Vehicle roof system and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a vehicular roof system which enables a load to be exchanged with a drone through a roof carrier of a vehicle and further exchanged with an internal space of the vehicle to enable an occupant of the vehicle to easily exchange goods with the outside even in a state that the occupant is in the vehicle or the vehicle travels, and to provide a control method of the vehicular roof system.SOLUTION: A vehicular roof system according to the invention includes: an opening / closing module which is provided at a roof of a vehicle and slid to one side or the other side to open or close the roof; a loading module which is provided above the opening / closing module and has a loading space separated from an indoor space of the vehicle with the opening / closing module located in the middle between the loading module and the indoor space; and a lock mechanism which is provided in the loading module, supports a weight of a load when locking, and releases weight support of the load when unlocking.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle roof system and a control method thereof, which allows cargo to be exchanged between an external transmission means such as a drone and the like via a roof carrier of the vehicle, and then to exchange the cargo with the interior space of the vehicle, thereby enabling passengers in the vehicle to easily exchange goods with the outside while the vehicle is in or traveling. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, autonomous vehicles have been developed, which increase the convenience of transportation and enable vehicles to function as living spaces rather than simply moving spaces.

[0003] Recently, as the uses of drones have become more diverse, unmanned delivery systems using drones have been developed and are being operated on a trial basis.

[0004] However, no system has yet been proposed that uses such drones to deliver goods to vehicles unmanned, nor has the concept of integrating these with each other and exchanging power.

[0005] As autonomous vehicles become more commonplace, they will be used not only as a means of transportation but also as a living space, and so it is expected that there will be an increasing need for the exchange of goods between inside and outside the vehicle. Through such technology, vehicle occupants will experience an expansion of their physical connection to the outside world, and various related services will be developed.

[0006] Therefore, an interface is required that enables the inside of the vehicle to easily receive and transmit things from and to the outside while the vehicle is stopped and running. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0017582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle roof system and a control method thereof, which enables cargo to be exchanged between an external transmission means such as a drone via a roof carrier of the vehicle or the like, and then exchanged with the interior space of the vehicle, thereby enabling passengers in the vehicle to easily exchange goods with the outside while the vehicle is in motion or while the vehicle is moving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle roof system comprising: an opening / closing module that is provided on the roof of a vehicle and slides to one side or the other to open or close the roof; a loading module that is provided above the opening / closing module and has a loading space that is separated from the interior space of the vehicle by the opening / closing module at the center; and a locking mechanism that is provided inside the loading module and supports the load of a load when locked and releases support for the load of the load when unlocked.

[0010] The vehicle may further include a control unit that controls the opening / closing module and the locking mechanism to store a load in the load module or to transfer the load to an interior space of the vehicle. The opening and closing module may be a sunroof of a vehicle, and the load module may be a roof carrier attached to the roof of the vehicle. The opening and closing module is composed of a plurality of panels, and when opening, one panel is slid toward the other panel and overlaps with it, thereby opening the area where the one panel was located. The loading module has a door at the bottom, and when the opening / closing module is opened, the door is opened so that the load in the interior space of the loading module can be transferred to the interior space of the vehicle through the open door and the opening / closing module. The load module has a support panel therein, the support panel being slidable within the load module, and the load can be supported on the support panel within the load module. When the opening / closing module is opened, the support panel is slid to expose the load toward the interior space of the vehicle, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked, the load can be transferred to the interior space of the vehicle. The loading module has a cover on an upper portion thereof, and when the cover is opened, an internal space of the loading module can be exposed upward. When the control unit receives a delivery request from the drone, it can open the cover, allowing the drone to transfer the payload to the internal space of the loading module. The control unit can close the cover when the drone's delivery is completed, and open the opening / closing module and unlock the locking mechanism when it is necessary to transfer the cargo transferred from the drone to the interior space of the vehicle.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling a vehicle roof system, which includes the steps of sliding an opening / closing module to open it, and unlocking a locking mechanism to transfer cargo from the loading module to the interior space of the vehicle.

