Opening / closing control device

Abstract

To suppress an occurrence of collision of an opening / closing body during operation of the opening / closing body.SOLUTION: An opening / closing boy control device 100 comprises: a distance detection unit 41 that detects a detected distance dX which is a distance to a detected object X in a periphery of an opening / closing body 4; and a control unit 20 that controls a drive unit 10 so as to operate the opening / closing body 4 when a start command for an opening operation or a closing operation of the opening / closing body 4 is inputted. When the start command is inputted, the control unit 20 determines whether the detected object X is a moving object or a stationary object, and sets a first collision determination distance d1 as a collision determination distance d when the detected object X is the stationary object, and sets a second collision determination distance d2 that is longer than the first collision determination distance d1 as the collision determination distance d when the detected object is the moving object. If the detected distance dX is smaller than the collision determination distance d, the control unit 20 controls the drive unit 10 so as to stop the operation of the opening / closing body 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing control device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a control device that opens a vehicle back door from a closed position toward an open position by the operation of a motor. An obstacle sensor is provided on the back door. When the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle during the opening operation of the back door, the control device stops the operation of the motor and thus the opening operation of the back door in order to avoid a collision between the back door and the obstacle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the obstacle is a moving object approaching the back door (for example, a vehicle user), the stop of the motor and the back door may be delayed with respect to the approach of the moving object, and there is a risk of a collision between the back door and the obstacle.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of a collision of an opening / closing body during the operation of the opening / closing body such as a back door.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides an opening / closing body control device comprising: a drive unit for driving an opening / closing body that opens and closes an opening in a vehicle body; a distance detection unit for detecting a detection distance, which is the distance to a detected object around the opening / closing body; and a control unit for controlling the drive unit to operate the opening / closing body when a command to start an opening or closing operation of the opening / closing body is input, wherein when the start command is input, the control unit determines whether the detected object is a moving object or a stationary object based on the detection result of the distance detection unit, sets a first collision determination distance as a collision determination distance to be compared with the detection distance if the detected object is a stationary object, sets a second collision determination distance that is longer than the first collision determination distance as the collision determination distance if the detected object is a moving object, controls the drive unit to continue the operation of the opening / closing body if the detection distance is greater than the collision determination distance, and controls the drive unit to stop the operation of the opening / closing body if the detection distance is less than the collision determination distance.

[0007] According to the above configuration, if the detection distance, which is the distance to the detected object, is smaller than the collision detection distance set by the control unit, the operation of the opening / closing body stops. When the detected object is stationary, the control unit sets a first collision detection distance as the collision detection distance, while when the detected object is moving, the control unit sets a second collision detection distance as the collision detection distance. The second collision detection distance is longer than the first collision detection distance. Therefore, when the detected object is moving, the operation of the opening / closing body stops even if the detected object is at a greater distance. As a result, the opening / closing body can be stopped before the detected object gets too close, and collisions with the opening / closing body can be suppressed even when the detected object is moving. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of collisions between opening and closing bodies during their operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]A left side view showing a vehicle equipped with an opening / closing control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A magnified view of a portion of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 4] A schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the opening / closing control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A plan view showing the distance sensor. [Figure 6A] A schematic diagram illustrating the conditions for initiating collision avoidance processing. [Figure 6B] A schematic diagram illustrating the conditions for initiating collision avoidance processing. [Figure 7] A graph illustrating the table used to set the collision detection distance during the release operation. [Figure 8] A graph illustrating the table used to set the collision detection distance during the closing operation. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing some of the processes performed by the open / close control device shown in Figure 4. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing some of the processes performed by the open / close control device shown in Figure 4. [Figure 11] A schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the opening / closing control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing some of the processes performed by the open / close control device shown in Figure 11. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings to avoid redundant detailed descriptions. Unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the ground on which the vehicle is in contact is horizontal; however, directions in the following description may be appropriately changed depending on the slope of the ground.

[0011] (First Embodiment) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the opening / closing control device 100 according to the present embodiment controls the opening operation and the closing operation of an opening / closing body provided in a vehicle 1 such as an all-terrain vehicle. The vehicle 1 includes, as an example of the opening / closing body, a back door 4 that opens and closes an opening 3 provided at the rear of the vehicle body 2. The back door 4 operates so as to change its operating position within a movable range between a fully closed position θ0 (refer to the solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2) where the opening 3 is closed and a fully open position θF (refer to the broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2) where the opening 3 is opened.

[0012] The fully closed state is a state in which the back door 4 is positioned at the fully closed position θ0. The fully open state is a state in which the back door 4 is positioned at the fully open position θF as shown in FIG. 3. The opening operation is an operation in the opening direction toward the fully open position θF, and once started, it is inherently continued until the fully open state. The closing operation is an operation in the closing direction toward the fully closed position θ0, and once started, it is inherently continued until the fully closed state. The opening operation typically starts from the fully closed state, and the closing operation typically starts from the fully open state.

[0013] The back door 4 is rotatably attached to the upper edge of the opening 3 via a hinge 5 around an axis A extending in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the opening direction is counterclockwise in a left side view, and the operating position of the back door 4 can be quantitatively represented by a rotation angle (deg) centered on the axis A.

[0014] The back door 4 is tilted so that it faces rearward more as it goes downward from the axis A in the fully closed state. When the back door 4 moves in the opening direction from the fully closed position θ0, the overhang amount B of the back door 4 from the vehicle body 2 increases. The overhang amount B is the distance in the vehicle length direction from the rearmost end surface of the vehicle body 2 to the tip of the back door 4. In a state where the back door 4 is positioned at the maximum overhang position θM between the fully closed position θ0 and the fully open position θF, the back door 4 extends parallel to the ground G from the axis A, and the overhang amount B is maximized within the movable range of the back door 4. The back door 4 can further move in the opening direction from the maximum overhang position θM to the fully open position θF. Thereby, the opening 3 is opened wider, and the overhang amount B decreases.

