METHOD FOR THE MOTORIZED OPENING OF A MOVABLE FLAP OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH A METHOD

Description

[0001] The technical field concerns the methods for motorized opening of a mobile shutter, the devices for controlling the opening of a mobile shutter implementing such a method as well as the vehicles equipped with such devices.

[0002] Car manufacturers offer their customers various options that can be fitted to their vehicles, including motorized rear hatches that allow the trunk lid to be opened automatically by a simple command using motorized means. Motorized rear hatches are particularly attractive to customers who consider such an opening as a significant improvement in the comfort offered by their vehicle so equipped. From the point of view of car manufacturers, motorized openings bring significant technical challenges and constraints.

[0003] Indeed, while a manually opened shutter is generally not protected, the user taking into account the environment and any obstacles themselves, motorized shutters are generally protected against impacts by shutter protection systems. Such a protection system notably comprises an obstacle detector, positioned on the shutter and coupled to the shutter motorization device, the obstacle detection being used when moving the shutter. Such a system is known in particular from applications US 2018 / 238099 A1 and US 2010 / 076651 A1.

[0004] The operation of a protection system is based on an analysis of the shutter's environment during its movement: if an obstacle is detected, the protection system commands the motorization system to stop the shutter from moving.

[0005] Following an action by a user, opening a shutter involves several successive steps, including unlocking a lock and detecting obstacles that may hinder the opening of the shutter. These successive steps require relatively long durations. Thus, between the opening request and the shutter being moved, a duration of around 500 ms may elapse. Such a duration may be perceived negatively by the user and / or cause a new request from the user who is led to believe that his first request has not been taken into account. The subjective benefit perceived by the user of a motorized opening thus risks being reduced.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a method for motorized opening of a shutter making it possible to reduce the time required, after a request by the user, for moving the shutter.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a method for motorized opening of a movable shutter of a motor vehicle, the shutter being of the type capable of being moved along a predefined trajectory, between a closed position and an open position, by motorized movement means actuated by at least one control, the shutter comprising locking means designed to immobilize the shutter in the closed position when they are activated, the shutter further comprising obstacle detection means designed to detect obstacles likely to be located on the predefined trajectory and to allow the movement of the shutter to be interrupted in the event of detection of at least one obstacle, the method comprising a detection step following an action by a user on a control in order to obtain the opening of the shutter, the detection step consisting of implementing the obstacle detection means to detect an obstacle likely to be located on the trajectory,the method further comprising a deactivation step consisting of deactivating the locking means in order to make it possible to move the shutter, the detection step and the deactivation step being initiated simultaneously.

[0008] The invention also relates to a device for controlling the opening of a movable shutter of a motor vehicle, comprising a control unit such as an electronic control box, motorized movement means, locking means and obstacle detection means, said control device being designed to implement a method according to the invention.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a vehicle comprising at least one device according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, when implementing the method according to the invention, initiating the detection step and the deactivation step simultaneously makes it possible to reduce the time required before the shutter is moved. Indeed, instead of a time corresponding to the sum of the respective durations of these two steps, the method according to the invention requires a time corresponding to the duration of the longest step. The time saving therefore corresponds to the duration of the shortest step.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the detection step comprises sending a scanning request to the obstacle detection means, the scanning request being followed by scanning an area covering at least part of the trajectory by the obstacle detection means. Advantageously, the detection step comprises, after scanning the area, sending the results of the scanning to a control unit.

[0012] According to one possibility, the deactivation step comprises sending a deactivation request to the locking means followed by the implementation of the locking means with a view to deactivating them.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the method according to the invention, the deactivation step comprises, after the implementation of the locking means, sending information by the locking means to a control unit, the information relating to the activated or deactivated state of the locking means. Advantageously, when the detection step comprises sending a scanning request to the obstacle detection means, the scanning request being followed by scanning an area covering at least part of the trajectory by the obstacle detection means and when the detection step comprises, after scanning the area, sending results of the scanning to a control unit, the implementation of the locking means is carried out during the scanning by the obstacle detection means.

[0014] According to one possibility of the method, the deactivation step and the detection step are followed by a step of moving the shutter by the motorized moving means.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the device is designed to control a rear trunk flap.

[0016] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which: [ Fig. 1 ] there figure 1 , represents a schematic top view of a vehicle according to the invention; [ Fig. 2 ] there figure 2 , schematically represents the steps of a method for opening a vehicle shutter according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0017] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0018] A method according to the invention is designed to be executed during the motorized opening of a movable shutter 1 of a motor vehicle 2, illustrated in the figure 1 . Such a shutter 1 is of the type capable of being moved along a predefined trajectory, between a closed position (represented on the figure 1 ) and an open position, by motorized movement means actuated by at least one control 3. The shutter 1 used by the method also comprises locking means, not shown in the figure, designed to immobilize the shutter 1 in the closed position when they are activated. Such locking means are for example an electrically controlled lock. The shutter 1 further comprises obstacle detection means 4 designed to detect obstacles 5 likely to be located on the predefined trajectory and to allow the movement of the shutter 1 to be interrupted in the event of detection of at least one obstacle 5.

[0019] The method according to the invention comprises a detection step ET1, shown diagrammatically in the figure 2 , is consecutive to an AC action, also shown diagrammatically on the figure 2 , by a user on a command 3 in order to obtain the opening of the shutter 1. The action AC causes the sending of an opening request to an electronic box of the vehicle 2 . Such a request requires a time of around 20 ms.