[0012] It is preferable that the step of grasping the position of the load in the load module is further included, and in the step of sliding and opening the opening and closing module, the position where the load is located is opened. In the step of unlocking the locking mechanism and transferring the load from the load module to the interior space of the vehicle, it is preferable to unlock the location where the load is located. In the step of determining the position of the load within the load module, the position of the load is preferably determined from a change in an internal weight of the load module. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the vehicle roof system and its control method of the present invention, cargo can be exchanged between an external transmission means such as a drone via a roof carrier of the vehicle, and then exchanged again with the interior space of the vehicle, making it possible to easily exchange goods with the outside even when passengers are present in the vehicle or while the vehicle is moving. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a load transfer process of the vehicle roof system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a load transfer process of the vehicle roof system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle roof system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a load transfer process of a vehicle roof system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle roof system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control method of a vehicle roof system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a vehicle roof system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an opening / closing module 100 that is installed on the roof of a vehicle and slides to one side or the other to open or close the roof, a loading module 300 that is installed above the opening / closing module 100 and has a loading space 30 separated from the interior space 10 of the vehicle via the opening / closing module 100, and a locking mechanism 500 that is installed inside the loading module 300 and supports the load of a load 50 when locked and releases support of the load 50 when unlocked.

[0017] The present invention is for receiving and delivering objects from the outside inside a vehicle, and requires space on the roof of the vehicle to store the objects. Also, the objects can be delivered to the interior space of the vehicle through the roof of the vehicle, thereby improving space efficiency. In particular, the roof of the vehicle is considered to be the optimal delivery point for delivering objects to a vehicle via a drone.

[0018] Specifically, the vehicle roof system according to the present invention includes an opening and closing module 100. The opening and closing module 100 is provided on the roof of the vehicle and is slid to one side or the other to open or close the roof. For example, a sunroof of the vehicle can be used as the opening and closing module 100. A sunroof is made up of a number of panels, which constitute the roof of the vehicle when closed, and which constitutes an opening in the roof through which the load 50 can be replaced when opened.

[0019] The loading module 300 is provided above the opening / closing module 100, and has a loading space 30 separated from the vehicle interior space 10 with the opening / closing module 100 at the center (or sandwiched in between). The loading module 300 may be a roof carrier provided separately above the roof of the vehicle, or may be a roof carrier provided integrally with the roof of the vehicle. When the loading module 300 is provided separately on the roof, a sunroof is provided as the opening / closing module 100 of the vehicle, and a separate door 360 is required at the lower end of the loading module 300, whereas when the loading module 300 is provided integrally with the roof of the vehicle, only the opening / closing module 100 of the roof is required, and no separate door is required. That is, in this case, by opening only the opening / closing module 100, the vehicle interior space 10 and the loading space 30 of the loading module are immediately connected.

[0020] In addition, the locking mechanism 500 is provided inside the loading module 300, and supports the load of the load 50 when locked, and releases the support of the load 50 when unlocked. That is, when the locking mechanism 500 is locked, it supports the load 50 so that the load 50 is properly maintained in the loading space 30 of the loading module 300, and when the locking mechanism 500 is unlocked, it releases the support of the load 50 so that the load 50 falls through the opened lower portion, thereby transferring the load 50 to the interior space of the vehicle.

[0021] The control unit C controls the opening / closing module 100 and the locking mechanism 500 to store the load 50 in the loading module 300 or to transfer it to the vehicle interior space 10. The control unit C controls the actuator M that drives the opening / closing module 100 and the locking mechanism 500, and further receives information from other necessary sensors to control various actuators, thereby taking charge of overall control in the transfer and exchange of the load. The actuator M is adapted to transmit driving force via a wire or the like.

[0022] The control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented by a non-volatile memory (not shown) configured to store data related to algorithms configured to control the operation of various components of the vehicle or software instructions for reproducing the algorithms, and a processor (not shown) configured to perform operations described below using the data stored in the memory. Here, the memory and the processor are implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor may be implemented as a single chip integrated with each other, and the processor may be implemented as one or more processors.

