Method, control apparatus, control unit, vehicle, computer program and computer-readable medium for controlling an opening or closing process of a flap of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, a control apparatus (130), a control unit (100), a vehicle (10), a computer program and a computer-readable medium for controlling an opening or closing process of a flap (12) of the vehicle (10). The method according to the invention involves ascertaining a first change in capacitance of a capacitive sensor apparatus (110) fitted to the vehicle (10), said change in capacitance being caused by a vehicle-based first trigger element (112) approaching the capacitive sensor apparatus (110), transmitting an opening signal to the actuator unit (120) to open the at least partly closed flap (12), ascertaining a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor apparatus (110), said change in capacitance being caused by an operator-based second trigger element (114) approaching the capacitive sensor apparatus (110), and transmitting a closing signal to the actuator unit (120) to close the at least partly open flap (12).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method, control device, control unit, vehicle, computer program and computer-readable medium for controlling an opening or closing process of a flap of a vehicle

[0003] The present invention relates to a method, a control device, a control unit, a vehicle, a computer program and a computer-readable medium for controlling an opening process of a hatch of a vehicle.

[0004] A variety of triggering and control devices for vehicles are known from the prior art for triggering and controlling the opening and closing process of a vehicle flap, such as a tailgate, front flap, side flap, fuel tank flap, or charging connector flap. Such triggering and control devices are designed to enable the operator to open or close the vehicle flap. The opening can be triggered via an electrical switch, such as a relay, which outputs an electrical trigger signal depending on the user's actuation. The known triggering devices are sometimes arranged in a recess in the vehicle's outer skin. It is therefore desirable to design such triggering devices as compactly as possible, in particular as flat as possible.

[0005] Other triggering and control devices known from the prior art for triggering and controlling the opening and closing process of a vehicle's tailgate can be based on the capacitive or inductive principle. In each case, a metallic trigger element is moved at least partially relative to a corresponding capacitive or inductive sensor device to change the capacitance or inductance in order to initiate an opening or closing process of the vehicle part. Simple (micro)switches are also known, in which an electromechanical switch must be actuated to trigger both the opening and closing processes.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a triggering device for triggering an opening or closing process which is simple, compact, robust and reliable.

[0007] This object is achieved with a method according to claim 1, a control device according to claim 9, a triggering unit according to claim 11, a vehicle according to claim 14, a computer program according to claim 15 and a computer-readable medium according to claim 16. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

[0008] The present invention is essentially based on the idea of ​​arranging a capacitive sensor device, by means of which a vehicle operator can trigger an opening and closing process of a vehicle's tailgate, beneath the closed tailgate of the vehicle. This allows the capacitive sensor device to be protected from external influences, particularly environmental influences such as rain. Furthermore, a capacitive sensor device arranged beneath the closed tailgate of the vehicle is more robust against unintentional activation.

[0009] Consequently, the present invention is essentially based on using a different trigger element, in particular a vehicle-side first trigger element for inducing a capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device, to trigger an opening process of the vehicle's tailgate than a second trigger element, namely an operator-side second trigger element, to trigger the closing process of the vehicle's tailgate. In this case, a corresponding capacitance change can be determined with the same capacitive sensor device during both the opening and closing processes. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling an opening or closing process of a vehicle's tailgate is disclosed. The vehicle's tailgate can be opened or closed by means of an actuator unit. The method according to the invention comprises determining a first capacitance change of a capacitive sensor device attached to the vehicle.The first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device is caused by the approach of a first triggering element to the capacitive sensor device. The first triggering element is attached to the lid, preferably on the inside of the lid, of the vehicle. The method according to the invention further comprises sending an opening signal to the actuator unit for opening the at least partially closed lid when a first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device has been determined. The method according to the invention further comprises determining a second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device. The second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device is caused by the approach of a second triggering element to the capacitive sensor device. The second triggering element is an external control element of an operator of the vehicle.The method according to the invention further comprises sending a closing signal to the actuator unit for closing the at least partially opened flap when a second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device has been determined.