[0015] Here, it is assumed that the fully closed position θ0 is the minimum value or 0 degrees as a reference value, and the fully open position θF is the positive maximum value, and the angular value of the fully open position θF corresponds to the movable range of the back door 4. As a mere example, the fully open position θF or the movable range is about 73 degrees. The inclination angle φ of the back door 4 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the ground in the fully closed state is the complementary angle of the maximum protrusion position θM. As a mere example, the maximum protrusion position θM is about 54 degrees (the inclination angle φ is about 36 degrees).

[0016] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The start command output unit 45 includes an electronic key 46, an open switch 47a, and a close switch 47b. The electronic key 46 is carried by the user of the vehicle 1 and is configured to communicate wirelessly with the control unit 20. The control unit 20 performs authentication processing to determine whether the electronic key 46 is legitimate by communicating wirelessly with the electronic key 46. The electronic key 46 may be provided with a button (not shown) for the user of the vehicle 1 to input a command to start the operation of the back door 4. In this case, when the user operates the button, the electronic key 46 outputs a start command to the control unit 20. The electronic key 46 may be provided with two buttons so that the user can distinguish between inputting a command to start the opening operation and a command to start the closing operation. The open switch 47a and the close switch 47b are provided on the outer surface of the back door 4 (see Figure 3). After authentication processing is performed while the user is carrying the electronic key 46, when the user operates the open switch 47a, the open switch 47a outputs a command to start the opening operation to the control unit 20. When the user operates the close switch 47b, the close switch 47b outputs a command to the control unit 20 to start the closing operation. The authentication process may be performed after the user operates the open switch 47a or the close switch 47b.

[0020] The start command output unit 45 may be part of the components of the opening / closing control device 100, or it may be an external component of the opening / closing control device 100. When a start command is output from the start command output unit 45, the control unit 20 controls the drive unit 10.

[0021] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the drive unit 10 is comprised, for example, of a pair of spindle drive mechanisms 6. Each spindle drive mechanism 6 has a cylindrical housing 6a and a push rod 6b inserted into the housing 6a, connecting the back door 4 to the vehicle body 2. The base end of the housing 6a is connected to the side edge of the opening 3, and the tip of the push rod 6b is connected to the inner surface of the back door 4. Each spindle drive mechanism 6 further includes an electric motor 11 and a motion conversion mechanism 12. The electric motor 11 is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. A screw pair is applied to the motion conversion mechanism 12. The electric motor 11 and the motion conversion mechanism 12 are housed in the housing 6a. When the electric motor 11 is operated, the motion conversion mechanism 12 converts the rotational driving force generated by the electric motor 11 into linear motion and transmits it to the push rod 6b, which extends or retracts along the central axis of the housing 6a in accordance with the rotation direction of the electric motor 11. The back door 4 moves in the opening direction by being lifted away from the vehicle body 2 when the push rod 6b extends, and moves in the closing direction by being pulled towards the vehicle body 2 when the push rod 6b retracts.

[0022] Referring to Figures 1 and 5, the detected distance dX detected by the distance sensor 41 is the distance from the distance sensor 41 itself to the object X being detected. In this embodiment, the distance sensor 41 is mounted on the vehicle body 2 side, not on the back door 4. Therefore, the starting point of the detected distance dX does not change when viewed from the vehicle body 2, regardless of the operating position of the back door 4. Since the opening and closing operations of the back door 4 are performed in principle while the vehicle is stationary, the starting point of the detected distance dX does not change when viewed from the ground. Because the starting point does not change with respect to the vehicle body 2 and the ground, it can be said that the detected distance dX to a certain object X changes over time only when the object X is moving on the ground. Therefore, it is easy to detect an object X that is moving on the ground towards the vehicle body 2 while the back door 4 is operating.

[0023] In this embodiment, the distance sensor 41 is composed of a single sensor. The distance sensor 41 is positioned at a single sensor mounting location set on the rear end face of the vehicle 1. As an example, the sensor mounting location is set at the lower part of the rear end face of the rear bumper 7, which is located below the opening 3 (i.e., below the fully closed back door 4), and at the center in the vehicle width direction. The distance sensor 41 detects the distance from the rear end face of the vehicle 1 to the object to be detected X behind the vehicle 1 as the detection distance dX.

[0024] In this embodiment, the distance sensor 41 is configured as an ultrasonic sensor, for example. The ultrasonic sensor emits ultrasonic waves backward, forming a single scanning range R that extends conically backward from the sensor mounting position. When the object to be detected X is within the scanning range R, the distance sensor 41 receives the reflected wave from the object to be detected X and detects the straight-line distance from itself to the object to be detected X as the detection distance dX according to the TOF (time of flight) principle. The ultrasonic sensor is advantageous because the color of the object to be detected X does not significantly affect the detection accuracy, and it has a wide scanning range R.

[0025] The principle of distance measurement used in the distance sensor 41 is not limited to TOF, but may also be triangulation, for example. In that case, it will be possible to measure not only the straight-line distance from the vehicle body 2 to the object X to be detected, but also its longitudinal component. The medium emitted from the distance sensor 41 to form the scanning range R is not limited to ultrasound, but may also be laser light, for example. The distance sensor 41 may be composed of multiple sensors arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. In that case, multiple scanning ranges R may be arranged in the vehicle width direction such that two adjacent scanning ranges R partially overlap each other.