[0023] Meanwhile, the opening / closing module 100 may be a sunroof of a vehicle, and the loading module 300 may be a roof carrier attached to the roof of the vehicle. The opening / closing module 100 is composed of a plurality of panels (120, 140), and when opening, the panel 120 on one side slides toward the panel 140 on the other side and overlaps with each other, so that the location (area) where the panel 120 on one side was located is opened as an opening. In addition, the loading module 300 is provided with a door 360 at the bottom, and when the opening / closing module 100 is opened, the door 360 is opened, and the load in the internal space of the loading module is transferred to the internal space of the vehicle through the opened door 360 and the opening / closing module 100. As a result, in a vehicle to which the loading module 300 is not applied, the opening / closing module 100 serves as a general sunroof, and in a vehicle to which the loading module 300 is attached, the opening / closing module 100, which is a sunroof, functions as a passage for transferring goods.

[0024] Meanwhile, the loading module 300 is provided with a support panel 340 therein, which slides inside the loading module 300, and the load 50 is supported on the support panel 340 inside the loading module 300. Through the support panel 340, the load 50 is stably stored inside the loading module 300 under normal circumstances, and the load 50 can be stably received or transferred from the drone.

[0025] When the opening / closing module 100 is opened, the support panel 340 is slid to expose the load 50 toward the interior space 10 of the vehicle, and when the locking mechanism 500 is unlocked, the load 50 is transferred to the interior space 10 of the vehicle. That is, the load 50 is basically supported by the support panel 340, but is also supported via the separate locking mechanism 500. Therefore, even if the support panel 340 is slid, the locking mechanism 500 ultimately supports the load 50, which prevents the load 50 from immediately dropping into the interior space of the vehicle due to the sliding of the support panel 340.

[0026] The loading module 300 is provided with a cover 320 on the top, and when the cover 320 is opened, the loading space 30 of the loading module 300 is exposed upward. Thus, when the control unit C receives a delivery request from a drone (not shown), the control unit C opens the cover 320, so that the drone can deliver the load 50 to the loading space 30 of the loading module 300. In addition, when the drone completes its delivery, the control unit C closes the cover 320, and when it is necessary to deliver the load 50 into the vehicle, the control unit C opens the opening / closing module 100 and unlocks the locking mechanism 500, thereby delivering the load 50 delivered from the drone to the interior space 10 of the vehicle.

[0027] Although not shown, the drone approaches the vehicle with the payload loaded, and communicates with the vehicle's control unit C or an external server to transmit a signal to transmit the payload 50 to the vehicle. The vehicle's control unit C opens the cover 320 based on this signal, and the drone places the payload 50 on the support panel 340 in the payload module 300. The locking mechanism 500 locks the payload 50, and the cover 320 closes again. In this state, the payload 50 is stored inside the payload module 300. FIG. 1 shows such a state. In this case, the control unit C detects the weight of the support panel 340 to grasp the loading position of the payload 50.

[0028] When such a load 50 needs to be transferred to the vehicle interior space 10, the control unit C first opens the opening / closing module 100. Since the control unit C has already detected that the load 50 is on one side of the loading module 300 and not on the other side, the control unit C controls the one side 120 of the opening / closing module 100 to slide toward the other side 140 to open the module, and similarly controls the door 360 to slide from one side 362 toward the other side 364. The support panel 340 is also controlled to slide toward the other side. As a result, the load 50 is locked and supported by the locking mechanism 500 and exposed toward the vehicle interior space 10 below.

[0029] In this state, when the control unit C rotates the lock mechanism 500 to unlock the load 50 as shown in Fig. 3, the load 50 falls downward since it is no longer supported. Of course, by providing another transmission mechanism in the interior space 10 of the vehicle to effectively receive the falling load 50 and transmit it downward, it is possible to prevent safety accidents for passengers and increase convenience.

[0030] 4 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle according to the present invention includes a step of controlling an opening / closing module to slide open (S240), and a step of unlocking a locking mechanism to transfer a load from the load module to an interior space of the vehicle (S300, S320).

[0031] First, the control unit C detects an increase in the weight of the support panel (S100). Then, by measuring the weight, the control unit C grasps the position of the load in the loading module. When the control unit C receives a roof opening signal, it grasps the loading position and performs steps to slide and open the panel of the opening / closing module at that position (point) (S200, S220). In this case, it controls so that the panel of the opening / closing module at the point where the load is located is opened (S240). Then, it opens the door of the corresponding loading module (S260). After that, it slides the support panel to expose the load to the interior space of the vehicle below (S280).

