Electricity: motive power systems – Automatic and/or with time-delay means – Movement – position – or limit-of-travel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-02-27
Ip, Paul (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
Automatic and/or with time-delay means
Movement, position, or limit-of-travel
C318S469000, C318S266000, C318S484000, C296S213000, C296S214000, C296S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An actuating device for sliding-lifting roofs in motor vehicles is already known from DE 33 48 489 C2, which actuating device has an operating control serving as a reference value transmitter for selecting an adjusting movement of a sliding-lifting roof cover. By actuating the operating control, the cover is adjusted to a desired or reference position in a sliding movement or a swiveling movement proceeding from a zero setting. A microcomputer carries out a comparison of the reference value and actual value and transmits control signals to a driving control depending on the regulation discrepancy between the actual position of the cover and the reference position adjusted at the reference value transmitter. A drive, as part of the position regulating circuit, adjusts the cover.
Other devices for operating an electric-motor drive which read out reference values and actual values successively (sequentially) are known commercially.
Further, in these devices every actuating or adjusting command sent by the operating control is first completed, wherein the sliding-lifting roof is moved into the corresponding reference position, before a new adjusting command which may have been issued in the interim can be executed (static transition).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of present invention to provide a process for operation g an electric-motor drive which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects and with others, one feature of represent invention resides, briefly stated in a process, in which the at least two state signals are detected cyclically by the microprocessor and at least one of a plurality of fixed responses is red out depending on the signal combination wherein the response determines whether or not, and in what manner the possible adjustments of the operating control lead to a change in the present drive behavior via the signal processing arrangement.
The process according to the invention has the advantage that an adjusting command, as an actual state signal, and at least one additional actual state signal are detected by a microprocessor cyclically, for example, every 10 milliseconds, and a response is read out without a delay depending on the combination of detected signals, wherein the response determines whether or not, and in what manner, the possible adjustments of the operating control carried out by the user lead to a change in the present drive behavior of the sliding-lifting roof.
This enables simultaneous evaluation of a plurality of actual state signals.
In connection with the above, a further advantage consists in that the drive of the sliding-lifting roof responds directly (after a debouncing period) to new adjusting commands (dynamic transition). By means of the process according to the invention, the sliding-lifting roof is adjusted to the reference value currently provided by an adjusting command within the shortest possible time insofar as this response is permissible in the present actual state of the sliding-lifting roof.
Advantageous further developments and improvements of the features indicated in the main claim are provided by the features indicated in the subclaims.
The actual state signals define a current actual state. The response is read out of a memory or storage depending on the actual state of the microprocessor and predetermines all possibilities for a permissible or impermissible transition from the current actual state to another possible actual state and/or the permissible or impermissible adjustments of the operating control, so that the user can, or can not, initiate a change in the drive behavior of the sliding-lifting roof.
It is further advantageous that different permitted reference positions which are to be moved to successively are provided as a response in case direct movement to the new reference position is not permitted due to the present actual state. For example, the sliding-lifting roof could be moved first into the closed position proceeding from the open position and then moved into the raised position selected via the adjusting command as reference position.
It is further advantageous that the response determined by the vehicle manufacturer, for example, is stored in coded form in a storage of the signal processing arrangement, for example, in the form of a function matrix in which the possibilities for operating the operating control (by the user) are assigned to the possible actual states or transitions from actual states. In this way, the information can be called up at any time by way of the established response.
There are three different responses: static, dynamic while motor is stopped, and dynamic while motor is running. Each response is preferably stored in a function matrix in the memory or storage.
Further, an error signal can be emitted as a response to a malfunction of the actual state signals, for example, an erroneous adjusting command (for example, a short circuit in the potentiometer of the operating control) or an operator key error. It is advantageous that no new reference position is determined and/or the drive is stopped when an error signal occurs. Further, the sliding-lifting roof can be closed manually by an emergency function when the error signal occurs.
In view of the various problems identified in sliding-lifting roofs, the correlation of the operating control respectively to the detected actual states and the static or dynamic response provided in connection therewith is a further advantage for testing function because the assignment can be conveniently displayed in tabular form.
Further, the process is adapted to a plurality of defined input values (actual state signals), but to only one output value (response). This results in a modular construction and in the advantage of simplified adaptation to different sliding-lifting roofs. In particular, only the detected actual states and the determined responses need be adapted to the respective design principle of the sliding-lifting roof and to the control possibilities of the operating control.
Finally, the actual states are defined in such a way that the sliding-lifting roof is actually in a defined actual state in every position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4634945 (1987-01-01), Takemura et al.
patent: 4893870 (1990-01-01), Moriya et al.
patent: 5372401 (1994-12-01), Odoi et al.
patent: 5864214 (1999-01-01), Brodsky
patent: 5951100 (1999-09-01), Ewing et al.
patent: 5952801 (1999-09-01), Boisvert et al.
patent: 5961177 (1999-10-01), Caye et al.
patent: 6054822 (2000-04-01), Harada
patent: 33 48 489 C2 (1996-05-01), None
Ip Paul
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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