FR3152000A1 - Management of the opening and closing of mobile elements of a motor vehicle according to the location of a portable communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the opening and closing of a movable element (4) of a motor vehicle (1). The invention also relates to a computer device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Managing the opening and closing of moving parts of a motor vehicle based on the location of a portable communication device Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of control systems for openings and other moving parts of the bodywork of motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing, by means of a computer device installed in a motor vehicle, the opening and closing of a moving part of the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a device. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles such as motor vehicles, particularly cars.

Prior art

Some modern vehicles are equipped with access control systems that allow users to enter the vehicle's interior without having to perform a traditional locking or unlocking procedure. This is achieved by installing sensors on the door handles, but this contributes to an increase in vehicle manufacturing costs, even though the use of portable communication devices and other connected objects is now widespread. Furthermore, despite these systems, the user still remains responsible for manually controlling the movement of doors and other moving parts, which can be an inconvenient constraint for some users (e.g., the elderly, people with reduced mobility, etc.).

The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks. Its purpose is to provide a method and a device that allow for the management of the opening and closing of a moving part of a motor vehicle in a less uncomfortable and less costly manner than existing solutions. In particular, the invention aims to free a motor vehicle user from having to manually manage the movements of the doors or other moving parts of the vehicle. Another objective of the invention is to eliminate the need to integrate sensors near the moving parts. In this way, the invention seeks to contribute to improving the comfort and ergonomics of motor vehicles while reducing their manufacturing cost.

1. déterminer si un appareil de communication portable se trouve dans une zone de commande dudit élément mobile pendant une durée supérieure à une première valeur prédéfinie, ladite zone ayant un volume inférieur ou égal à une deuxième valeur prédéfinie ; et
2. causer l’ouverture ou la fermeture dudit élément mobile en fonction de la position ultérieure dudit appareil vis-à-vis de ladite zone.

To achieve these objectives, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by means of a computer device embedded in a motor vehicle, the opening and closing of a moving part of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

1. determine whether a portable communication device is within a control zone of said mobile element for a duration exceeding a first predefined value, said zone having a volume less than or equal to a second predefined value; and
2. cause the opening or closing of said moving element depending on the subsequent position of said device with respect to said area.

According to one variant, step ii) may include a step of causing the opening or closing of said moving part while said device is in said area.

According to another variant, step ii) may include a step of causing the opening or closing of said moving element as soon as said device leaves said area and as long as it does not return to it.

According to yet another variant, the moving element can be a door, a sunroof, a window, an access hatch to a fuel tank cap or a charging socket, a trunk lid, a rearview mirror, a motorized spoiler, a retractable roof, a soft top or an engine hood.

According to yet another variant, the first value can be equal to 1s.

According to yet another variant, the second value can be equal to 3 ^dm³ .

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the opening and closing of a moving element of a motor vehicle, the device comprising an information processing unit, with one or more processors, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a process as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium on which a program as described above is recorded.

According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which incorporates a device as described above.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the steps of a process according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

There FIG. 1 The diagram shows a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This vehicle comprises a detection system 2 enabling the precise localization of connected objects, for example, using Bluetooth Low Energy technology or an ultra-wideband receiver, and an actuator 3 which advantageously controls the movements, opening and closing, of a moving element 4 of the vehicle 1, for example, a door, a sunroof, a window, an access panel to a fuel filler cap or a charging port, a trunk lid, a rearview mirror, a motorized spoiler, a retractable roof, a convertible top, or a hood. Thanks to the actuator 3, a user does not have to manually manage the movements of the moving element 4.

Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also includes a device 100 for managing the opening and closing of a moving element of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the opening and closing of a moving element of a motor vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

During the implementation of the method, the device 100 according to the invention interacts with the detection system 2 to determine the location of a portable communication device 5, for example a smartphone with which it has been previously paired or, more simply, a traditional electronic key, in particular to determine whether it is located in an area Z covering a very small volume of space (2-3 dm ³ ) which has been previously assigned to the control of the opening or closing of the moving element 4, and this for a relatively long period, on the order of one second. And when it determines that this is the case, the device 100 according to the invention then commands the actuator 3 to either open or close the moving element 4, depending on the operation assigned to zone Z, based on the subsequent location of the portable communication device 5. As will be seen, this is how the device 100 according to the invention facilitates the opening or closing of the moving element 4, thus offering greater comfort and therefore improved ergonomics. Furthermore, without using any dedicated sensor integrated near the moving element 4, the device 100 according to the invention also minimizes the manufacturing cost of the vehicle 1 according to the invention. Moreover, the small volume of the control zone Z, combined with the relatively long duration for which the portable communication device 5 must remain there, jointly minimizes the risk of the opening or closing of the moving element 4 being triggered unintentionally.

On the FIG. 2 The device 100 for managing the opening and closing of a moving part of a motor vehicle according to the invention is illustrated in more detail. It is essentially a computer device, which includes at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which includes program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the process according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 enabling the reception and transmission of data.

Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired vehicle communication network (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, MOST) – materialized on the FIG. 1 by the double-direction arrows – with the detection system 2 and with the actuator 3. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is part of the detection system 2 in whole or in part. Thus, regardless of the embodiment of the invention, the device 100 according to the invention can, in particular, determine whether the portable communication device 5 is in a particular area of space and it can control the opening and closing of the moving element 4.

According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation, on board a motor vehicle, of a method for managing the opening and closing of a moving element of the vehicle, as described below in relation to figures 1 and 3.