[0010] The capacitive sensor device has a detection range in which the capacitive sensor device is sensitive to a change in capacitance. Approaching the second trigger element to the capacitive sensor device involves at least partially inserting or introducing the second trigger element into the detection range.

[0011] Furthermore, the method according to the invention can include receiving a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor device, which is representative of the electrical capacitance of the capacitive sensor device. In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the second triggering element is a body part, such as a finger, of an operator of the vehicle and / or a portable, external element of the operator of the vehicle, such as a vehicle key.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the flap is at least partially elastically resiliently mounted by the actuator unit in the closed state. Additionally or alternatively, the flap is at least partially elastically deformable.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the first trigger element attached to the flap is at least partially brought closer to the capacitive sensor device by pressing on the flap, thereby causing the first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device. Alternatively, the flap itself can be the trigger element.

[0014] Preferably, the first capacitance change is different from the second capacitance change. Consequently, upon evaluation of the capacitance change, it can be determined whether it is the first trigger element or the second trigger element that is being approached by the capacitive sensor device.

[0015] According to a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, an opening signal is sent to the actuator unit to open the flap when a first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device has been detected that exceeds a predetermined first capacitance change threshold, and / or a closing signal is sent to the actuator unit to close the flap when a second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device has been detected that exceeds a predetermined second capacitance change threshold. Preferably, the first predetermined capacitance change threshold and the second capacitance change threshold are different. Preferably, the flap of the vehicle is a front flap of the vehicle, a tailgate of the vehicle, a side door of the vehicle, a fuel filler flap of the vehicle, or a charging connector flap of the vehicle.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises determining that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device exists for more than a predetermined period of time, and sending an emergency signal to the actuator unit if it has been determined that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device exists for more than the predetermined period of time. The emergency signal causes the actuator unit to terminate the closing process of the flap.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a control device is disclosed which is designed to carry out the steps of a method according to the invention.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the control device according to the invention has a first control device section for carrying out the step of determining a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device, a second control device section for carrying out the step of determining a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device, a third control device section for carrying out the step of transmitting the opening signal and a fourth control device section for carrying out the step of transmitting the closing signal.

[0019] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a control unit for controlling an opening or closing process of a hatch of a vehicle is disclosed. The control unit according to the invention comprises a capacitive sensor device, which is designed to be attached to the vehicle and to generate a capacitance signal representative of the electrical capacitance of the capacitive sensor device, and a control device according to the invention. In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit according to the invention further comprises a first trigger element, which can be attached to the hatch of the vehicle and is designed to cause a first change in the capacitance of the capacitive sensor device when the trigger element approaches the capacitive sensor device.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit according to the invention further comprises an actuator unit which can be attached to the vehicle and is designed to open and close the hatch of the vehicle.

[0021] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is disclosed which has an openable and closable flap and a control unit according to the invention.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer program is disclosed which comprises instructions which, when executed by a computing unit, cause the computing unit to carry out a method according to the invention for controlling an opening or closing operation of a hatch of a vehicle.

[0023] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable medium is disclosed on which a computer program according to the invention is stored.

[0024] Furthermore, it may be advantageous if the control device can perform a plausibility check to determine whether there is access authorization to the vehicle, for example a vehicle key, or whether other environmental conditions are met, such as obstacles in the environment, weather conditions, vehicle load status, vehicle speed, etc. Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to the person skilled in the art by practicing the teachings described herein and viewing the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle with a control unit according to the invention for controlling an opening or closing process of a flap of a vehicle

[0026] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a control unit according to the invention for controlling an opening process of the flap of the vehicle of Fig. 1,

[0027] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment of the control unit according to the invention of Fig. 2 for controlling a closing operation of the flap of the vehicle of Fig. 1,

[0028] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further exemplary embodiment of a control unit according to the invention for controlling an opening process of the flap of the vehicle of Fig. 1,

[0029] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment of the control unit according to the invention of Fig. 4 for controlling a closing process of the flap of the vehicle of Fig. 1, and

[0030] Fig. 6 shows an exemplary flow diagram of a method according to the invention for controlling an opening or closing process of the flap of the vehicle of Fig. 1.