[0026] Returning to Figure 4, the door position sensor 42 does not necessarily have to be a sensor that detects the operating position of the back door 4 itself; it is sufficient if it can detect information that can be used to derive or estimate the operating position. For example, the door position sensor 42 is composed of an encoder attached to the electric motor 11. The encoder detects the rotation angle and, consequently, the number of rotations of the electric motor 11. Once the specifications of the back door 4 and the drive unit 10 are determined, a person skilled in the art can derive a function in advance, in light of geometry and kinematics, that shows how much the back door 4 operates depending on how much the electric motor 11 rotates. If the control unit 20 stores this function in advance, the control unit 20 can easily derive the operating position of the back door 4 based on the detection result of the encoder by referring to the pre-stored function.

[0027] The control unit 20 includes a storage unit 21, a timer 22, a drive control unit 23, a communication unit 24, a door position calculation unit 25, a determination unit 26, and a setting unit 27.

[0028] The memory unit 21 temporarily or permanently stores information necessary to control the operation of the backdoor 4. As an example, the memory unit 21 stores the first table 31 and the second table 32 (see also Figures 7 and 8). Tables 31 and 32 will be described later.

[0029] Timer 22 measures time. Drive control unit 23 controls the electric motor 11 to operate and stop the drive unit 10 and, consequently, the back door 4. Communication unit 24 transmits and receives information or signals with the electronic key 46. Communication unit 24 receives start commands from the open switch 47a and the close switch 47b. Communication unit 24 functions as a start command receiver, receiving start commands output from the start command output unit 45. Communication unit 24 receives detection results from the distance sensor 41 and the door position sensor 42. The distance sensor 41 and the door position sensor 42 output their detection results sequentially at a predetermined sampling period (for example, 5 msec).

[0030] When the door position sensor 42 does not detect the operating position itself, the door position calculation unit 25 refers to an operating position calculation table (not shown) pre-stored in the storage unit 21 and calculates the operating position of the back door 4 based on the detection result of the door position sensor 42. The operating position calculation table defines the correlation between the parameters detected by the door position sensor 42 (for example, the rotation angle or number of rotations of the electric motor 11) and the operating position of the back door 4.

[0031] The determination unit 26 performs various decision processes when controlling the operation of the back door 4. The determination unit 26 includes, for example, a condition determination unit 26a, a movement determination unit 26b, and a stop determination unit 26c.

[0032] The condition determination unit 26a determines whether the conditions for starting the collision prevention process, which stops the operation of the back door 4 according to the detected distance dX, are met when the start command is received by the communication unit 24. The condition determination unit 26a also determines whether the conditions for ending the collision prevention process are met while the collision prevention process is being executed.

[0033] The starting conditions will be explained with reference to Figures 6A and 6B after the explanation of the "collision detection distance d". In this embodiment, the ending conditions include the condition that the operating position of the back door 4 has reached a predetermined ending position between the fully closed position θ0 and the fully open position θF. The ending position is set to the position immediately before the operation is completed. Therefore, the opening ending position θEa applied during the opening operation is different from the closing ending position θEb applied during the closing operation. The opening ending position θEa is set near the fully open position θF. For example, the opening ending position θEa is set to the maximum extension position θM. The closing ending position θEb is set near the fully closed position θ0. For example, the closing ending position θEb is approximately 12 degrees.

[0034] The movement determination unit 26b determines whether the detected object X is moving or stationary based on the detection results sequentially output from the distance sensor 41 during the execution of the collision prevention process. To perform this determination process, the storage unit 21 stores time-series data of the detected distance dX that has been received sequentially within a time window including the present time. The movement determination unit 26b estimates the displacement of the detected object X from the current and past values ​​of the detected distance dX, and estimates the movement speed of the detected object X from the time difference between the current and past values ​​and the displacement. The movement determination unit 26b compares the estimated movement speed with a predetermined movement determination threshold (for example, 10 mm / sec). If the estimated value is greater than or equal to the movement determination threshold, the movement determination unit 26b determines that the detected object X is moving, while if the estimated value is less than the movement determination threshold, it determines that the detected object X is stationary. Although not shown in the diagram, the storage unit 21 permanently stores the movement determination threshold.

[0035] The stop determination unit 26c compares the detected distance dX with the collision determination distance d while the collision prevention process is being executed. If the detected distance dX is greater than the collision determination distance d, the stop determination unit 26c determines that the operation of the back door 4 can continue. In response, the drive control unit 23 controls the drive unit 10 to continue the operation of the back door 4. On the other hand, if the detected distance dX is less than the collision determination distance d, the stop determination unit 26c determines that the operation of the back door 4 cannot continue. In response, the drive control unit 23 controls the drive unit 10 to stop the operation of the back door 4.

[0036] The setting unit 27 sets the collision determination distance d to be compared with the detection distance dX when the stop determination unit 26c determines whether the operation of the back door 4 can continue or not during the execution of the collision prevention process. The collision determination distance d changes depending on whether the detected object X is a moving object or a stationary object. If the detected object X is a stationary object, the setting unit 27 sets the collision determination distance d to be compared with the detection distance dX as the "first collision determination distance d1". If the detected object X is a moving object, the setting unit 27 sets the collision determination distance d to be compared with the detection distance dX as the "second collision determination distance d2". Thus, there are the first collision determination distance d1 and the second collision determination distance d2, but when there is no particular distinction between the two (in other words, when they are common to both), the term "collision determination distance d" is used.

