Vehicle Actuator Control Device Temperature-Based Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing open/close actuating mechanisms for vehicles, such as grill shutters, often incorrectly determine failures due to freezing conditions, leading to unnecessary notifications and passenger discomfort in cold climates, as they fail to distinguish between motor or mechanism failures and freezing issues.
Innovation Solution
An open/close actuating mechanism control device and method that includes an outside air temperature detecting unit and a determination timing changing unit, which adjusts the timing of failure determination based on detected temperature to prevent erroneous failure notifications, especially in cold conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If uniform criterion is used to determine open/close failure of actuating mechanism, then failure detection simplicity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to distinguish freezing conditions from actual failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the determination timing parameter based on outside air temperature. When temperature is below freezing point, the system delays failure determination until a predetermined time has elapsed, whereas above freezing point, immediate determination is performed. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple detection logic while improving accuracy through temperature-based timing modification.
2Speed
If immediate failure determination is performed regardless of temperature, then response speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to erroneous failure notifications in freezing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment of determination timing based on temperature conditions. The system automatically adapts its response behavior: immediate determination above freezing point maintains high speed, while delayed determination below freezing point prevents erroneous notifications, thus improving reliability. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between speed and reliability.
3Loss of information
If failure notification is provided based on uniform criterion, then information completeness is improved, but object-affected harmful factors worsen due to passenger disturbance from erroneous notifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the notification trigger parameter based on temperature. By delaying failure determination and subsequent notification when temperature is below freezing point, the system prevents erroneous notifications that would disturb passengers, while still maintaining complete information reporting for actual failures that occur after the delay period.
Data Source
AI summary
An open/close actuating mechanism control device for a vehicle includes: an actuating mechanism (24, 30) that is exposed to outside air and that opens or closes on the basis of whether a predetermined condition is satisfied; an open/close failure determining unit (32) that determines whether an open/close failure of the actuating mechanism (24, 30), in which the actuating mechanism (24, 30) fails to open or close, has occurred; an outside air temperature detecting unit (26, 32) that detects an outside air temperature; and a determination timing changing unit (32) that changes timing, at which the open/close failure determining unit (32) determines that the open/close failure of the actuating mechanism (24, 30) has occurred, on the basis of the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting unit (26, 32).