Vehicle Door Sensor Detection Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in motor vehicle on-board electrical systems is to achieve high detection reliability for operating events while minimizing energy consumption, as existing methods often result in erroneous wake-ups of the bus system, leading to significant energy expenditure.

Innovation Solution

A method that subdivides event detection into a low-energy rough evaluation and a higher-energy fine evaluation, with the fine evaluation triggered only after a positive rough evaluation, using pattern recognition and intermediate storage of sensor values to enhance reliability and reduce false alarms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If continuous sensor evaluation is performed to ensure high detection reliability, then detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor evaluation process is segmented into two distinct levels: rough evaluation and fine evaluation. The rough evaluation continuously monitors sensor data with low computational effort to detect potential operating events. Only when the rough evaluation detects a relevant event does the system transition to the more computationally intensive fine evaluation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high detection reliability while minimizing energy consumption during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If fine evaluation is performed continuously to reduce false alarms, then detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary rough evaluation continuously to prepare for potential fine evaluation. By continuously monitoring sensor data through rough evaluation, the system identifies candidate events that warrant further investigation. This preliminary action ensures that when fine evaluation is eventually triggered, the system is already prepared, reducing false alarms without requiring continuous fine evaluation and its associated high energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the bus system is woken up frequently to process sensor data, then detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by waking up the bus system only when necessary. Instead of continuously activating the full bus system, the microcontroller performs rough evaluation in a low-power state. Only when the rough evaluation detects an operating event does the system wake up the bus system for fine evaluation. This partial activation approach maintains detection reliability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous bus system operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2547558B1Method for detecting an action to operate a vehicle door by means of a sensor
Publication Date: 2014.03.05 BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2547558B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2547558B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2547558B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the sensor detection of an operator control event by means of a sensor arrangement (1) having at least one sensor element (2, 3), which is particularly in the form of a proximity sensor, and a sensor controller (4), wherein the sensor controller (4) digitizes the sensor signals (5, 6) into sensor measured values (5a, 6a), wherein the operator control event is produced by a user, particularly of a motor vehicle. It is proposed that a first coarse evaluation (7) of the sensor measured values (5a, 6a) for the occurrence of a sign of operator control is performed, in that a predetermined number of the respective last sensor measured values (5a, 6a) from at least one sensor element (2, 3) is progressively buffer-stored in a buffer store (8), in that the detection of a sign of operator control initiates a fine evaluation (9) of the sensor measured values (5a, 6a) for the purpose of verifying the occurrence of an operator control event at an initiation time (tA), and in that the fine evaluation (7) is based on the buffer-stored sensor measured values (5a, 6a) and on the chronologically subsequent sensor measured values (5a, 6a), so that the fine evaluation (9) includes sensor measured values (5a, 6a) situated both before and after the initiation time (tA).