Method for closing a tailgate of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle and computer program

Abstract

Method for closing a tailgate (2), which is moved from an open position to a closed position, of a motor vehicle (1), wherein a first sensor device (3), which is designed to detect a closing gesture by a user (4), detects a movement of the user in an environment (5) of the tailgate (2), and a control unit (6) determines that the detected movement is the closing gesture, and, based on a verification signal from a second sensor device (7), the control unit (6) checks whether the closing gesture determined from the movement corresponds to a user instruction, and closes the tailgate (2) depending on the user instruction, wherein a recording in which the area (9) is mapped from a camera device (14) is used as the verification signal and / or, during verification, motion data containing the detected movement is used.the verification data of the first sensor device (3) are fused.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for closing a tailgate, which is displaced from an open position to a closed position for closing, of a motor vehicle, in particular designed as a passenger car, according to patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle and a computer program according to patent claims 9 and 10.

[0002] In motor vehicles designed as passenger cars, it is now common for tailgates or trunk lids to be able to be opened and closed automatically using an actuator. For this purpose, sensors can be used for gesture control. These sensors detect the approach or movement of a user of the vehicle, which can then trigger the opening or closing. This can result in such a user movement being misinterpreted; for example, foot movements on the tailgate can be detected as a closing signal, even though the user may be sitting on a loading sill at the rear of the vehicle, for example, to put on ski boots, and may not actually intend to close the tailgate.

[0003] EP 3 187 383 B1 discloses a method for externally actuating an actuator of a vehicle. Furthermore, DE 10 2021 209 108 A1 discloses a device and a method for closing a vehicle tailgate. Finally, DE 10 2015 005 361 A1 discloses a protective device for a pivotable wing element of a vehicle and a method for protecting a pivotable wing element of a vehicle.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for closing a tailgate, a motor vehicle and a computer program by means of which a particularly advantageous closing of the tailgate is made possible and an accidental or unintentional closing of the same can be avoided.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are shown in the dependent claims, the description, and the figures.

[0006] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for closing a tailgate. In the method according to the invention for closing the tailgate of a motor vehicle, which is displaced from an open position and a closed position for closing, a movement of the user in an area surrounding the tailgate is detected by a first sensor device, which is designed to recognize a closing gesture of a user. A control unit determines that the detected movement is the closing gesture. Based on a verification signal from a second sensor device, the control unit verifies or checks whether the closing gesture determined based on the movement corresponds to a user instruction. The tailgate is closed, in particular by means of an actuator, depending on the user instruction.

[0007] The motor vehicle is, in particular, a passenger car or a van. The tailgate can be designed, for example, as a trunk lid. The closing gesture is a movement for gesture control, through which the user can initiate the closing of the tailgate at their request. To detect this closing gesture, a sensor device, the first sensor device, is provided, which is designed to detect or record movements of the user. The control unit, which can in particular comprise an electronic computing device, is provided to detect or interpret the movement detected by the first sensor device.In the simplest case, any movement in the environment, which could be an area below the tailgate, for example, can be detected, so that the closing can be initiated by moving a user's foot into the area, almost by means of a step or kick, so that any movement in this environment is detected as the closing gesture.

[0008] Now, it may happen that, for example, a user is sitting at the edge of the trunk or loading edge to put on ski boots, and one of their feet may enter the area in which the movement is detected as a closing gesture, which in a conventional motor vehicle would cause the tailgate to close. To prevent this and to ensure that closing is only carried out based on a genuine user request or user instruction, the invention provides for the use of a verification signal from a second sensor, which is provided in addition to the first sensor device, to check whether the movement detected and interpreted by the control unit as a closing gesture is actually intended to represent a closing gesture in the sense that it corresponds to a user request or user instruction, and was not caused accidentally (thus a "false positive event").A recording of the area from a camera device is used as the verification signal, and / or during verification, motion data containing the detected movement from the first sensor device is merged with the verification data. For this purpose, the verification signal can, for example, detect a movement caused by dangling feet while sitting on the loading edge. The control unit is further configured to interpret this verification signal.

[0009] In other words, a method is presented which enables the prevention of faulty closing of a tailgate that can be moved automatically by a contactless gesture, in particular when the tailgate is in a sitting position, by evaluating sensor signals from various sensors.

[0010] According to the invention, a recording in which the area in the surroundings, which includes, for example, an area around the tailgate, is depicted, is used as a verification signal. In other words, based on an image, for example from a camera, which can be mounted in the rear-view mirror and directed towards the rear of the vehicle, which can depict the area, it is detected whether there is a person in the area of ​​the tailgate, in particular one sitting there. The image can be analyzed, for example, using computer vision. If a seated person is detected, it can be assumed that the closing gesture detected by the first sensor device does not correspond to a user instruction.Additionally or alternatively, a camera can be used outdoors, especially without a view of the rear area, which detects movement of the user and / or the vehicle through a chronological sequence of images. This offers the advantage that the method is particularly easy to implement and therefore particularly cost-effective.