There FIG. 3 The process according to the invention is illustrated by means of a flowchart. According to a first step 201 of the process according to the invention, the device 100 of the invention determines whether the portable communication device 5 is located within a control zone Z of said mobile element 4 for a duration exceeding a first predefined value, said zone having a volume less than or equal to a second predefined value, for example, 3 ^dm³ . In other words, the device 100 of the invention, during this first step of the process, determines whether a user has positioned the portable communication device 5 within a control zone Z assigned to the mobile element 4 for a relatively long duration, on the order of one second. To perform this first step 201, the device 100 of the invention interacts with the detection system 2. Indeed, as already indicated above, this system is advantageously configured to be able to precisely geolocate connected objects. The device 100 according to the invention therefore takes advantage at this stage of this capacity of the detection system 2 to locate the portable communication device 5, in particular in relation to one or more pre-established zones which are assigned to the control of the opening and closing of the moving element 4.

Thus, as can be understood, when the moving element 4 in question is, for example, a movable window of a driver's door, a first zone located at the top of the window can be pre-defined and assigned to a command for closing the movable window, while a second zone located at the bottom of the window can be pre-defined and assigned to a command for opening the window. Similarly, when the moving element 4 in question is a fuel filler flap or a flap providing access to a charging port, a first zone located to the right of the flap can be pre-defined and assigned to a command for opening the flap, while a second zone located to the left of the flap can be pre-defined and assigned to a command for closing it. Similarly, if the moving element 4 in question is a sunroof, an engine hood, a trunk lid, a rearview mirror, a motorized spoiler, a retractable roof, a soft top or a door of the vehicle 1, appropriate zones can be defined each time for the opening and closing of the moving element 4 so that these appear intuitive to a user.

Preferably, data characterizing control zones assigned to moving elements are thus recorded during the design phase of the vehicle 1 on the storage medium 102 of the device 100 according to the invention or on a data storage medium of the detection system 2. Alternatively, a user operates an input interface interacting with the detection system 2 and/or with the device 100 according to the invention to specify one or more control zones linked to one or more moving elements, and corresponding data is stored on a data storage medium of the detection system 2 and/or on that 102 of the device 100 according to the invention. To this end, the device 100 according to the invention may implement a preliminary step consisting of enabling such input by means of an input interface of the detection system 2.

And when it establishes that the portable communication device 5 is indeed in the control zone Z of the moving element 4, and this for a relatively long time (e.g. > 1s), the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out the next step of the process according to the invention described below.

According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the opening or closing of the movable element 4 depending on the subsequent position of the portable communication device 5 relative to the control zone Z of the movable element 4. In other words, the device 100 according to the invention opens or closes the movable element 4, according to the function assigned to the control zone Z, depending on the subsequent position of the portable communication device 5. To do this, the device 100 according to the invention again interacts with the detection system 2 in order to determine the subsequent location of the portable communication device 5 and it interacts with the actuator 3 to control the opening or closing of the movable element 4.

According to a first embodiment, which aims to provide greater safety during the movements of the movable element 4, the device 100 of the invention proceeds, during this second step 202, by causing the opening or closing of the movable element 4 only as long as the portable communication device 5 is within the control zone Z. In other words, the user must keep the portable communication device 5 within a confined space for the command to open or close the movable element 4 to be executed. If the user does not do so, i.e., if the portable communication device 5 leaves the control zone Z, the device 100 of the invention terminates the execution of the command. The user's attention is thus required to keep the portable communication device 5 almost motionless in a very small space, thereby minimizing the risk of injury to the user during the operation of the movable element 4.

According to a second embodiment, which aims to improve ergonomics, particularly when the movable element 4 in question can be partially opened or closed, such as a window or a sunroof, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds, during this second step 202 of the process, by causing the opening or closing of the movable element 4 as soon as the portable communication device 5 leaves the control zone Z and as long as it does not return to it. In other words, the user can trigger the opening or closing of the movable element 4 by positioning the portable communication device 5 in the control zone Z, then remove it to continue the command execution, and then reposition it to end the command execution, for example, when the movable element 4 is in a desired position.

Therefore, thanks to the method and device according to the invention described above, it is possible to manage the opening and closing of a moving part of a motor vehicle in a less uncomfortable and less expensive way than known solutions. In particular, it frees a motor vehicle user from having to manually manage the movements of the doors and other moving parts of the vehicle. Furthermore, beyond a detection system, no other sensors are required. The invention thus undeniably improves the comfort and ergonomics of motor vehicles while reducing their manufacturing cost.

Claims (10)

Method for managing, by means of a computer device (100) installed on board a motor vehicle (1), the opening and closing of a moving part (4) of the vehicle,characterized in thatThe process includes the following steps:

1. determine whether a portable communication device (5) is located within a control zone (Z) of said moving element (4) for a period exceeding a first predefined value, said zone having a volume less than or equal to a second predefined value; and
2. cause the opening or closing of said moving element (4) depending on the subsequent position of said device (5) with respect to said zone (Z).

Method according to claim 1,characterized in that step ii) includes a step of causing the opening or closing of said moving part (4) while said device (5) is in said zone (Z). Method according to claim 1,characterized in that step ii) includes a step of causing the opening or closing of said moving element (4) as soon as said device leaves said zone (Z) and as long as it does not return to it. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable element (4) is a door, a sunroof, a glazing, an access hatch to a fuel tank cap or a charging socket, a trunk lid, a rearview mirror, a motorized spoiler, a retractable roof, a convertible top or an engine hood. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first value is equal to 1s. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second value is equal to 3 ^dm³ . Device (100) for managing the opening and closing of a moving element (4) of a motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said device comprises an information processing unit (101), with one or more processors, and a data storage medium (102), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims. Computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a process according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by at least one processor. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that a program according to claim 8 is stored thereon. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 7.