METHOD FOR SECURING A VEHICLE AND VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH A SECURING METHOD

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for securing a vehicle (1), the vehicle (1) comprising a valve (3) for closing a current charging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, said valve (3) being provided with a position sensor, said vehicle (1) also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives the positioning of the valve (3) and which allows the electric parking brake to be controlled, such that said vehicle (1) being parked with the engine stopped, the electric parking brake being in the activated position and the valve (3) being in the open position, the electric parking brake is locked in the activated position as long as the valve (3) is kept in the open position. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR SECURING A VEHICLE AND VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH A SECURING METHOD

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for securing a vehicle which comprises a valve for closing a current recharging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, with the valve which is provided with a position sensor, the vehicle also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives the positioning of the valve and which allows the control of the electric parking brake to secure the vehicle during the period of current recharging of the traction battery or fuel supply of the fuel tank.

[0002] It is known to have such a vehicle which, when recharging a traction battery with current or supplying fuel to a tank, causes the driver to remain close to the valve, generally leaving the vehicle open and most often leaving the vehicle keys in a bag which is placed on the passenger seat of the vehicle, meaning that a thief can easily steal objects placed in the vehicle by passing through the doors positioned on the side opposite to the side where the valve is positioned, or steal the vehicle.

[0003] The device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome these drawbacks.

[0004] It comprises, in fact, according to the invention, a method for securing a vehicle, said vehicle comprising a valve for closing a current recharging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, said valve being provided with a position sensor, said vehicle also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives both the positioning of the valve and which allows the electric parking brake to be controlled, such that, said vehicle being parked with the engine stopped, the electric parking brake being in the activated position and the valve being in the open position, the electric parking brake is locked in the activated position as long as the valve is kept in the open position.

[0005] According to a first characteristic of the method according to the invention, when the valve moves to the open position, the vehicle being parked with the engine off and the electric parking brake being in the deactivated position, then the computer commands the activation of the electric parking brake in the activated position.

[0006] According to a second characteristic of the method according to the invention, the vehicle comprising side doors whose closing and opening of the locks is controlled by said computer of the vehicle's electrical circuit, when the valve moves to the open position, the vehicle being parked with the engine off and the locks being in the open position, the locks of the side doors positioned on the side opposite the side of the vehicle where the valve is positioned, are controlled in the closed position.

[0007] According to a third characteristic of the method according to the invention, said side doors positioned on the side opposite the side of the vehicle where the valve is positioned are controlled in the open position when the valve is positioned in the closed position.

[0008] According to a fourth characteristic of the method according to the invention, the vehicle comprising means for detecting the presence of the driver at the wheel of said vehicle, the locking of the electric parking brake in the activated position is delayed when the driver is present at the wheel of said vehicle at the time the valve moves to the open position and is locked in the activated position if the driver leaves the vehicle with the valve still in the open position.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a vehicle which comprises a valve for closing a current recharging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, said valve being provided with a position sensor, said vehicle also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives the positioning of the valve and which allows the electric parking brake to be controlled, the electric parking brake being locked in the activated position according to a method for securing a vehicle which comprises at least one of the preceding characteristics.

[0010] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:

[0011] [Fig. 1] represents a vehicle parked at a service station to fill its fuel tank or to recharge with electricity.

[0012] [Fig.2] represents an algorithm of a method for securing the vehicle during the filling the fuel tank or recharging the traction battery with electricity.

[0013] [Fig.l] represents a vehicle 1 as parked in a service station 2 to carry out an operation of filling its tank with fuel or to carry out an operation of recharging the traction battery with electricity.

[0014] The vehicle 1 comprises a valve 3 for closing a current recharging socket of the traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, the valve 3 being provided with a position sensor.

[0015] the vehicle also includes an electric parking brake which is controlled by a computer of the vehicle's electrical circuit and which is normally activated and deactivated from the driver's seat by a dedicated button which always remains activatable or deactivatable whether the engine is running or stopped.