[0037] In this embodiment, the collision detection distance d also changes depending on whether the back door is in the opening or closing operation. In this embodiment, the collision detection distance d also changes depending on the operating position of the back door 4. Under the condition that the operating direction and operating position of the back door 4 are the same, the second collision detection distance d2 is longer than the first collision detection distance d1.

[0038] The setting unit 27 refers to the aforementioned tables 31 and 32 and variably sets the collision detection distance d according to the situation as described above. The first table 31 is referenced to set the first collision detection distance d1 as the collision detection distance d when the detected object X is a stationary object, and defines the correspondence between the operating position and the first collision detection distance d1. The second table 32 is referenced to set the second collision detection distance d2 as the collision detection distance d when the detected object X is a moving object, and defines the correspondence between the operating position and the second collision detection distance d2.

[0039] The first table 31 includes the first open table 31a, which is referenced for setting the first collision detection distance d1 during the open operation, and the first closed table 31b, which is referenced for setting the first collision detection distance d1 during the close operation. The second table 32 includes the second open table 32a, which is referenced for setting the second collision detection distance d2 during the open operation, and the second closed table 32b, which is referenced for setting the second collision detection distance d2 during the close operation. Since the collision detection distance d is set by distinguishing between two types of detected objects X and two types of operating directions, a total of four tables 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b are pre-stored in the storage unit 21.

[0040] Figure 7 is a graph schematically showing the correspondence defined in the first open table 31a and the second open table 32a in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The horizontal axis represents the operating position, and the vertical axis represents the collision detection distance d. The value of the operating position increases as you move to the right along the horizontal axis, and as the opening operation progresses, the operating position and collision detection distance d move from left to right on the graph. In addition to tables 31a and 32a, Figure 7 also shows a graph showing the overhang amount B relative to the operating position. The unit of overhang amount B is the same as the unit of collision detection distance d (e.g., mm), and the difference between overhang amount B and collision detection distance d is expressed as the difference in the vertical axis coordinates.

[0041] Incidentally, the collision detection distance d is used during the execution of the collision prevention process and is set based on the operating position, while the termination condition of the collision prevention process is defined by the operating position. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, in the explanation of the collision detection distance d applied during the opening operation, the operating position on the opening side (right side in the horizontal axis direction of Figure 7) from the opening termination position θEa within the movable range of the back door 4 is ignored. To give a specific example, unless otherwise specified, the operating position specified by the term "the closer the operating position is to the maximum extension position θM" does not include the operating position from the opening termination position θEa to the fully open position θF. In this embodiment, since the opening termination position θEa is the maximum extension position θM, the operating position specified by the term does not include the operating position from the maximum extension position θM (which is the opening termination position θEa) to the fully open position θF.

[0042] As the operating position approaches the maximum extension position θM from the fully closed position θ0, the extension amount B increases. Correspondingly, the closer the operating position is to the maximum extension position θM, the larger the collision detection distance d becomes.

[0043] The difference Δda between the first collision detection distance d1 and the overhang amount is approximately constant regardless of the operating position. In other words, an increase in the first collision detection distance d1 corresponds to an increase in the overhang amount B. To put it another way, if the distance sensor 41 is attached to the back door 4 and the starting point of the detection distance dX is displaced according to the operating position, the first collision detection distance d1 will be approximately constant regardless of the operating position. Note that "approximately constant" includes not only cases where the difference Δda is a constant value regardless of the operating position, but also cases where the difference Δda fluctuates slightly depending on the operating position.

[0044] In contrast, the difference Δdb between the second collision detection distance d2 and the extension amount B increases as the operating position approaches the maximum extension position θM. Since the difference Δda is approximately constant regardless of the operating position, the excess amount Δdab of the second collision detection distance d2 relative to the first collision detection distance d1 also increases as the operating position approaches the maximum extension position θM.

[0045] The difference Δdb is set based on the assumed movement speed of the detected object X, which is a moving object, the operating speed of the back door 4 at each operating position, and the time required from when it is decided in the control unit 20 to stop the electric motor 11 and braking of the electric motor 11 and the back door 4 begins until the back door 4 actually stops (hereinafter referred to as the stopping time) or the amount of movement of the back door 4 within the stopping time. The operating speed increases as the operating position moves away from the fully closed position θ0. The faster the operating speed, the longer the stopping time, and the larger the amount of movement within the stopping time. The faster the operating speed and the longer the stopping time, the larger the difference Δdb. As a result, the difference Δdb increases as the operating position approaches the maximum extension position θM.

[0046] Figure 8 is a graph schematically showing the correspondence defined in the first closing table 31b and the second closing table 32b in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. Unlike usual, the value of the operating position is smaller on the right side of the horizontal axis. As a result, as the closing operation progresses, the operating position and collision detection distance d will shift from the left side to the right side of the diagram, similar to Figure 7. Unless otherwise specified, in the explanation of the collision detection distance d applied during the closing operation, the operating position on the closing direction side (right side of the horizontal axis in Figure 8) from the closing end position θEb within the movable range of the back door 4 is ignored.

[0047] During the closing operation, the operating position of the back door 4 changes from the fully open position θF, through the maximum extension position θM, to the fully closed position θ0. When the operating position reaches the closing end position θEb near the fully closed position θ0, the collision prevention process ends. Even during the closing operation, the closer the operating position is to the maximum extension position θM, the larger the collision detection distance d. Even during the closing operation, the difference Δda between the first collision detection distance d1 and the extension amount B is approximately constant regardless of the operating position. Even during the closing operation, the closer the operating position is to the maximum extension position θM, the larger the difference Δdb between the second collision detection distance d2 and the extension amount B, and the larger the excess amount Δdab of the second collision detection distance d2 compared to the first collision detection distance d1.

