# US 11,078,685 B2 · Vehicular lock detection systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,685 B2 - Document ID: US11078685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/587,570 - Filed: 2019-09-30 - Published: 2020-07-02 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-28 - Assignees: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. - Applicants: Continental Automotive Systems Inc. - Inventors: Malek Jaradi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078685B2 ## CPC - E05B 47/02: {Movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means}; Adaptation of locks, latches, or parts thereof, for movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means {(by means in the striker E05B63/248)} - G07C 9/00174: {Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)} - E05B 81/72: the lock status, i.e. locked or unlocked condition - G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit} - E05B 47/0012: {with rotary electromotors (actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68)} - E05B 81/06: using rotary motors - E05B 81/16: operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action - E05B 81/74: by sensing the state of the actuator - G07C 2009/00634: {Power supply for the lock} - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A lock system for a vehicle includes an electronic control module, an actuator in communication with the electronic control module, a lock member movable between an unlocked position and a locked position by the actuator, a sensor for sensing at least one of a current and a voltage supplied from the electronic control module to the actuator, and a processor configured to execute lock verification logic to determine whether the lock member moved from the unlocked position to the locked position based on the at least one of the current and the voltage sensed by the sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lock system for a vehicle comprising: an electronic control module; an actuator in communication with the electronic control module; a lock member movable between an unlocked position and a locked position by the actuator; a sensor configured to sense at least one of a current and a voltage supplied from the electronic control module to the actuator; a processor configured to execute lock verification logic to determine whether the lock member moved from the unlocked position to the locked position based on the at least one of the current and the voltage sensed by the sensor; and wherein the sensor is configured to sense the time between a start point and a stall condition, and the processor is configured to determine whether the lock member moved from the unlocked position to the locked position based on the sensed time between the start point and the stall condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lock system as recited in claim 1, wherein the stall condition is based on a plateau in a plot of current against time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lock system as recited in claim 1, wherein the stall condition is based on a second peak in a plot of current against time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lock system as recited in claim 1, wherein the lock member is configured to lock a door of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lock system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one of the current or the voltage is the current. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lock system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one of the current or the voltage is the voltage. ### Claim 7 A method for signaling the success of a locking function, the method comprising: monitoring current supplied to an actuator for a stall condition after a start point of a plot of current against time for the locking function; sensing time between the start point and the stall condition; determining whether the locking function was successful based on a length of the sensed time between the start point and occurrence of the stall condition; and signaling whether the locking function was successful. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, the method comprising determining that the locking function was unsuccessful if the length of time is less than an expected time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, the method comprising adjusting the expected time based on ambient temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, the method comprising determining that the locking function was successful if the length of time is greater than or equal to an expected time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the locking function is executed by a vehicle door lock system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the vehicle door lock system includes an electronic control module (ECM), the actuator, and a lock member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of determining whether the locking function was successful is performed by the ECM. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the signaling step includes notifying a user of an outcome of the determining whether the locking function was successful. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the locking function is executed by a door lock in a vehicle, and the notifying the user of the outcome includes chirping the vehicle's horn a first number of times if the locking function was successful and chirping the vehicle's horn a second number of times if the locking function was unsuccessful, and the first number is different from the second number. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the locking function is executed by a door lock in a vehicle associated with a key fob, and the notifying the user of the outcome includes flashing a first light pattern from the fob if the locking function was successful and flashing a second light pattern from the fob if the locking function was unsuccessful, and the first light pattern is different from the second light pattern.