Motor Vehicle Door Assist Control With Adaptive Motor Current
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door systems for motor vehicles require excessive user effort for opening and closing, especially in active mode, and lack efficient assistance in passive mode, leading to discomfort and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize an electric drive motor with position and speed sensors to adjust the setpoint voltage and current intensity, allowing for assisted door movement with minimal user effort, using existing sensors and a magnetorheological brake to maintain control and reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an electric drive motor is used to actively move the door (active mode), then the user effort is reduced, but the energy consumption increases and the user loses control over the door movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between passive and active modes based on real-time detection of user interaction. When a user touches or pulls the door, the system transitions from passive (high user effort) to active (low user effort) mode, providing assistance only when needed. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by reducing energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect user interaction with the door and provides feedback control to the electric drive motor. The motor adjusts its assistance level based on detected user force and door movement, ensuring energy-efficient operation while maintaining ease of use. This feedback mechanism allows the system to provide assistance only when and where needed, resolving the energy-efficiency versus ease-of-operation contradiction.
2Use of energy by moving object
If only passive mode is used without motor assistance, then energy consumption is reduced, but user effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates in periodic cycles, spending most time in passive mode (low energy consumption) and transitioning to active mode only when user interaction is detected. This periodic switching between operational states resolves the contradiction by minimizing energy consumption while providing motor assistance exactly when needed to reduce user effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to automatically detect user intent and trigger motor assistance without requiring the user to activate a separate control mechanism. The door essentially serves itself by detecting when assistance is needed and providing it automatically, resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and user effort without adding operational complexity.
3Ease of operation
If sensors are added to detect user interaction and control the motor, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing vehicle sensors (such as touch sensors, force sensors, or existing door position sensors) for multiple purposes: detecting user interaction, determining door position, and triggering motor assistance. By making existing sensors multi-functional, the system improves ease of operation without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same hardware serves multiple control functions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy, comfortable, and energy-efficient door operation with reduced user force, maintaining control and safety by dynamically adjusting motor assistance based on user input and environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a brake unit, in particular a magnetorheological brake unit, for braking or blocking the door leaf (104) in the desired position
Data Source
AI summary
A door component for pivoting a movable door of a motor vehicle has a drive with an electric drive motor in order to influence a pivoting of the door between a closed setting and an open setting. A position measure for an angular setting of the door leaf and a speed parameter for an angular speed of the door leaf are detected by a position sensor. During a pivoting of the door leaf with the speed parameter, an electrical setpoint current intensity for the electric drive motor is ascertained, and an associated setpoint voltage is set. Then the current intensity flowing through the drive motor is ascertained. The setpoint voltage is increased if the current intensity is lower than the electrical setpoint current intensity, and the setpoint voltage is decreased if the current intensity is higher than the electrical setpoint current intensity.