[0048] The following describes how to control the opening and closing operations of the back door 4, which are performed by the control unit 20 configured as described above, with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

[0049] When the communication unit 24 receives a command to start the opening operation (S1:YES), the drive control unit 23 operates the electric motor 11 to start the opening operation of the back door 4 (step S3). When the communication unit 24 receives a command to start a closing operation instead of an opening operation (S1:NO AND S2:YES), the drive control unit 23 operates the electric motor 11 in the opposite direction to the opening operation to start the closing operation of the back door 4 (step S4). If no start command has been input (S1:NO AND S2:NO), the control unit 20 waits for the input of a start command with the electric motor 11 stopped.

[0050] When a start command is input (S1:YES OR S2:YES), the distance sensor 41 sequentially detects the detection distance dX, and the communication unit 24 sequentially receives the detection results (step S11). In addition, the door position calculation unit 25 sequentially calculates the operating position of the back door 4 based on the detection results of the door position sensor 42 that are sequentially input to the communication unit 24, by referring to the operating position calculation table (not shown) stored in the storage unit 21 (step S12).

[0051] For the sake of simplicity, the following explanation will take the case where a command to start the opening operation is input while the door is fully closed as an example. The determination unit 26 determines whether the operation is complete (i.e., whether the back door 4 is in the fully open state) (step S13). The method for determining operation completion is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the calculation result of the door position calculation unit 25 can be used. If the door is not in the fully open state (S13: NO), the condition determination unit 26a determines whether the start condition for the collision prevention process S20 has been met (step S14).

[0052] Referring to Figures 6A and 6B, the conditions for starting the collision prevention process S20 include the condition that the detection distance dX is greater than the processing start distance L. The processing start distance L is longer than the collision determination distance d. As described above, the collision determination distance d changes depending on the operating direction and operating position of the back door 4, and also depending on whether the detected object X is a moving object or not. In this embodiment, the processing start distance L is longer than the maximum value of the collision determination distance d, which is set variably in this way. As an example, the maximum value of the collision determination distance d is the second collision determination distance d2 when the operating position is the maximum extension position θM. In this embodiment, the processing start distance L is stored in the storage unit 21 as a predetermined constant value.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6A, if the user, as the object to be detected X, is located at a distance greater than the processing start distance L from the vehicle body 2 at the time the start command is input (S1:YES), the start condition is met at that time (S14:YES). An example of a case where the start condition is met at the time the start command is input is when the user operates the button on the electronic key 46 at a position sufficiently far from the vehicle body 2.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6B, if the user, as the detected object X, is closer to the vehicle body 2 than the processing start distance L at the time the start command is input (S1: YES), the start condition is not met at that time (S14: NO). An example of a case where the start condition is not met at the time the start command is input is when the user operates the open switch 47a provided on the back door 4. If a collision occurs under these circumstances... prevention Even when process S20 starts, the user is close enough to the vehicle body 2 to touch the back door 4, so the opening operation immediately stops. Therefore, under these circumstances, the start condition is not met, and collision prevention process S20 is not executed. In other words, without transitioning to collision prevention mode, the drive control unit 23 controls the electric motor 11 to continue the opening operation of the back door 4 (step S16).

[0055] However, even after that, the condition determination unit 26a continues to monitor whether the user, as the detected object X, has moved to a location further than the processing start distance L from the vehicle body 2 (S14: NO → S11, S14). If the user, as the detected object X, moves to a location further than the processing start distance L from the vehicle body 2, the start condition is met at that point (S14: YES).

[0056] When the start condition for collision prevention process S20 is met (S14:YES), the condition determination unit 26a determines whether or not the end condition for collision prevention process S20 is met (step S15). As mentioned above, the end condition during the opening operation includes the condition that the operating position is at or near the opening end position θEa. Generally speaking, when the start condition is met, the end condition is not met (S15:NO), and therefore, collision prevention process S20 starts.

[0057] In collision avoidance processing S20, first, the movement determination unit 26b determines whether the detected object X is moving or stationary based on the detection results of the distance sensor 41 (time-series data of the detected distance dX stored in the storage unit 21) that are sequentially input to the communication unit 24 (step S21).

[0058] If the detected object X is stationary (S21:NO), the setting unit 27 refers to the first open table 31a stored in the storage unit 21 and sets the first collision determination distance d1 as the collision determination distance d based on the current value of the operating position of the back door 4 calculated in the most recent step S12 (step S22).

[0059] If the detected object X is a moving object (S21:YES), the setting unit 27 refers to the second table 32a for opening times stored in the storage unit 21 and sets the second collision determination distance d2 as the collision determination distance d based on the current value of the operating position of the back door 4 calculated in the most recent step S12 (step S23).

[0060] Next, the stop determination unit 26c compares the detection distance dX detected in the most recent step S11 with the collision determination distance d set in the most recent step S22 or step S23 (step S24).

[0061] If the detection distance dX is greater than or equal to the collision detection distance d (S24: NO), the risk of collision is low. The drive control unit 23 controls the electric motor 11 to continue the opening operation of the back door 4 (step S16). The process is repeated from step S11. The start condition has been met, and the process proceeds from step S14 to step S15. If the detection distance dX remains greater than or equal to the collision detection distance d and the opening operation continues, the operating position of the back door 4 reaches the opening end position θEa. As a result, the end condition is met (S15: YES), and a collision occurs. prevention process S20 The process ends. In other words, the drive control unit 23 continues to operate until the back door 4 is fully open, regardless of the detected distance dX (step S17). Once the back door 4 is fully open, the process ends.

