# US 12,110,728 B2 · Method and motor control system for use in a vehicle roof assembly

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- Number: US 12,110,728 B2
- Document ID: US12110728B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/096,614
- Filed: 2020-11-12
- Published: 2021-05-20
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-15
- Assignees: Inalfa Roof Systems Group B.V.
- Applicants: Inalfa Roof Systems Group B.V.
- Inventors: Marco Van Mourik; Petrus Gerardus Franciscus Bouten
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110728B2

## CPC

- E05F 15/659: Control circuits therefor
- G01D 21/00: Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
- B60J 7/0573: {power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical}
- E05Y 2400/326: of the angular type
- E05Y 2400/508: of detection
- E05Y 2900/542: Roof panels
- E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05)
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF

## Abstract

A vehicle roof assembly comprises an electronic control circuitry and at least one sensor operatively coupled to the electronic control circuitry. An output of the sensor exhibits hysteresis. A method of operating the vehicle roof assembly comprises performing a sensor power-down sequence. The sensor power-down sequence of steps comprises switching off the sensor; switching on the sensor; detecting the output of the sensor; storing the output of the sensor in a memory; and switching off the sensor. The method prevents inadvertent position drift due to hysteresis effects during a power toggle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle roof assembly comprising an electronic control circuitry having memory and a sensor having a power up state and a power down state and being operatively coupled to the electronic control circuitry, an output of the sensor exhibiting and being dependent on hysteresis,
wherein the electronic control circuitry is configured to perform, to power down the sensor, a sensor power-down sequence from the power up state to the power down state comprising:
switching off the sensor to power down; and
prior to the switching off of the sensor:
resetting the sensor by a power toggle of the sensor to output a hysteresis independent output:
detecting the hysteresis independent output of the sensor; and
storing the hysteresis independent output of the sensor in the memory for comparison with a later hysteresis independent output of the sensor, detected upon again powering up the sensor after having been switched off, to determine whether a state of the vehicle roof assembly has changed between storing the hysteresis independent output and the later hysteresis independent output.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 1 and further comprising a moveable part and the electronic control circuitry comprises a drive assembly coupled to the moveable part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 2, wherein the drive assembly comprises an electric motor and the sensor is a magnetic sensor configured to detect a rotation of a rotor of the electric motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 2, wherein the moveable part is one of a closure member and a sunshade member.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuity is configured to perform the sensor power-down sequence upon powering down of the electronic control circuitry.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to perform a sensor power-up sequence comprising:
switching on the sensor;
detecting the output of the sensor;
comparing the output of the sensor with the output stored in the memory; and
determining occurrence of a change based on the output of the sensor and the output stored in the memory being different.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control circuity is configured to perform the sensor power-up sequence upon powering up of the electronic control circuitry.

### Claim 9

A method of operating a vehicle roof assembly, the vehicle roof assembly comprising an electronic control circuitry and a sensor having a power up state and a power down state and being operatively coupled to the electronic control circuitry, an output of the sensor exhibiting and being dependent on hysteresis,
wherein the method comprises performing, to power down the sensor, a sensor power-down sequence from the power up state of the sensor into the power down state of the sensor comprising:
switching off the sensor to power down; and
prior to the switching off of the sensor:
resetting the sensor by a power toggle of the sensor to output a hysteresis independent output:
detecting the hysteresis independent output of the sensor; and
storing the hysteresis independent output of the sensor in a memory for comparison with a later hysteresis independent output of the sensor, detected upon again owering up the sensor after having been switched off, to determine whether a state of the vehicle roof assembly has changed between storing the hysteresis independent output and the later hysteresis independent output.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, and further comprising performing a sensor power-up sequence comprising:
switching on the sensor;
detecting the output of the sensor;
comparing the output of the sensor with the output stored in the memory; and
determining occurrence of a change based on the output of the sensor and the output stored in the memory being different.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein, upon determination of the change, the sensor power-up sequence of steps comprises a subsequent step of determining a state of the vehicle roof assembly.

### Claim 12

A computer software product comprising computer readable and executable instructions for instructing a computer processor to perform a method of operating a vehicle roof assembly, the vehicle roof assembly comprising an electronic control circuitry and a sensor having a power up state and a power down state and being operatively coupled to the electronic control circuitry, an output of the sensor exhibiting and being dependent on hysteresis, the instructions performing, to power down the sensor, a sensor power-down sequence from the power up state to the power down state comprising:
switching off the sensor to power down; and
prior to the switching off of the sensor:
resetting the sensor by a power toggle of the sensor to output a hysteresis independent output:
detecting the hysteresis independent output of the sensor; and
storing the hysteresis independent output of the sensor in a memory for comparison with a later hysteresis independent output of the sensor, detected upon again powering up the sensor afte having been switched off, to determine whether a state of the vehicle roof assembly has changed between storing the hysteresis independent output and the later hysteresis independent output.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer software product according to claim 12, wherein the instructions perform a sensor power-up sequence comprising:
switching on the sensor;
detecting the output of the sensor;
comparing the output of the sensor with the output stored in the memory; and
determining occurrence of a change based on the output of the sensor and the output stored in the memory being different.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer software product according to claim 13, wherein, upon determination of the change, the sensor power-up sequence of steps comprises a subsequent step of determining a state of the vehicle roof assembly.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The computer software product according to claim 13 wherein the sensor has a power up state and a power down state and the sensor power-down sequence is from the power up state of the sensor into the power down state of the sensor, and
wherein the instructions for performing the sensor power-down sequence comprise switching off the sensor and switching on the sensor by toggling power to the sensor in the power up state, and
wherein detecting the output of the sensor and storing the detected output of the sensor in the memory occurs after toggling the power, and
wherein switching off the sensor occurs after detecting the output of the sensor and changes the state of the sensor from the power up state into the power down state.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the sensor has a power up state and a power down state and the sensor power-down sequence is from the power up state of the sensor into the power down state of the sensor, and
wherein performing the sensor power-down sequence comprises switching off the sensor and switching on the sensor by toggling power to the sensor in the power up state, and
wherein detecting the output of the sensor and storing the detected output of the sensor in the memory occurs after toggling the power, and
wherein switching off the sensor occurs after detecting the output of the sensor and changes the state of the sensor from the power up state into the power down state.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The vehicle roof assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensor has a power up state and a power down state and the sensor power-down sequence is from the power up state of the sensor into the power down state of the sensor, and wherein the electronic control circuitry is configured to
perform the sensor power-down sequence by switching off the sensor and switching on the sensor by toggling power to the sensor in the power up state, and
detect the output of the sensor and storing the detected output of the sensor in the memory after toggling the power, and
switch off the sensor after detecting the output of the sensor to change the state of the sensor from the power up state into the power down state.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The vehicle roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least during the resetting the sensor by power toggle of the sensor and the detecting the output of the sensor a state related to the sensor output is not changed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein at least during the resetting the sensor by power toggle of the sensor and the detecting the output of the sensor a state related to the sensor output is not changed.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The computer software product according to claim 12, wherein at least during the resetting the sensor by power toggle of the sensor and the detecting the output of the sensor a state related to the sensor output is not changed.