[0031] In the context of the present disclosure, the term “capacitive sensor device” describes a sensor device that operates on the basis of the change in the electrical capacitance of an individual capacitor or a system of capacitors. The influence of the capacitance by the quantity to be detected can occur in various ways, which are primarily determined by the intended use. In particular, the “capacitive sensor device” described in the present disclosure operates as a capacitive proximity switch, which is based on the change in the electrical field in the environment in front of its sensor electrode (active zone). The capacitive sensor device can operate with an RC oscillator circuit. The capacitance between the active electrode and the electrical ground potential can be measured. By approaching a metallic or non-metallic element to the active zone (orAs the capacitive sensor device is moved further (into the detection range), the capacitance increases, thus influencing the oscillation amplitude of the RC oscillator. The sensitivity of the capacitive sensor device can be adjusted, for example, using a potentiometer to set the desired switching distance. The switching distance of the capacitive sensor device can vary depending on the permittivity constant and the conductivity of the approaching element, as well as the effective area of ​​the approaching element compared to the sensor diameter. The switching distance can also depend on the installation conditions (e.g., surrounding conductive material) of the capacitive sensor device.

[0032] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "signal" refers to raw data that is converted into a form suitable for transmission over the selected transport medium. This can be done analogically or digitally, with the data first being sampled and converted into discrete (often binary-coded) values, which are then transmitted over the medium as current pulses or voltages of varying magnitudes. Furthermore, for the purposes of this disclosure, the signals are transmitted and received continuously. For example, digital signals are transmitted and received at intervals of a few milliseconds [please confirm or clarify].

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 10 with a control unit 100 according to the invention for controlling an opening and closing process of a flap 12 of the vehicle 10. In Fig. 1, the vehicle 10 is, by way of example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a charging plug flap 12, which can enable and disable access to the charging plug, and a fuel tank flap 14, which can enable or disable access to the fuel tank. In other embodiments, the vehicle 10 can be any other vehicle, such as an agricultural vehicle, a rail vehicle, a watercraft, such as a ship, or an aircraft, such as an airplane. Consequently, the flap 10 can be any flap attached to the vehicle 10 such that it can be opened and closed, such as a front flap, a tailgate, or other flap that can enable or disable access to a vehicle function.

[0034] The vehicle 10 further comprises the control unit 100 (dashed line in Fig. 1 ), which in turn is formed from a capacitive sensor device 110, an actuator unit 120, which is designed to open and close the flap 12, and a control device 130 according to the invention, which is electrically connected to the capacitive sensor device 110. Although no separate lines are shown for this purpose in Fig. 1, such electrical connecting lines can be present in the form of connecting lines or wireless communication devices. The control device 130 comprises a first control device section 132, a second control device section 134, a third control device section 136, a fourth control device section 138, and a fifth control device section 139. The individual

[0035] Control device sections 132, 134, 136, 138, 139 and their functions will be described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 6.

[0036] The control device 130 may include a processor and a memory. Alternatively, the control device 130, for example, the second and / or third control device portions 134, 136, may be the processor connected to the memory. The processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor may further be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or another programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or the like. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment of the control unit 100 according to the invention for controlling an opening process of the flap 12 of the vehicle 10 of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, it can be seen that the flap 12 is pivotably and / or rotatably attached to the vehicle 10 via a hinge 13. Instead of the hinge 13, the flap 12 can also be movably attached to the vehicle according to any other known mechanisms, for example in the form of a sliding flap. The flap 12 can therefore be attached to the vehicle 10 so that it can move at least partially in a rotational manner and / or at least partially in a translational manner relative to the vehicle. The flap 12 is movable between a closed position shown by way of example in Fig. 2 and an open position shown by way of example in Fig. 3 by means of the actuator unit 120, for example an electrical actuator unit.The flap 12 can also be at least partially resiliently mounted in its closed position by means of the actuator unit 120. Additionally or alternatively, the flap 12 itself is elastically deformable.

[0038] In alternative embodiments, the actuator unit 120 may be a preloaded spring mechanism designed to open the flap 12. Additionally or alternatively, the actuator unit 120 may be a mechanically released lock designed to enable manual closing of the flap 12.

