Door lock controller

Details Door lock controller Door lock controller

2000-03-08

2002-04-02

Patel, Rajnikant B. (Department: 2838)

Electrical transmission or interconnection systems

Vehicle mounted systems

Automobile

C307S010400, C340S870030

Reexamination Certificate

active

06365986

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door lock controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 2
is a block diagram showing a conventional structure of a door lock controller that the invention is applied to. The door lock controller comprises input switches (operational input reception section)
1
and
3
for reception of a vehicle door locking or unlocking command and an electronic control unit
7
for drive control of a door lock motor
5
according to the input contents that are input through the input switches
1
and
3
.
The input switch
1
is a manual switch that is provided on inside of a door at a driver's seat for reception of a locking or unlocking command at on-off switching by the driver. The input switch
3
is a key-interlocked switch for reception of the locking or unlocking command at on-off switching that is interlocked with a locking or unlocking key operation at a key cylinder.
Each of the input switches
1
and
3
is provided respectively with two output signal lines
1
a
and
1
b
, or
3
a
and
3
b
, that are connected to input circuits
11
and
13
, or
15
and
17
, of the later-described electronic control unit
7
; when the locking or unlocking command is not received, both of the output signals that come through the output signal lines
1
a
and
1
b
as well as
3
a
and
3
b
are maintained to be OFF and, upon reception of the locking signal, the output signals from the output signal lines
1
a
and
3
a
are switched from OFF to ON for a predetermined duration of time while, upon reception of the unlocking signal, the output signals from the output signal lines
1
b
and
3
b
are switched from OFF to ON for a predetermined duration of time (see FIGS.
3
(
a
) and
3
(
b
)).
Both of the input switches
1
and
3
have a structure wherein an operating piece thereof
1
c
or
3
c
that is normally set at OFF position is switched to a-contact side or b-contact side for a predetermined duration of time upon reception of the locking or unlocking command, which causes the output signal lines la and
3
a
or
1
b
and
3
b
to be grounded for the predetermined duration of time and thus the output signals from the output lines
1
a
and
3
a
or
1
b
and
3
b
are caused to switch from OFF to ON for the predetermined duration of time.
The electronic control unit
7
comprises the input circuits
11
,
13
,
15
and
17
for reception of output signals from the input switches
1
and
3
, a microcomputer
19
for driving the door lock motor
5
according to the output signals from the input switches
1
and
3
which are received through the input circuits
11
,
13
,
15
and
17
, output circuits
21
and
23
for driving the door lock motor
5
according to the controls of the microcomputer
19
, and a power supply circuit
25
for generation of electric power source for the microcomputer
19
.
The input circuits
11
,
13
,
15
and
17
are respectively connected, at one end, to input ports Pa
1
through Pa
4
of the microcomputer
19
and, at the other end, after being branched into two, are connected to the positive side of a battery
27
and to corresponding output signal lines
1
a
and
1
b
as well as
3
a
and
3
b
of the input switches
1
and
3
. Accordingly, when the operating pieces
1
c
and
3
c
of the switches
1
and
3
are in the OFF position, all the input levels at the input ports Pa
1
through Pa
4
of the microcomputer
19
are high; when the operating pieces
1
c
and
3
c
are connected to the a-contact side, the inputs at the input ports Pa
1
and Pa
3
shift from a high level to a low level, and, when the operating pieces
1
c
and
3
c
are connected to the b-contact side, the inputs at the input ports Pa
2
and Pa
4
shift from the high level to the low level.
This causes the microcomputer
19
to recognize the switching from OFF to ON at the output signal from the input switch
1
, which corresponds to locking or unlocking, through detection of shifts in the inputs from the high level to the low level at input ports Pa
1
and Pa
2
, and to recognize the switching from OFF to ON at the output signal from the input switch
3
, which corresponds to locking or unlocking, through detection of shifts in the inputs from the high level to the low level at input ports Pa
3
and Pa
4
.
The output circuits
21
and
23
comprises: relays
21
a
and
23
a
for switching the connection of positive and negative power supply lines
5
a
and
5
b
for the door lock motor
5
either to the battery
27
side or to the ground side, and transistors
21
b
and
23
b
for driving the relays
21
a
and
23
a
in response to the shifts in the level of the outputs from the output ports Pb
1
and Pb
2
of the microcomputer
19
between the high level and the low level.
When the outputs from the output ports Pb
1
and Pb
2
of the microcomputer
19
are at the low level, the transistors
21
b
and
23
b
are turned off, and the relays
21
a
and
23
a
connect the power supply lines
5
a
and
5
b
for the door lock motor
5
to the ground. When the outputs from the output ports Pb
1
and Pb
2
of the microcomputer
19
shift to the high level, the transistors
21
b
and
23
b
are turned on and, the circuits being electrified with continuity from a positive terminal of the battery
27
to the ground via the relay coils
31
of the relays
21
a
and
23
a
and via transistors
21
b
and
23
b
, the relay coils
31
being excited, the operating pieces
33
of the relays
21
a
and
23
a
switching from the ground-side contact to the battery-side contact, the relays
21
a
and
23
a
connect the power supply lines
5
a
and
5
b
for the door lock motor
5
to the positive terminal side of the battery
27
. The operating pieces
33
of the relays
21
a
and
23
a
are switched to the ground-side upon de-excitation of the relay coils
31
when the transistors
21
b
and
23
b
are turned off.
In a normal operating state, the microcomputer
19
controls the drive of the door lock motor
5
via the output circuits
21
and
23
through switching of the output state at the output ports Pb
1
and Pb
2
, according to the contents of input from the input ports Pa
1
through Pa
4
.
That is, the microcomputer
19
maintains the outputs at both of the output ports Pb
1
and Pb
2
to be low in a case of receiving neither locking commands nor unlocking commands from the input switches
1
and
3
while the output signals that are received from the input switches
1
and
3
through the input circuits
11
,
13
,
15
and
17
and the input ports Pa
1
through Pa
3
are OFF, wherein both the power supply lines
5
a
and
5
b
for the door lock motor
5
are connected to the ground by the relays
21
a
and
23
a.
When the output signals that are received from the input switches
1
and
3
through the input ports Pa
1
and Pa
3
are switched from OFF to ON for the predetermined duration of time upon reception of the locking commands from the input switches
1
and
3
as shown by A
1
and A
2
in FIGS.
3
(
a
) and
3
(
b
), the detection of switching from OFF to ON causes the microcomputer
19
to recognize the reception of the locking command and accordingly the door is locked by switching of the output level at the output port Pb
1
from the low level to the high level for the predetermined duration of time as shown by B
1
and B
2
in FIG.
3
(
c
) while the output at the output port Pb
2
is maintained at the low level. In a case wherein the output from the output port Pb
1
is switched to the high level at this time, since the power supply line
5
a
is connected to the positive terminal side of the battery
27
by the relay
21
a
, the electric current from the battery
27
flows from the power supply line
5
a
side to the motor
5
and forward drive (or reverse drive) of the motor for the predetermined duration of time effects locking of the door.
When the output signals that are received from the input switches
1
and
3
through the input ports Pa
2
and Pa
4
are switched from OF

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Door lock controller does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Door lock controller, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Door lock controller will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2827125