Apparatus and method for controlling movement of a movable member

A control apparatus for a roof glass, comprising:

• a roof glass, wherein said roof glass is movable between a fully-open position to fully open a skylight of a vehicle and a fully-closed position to fully close said skylight and is selectively placeable in a plurality of positions between said fully-open position and said fully-closed position;
• a drive motor for actuating said roof glass;
• a detection device which detects a position of said roof glass;
• a selection switch which is operated to place said roof glass in any one of said plurality of positions, wherein said selection switch is changed over to selection positions corresponding to said plurality of positions and outputs voltages of different levels in accordance with said selection positions;
• and
• control means which controls said drive motor to actuate said roof glass in accordance with said position of said roof glass detected by said detection device and a selection position of said selection switch position, and performs operations of:
• specifying the selection position of said selection switch when an output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of allowable ranges predetermined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch, wherein non-allowable ranges are set among said allowable ranges determined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch;
• settling the selection position of said selection switch when said specified selection position has not changed even when a predetermined time passes after specifying of said selection position of said selection switch;
• permitting actuation of said roof glass to a position corresponding to said selection position of said selection switch settled at a time of making a current decision when said selection position which has been settled at a time of making said current decision and a selection position which has been settled at a time of making a previous decision satisfy predetermined conditions;
• and
• keeping the drive motor stopped when the output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch is settled at the time of making the current decision or the output voltage from said selection switch during the previous decision is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch was settled at the time of making the previous decision.

A control method for placing a movable member, which is movable between a fully-open position to fully open an opening of a frame and a fully-closed position to fully close said opening of said frame and is selectively placeable in a plurality of positions between said fully-open position and said fully-closed position, based on an operation of a selection switch which outputs voltages of different levels in accordance with said selection positions, said method comprising the steps of:

• specifying the selection position of said selection switch when an output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of allowable ranges predetermined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch, wherein non-allowable ranges are set among said allowable ranges determined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch;
• settling the selection position of said selection switch when said specified selection position has not changed even when a predetermined time passes after specifying of said selection position of said selection switch;
• and
• permitting actuation of said movable member to a position corresponding to said selection position of said selection switch settled at a time of making a current decision when said selection position which has been settled at a time of making said current decision and a selection position which has been settled at a time of making a previous decision satisfy predetermined conditions;
• and
• keeping the drive motor stopped when the output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch is settled at the time of making the current decision or the output voltage from said selection switch during the previous decision is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch was settled at the time of making the previous decision.

A control method for placing a roof glass, which is movable between a fully-open position to fully open a skylight of a vehicle and a fully-closed position to fully close said skylight and is selectively placeable in a plurality of positions between said fully-open position and said fully-closed position, based on an operation of a selection switch which outputs voltages of different levels in accordance with said selection positions, said method comprising the steps of:

• specifying the selection position of said selection switch when an output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of allowable ranges predetermined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch, wherein non-allowable ranges are set among said allowable ranges determined respectively for said selection positions of said selection switch;
• settling the selection position of said selection switch when said specified selection position has not changed even when a predetermined time passes after specifying of said selection position of said selection switch;
• permitting actuation of said roof glass to a position corresponding to said selection position of said selection switch settled at a time of making a current decision when said selection position which has been settled at a time of making said current decision and a selection position which has been settled at a time of making a previous decision satisfy predetermined conditions;
• and
• keeping the drive motor stopped when the output voltage from said selection switch is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch is settled at the time of making the current decision or the output voltage from said selection switch during the previous decision is determined to be included in any of the non-allowable ranges and the selection position of said selection switch was settled at the time of making the previous decision.