[0039] The capacitive sensor device 110 is arranged below the closed lid 12 on the vehicle. This allows the capacitive sensor device 110 to be protected from external influences, in particular environmental influences such as rain and snow. The capacitive sensor device 110 can be arranged, for example, next to the charging connector of the plug-in hybrid vehicle 10.

[0040] The capacitive sensor device 110 has a detection range in which the capacitive sensor device 10 is sensitive to a change in capacitance. The approach of a foreign body to the capacitive sensor device 110 or the at least partial introduction of the foreign body into the detection range or the at least partial movement of the foreign body within the detection range can cause a change in the electrical capacitance or a change in the capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110.

[0041] The control unit 100 further comprises a first trigger element 112, which is attached to the flap 12 and is configured to be moved together with the flap 12 by means of the actuator unit 120. In particular, the first trigger element 112 is a metallic component that is attached to an inner side of the flap in such a way that it can cause a first change in the capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 upon an intentional opening request from an operator of the vehicle 10.

[0042] If the operator of the vehicle 10 intends to open the flap 12, they can, for example, press on the flap 12 from the outside with a finger 114 along the direction of the arrow 116, in order to bring the flap 12, including the first trigger element 112, at least partially closer to the capacitive sensor device 110 due to the resilient mounting of the flap 12. As the first trigger element 112 approaches the capacitive sensor device 110, a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 can be determined, from which, in turn, the operator's opening intention for opening the flap 12 can be derived.

[0043] The control device 130 can continuously receive a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor device 130. The capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor device 130 is representative of the electrical capacitance of the capacitive sensor device. When the first trigger element 112 approaches the capacitive sensor device 110 accordingly, the control device 130 can then determine the first capacitance change from the capacitance signal. Alternatively, the capacitive sensor device 110 can directly determine the first capacitance change and transmit it as a corresponding signal to the control device 130. Once a first capacitance change has been determined, the control device 130 can send an opening signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to open the closed flap 12.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment of the control unit 100 according to the invention of Fig. 2 for controlling a closing process of the flap 12 of the vehicle 10. In the open state of the flap 12, the first trigger element 112 is located away from the capacitive sensor device 110 and thus also outside its detection range.

[0045] If the operator of the vehicle 10 wishes to close the hatch 12, they can move a second trigger element 114, which is an external control element of the operator of the vehicle 10, toward the capacitive sensor device 110 in the direction of arrow 116 or at least partially into the detection range of the capacitive sensor device 110 to generate a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the operator can move their finger closer to the capacitive sensor device 110 as the second trigger element 114 to thereby express their desire to close the hatch 12 of the vehicle. If a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 is detected, the control device 130 can send a closing signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to close the opened flap 12.

[0046] The first capacitance change can be different from the second capacitance change. This makes it possible to distinguish between an opening request and a closing request. Such a distinction can also be made via the position of the actuator unit 120, which corresponds to the position of the flap 12. A closed flap 12 can therefore only be partially or completely opened, whereas an open flap 12 can only be partially or completely closed.

[0047] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further exemplary embodiment of a control unit 100 according to the invention for controlling an opening process of a flap 12 of the vehicle 10. Fig. 4 differs from Fig. 2 in that the flap 12 is a front flap of the vehicle 10. If the operator of the vehicle 10 wishes to open the closed front flap 12, he can press the closed front flap 12, which is spring-mounted by the actuator unit 120, together with the first triggering element 112 attached thereto, essentially downwards from above in the direction of the capacitive sensor device 110 and thus bring the first triggering element 112 closer to the capacitive sensor device 110 to bring about the first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110.If a first change in capacitance of the sensor device 110 is detected, the control device 130 can send an opening signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to open the closed front flap 12.

[0048] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment of the control unit 100 according to the invention in Fig. 4 for controlling a closing process of the hatch 12 of the vehicle 10. If the operator of the vehicle 10 wishes to close the open front hatch 12, he can again bring a user-side second trigger element 114, such as his finger, closer to the capacitive sensor device 110 to cause the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110. If a second capacitance change of the sensor device 110 is detected, the control device 130 can send a closing signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to close the open front hatch 12.

