Vehicle Door Opening Control for Icing and Sticking Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles parked outside face challenges with doors and hatches being frozen shut or stuck due to icing conditions or hot temperatures, as existing controllers often lack sufficient torque to overcome these conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller adjusts the operation of power windows, doors, and hatches based on weather data and vehicle orientation, using a telematics system to retrieve weather data, a compass to determine orientation, and actuators to provide additional opening force when needed, optimizing operating parameters for each door or hatch based on weather conditions and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If existing controllers are used to open doors and hatches, then the operation is simple and reliable under normal conditions, but the controller lacks sufficient torque to overcome freezing or sticking conditions in extreme weather
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts operating parameters (torque, speed, duration) based on real-time weather data and vehicle orientation. The system transitions from a static controller to a dynamic one that adapts its output characteristics according to environmental conditions, enabling sufficient force generation in extreme weather while maintaining simplicity under normal conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The controller modifies operating parameters such as torque magnitude, actuator speed, and operation duration based on weather conditions and door orientation. By changing these parameters dynamically, the system overcomes freezing or sticking conditions without requiring a completely new controller design
2Reliability
If the controller continuously monitors and adjusts operating parameters for all doors, then the system adapts perfectly to weather conditions, but battery drain increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different operating parameters to different doors based on their specific orientation and exposure to weather conditions. Each door receives customized control parameters rather than a uniform approach, optimizing reliability for each door while minimizing overall energy consumption by only adjusting parameters where needed
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs full monitoring and adjustment for doors facing extreme weather conditions, while using reduced or standard parameters for doors in more favorable conditions. This partial action approach ensures reliability for critical doors while conserving battery energy for the overall system
3Reliability
If the system adjusts operating parameters for each door based on weather data and orientation, then door opening success rate improves, but the system complexity and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores optimal operating parameters for different weather conditions and door orientations before actual door opening is needed. This preliminary preparation reduces real-time computational complexity while maintaining high success rates, as the controller simply retrieves pre-determined parameters rather than calculating them from scratch during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a vehicle including one of a window, a door, a rear hatch, or a deck lid that is selectively opened by at least one of a latch and an actuator. The control system includes a weather collecting module configured to receive a vehicle location generated by a GPS system of the vehicle and to retrieve weather data using a telematics system for the vehicle location. A controller includes a weather data processing module configured to receive the weather data and to adjust an operating parameter of at least one the at least one of the latch and the actuator in response to the weather data. The controller causes the at least one of the latch and the actuator to open the one of the door, the rear hatch, or the deck lid in response to an open command using the adjusted operating parameter.