[0016] In [Fig.2] is shown an algorithm that the calculator will follow to de- terminate if the vehicle is in a situation where the driver is performing a fueling operation of the vehicle's tank or is performing an electrical recharging operation of the vehicle's traction battery.

[0017] According to a first step 10, the computer is waiting to have as information that the doors of the vehicle are unlocked and that the vehicle is parked, engine stopped, to move into a second step 20.

[0018] According to a second step 20, the vehicle is still parked with the engine off, the electric parking brake is in an activated position and the valve 2 is in an open position.

[0019] There are two possibilities for this: either the driver gets out of the vehicle, still leaving the doors open, in which case the method simultaneously moves to a third step 30 and a fourth step 40, or the driver remains at the wheel and the method returns to step 10, as long as one of the two essential conditions, between the valve 2 in an open position and the driver getting out of the vehicle, is not fulfilled, meaning that we are in the case of a service station where an employee is responsible for filling up with fuel and therefore the situation does not require security.

[0020] Of course, if during the filling of the fuel tank, the driver finally gets out of the vehicle leaving the doors open, then the situation changes and the process simultaneously moves to the third step 30 and the fourth step 40.

[0021] The method comprises the third step 30 where the computer activates the electric parking brake if it had not already been activated previously, meaning that once the electric parking brake is in an activated position then the computer prohibits any withdrawal of the electric parking brake as long as the second step 20 is still verified.

[0022] At the same time the method comprises the fourth step 40 where the computer locks part of the side doors of the vehicle, more particularly the doors positioned on the side opposite the side of the vehicle where the flap is positioned.

[0023] If all the conditions are met, the computer activates the electric parking brake if the vehicle is only in the parking position of the automatic gearbox and closes the side doors of the vehicle on the side of the vehicle which is positioned on the side opposite the flap 2.

[0024] As long as the valve 2 is kept in the open position, it is impossible to unlock the electric parking brake and said side doors remain closed.

[0025] This security method has several advantages. It reduces the risk of theft of personal property left in the vehicle when the driver is positioned at the valve 2 and it also protects the vehicle 1 against theft even if the key remains in the vehicle by preventing the electric parking brake from being released.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for securing a vehicle (1), said vehicle (1) comprising a valve (3) for closing a current recharging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, said valve (3) being provided with a position sensor, said vehicle (1) also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives the positioning of the valve (3) and which allows the electric parking brake to be controlled, characterized in that, said vehicle (1) being parked with the engine stopped, the electric parking brake being in the activated position and the valve (3) being in the open position, the electric parking brake is locked in the activated position as long as the valve (3) is kept in the open position.

2. Method for securing a vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that when the valve (3) moves to the open position, the vehicle (1) being parked with the engine off and the electric parking brake being in the deactivated position, then the computer controls the activation of the electric parking brake in the activated position.

3. Method for securing a vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the vehicle comprising side doors whose closing and opening of the locks is controlled by said computer, when the flap (3) moves to the open position, the vehicle (1) being parked with the engine off and the locks being in the open position, the locks of the side doors positioned on the side opposite the side of the vehicle (1) where the flap (3) is positioned, are controlled to the closed position.

4. Method for securing a vehicle (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said side doors positioned on the side opposite the side of the vehicle (1) where the valve (3) is positioned are controlled in the open position when the valve (3) is positioned in the closed position.

5. Method for securing a vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the vehicle comprising means for detecting the presence of the driver at the wheel of said vehicle (1), the locking of the electric parking brake in the activated position is delayed when the driver is present at the wheel of said vehicle (1) at the time the valve (3) moves to the open position and is locked in the activated position if the driver leaves the vehicle (1) with the valve (3) still in the open position.

6. Vehicle (1) comprising a valve (3) for closing a current recharging socket of a traction battery or a fuel supply pipe of a tank, said valve (3) being provided with a position sensor, said vehicle (1) also comprising an electric parking brake and a computer which receives the positioning of the valve (3) and which allows the electric parking brake to be controlled, characterized in that the electric parking brake is locked in the activated position according to a method for securing a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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