[0032] In the step of unlocking the locking mechanism to transfer the load from the load module to the interior space of the vehicle (S300), the location where the load is located is unlocked so that only the necessary load is transferred to the lower interior space of the vehicle (S320). When the transfer of the load is completed, the roof is controlled to close again (S340).

[0033] According to the vehicle roof system and control method of the present invention, cargo can be exchanged between an external transmission means such as a drone via a roof carrier of the vehicle, and then exchanged with the interior space of the vehicle, making it possible to easily exchange goods with the outside even when passengers are present in the vehicle or while the vehicle is moving.

[0034] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described in this specification, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10 Indoor space 30 Loading space 50 Cargo 100 Opening and Closing Module 120, 140 Panel 300 Loading Module 320 Cover 340 Support Panel 360(362, 364) Door 500 Locking mechanism C control section M Actuator

Claims

1. An opening / closing module that is provided on the roof of the vehicle and slides to one side or the other to open or close the roof; a loading module provided above the opening / closing module and having a loading space separated from an interior space of the vehicle by the opening / closing module at the center; a locking mechanism provided inside the loading module, the locking mechanism supporting a load of a load when locked and releasing support of the load of the load when unlocked; A control unit that grasps the position of the load within the load module and controls the locking mechanism at the point where the load is located to unlock and transfer the load from the load module to the interior space of the vehicle.

2. The control unit controls the opening / closing module and the locking mechanism to store the load in the load module or to transfer the load to an interior space of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle roof system according to claim 1.

3. the opening / closing module is a sunroof of a vehicle, 2. The vehicle roof system of claim 1, wherein the load module is a roof carrier mounted on the roof of the vehicle.

4. 2. The vehicle roof system according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing module is composed of a plurality of panels, and when opening, one panel slides toward the other panel and overlaps with it, thereby opening the location where the one panel was located.

5. 2. The vehicle roof system according to claim 1, wherein the loading module has a door at a lower portion, and when the opening / closing module is opened, the door is opened, and the load in the internal space of the loading module is transferred to the internal space of the vehicle through the opened door and the opening / closing module.

6. 2. The vehicle roof system of claim 1, wherein the load module has a support panel therein, the support panel is slidable within the load module, and the load is supported on the support panel within the load module.

7. The vehicle roof system according to claim 6, characterized in that when the opening / closing module is opened, the support panel is slid to expose the load toward the interior space of the vehicle, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked, the load is transferred to the interior space of the vehicle.

8. 2. The vehicle roof system according to claim 1, wherein the load module has a cover on an upper portion thereof, and when the cover is opened, an internal space of the load module is exposed upward.

9. The vehicle roof system described in Claim 8, characterized in that the control unit opens the cover when a delivery request is received from a drone, thereby enabling the drone to transfer its load to the internal space of the loading module.

10. The vehicle roof system of claim 9, characterized in that the control unit closes the cover when the delivery of the drone is completed, and opens the opening / closing module and unlocks the locking mechanism when it is necessary to transfer the cargo transferred from the drone to the interior space of the vehicle.

11. An opening / closing module that is provided on a roof of a vehicle and slides to one side or the other to open or close the roof; a loading module provided above the opening / closing module and having a loading space separated from an interior space of the vehicle by the opening / closing module at the center; A method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle including a locking mechanism provided inside the load module, the locking mechanism supporting a load of a load when locked and releasing support of the load of the load when unlocked, the method comprising: Sliding the opening and closing module open; and unlocking the locking mechanism to transfer the load from the load module to an interior space of the vehicle; determining a location of the payload within the payload module; 11. The method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle, wherein in the step of sliding and opening the opening / closing module, a position where the load is located is opened.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of unlocking the locking mechanism and transferring the load from the load module to the interior space of the vehicle includes unlocking a location where the load is located.

13. 12. The method for controlling a roof system of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein in the step of determining the position of the load within the load module, the position of the load is determined based on a change in an internal weight of the load module.

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