[0062] On the other hand, if the termination condition is not met (i.e., the operating position has not reached the termination position θEa when the door is open) and the detection distance dX becomes less than the collision detection distance d (S24: YES), there is a risk of a collision between the back door 4 and the detected object X. The drive control unit 23 controls the electric motor 11 to stop the opening operation of the back door 4 (step S25). The electric motor 11 is braked, and as a result the operating speed of the back door 4 decreases sharply. When the electric motor 11 and, consequently the opening operation of the back door 4, have completely stopped, the process ends.

[0063] The same applies when a command to start the closing operation is input while the door is fully open. The determination unit 26 determines whether the operation is complete, that is, whether the back door 4 is in a fully closed state (step S13). If it is in a fully closed state (S13: YES), the drive control unit 23 stops the electric motor 11 and the process ends. If it is not in a fully closed state (S13: NO), the success or failure of the start condition is determined (step S14). After the start condition is met, the collision prevention process S20 is executed until the end condition is met (S14: YES AND S15: NO). In the collision prevention process S20, it is determined whether the detected object X is a moving object or a stationary object (step S21).

[0064] If the detected object X is stationary (S21: NO), the setting unit 27 refers to the first closing table 31b stored in the storage unit 21 and sets the first collision detection distance d1 as the collision detection distance d based on the current value of the operating position of the back door 4 calculated in the most recent step S12 (step S22). If the detected object X is moving (S21: YES), the setting unit 27 refers to the second closing table 32b stored in the storage unit 21 and sets the second collision detection distance d2 as the collision detection distance d based on the current value of the operating position of the back door 4 calculated in the most recent step S12 (step S23).

[0065] Next, the stop determination unit 26c compares the detected distance dX detected in the most recent step S11 with the collision determination distance d set in the most recent step S22 or step S23 (step S24). If the detected distance dX is greater than or equal to the collision determination distance d (S24: NO), the closing operation of the back door 4 continues (step S16). When the closing operation continues until the operating position of the back door 4 reaches the closing end position θEb, the termination condition is met (S15: YES). Collision prevention Process S20 is completed and continues until the back door 4 is fully closed (step S17). Once the back door 4 is fully closed, the process ends.

[0066] On the other hand, if the termination condition is not met (i.e., the operating position has not reached the closing termination position θEb) and the detected distance dX becomes less than the collision detection distance d (S24: YES), the drive control unit 23 controls the electric motor 11 to stop the closing operation of the back door 4 (step S25). The electric motor 11 is braked, and as a result the operating speed of the back door 4 decreases sharply. When the electric motor 11 and, consequently the closing operation of the back door 4, come to a complete stop, the process ends.

[0067] Furthermore, if the opening or closing operation of the back door 4 is stopped midway by the collision prevention process S20, and a command to start the opening operation is input, the process starts from step S3. If a command to start the closing operation is input, the process starts from step S4. In this way, even if the opening operation does not start from a fully closed state, or the closing operation does not start from a fully open state, the success or failure of the start condition is determined in the same manner as above (step S14), and after the start condition is met, the collision prevention process S20 is executed until the termination condition is met (S14: YES AND S15: NO).

[0068] If the movement of the back door 4 is stopped immediately after the opening operation from the fully closed state by collision prevention process S20, the operating position of the back door 4 may not have reached the closing end position θEb. If a command to start the closing operation is then input, the termination condition is already met at the time the start command is input. Even if the start condition is met at the time the start command is input, the termination condition is also met simultaneously (S14: YES AND S15: YES), and the back door 4 is closed without the collision prevention process S20 being executed (step S17). The same applies if the movement of the back door 4 is stopped immediately after the closing operation from the fully open state by collision prevention process S20, and then a command to start the opening operation is input.

[0069] Up to this point, it has been assumed that the start condition is met between the input of the start command and the completion of the operation. However, even if the opening operation continues without the start condition being met (S14: NO → S16), the process will terminate appropriately once the back door 4 is fully open (S13: YES). The same applies if the closing operation continues.

[0070] Furthermore, if a command to start the opening operation is input while the back door 4 is fully open, the process will terminate immediately and appropriately because the back door 4 is already in a fully open state (S13: YES). The same applies if a command to start the closing operation is input while the back door is fully closed.

[0071] According to the above configuration, if the detected distance dX, which is the distance from the distance sensor 41 to the detected object X, is smaller than the collision detection distance d set by the control unit 20, the operation of the back door 4 stops. When the detected object X is a stationary object, the control unit 20 sets the first collision detection distance d1 as the collision detection distance d, while when the detected object X is a moving object, the control unit 20 sets the second collision detection distance d2 as the collision detection distance d. The second collision detection distance d2 is longer than the first collision detection distance d1. Therefore, when the detected object X is a moving object, the operation of the back door 4 stops even if the detected object X is at a greater distance. As a result, the back door 4 can be stopped before the detected object X gets too close to the back door 4, and collisions with the back door 4 can be suppressed even if the detected object X is a moving object.

[0072] The closer the operating position of the back door 4 is to its maximum extension position θM, the larger the excess amount Δdab of the second collision detection distance d2 compared to the first collision detection distance d1. When the operating position of the back door 4 is close to its maximum extension position θM, the operating speed of the back door 4 is also high, and the stopping time required from the start of stopping the back door 4 until it actually stops is longer. By increasing the excess amount Δdab, it is possible to suppress situations in which a moving object collides with the back door 4 because it has not stopped in time.

[0073] During the opening operation, when the operating position of the back door 4 reaches the opening end position θEa near the fully open position θF, the collision prevention process S20 ends, and the back door 4 operates to the fully open position θF regardless of the detection distance dX. If the detected object X is a person, this prevents the back door 4 from stopping in a position where the head would collide with the back door 4, thereby improving safety. The maximum extension position θM is suitable as the opening end position θEa. As the extension amount B decreases, there is a low risk of collision occurring even after the collision prevention process S20 ends. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both convenience and safety.