[0020] The detection step ET1 consists of implementing the obstacle detection means 4 to detect an obstacle 5 likely to be on the trajectory. In the mode of implementation of the method described here, the detection step ET1 requires a time of the order of 190 ms to be executed.

[0021] The method further comprises a deactivation step ET2, shown diagrammatically in the figure 2 , which consists of deactivating the locking means in order to make it possible to move the shutter 1. In the implementation mode described, the deactivation step ET2 requires approximately 260 ms to be executed.

[0022] When implementing the method according to the invention, the detection step ET1 and the unlocking step ET2 are initiated simultaneously. The initiation of the detection step ET1 and the deactivation step ET2 are initiated by a request issued by the electronic box of the vehicle 2 following the action AC.

[0023] The detection step ET1 comprises sending to the obstacle detection means 4 a scanning request DS, shown diagrammatically in the figure 2 . Such a DS polling request is carried out by the vehicle's electronic box 2. In the described implementation mode, the DS polling request lasts approximately 20 ms.

[0024] The DS scanning request is followed by an SC scanning by the obstacle detection means 4 of a zone 6, illustrated in the figure 1 , covering at least part of the trajectory. In the embodiment of the method according to the invention, the SC scanning requires 150 ms to be carried out. For this purpose, the obstacle detection means 4 comprise, for example, a radar, a lidar or any other means capable of carrying out obstacle detection 5.

[0025] In the example of the method described, the detection step ET1 comprises, after the scanning SC of the zone 6, a sending of results ER, as illustrated in the figure 2 , from the SC scan to a control unit such as an electronic control box for motorized shutter 1. Sending ER results requires approximately 20 ms.

[0026] The deactivation step ET2 involves sending a deactivation request DD to the locking means, shown diagrammatically in the figure 2 . Such a DD deactivation request lasts on the order of 20 ms. As illustrated in the figure 2 , the electronic box of vehicle 2 sends, following the action AC, an order to deactivate the locking means to the electronic control box. This sending requires approximately 20 ms. The electronic control box then sends the deactivation request DD to the locking means.

[0027] The DD deactivation request is followed by the MM implementation, shown diagrammatically on the figure 2 , locking means for deactivation. MM implementation of the locking means requires approximately 200 ms.

[0028] As illustrated on the figure 2 , the deactivation step ET2 comprises, after the implementation MM of the locking means, a sending of information El by the locking means to the control box, the information relating to the activated or deactivated state of the locking means.

[0029] Advantageously, when implementing the method according to the invention, the implementation MM of the locking means is carried out during the scanning SC by the obstacle detection means 4.

[0030] Finally, in the method according to the invention shown diagrammatically on the figure 2 , the deactivation step ET2 and the detection step ET1 are followed by a step ET3 of moving the shutter 1 by the motorized moving means, not illustrated in the figures.

[0031] The invention also relates to a device for controlling the opening of the shutter 1, not illustrated in the figure, designed to implement the method according to the invention. Such a device comprises the control unit such as the electronic control box, the motorized movement means, the locking means and the obstacle detection means.

[0032] Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the user's waiting time measured between his action AC on the control 3 and the movement of the shutter 1. In the method described, this waiting time is approximately 280 ms while a known method would have required 450 ms.

[0033] The invention is not limited to the mode of implementation of the method according to the invention described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Method of motorised opening of a movable flap (1) of a motor vehicle (2), the flap (1) being of the type capable of being moved along a predefined trajectory, between a closed position and an open position, by motor-driven displacement means which can be actuated by at least one order (3), the flap (1) comprising locking means designed to immobilise the flap (1) in a closed position when they are activated, the flap (1) further comprising obstacle detection means (4) designed to detect obstacles (5) likely to be located on the predefined trajectory and to allow the movement of the flap (1) to be interrupted in the event of detection of at least one obstacle (5), the method comprising a detection step (ET1) following a task (AC) by a user on a order (3) in order to open the flap (1), the detection step (ET1) consisting in implementing the obstacle detection means (4) to detect an obstacle (5) liable to be located on the trajectory, the method further comprising a deactivation step (ET2) consisting in deactivating the locking means in order to make possible the displacement of the flap (1), said method being characterised in that the detection step (ET1) and the deactivation step (ET2) are initiated simultaneously.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the detection step (ET1) comprises a sending to the obstacle detection means (4) of a scanning demand (DS), the scanning demand (DS) being followed by a scanning (SC) of a zone (6) covering at least partly the trajectory by the obstacle detection means (4).

3. Method according to Claim 2, characterised in that the detection step (ET1) comprises, after the scanning (SC) of the zone (6), a sending of results (ER) from the scanning (SC) to a control unit.

4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the deactivation step (ET2) comprises sending to the locking means a deactivation demand (DD) followed by the implementation (MM) of the locking means with a view to deactivating them.

5. Method according to Claim 4, characterised in that the deactivation step (ET2) comprises, after the implementation (MM) of the locking means, a sending of information (EI) by the locking means to a control unit, the information relating to the activated or deactivated status of the locking means.

6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, in combination with Claims 2 and 4, characterised in that the implementation (MM) of the locking means is carried out during scanning (SC) by the obstacle detection means (4).

7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the deactivation step (ET2) and the detection step (ET1) are followed by a step (ET3) of displacement of the flap (1) by the motorised displacement means.

8. Opening order device for a mobile flap (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising a control unit such as an electronic control unit, motorised displacement means, locking means and obstacle detection means (4), said order device being designed to implement a method for motorised opening of a mobile flap (1) of a vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Device according to Claim 8, characterised in that it is designed to order a rear trunk flap (1).

10. Vehicle (2) comprising at least one device according to claim 8 or 9.