the passenger's intention to move and operate the power seat 100 through a user interface such as a seat button, etc., and can transmit a digital signal, that is, a control signal, to the motor module 110 to be operated via the communication line 200.

[0065] Meanwhile, as described above, the motor controller 112 incorporated in the motor module 110 is only connected to the integrated controller 300 through the communication line 200 via the connector 113 (see Fig. 5) The motor controller 112 is directly connected to the battery 20. That is, a circuit line connected to the battery 20 and the communication line 200 connected to the integrated controller 300 are coupled to the connector 113. According to this structure, the circuit line for supplying power and the communication line 200 for transmitting the control signal do not need to be integrated into a wiring harness. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in a part, it is easy to find out where the abnormality occurs and replace the part.

[0066] Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b are flowcharts showing an operation sequence of the integrated controller 300 of Fig. 6 in an integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] With reference to Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b, the integrated control method for a power seat 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is executed by an integrated controller 300 connected to the plurality of power seats 100. The integrated control method for a power seat may include a signal input step S120 of receiving a power seat operation signal input that a user inputs via an interface of the vehicle, a determination step S130 of determining an operation condition for operating the motor module 110 that is incorporated in the power seat 100 and moves a specific portion of the power seat 100, and an information transmission step S140 of transmitting the drive information for controlling the motor module 110 according to the type of operation signal.

[0068] The method of this embodiment can be implemented by the MCU of the integrated controller 300, which is Fig. 6 is shown.

[0069] Meanwhile, as described above, the plurality of motor modules 110 installed in the power seat 100 include the drive motor 111 and the motor controller 112 for controlling the drive motor 111. A LIN communication bus may be provided between the integrated controller 300 and each power seat 100. That is, in the information transmission step, the integrated controller 300 transmits the drive information to the motor controller 112 through the LIN communication bus.

[0070] Advantageous effects when a LIN communication bus is provided between the integrated controller 300 and each power seat 100 and information is transmitted via the LIN communication bus have been described in detail above. Therefore, repetitive descriptions thereof will be omitted below.

[0071] A detailed process of each step is described in more detail below.

[0072] First, in signal input step S120, the vehicle's interface may designate a series of inputs for operating the power seat 100, such as a power seat 100 switch and / or AVN, etc. The integrated controller 300 is electrically connected to the interface, and the MCU of the integrated controller 300 receives the operation signal for driving the power seat 100 from the interface. The type of operation signal may be a power-off signal, a manual operation signal, an automatic operation signal, and / or a calibration operation signal.

[0073] Here, manual operation refers to an operation in which the user directly moves the power seat 100 to a position the user desires. Manual operation refers to an operation in which the power seat 100 continuously moves in a direction corresponding to the signal while maintaining the input from the interface, without a fixed target position of the power seat 100. For example, when an input is received from a direction button, such as a forward button, a backward button, etc., the integrated controller 300 can determine that the manual operation signal is input.

[0074] Automatic operation refers to an operation in which, when an interface input is received to move to a pre-stored position or in a specific mode (such as relaxation, return, or the like), the power seat 100 moves until it reaches a target position corresponding to the pre-stored position or a target position corresponding to the specific mode. For example, the integrated controller 300 may determine that an automatic operation signal is input when an input is received from a memory button in which a specific target position to which the power seat 100 is to move is pre-stored.

[0075] Meanwhile, the calibration operation refers to an operation in which the power seat 100 learns an operable range of the drive motor 111 to identify a range (stroke distance) within which the power seat 100 can mechanically move without disturbing other parts. The calibration operation may be performed in an initialization step before the power seat 100 is first operated.

[0076] Next, the determination step (S130) may include a step of determining an external condition related to the operation of the power seat 100 (S131), a step of determining the control target drive motor 111 based on the operation signal (S132), and a step of receiving a fault condition signal of the control target drive motor 111 from the motor controller 112 and determining whether the control target drive motor 111 can be driven or not (S133).

[0077] Here, the external condition determining step (S131) ​​is to determine whether there is no problem operating the power seat 100 under the external conditions of the power seat 100. That is, the external condition determining step is to determine whether an operating power condition, a start condition, and a driving condition are satisfied.

