Power Window Pinch Detection Using Shifted Motion Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-pinch technologies for power windows in vehicles require additional sensors, which increase costs and complexity, and fail to account for temperature and material aging effects, leading to potential safety issues and non-compliance with stringent regulations.
Innovation Solution
A method that measures physical quantities representative of window movement, records profiles, and detects potential pinches by shifting profiles to account for current conditions, eliminating the need for additional sensors and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional sensors (force sensors, speed sensors, encoders, Hall effect sensors) are used to detect pinching force and monitor window movement, then measurement precision and reliability of anti-pinch detection are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor controller performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own operating parameters (current, voltage, speed) to detect pinch conditions. The system uses existing internal sensors and processors to automatically identify obstructions without requiring external detection devices, thereby eliminating additional hardware while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor controller is designed to serve multiple functions: it controls window motor operation, monitors system parameters, detects pinch conditions, and executes safety protocols. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would traditionally require separate dedicated sensors and control units into a single integrated device, reducing overall system complexity.
2Device complexity
If factory-set reference values are used for pinch detection comparisons, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to temperature changes and material aging deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reference values for pinch detection are made dynamic rather than static. The system automatically adjusts reference current thresholds based on real-time measurements of window position, speed, and motor characteristics. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to account for temperature variations and material aging without requiring manual recalibration or complex additional sensing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where actual window movement parameters are measured and compared against adaptive reference values. The motor controller uses this feedback to automatically adjust operating parameters and detection thresholds, ensuring accurate pinch detection across varying environmental conditions while maintaining system simplicity.
3Reliability
If stringent anti-pinch standards are enforced with precise force monitoring, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor controller performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own operating parameters (current, voltage, speed) to detect pinch conditions. The system uses existing internal sensors and processors to automatically identify obstructions without requiring external detection devices, thereby eliminating additional hardware while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical force sensing systems with electrical parameter monitoring. Instead of using mechanical force sensors to directly measure pinching force, the system substitutes electrical measurements of motor current, voltage, and speed to indirectly detect obstruction conditions, thereby simplifying the monitoring system while meeting safety standards.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for detecting potential pinches caused by at least one powered movable panel between a closed position and an open position, by: measuring a physical quantity at a plurality of panel positions when the panel is moved towards the open position so as to get a first profile, measuring said physical quantity in a reference position, when the panel is moved towards the closed position, and determining an offset value, determining a second profile by shifting the first profile of a shifting value, measuring said physical quantity in a repetitive manner when the panel is moved towards the closed position so as to get a third profile, and detecting a potential pinch if the third profile crosses the second profile.