[0074] The same applies to the closing operation. When the operating position of the back door 4 reaches the closing end position θEb near the fully closed position θ0, the collision prevention process S20 ends, and the back door 4 operates to the fully closed position θ0 regardless of the detection distance dX. If the back door 4 stops in a slightly open position near the fully closed position θ0, there is a risk that the user may not notice and leave it in that slightly open position. This deters theft using the gap and improves security.

[0075] (Second Embodiment) The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0076] Referring to Figure 11, the opening / closing control device 100 according to this embodiment does not have a door position sensor 42. In other words, the control unit 20 cannot acquire information detected by the encoder of the electric motor 11. Therefore, the control that was performed by referring to the operating position of the back door 4 in the above embodiment is changed as follows.

[0077] For example, tables 31 and 32 (see Figure 4) are omitted from the storage unit 21. Instead, the storage unit 21 stores the first collision detection distance d1 and the second collision detection distance d2. The setting unit 27 selectively sets either the first collision detection distance d1 or the second collision detection distance d2 depending on whether the detected object X is moving or stationary. The first collision detection distance d1 may be different or the same for the open and closed states. The same applies to the second collision detection distance d2. In the same manner as in the above embodiment, the second collision detection distance d2 is longer than the first collision detection distance d1.

[0078] Furthermore, the termination condition does not include any conditions based on the operating position of the back door 4. Instead, the termination condition includes the condition that a predetermined time T has elapsed since the start command was input. When the start command is input, the timer 22 measures the elapsed time from that point. The condition determination unit 26a determines whether the measured elapsed time has reached the predetermined time T. The predetermined time T is shorter than the time required for the back door 4 to move between the fully closed position θ0 and the fully open position θF, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 21. The required time can be anticipated in advance during the design phase of the back door 4 and the drive unit 10.

[0079] Figure 12 corresponds to Figure 9, which shows the first embodiment, and the circled letters in Figure 12 correspond to the circled letters in Figure 10. Referring to Figures 12 and 10, when a start command is input, the detected distance dX is received sequentially in the same manner as in the first embodiment (step S11), while the operation position calculation step S12 (see Figure 9) is omitted. Instead, the timer 22 starts measuring the elapsed time from the time the start command was input (step S18).

[0080] Next, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the determination unit 26 determines whether the operation is complete or not (step S13). The method for determining operation completion is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the determination can be made based on whether the elapsed time measured by the timer 22 has reached the required time for the operation of the back door 4 between the fully closed position θ0 and the fully open position θF. Similarly, during the closing operation, the completion of the operation may be determined by whether the required time has been reached, or the completion of the operation may be determined based on the state of the latch mechanism provided on the back door 4. If the operation is not complete (S13:NO), the condition determination unit 26a determines whether the start condition for the collision prevention process S20 has been met (step S14). If the operation is completed without the start condition being met (S14:NO → S13:YES), the process ends. If the start condition is met (S14:YES), the condition determination unit 26a refers to the measured value of the timer 22 and determines whether the end condition for the collision prevention process S20 has been met (step S15). The start condition is the same as in the above embodiment. The end condition, unlike in the above embodiment, is that a predetermined time T has elapsed since the start command was input. If the end condition is not met (S15: NO), the collision prevention process S20 is executed.

[0081] The flow of the collision prevention process S20 is the same as in the embodiment described above. The movement determination unit 26b determines whether the detected object X is a moving object or a stationary object (step S21). If the detected object X is a stationary object (S21: NO), the setting unit 27 sets the first collision determination distance d1 stored in the storage unit 21 as the collision determination distance d (step S22). If the detected object X is a moving object (S21: YES), the setting unit 27 sets the second collision determination distance d2 stored in the storage unit 21 as the collision determination distance d (step S23). In this way, a predetermined value is set as the collision determination distance d without using a table. Next, the stop determination unit 26c compares the detection distance dX detected in the most recent step S11 with the collision determination distance d (step S24). If the detection distance dX is greater than or equal to the collision detection distance d (S24: NO), the operation of the backdoor 4 continues (step S16), and the process is repeated from step S11. When the termination condition is met (S15: YES), a collision occurs. preventionProcess S20 is completed, and the operation of the back door 4 is performed until completion (step S17). If the detected distance dX is less than the collision detection distance d (S24: YES), the operation of the back door 4 stops (step S25). When the operation of the electric motor 11 and thus the back door 4 has completely stopped, the process ends.

[0082] Thus, even if the opening / closing control device 100 does not have a door position sensor 42 and cannot refer to the operating position of the back door 4, the control unit 20 sets the collision detection distance d according to the determination result of whether the detected object X is a moving object or a stationary object. In this case as well, collision during opening operation prevention Process S20 ends just before the fully open state, and the collision prevention process S20 during the closing operation ends just before the fully closed state. This makes it possible to achieve both safety and convenience, as in the above embodiment.

[0083] (modified version) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the above configurations can be added, modified, or deleted as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0084] In the first embodiment, different tables were used for the open and closed states, but the same table may be used for both the open and closed states.

[0085] In the second embodiment, the first collision detection distance d1 and the second collision detection distance d2 were set to predetermined values, but the first collision detection distance d1 may be set variably according to the elapsed time from the time of input of the start command. Such a variable setting can be realized by replacing the horizontal axis of the first table 31 in the first embodiment with elapsed time from the operating position. The same applies to the second collision detection distance d2.