[0078] The operating power condition is determined by whether the integrated controller 300 meets a minimum voltage for operating the power seat 100. When the operating signal is input from the vehicle's interface, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 may monitor the power supplied by the battery and may determine that the operating power condition is met when the voltage is within a predetermined normal range (e.g., 8.5 V to 16.5 V), and may determine that the operating power condition is not met when the voltage is in a low voltage range (e.g., 8.5 V or less) or a high voltage range (e.g., 16.5 V or higher) that are outside the normal range.When it is determined that the operating power condition is not satisfied, the determination that the operating power condition is not satisfied may be maintained until a voltage as large as a return voltage (e.g., 10 V or higher when the voltage is determined to be a lower voltage, and 15 V or less when the same is determined to be a high voltage) is applied instead of the normal range.

[0079] The start condition is determined as follows. The MCU of the integrated controller 300 monitors an IGN1 signal and an IGN2 signal of the vehicle. The MCU can determine that the start condition is met when both the IGN1 signal and the IGN2 signal are in an on state or an off state, or if the IGN1 signal is in an off state and the IGN2 signal is in an on state. In the other state, the MCU can determine that the start condition is not met. The other state means that the IGN1 signal is in an on state and the IGN2 signal is in an off state, that is, it denotes a state at the moment the vehicle engine is started. Therefore, the MCU determines that the start condition is not met, taking safety into account, and does not allow the power seat 100 to move.

[0080] The driving condition is determined as follows. The MCU of the integrated controller 300 monitors an IGN1 power supply unit and the vehicle speed. The MCU determines that the driving condition is not satisfied when the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed in the state where the IGN1 is in an on state. That is, control of the power seat 100 is prohibited for safety reasons while the vehicle is moving at a high speed. In other words, the MCU can determine that the driving condition is satisfied when the vehicle is moving at a speed lower than the predetermined speed.

[0081] Meanwhile, only when all external conditions for driving the power seat 100 are met is the next step of determining the control target drive motor 111 performed (S132). The integrated controller 300 can determine the control target drive motor 111 from the plurality of drive motors 111 using the operation signal received via the interface. For example, if the interface is a button, the integrated controller 300 can determine the control target drive motor 111 corresponding to the button based on which button the operation signal is input.

[0082] After the control target drive motor 111 is determined, a step of determining whether the control target drive motor 111 is currently driven (S133) is performed. In this step, it is determined whether the drive motor 111 can be operated normally. The integrated controller 300 determines whether the control target drive motor 111 is currently driven based on the error state signal input from the motor controller 112 of the control target drive motor 111.

[0083] The type of fault condition signal may include a Hall sensor fault signal, a disturbance fault signal, an overcurrent fault signal, and a steady state signal.

[0084] The Hall sensor error signal is generated by the motor controller 112 when a Hall sensor input for determining the position of the rotor of the drive motor 111 is abnormally input to the motor controller 112. The disturbance error signal is generated by the motor controller 112 in a state where the drive motor 111 can no longer be operated due to interference with an external object while the control target drive motor 111 is operating. The overcurrent error signal is generated by the motor controller 112 in a state where an overcurrent flows through the control target drive motor 111.

[0085] When the MCU of the integrated controller 300 receives the Hall sensor error signal, the disturbance error signal, and / or the overcurrent error signal, the MCU can determine that the control counter drive motor 111 is in a state where it cannot be driven. If the above-described error does not occur, the motor controller 112 generates the steady-state signal and transmits it to the integrated controller 300. When the integrated controller 300 receives the steady-state signal, the integrated controller 300 can determine that the control target drive motor 111 can be driven and can then execute the next step.

[0086] In addition, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 further determines a seat failure condition, thereby determining whether the control target drive motor 111 can be driven or not.

[0087] A seat interference condition determination is for determining the possibility of occurrence of a physical interference between the power seat to be controlled and another power seat not to be controlled before the drive motor 111 of the power seat to be controlled is driven.In a case where the power seat to be controlled is a second-row power seat and the drive motor installed in the second-row power seat to be controlled is a leg support motor, if a slide motor and a tilt motor of the first-row power seat are positioned beyond a certain point rearward (in a direction of the second-row power seat), it can be expected that interference will occur between the second-row power seat and the first-row power seat when the control target leg support motor is driven. Here, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 may determine that the seat interference condition is not satisfied and may determine that the control target drive motor 111 is in a state where it cannot be operated.That is, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 can receive a Hall sensor signal from each motor controller 112 (the motor controller 112 of the control target drive motor 111 and the motor controller 112 of a non-controlled drive motor 111) of all drive motors 111, predict current positions of the drive motors 111 using the Hall sensor signal, and determine whether interference with other power seats 100 will occur when the drive motor 111 of the power seat 100 to be controlled is driven. To this end, the integrated controller 300 can prestore information on conditional relationships between the positions of the respective drive motors 111 to prevent interference.