[0011] According to the invention, during verification, movement data from the first sensor device, which contains the detected movement, are fused with the verification data or the verification signal. In other words, the sensor data from the first sensor device is fused with the sensor data from the second sensor device, which enables particularly efficient evaluation.

[0012] The method according to the invention offers, among other advantages, the possibility of preventing the tailgate from being accidentally closed, which also prevents, for example, a collision with the tailgate. Furthermore, it allows the motor vehicle to be used particularly advantageously.

[0013] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a predetermined movement of the user and / or a movement in a specific or predetermined area of ​​the environment is recognized or determined as the closing gesture. In other words, for gesture control to close the tailgate, a specific movement is performed by the user, which can, for example, have a specific form. This can, for example, be the raising of a hand or the stepping of a foot. Additionally or alternatively, the user's movement is recognized as a closing movement if it is performed in a specific area in the environment of the motor vehicle, for example under the bumper or, for example, at the height of the tailgate, if the user is, for example, standing one meter behind the tailgate.This has the advantage that not every movement is recorded as a closing gesture, which enables a particularly advantageous reduction in false closings.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a radar device and / or a capacitive sensor are used as the first sensor device. In other words, a radar sensor is provided which can detect a user's movement in an environment, for example by Doppler shifting a radio signal. Additionally or alternatively, a capacitive sensor can be provided which detects electrostatic changes in its environment according to the principle of a theremin, whereby movement and thus a closing gesture can be detected. This results in the possibility of detecting the user's movement in a particularly fail-safe or weather-independent manner. This results in the advantage that sensors already conventionally used for closing a tailgate can be used in the method according to the invention.A further advantage is that the process can be implemented particularly cost-effectively.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a sensor signal from a height sensor, which describes a movement or orientation of the motor vehicle, is used as the verification signal. A height sensor is already used, for example, in a lighting position, where it detects a load on the motor vehicle in order to readjust the alignment of the headlights accordingly. Thus, a height sensor is suitable for detecting a user sitting on the loading sill, especially if they are moving dynamically, so that the sensor signal from a height sensor can contain information from a user sitting on the loading sill and can thus be used as a verification signal. This results in the advantage that the method for closing the tailgate can be carried out in a particularly reliable manner, since accidental closing can be ruled out due to the advantageous verification signal.

[0016] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the ride height sensor, which provides the sensor signal, is a component of a lighting system or the lighting system of the motor vehicle. In other words, as already mentioned, a ride height sensor is used which is installed in the vehicle to adjust the position or orientation of the headlights. This results in the advantage that a component already present in the vehicle can be used to carry out the method, so that the method can be implemented particularly cost-effectively. Furthermore, there is the advantage that a motor vehicle can be equipped with a particularly small number of components, and thus the method can be carried out with particularly low failure rates.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a sensor signal, which describes or can include microdeformations, is used as the verification signal, from a strain-measuring device, in particular a strain gauge, which is arranged on a tailgate receptacle or at the rear of the vehicle. In other words, a change in weight distribution in the rear area or at the loading sill can be determined using a strain gauge, so that a dynamic movement in the rear area can be detected and the contactless kick or step detection function can then be deactivated or closing can be prevented. This results in the advantage that the verification signal can be provided in a particularly efficient manner.In addition, there is the advantage that the verification signal allows particularly reliable statements about the assessment of whether the closing signal is the user instruction.

[0018] A second aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle which is designed to carry out a method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0019] Advantages and advantageous embodiments of the first aspect of the invention are to be regarded as advantages and advantageous embodiments of the second aspect of the invention and vice versa.

[0020] A third aspect of the invention comprises a computer program. The computer program can, for example, be loaded into a memory of an electronic computing device or control unit of the motor vehicle and comprises program means for executing the steps of the method when the computer program is executed in the electronic computing device or a control device.

[0021] Advantages and advantageous embodiments of the third aspect of the invention are to be regarded as advantages and advantageous embodiments of both the second and the first aspect of the invention and vice versa.

[0022] Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or on their own.

[0023] The invention will now be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment and with reference to the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a motor vehicle with a tailgate which can be closed automatically by means of a method; and Fig. 2 schematic flow diagram for a method for closing the tailgate of the Fig. 1.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a motor vehicle 1 with a rear lid 2 which can be moved between an open position and a closed position and which is designed for closing by a mechanism which is shown schematically in FIG. Fig. 2. In the method, a movement of the user 4 in an environment 5 of the tailgate 2 is detected by a first sensor device 3, which is designed to detect a closing gesture of a user 4, and a control unit 6 determines that the detected movement is the closing gesture or whether the movement can be the closing gesture, and based on or depending on a verification signal from a second sensor device 7, the control unit 6 checks or verifies whether the closing gesture determined on the basis of the movement corresponds to a user instruction and, depending on the user instruction, the tailgate is closed by means of an actuator 8.