[0086] The distance sensor 41 may be attached to the back door 4. The opening / closing mechanism is not limited to the back door, but may be, for example, a side door or a trunk lid. The operation of the opening / closing mechanism is not limited to rotation around an axis in the vehicle width direction, but may also be rotation around an axis in the vertical direction, or a sliding movement along the side of the vehicle body. The opening / closing mechanism control device 100 is also applicable to vehicles other than four-wheeled automobiles. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 1 vehicle 2 car bodies 3 aperture 4. Back door (opening / closing mechanism) 10 Drive unit 20 Control Unit 31 Table 1 31a First table when open 31b First table at closing time 32 Table 2 32a Second table when open 32b Second table at closing time 41 Distance sensor (distance detection unit) 42 Door position sensor (open / closed position detection unit) 100 Opening / Closing Body Control Device d Collision judgment distance d1 First collision detection distance d2 Second collision detection distance dX detection distance L is the starting distance for processing. X Detected object θ0 Fully closed position θF Fully open position θM Maximum extended position θEa End position when open θEb Closure end position T predetermined time S20 Collision Prevention Treatment

Claims

1. A drive unit that drives an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the opening of the vehicle body, A distance detection unit that detects the detection distance, which is the distance from the opening / closing body to the object to be detected, When a command to start the opening or closing operation of the opening / closing body is input, a control unit controls the drive unit to operate the opening / closing body, A unit for detecting the operating position of the opening / closing body, Equipped with, The control unit, When the start command is input, the distance detection unit determines whether the detected object is a moving object or a stationary object based on the detection result, If the object to be detected is a stationary object, a first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance to be compared with the detection distance. If the object to be detected is the moving object, a second collision determination distance longer than the first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance. If the detection distance is greater than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to continue the operation of the opening / closing body; if the detection distance is less than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to stop the operation of the opening / closing body. The collision detection distance is set such that the closer the operating position of the opening / closing body is to the maximum extension position where the amount of extension of the opening / closing body from the vehicle body is maximum within the movable range of the opening / closing body, the larger the collision detection distance becomes. The second collision detection distance is set such that the closer the operating position of the opening / closing body is to the maximum extension position, the greater the amount by which the second collision detection distance exceeds the first collision detection distance. Opening / closing mechanism control device.

2. A drive unit for driving an opening and closing body that opens and closes an opening in the vehicle body, A distance detection unit that detects the detection distance, which is the distance from the opening / closing body to the object to be detected, When a command to start the opening or closing operation of the opening / closing body is input, a control unit controls the drive unit to operate the opening / closing body, A unit for detecting the operating position of the opening / closing body, Equipped with, The control unit, When the start command is input, the distance detection unit determines whether the detected object is a moving object or a stationary object based on the detection result, If the object to be detected is a stationary object, a first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance to be compared with the detection distance. If the object to be detected is the moving object, a second collision determination distance longer than the first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance. If the detection distance is greater than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to continue the operation of the opening / closing body; if the detection distance is less than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to stop the operation of the opening / closing body. If the object to be detected is a stationary object, the first collision determination distance is set such that it is varied according to the amount of overhang and the difference between the amount of overhang and the first collision determination distance remains constant. Opening / closing mechanism control device.

3. A drive unit for driving an opening and closing body that opens and closes an opening in the vehicle body, A distance detection unit that detects the detection distance, which is the distance from the opening / closing body to the object to be detected, When a command to start the opening or closing operation of the opening / closing body is input, a control unit controls the drive unit to operate the opening / closing body, A unit for detecting the operating position of the opening / closing body, Equipped with, The control unit, When the start command is input, the distance detection unit determines whether the detected object is a moving object or a stationary object based on the detection result, If the object to be detected is a stationary object, a first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance to be compared with the detection distance. If the object to be detected is the moving object, a second collision determination distance longer than the first collision determination distance is set as the collision determination distance. If the detection distance is greater than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to continue the operation of the opening / closing body; if the detection distance is less than the collision detection distance, the drive unit is controlled to stop the operation of the opening / closing body. A first table defining the correspondence between the operating position and the first collision detection distance, and a second table defining the correspondence between the operating position and the second collision detection distance are stored in advance. If the object to be detected is a stationary object, the first collision determination distance is set according to the operating position by referring to the first table. If the object to be detected is the moving object, the second collision determination distance is set according to the operating position by referring to the second table. Opening / closing mechanism control device.

4. The first or second table is, The release time table that is referenced when the start command for the release operation is input, Includes a closing time table that is referenced when the start command for the closing operation is input. The opening / closing device control device according to claim 3.

5. The control unit, When the aforementioned start command is input, it is determined whether the conditions for starting the collision prevention process, which stops the operation of the opening / closing body according to the detected distance, have been met. When the aforementioned start condition is met, the drive unit is controlled based on the comparison result between the detection distance and the collision determination distance. The opening / closing control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The aforementioned start condition includes the condition that the detection distance is greater than the processing start distance which is longer than the collision detection distance. The opening / closing device control device according to claim 5.

7. If the detection distance is smaller than the processing start distance at the time the start command is input, the start condition is met when the detection distance subsequently becomes larger than the processing start distance. The opening / closing device control device according to claim 6.

8. When the start condition is met, the control unit determines whether the termination condition for the collision prevention process is met. The termination conditions include the condition that the operating position of the opening / closing body has reached a predetermined termination position, or the condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start command was input. The end position is set between the fully closed position and the fully open position, and the predetermined time is shorter than the time required for the opening and closing mechanism to move between the fully closed position and the fully open position. The opening / closing device control device according to claim 5.

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