[0088] When the control target drive motor 111 can be driven, an information transmission step is executed (S140).

[0089] In the information transmission step (S140), the MCU of the integrated controller 300 first determines the type of the operation signal (S141) and transmits the drive information of the drive motor 111 to the motor controller 112 based on the determined operation signal.

[0090] If the operation signal is the manual operation signal, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 checks a drive direction of the power seat 100 input through the interface (S144) and transmits the drive information corresponding to the drive direction and a manual operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller 300 to the motor controller 112 of the control target drive motor 111 (S145). For example, the drive direction of the drive motor 111 may be a forward direction or a reverse direction. The manual operation drive speed may be stored in a memory (not shown) of the integrated controller 300.

[0091] If the operation signal is an automatic operation signal, the MCU of the integrated controller 300 checks the drive information corresponding to an automatic operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller 300 and a Hall count value corresponding to the prestored target position (S143), and transmits the drive information to the motor controller 112 of the control target drive motor 111 (S145). The Hall count value corresponding to the target position and the automatic operation drive speed can be stored in the memory of the integrated controller 300 as information corresponding to each drive motor 111.

[0092] Meanwhile, if the operation signal is the automatic operation signal, it is necessary to first determine whether the calibration of the drive motor 111 is complete before checking the Hall count value corresponding to the target position (S142). As described above, calibration is a process of learning a moving range of the drive motor 111 and setting the moving range. The motor controller 112 of the drive motor 111 whose calibration is complete transmits a calibration completion signal (limit set); the motor controller 112 of the drive motor 111 whose calibration is not yet complete transmits a calibration incomplete signal (limit not set) to the integrated controller 300.Specifically, the motor controller 112 performs calibration via the calibration operation signal, and the motor controller 112 measures a total stroke distance by driving the drive motor 111 toward the frontmost section and the rearmost section, and sets the movable range. When the motor controller 112 further moves the drive motor 111 forward to the frontmost section, the power seat 100 reaches the front end to which the power seat 100 can move, and a Hall sensor failure occurs. Here, the motor controller 112 changes the driving direction of the drive motor 111 and moves the drive motor 111 further to the rearmost position, and the power seat 100 reaches the rear end to which the power seat 100 can move, and a Hall sensor failure occurs.That is, the stroke distance of the drive motor 111 (or the power seat 100) can be set based on the Hall sensor count value measured while the drive motor 111 is operated from the front end to the rear end.

[0093] In summary, the drive information transmitted through the LIN communication in the information transmission step may include not only the information about the type of the operation signal, but also the information about the drive direction and the manual operation drive speed when the operation signal is the manual operation signal, or the information about the drive speed and the Hall count value for the target position when the operation signal is the automatic operation signal.

[0094] Meanwhile, the integrated controller 300 may further include a step of receiving operating state information of the drive motor 111 from the motor controller 112 (S110). Here, the operating state information may include the error state signal representing whether the drive motor 111 is drivable or not, the Hall sensor signal representing current position information of the drive motor 111, and an operating direction signal including information about an immediately preceding operating direction of the drive motor 111. After the motor controller 112 receives the drive information from the integrated controller 300 and actuates the control target drive motor 111, the operating state information may be transmitted to the motor controller 112 at the request of the integrated controller 300.

[0095] Fig. 8a and Fig. 8b are flowcharts showing an operation sequence of the engine control 112 from Fig.5 in the integrated control method for a power seat 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] The motor controller 112 may control the drive motor 111 to operate based on the drive information received from the integrated controller 300.

[0097] First, the motor controller 112 receives the type of operation signal from the integrated controller 300 and determines whether the received operation signal is a shutdown signal (S210). If the operation signal is a shutdown signal, the motor controller 112 does not need to control the drive motor 111 and returns to a standby state after the drive motor 111 is stopped (S270). If the motor controller 112 receives the remaining operation signals (manual operation signal, automatic operation signal, and calibration operation signal) other than the signal at this time, the drive motor 111 needs to be operated to correspond to the operation signal. Therefore, the motor controller 112 executes the following step. Meanwhile, the standby state may refer to a state in which the motor controller 112 waits for the operation signal to be input from the integrated controller 300.