[0049] Fig. 6 shows an exemplary flow diagram of a method according to the invention for controlling an opening and closing process of the flap 12 of the vehicle 10 of Fig. 1 . The method of Fig. 6 starts at step 200 and then goes to step 210, at which the control device 130, in particular the first control device section 132, receives a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor device 110 that is representative of the electrical capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110. The capacitance signal of the capacitive sensor device 110 can be continuously received by the control device 130, in particular the first control device section 132, and evaluated by the second and / or third control device section 134, 136.

[0050] If the operator of the vehicle 10 presses on the closed flap 12 and thus causes the first trigger element 112 to approach the capacitive sensor device 110, a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 is caused, which can be determined in a subsequent step 220 by the control device 130, in particular the second control device section 134.

[0051] Optionally, in step 220, it can be determined that the first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 occurs for a period of time that lies within a predetermined time interval, such as between 100 ms and 3 s. If the first capacitance change is shorter than the lower limit of the predetermined time interval, it can be concluded that it was an unintentional actuation. If the first capacitance change is longer than the upper limit of the predetermined time interval, it can also be concluded that it was an unintentional actuation, for example, an unintentionally leaning finger.

[0052] If a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 is determined in step 220 by the control device 130, in particular the second control device section 134, the method proceeds to the subsequent step 230, at which the control device 130, in particular the fourth control device section 138, sends an opening signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to open the closed flap 12.

[0053] In a subsequent step 240, the control device 130, in particular the first control device section 132, can receive a capacitance signal from the capacitive sensor device 110. Alternatively, the capacitance signal received in step 210 can also continue to be received and evaluated by the capacitive sensor device 110 while performing steps 220 and 230.

[0054] If the operator of the vehicle 10 approaches a second trigger element 114 on the operator side, such as his finger, to the capacitive sensor device 110, a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 is caused, which can be determined in a subsequent step 250 by the control device 130, in particular the third control device section 136.

[0055] If a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device 110 is determined in step 250 by the control device 130, in particular the third control device section 136, the method proceeds to the subsequent step 260, at which the control device 130, in particular the fifth control device section 139, sends a closing signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to close the opened flap 12.

[0056] In an optional subsequent step 270, the control device 130 can check whether the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 has occurred for longer than a predetermined period of time, such as two seconds. If it is determined in step 270 that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 has occurred for longer than the predetermined period of time, the method proceeds to step 280, at which the control device 130 sends an emergency signal to the actuator unit 120, which causes the actuator unit 120 to interrupt or terminate the closing process of the flap 12 before the method is terminated in a subsequent step.

[0057] Determining that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 persists for longer than the predetermined period of time may indicate that the vehicle operator has still positioned the operator-side second trigger element 114, such as a finger, near the capacitive sensor device 110 and thus within the range of movement of the flap 12, which is why there is a risk of injury from the closing flap 12. Sending the emergency signal in step 280 may thus at least partially reduce and even prevent injury to the second trigger element.

[0058] However, if it is determined in step 270 that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 does not last longer than the predetermined time period, the method proceeds to step 290, at which the actuator unit 120 continues to perform and complete the closing process of the flap 12 before the method ends again at step 300. Determining that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 110 does not last longer than the predetermined time period can indicate that the operator of the vehicle has no longer positioned the operator-side second trigger element 114, such as a finger, in the vicinity of the capacitive sensor device 110 and thus outside the range of movement of the flap 12, whereby there is no risk of injury from the closing flap 12.

[0059] In a further embodiment of the method of Fig. 6, steps 220 and 250 can also be carried out directly by the capacitive sensor device 110. In such a further embodiment, the capacitive sensor device 110 can transmit a corresponding signal indicating a first capacitance change or a second capacitance change to the control device 130, which in turn can determine a first capacitance change or a second capacitance change from this signal analogously to steps 220, 250. Furthermore, in steps 230 and 260, it can be checked whether the first and second capacitance changes of the capacitive sensor device 110 determined in the respective previous steps 220 and 250 exceed a respective predetermined first and second capacitance change threshold value. This means that the transmission of the opening signal in step 230 orThe closing signal is only sent in step 260 if it is determined that the previously determined first capacitance change or second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device 10 exceeds a predetermined first capacitance change threshold or second capacitance change threshold. This ensures that the capacitance changes forced by the vehicle operator were intentional and, consequently, that there is a corresponding desire to open or close the flap 12.