[0025] The procedure can be Fig.2: Step S1 can correspond to the detection of the movement of the user 4 by the first sensor device 3. In step S2, the control unit 6 determines whether the detected movement is the closing gesture. If this is affirmative, a third step S3 checks, based on a signal from a second sensor device 7, whether the movement actually represents a closing gesture or corresponds to another movement and thus did not occur due to a user instruction. Depending on the result of this verification performed in S3, the tailgate 2 is finally closed by means of an actuator 8 in the fourth step S4.

[0026] The closing gesture can, in particular, represent a predetermined movement of the user 4, so that, for example, the user must perform a specific hand and / or foot movement for the closing gesture, which can be distinguished, for example, from a conventional hand or foot movement. Additionally or alternatively, in order for the movement to be identified as a closing gesture, it can be advantageous if it is recognized or performed in a specific, predetermined area 9 of the environment.

[0027] The first sensor device 3 is, in particular, a radar device. Additionally or alternatively, a capacitive sensor can be used, for example, for the first sensor device 3.

[0028] In a capacitive system, a so-called "suppression mode" can be used to detect that a contactless kick detection is deactivated in the event of a static, dampened or attenuated sensor signal, thereby preventing false triggering if a user's feet dangle from the loading sill. In a radar-based contactless kick detection or motion detection system, as in the example shown, such a dampened signal cannot be detected due to the design of the radar sensor. Therefore, as shown, it is provided to use the verification signal of the second sensor device 7, which can advantageously be the sensor signal from a ride height sensor 10, for example, which describes a movement or orientation of the motor vehicle 1.

[0029] For example, the user's 4 sitting position on the loading sill can be determined by fusing the sensor data and, in a simple case, by simply evaluating the respective sensor data from a radar-based smart opener (SMO), and thus from a radar-based opening and closing unit of the tailgate 2 and, in particular, from the height sensor 10 installed on the motor vehicle 1, which represents, in particular, a component of a lighting system 11 already installed on the motor vehicle 1. Thus, the height sensor 10 can be used to determine whether the user 4 is dangling from the loading sill or whether he is sitting on the loading sill based on a characteristic signal evaluation; a case distinction can be made here.For example, in the case of a static object, a shock absorber 12 of the motor vehicle 1 compresses and then slightly extends again; in the case of a moving object, such as the user 4 on the loading sill, the shock absorber 12 compresses and extends, the value does not remain constant but remains dynamic due to the movement of the user 4.

[0030] Alternatively, the weight distribution can be determined, for example, using a strain gauge. Thus, a sensor signal describing a microdeformation from a strain gauge 13, which is arranged on a tailgate mount, in particular on the body of the motor vehicle 1, is advantageously used as the verification signal.

[0031] As soon as a dynamic movement is detected in the rear area, the contactless closing function can be deactivated by the method so that the smart opener (SMO) of the motor vehicle 1 can be deactivated.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the verification signal can also be generated from a recording by a camera device 14. For example, an interior camera arranged in a rearview mirror of the motor vehicle 1 can capture the area 9 or the surroundings 5 ​​of the tailgate. If the user 4 sitting on the loading sill is detected in the recording, the SMO can also be deactivated.

[0033] However, the method, the motor vehicle 1 shown and a computer program which can be executed on the control unit 6 of the motor vehicle 1 can prevent, in a particularly advantageous manner, faulty automatic closing of the tailgate 2 when sitting on the loading sill.

Claims

[1] Method for closing a tailgate (2), which is moved from an open position to a closed position for closing, of a motor vehicle (1), wherein a movement of the user in an environment (5) of the tailgate (2) is detected by a first sensor device (3), which is designed to detect a closing gesture of a user (4), and a control unit (6) determines that the detected movement is the closing gesture, and based on a verification signal from a second sensor device (7), the control unit (6) checks whether the closing gesture determined on the basis of the movement corresponds to a user instruction and the tailgate (2) is closed depending on the user instruction, wherein a recording in which the area (9) is depicted, from a camera device (14) is used as the verification signal and / or movement data containing the detected movement is used during verification,the first sensor device (3) are fused with the verification data., [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that a predetermined movement of the user and / or a movement in a predetermined area (9) of the environment (5) is recognized as the closing gesture. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that a radar device and / or a capacitive sensor is used as the first sensor device (3). [4] Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that a sensor signal, which describes a movement or orientation of the motor vehicle (1), is used by a height sensor (10) as a verification signal. [5] Method according to claim 4, characterized by that the height sensor (10), which provides the sensor signal, represents a component of a lighting position (11) of the motor vehicle (1). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a sensor signal, which describes micro-deformations, of a strain measuring device (13) which is arranged on a tailgate receptacle is used as the verification signal. [7] Motor vehicle (1) which is designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims. [8] Computer program which can be loaded directly into a memory of an electronic computing device of a motor vehicle (1), with program means for carrying out the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6 when the computer program is executed.

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