[0098] If the operation signal is not a power-off signal, the motor controller 112 determines whether the operation signal is the automatic operation signal or not (S220). If the operation signal is the automatic operation signal, the motor controller 112 compares the target position and the current position of the drive motor 111 using the Hall count value for the target position from the drive information transmitted by the integrated controller 300. The comparison between the current position and the target position can be performed by comparing the Hall count value, which is changed by rotation of the rotor of the drive motor 111, with the Hall count value for the target position.

[0099] If the current position and the target position are the same, there is no need to control the drive motor 111, and therefore the motor controller 112 returns to the standby state (S230 and S270). If the current position is greater than the target position, the motor controller 112 controls the drive motor 111 to be driven forward (S241 and S251). If the current position is smaller than the target position, the motor controller 112 controls the drive motor 111 to be driven backward (S241 and S252). On the other hand, the drive motor 111 can be controlled by the controller 1121 of the motor controller 112. The forward drive control may refer to forward rotation of the drive motor 111, and the reverse drive control may refer to reverse rotation of the drive motor 111.

[0100] If the operation signal is not the automatic operation signal, that is, if the operation signal is the manual operation signal or the calibration operation signal, the motor 111 is controlled according to the driving direction and speed received from the integrated controller 300. That is, if the driving direction received from the integrated controller 300 is a forward direction, the drive motor 111 is controlled to be driven forward (S242 and S251), and if the driving direction received from the integrated controller 300 is a reverse direction, the drive motor 111 is controlled to be driven backward (S242 and S252).

[0101] After controlling the drive motor 111 to be driven forward or reverse, the motor controller 112 determines whether a fault occurs in the drive motor 111 (S260). As described above, the faults in the drive motor 111 include the Hall sensor fault, the disturbance fault, and the overcurrent fault. When the motor controller 112 receives information about the above-described faults from the drive motor 111, the motor controller 112 generates a corresponding fault condition signal. When the fault condition signal is generated, the motor controller 112 also stops the drive motor 111 and returns to the standby state (S270). If the motor controller 112 does not receive the information about the above-described faults from the drive motor 111, the motor controller 112 generates the steady-state signal (no failure) as the fault condition signal.

[0102] The motor controller 112 transmits a signal including the error status signal, the Hall sensor signal representing the current position information of the drive motor 111, and / or the operating direction signal including the information about the immediately preceding operating direction of the drive motor 111 to the integrated controller 300 (S280). Here, the calibration completion signal of the drive motor 111 described above may be included. Here, the drive motor 111 is operated until the Hall sensor error occurs at the frontmost position and the rearmost position, and then the calibration completion signal may be generated. Thus, according to the present invention, the drive information of the drive motor 111 is stored in the integrated controller 300 instead of the motor controller 112, and the integrated controller 300 provides the drive information to the motor controller 112.The motor controller 112 only performs the role of controlling the drive motor 111 based on the received drive information and transmitting the status information, such as the current position of the drive motor 111. Therefore, when it is necessary to change the software specifications related to the operation of the power seat 100, it is only necessary to update the integrated controller 300, while retaining the motor module 110, which is not easy to replace and update because it is coupled to the frame of the power seat 100. The specifications can be easily changed at low cost.

[0103] For example, if it is necessary to modify the set values ​​of external conditions related to the operation of the power seat 100 (on / off condition of an IGN signal, speed condition of the vehicle, applied battery voltage condition, etc.), this task can be accomplished by changing the setting of the integrated controller 300 alone, independently of the motor module 110.

[0104] Alternatively, for example, if it is necessary to modify the parameter setting value of the control target drive motor 111, such as the moving speed of the power seat 100, etc., the task can be accomplished by changing the setting of the integrated controller 300 alone, independently of the motor module 110. Reference symbol 10 Conventional electrically adjustable seat 11 Conventional higher-level control 12 Conventional DC motor 12-1 DC motor 12-2 DC motor 12-3 DC motor 12-4 DC motor 20 Battery 30 Main CAN communication bus of the vehicle 100 Electrically adjustable seat 100-1 first seat 100-2 second seat 110 Motor module 111 Drive motor 112 Engine control 1121 Control 1122 Inverter 1123 Power supply unit 1124 Gate Driver 1125 Engine module communication unit 113 connectors 114 Hall sensor 200 communication lines 300 Integrated Control 310 First communication unit 320 Second communication unit 400 LIN communication bus 400-1 first LIN bus 400-2 second LIN bus S110 Step for receiving operating status information S120 Signal input step S130 Determination step S131 Determination step S132 Determination step S133 Determination step S140 Information transfer step S210, S220, S230, S241, S242, S251, S252, S260, S270 Steps of the engine control system operating sequence