[0060] Furthermore, at least one blocking element may be provided, which is designed to prevent accidental opening of the flap in the event of an unstable flap 12. The at least one blocking element may further serve to provide a minimum distance between the capacitive sensor device 110 and the flap 12, thus preventing overpressure and thus a possible collision between the trigger element 112 and the capacitive sensor device 110.

Claims

Patent claims 1 . A method for controlling an opening or closing operation of a flap (12) of a vehicle (10), wherein the flap (12) of the vehicle (10) can be opened or closed by means of an actuator unit (120), the method comprising: Determining a first change in capacitance of a capacitive sensor device (110) mounted on the vehicle (10), wherein the first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) is caused by the approach of a first trigger element (112) to the capacitive sensor device (110), wherein the first trigger element (112) is mounted on the flap (12) of the vehicle (10), Sending an opening signal to the actuator unit (120) to open the at least partially closed flap (12) when a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) has been detected, Determining a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110), wherein the second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) is caused by the approach of a second trigger element (114) to the capacitive sensor device (110), wherein the second trigger element (114) is an external operator element of an operator of the vehicle (10), Sending a closing signal to the actuator unit (120) for closing the at least partially opened flap (12) when a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) has been detected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second trigger element (114) is a body part, such as a finger, of an operator of the vehicle (10) or a portable, vehicle-external element of the operator of the vehicle (10), such as a vehicle key.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flap (12) in the closed state is actuated by the actuator unit (120) at least is partially elastically spring-mounted or the flap (12) is at least partially elastic.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first trigger element (112) attached to the flap (12) is at least partially brought closer to the capacitive sensor device (110) by pressing on the flap (114), thereby causing the first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first capacitance change is different from the second capacitance change.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sending of an opening signal to the actuator unit (120) for opening the flap (12) occurs when a first capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device (110) has been determined which exceeds a predetermined first capacitance change threshold value, and / or wherein the sending of a closing signal to the actuator unit (120) for closing the flap (12) occurs when a second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device (110) has been determined which exceeds a predetermined second capacitance change threshold value.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flap (12) is a front flap of the vehicle (10), a tailgate of the vehicle (10), a side door of the vehicle (10), a fuel tank flap of the vehicle (10) or a charging plug flap of the vehicle (10).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: determining that the second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) is present for longer than a predetermined period of time, and sending an emergency signal to the actuator unit (120) if it has been determined that the second capacitance change of the capacitive sensor device (110) is present for more than the predetermined period of time, wherein the emergency signal causes the actuator unit (120) to terminate the closing process of the flap (110).

9. Control device (130) designed to carry out the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims.

10. The control device (130) according to claim 9, comprising: a first control device section (134) for performing the step of determining a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110), a second control device section (136) for performing the step of determining a second change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110), a third control device section (138) for performing the step of transmitting the opening signal, and a fourth control device section (139) for performing the step of transmitting the closing signal.

11. A control unit (100) for controlling an opening or closing operation of a flap (12) of a vehicle (10), the control unit (100) comprising: a capacitive sensor device (110) configured to be mounted on the vehicle (10) and to generate a capacitance signal representative of the electrical capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110), and a control device (130) according to one of claims 9 and 10.

12. Control unit (100) according to claim 11, further comprising: a first trigger element (112) which can be attached to the flap (12) of the vehicle (10) and which is designed to cause a first change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor device (110) when the first trigger element approaches the capacitive sensor device (110).

13. Control unit (100) according to one of claims 11 and 12, further comprising: an actuator unit (120) attachable to the vehicle (10) and designed to open and close the lid of the vehicle (10).

14. Vehicle (10), comprising: an openable and closable flap (12), and a control unit (100) according to one of claims 11 to 13.

15. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing unit, cause the computing unit to carry out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

16. A computer-readable medium on which the computer program according to Claim 15 is stored.

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