Claims

[1] An integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) carried out by an integrated controller (300) connected to a plurality of electrically adjustable seats (100, 100-1, 100-2), the method comprising the steps of: a signal input step (S120) of receiving a power seat operation signal input that a user inputs through an interface of a vehicle; a determination step (S130) of determining an operating condition for operating a motor module (110) that is installed in the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) and moves a specific area of ​​the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2); and an information transmission step (S140) of transmitting drive information for controlling the motor module (110) according to a type of the operation signal, wherein the motor module (110) comprises a drive motor (111) and a motor controller (112) that controls the drive motor (111), and a LIN communication bus (400, 400-1, 400-2) is provided between the integrated controller (300) and each electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2), wherein the motor controller (112) is integrated into the motor module (110) and the motor controller (112) is equipped with a power supply unit (1123), wherein the power supply unit (1123) is configured to apply power received from a battery (20) to a Hall sensor (114), and wherein in the information transmission step (S140) the integrated controller (300) transmits the drive information to the motor controller (112) through the LIN communication bus (400, 400-1, 400-2). [2] The integrated control method for a power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 1, wherein the determining step (S130) comprises: a step of determining (S131) ​​an external condition related to an operation of the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2); a step of determining (S132) a control target drive motor (111) based on the operation signal; and a step of receiving an error state signal of the control target drive motor (111) from the motor controller (112) and determining (S133) whether or not the control target drive motor (111) is driven. [3] The integrated control method for a power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining (S131) ​​an external condition: determines whether an operating performance condition, a starting condition and a driving condition are all met, determines that the operating performance condition is met when the integrated controller (300) meets a minimum voltage for operating the electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2), determines that the start condition is met when both an IGN1 signal and an IGN2 signal of the vehicle are in an on state or in an off state, or when the IGN1 signal is in an off state and the IGN2 signal is in an on state, and determines that the driving condition is met when the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than a predetermined speed. [4] The integrated control method for a power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining (S131) ​​whether the control target drive motor (111) is drivable or not: determines that it is impossible to operate the control target drive motor (111) when the error state signal input from the motor controller (112) of the control target drive motor (111) is a Hall sensor error signal representing a state in which a Hall sensor signal is not input to the motor controller (112), a disturbance error signal representing a state in which the drive motor (111) can no longer be operated due to a disturbance with an external object while the control target drive motor (111) is being operated, and / or an overcurrent error signal representing a state in which an overcurrent flows through the control target drive motor (111), and further determines a possibility of occurrence of a physical interference between a non-controlled power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) and the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) to be controlled on the basis of the Hall sensor signals input from the motor controller (112) of the control target drive motor (111) and the non-controlled motor controller (112) of a drive motor (111), and thus determines whether the control target drive motor (111) is drivable or not. [5] The integrated control method for an electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation signal is a manual operation signal to enable a user to move the electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) directly to a position desired by the user, the information transmission step (S140) consists of checking a drive direction of the electrically adjustable seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) input through the interface and transmitting drive information corresponding to the drive direction and a manual operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller (300) to the motor controller (112) of a control target drive motor (111), and wherein, when the operation signal is an automatic operation signal to move the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) to a pre-stored target position, the information transmission step (S140) consists of checking drive information corresponding to an automatic operation drive speed predetermined in the integrated controller (300) and a Hall count value corresponding to the pre-stored target position, and transmitting the Hall count value and the drive information to the motor controller (112) of the control target drive motor (111). [6] The integrated control method for a power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation signal is the automatic operation signal to move the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) to the pre-stored target position, the information transmission step (S140) is to determine from the motor controller (112) of the control target drive motor (111) whether or not a motor calibration that learns a distance that the power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) can be moved maximum forward and backward is completed. [7] The integrated control method for a power seat (100, 100-1, 100-2) according to claim 1, further comprising a step (S110) of receiving operating state information of the drive motor (111) from the motor controller (112) before the signal input step (S120), wherein the operating state information includes an error state signal representing whether or not the drive motor (111) is drivable, a Hall sensor signal representing current position information of the drive motor (111), and an operating direction signal comprising information on an immediately preceding operating direction of the drive motor (111).

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