# US 9,868,340 B2 · Control device for vehicle opening/closing body

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- Number: US 9,868,340 B2
- Document ID: US9868340B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/975,290
- Filed: 2015-12-18
- Published: 2016-06-23
- Granted: 2018-01-16
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-18
- Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Takeshi Nishikibe; Ryo Asano; Yoshinori Hitomi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9868340B2

## CPC

- B60J 5/101: {for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans}
- E05F 1/002: {controlled by automatically acting means (for powered-operated mechanisms E05F15/70)}
- E05F 15/40: Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
- E05F 15/75: responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object
- E05F 15/622: using screw-and-nut mechanisms
- E05Y 2400/3013: during manual wing operation
- E05Y 2400/40: Control units therefor
- E05Y 2900/50: for vehicles
- 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)
- 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
- 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 control device for a vehicle closure body includes an electronic control unit configured to measure a position of the body, measure a speed of the body, determine an opening or closing direction in which the body is operated by a user, and move the body in the determined opening or closing direction with use of a drive unit when the speed of the body measured at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control device for a body of a vehicle, said body being mounted on the vehicle to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis in an opening direction and a closing direction, comprising
an electronic control unit configured to measure a position of the body of the vehicle, measure a speed of the body, and when the body is not operated by a drive unit, determine if a user is moving the body in the opening direction or the closing direction, and activate an assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction with use of the drive unit when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body, wherein the speed threshold is set such that a force applied to the body by the user when the assist operation is activated is substantially constant irrespective of the position of the body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to further measure a movement amount of the body, and activate the assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction with the use of the drive unit when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than the speed threshold at the measured position of the body, and the movement amount of the body from the measured position of the body is equal to or larger than a movement amount threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The control device according to claim 2, wherein the movement amount threshold changes according to the position of the body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The control device according to claim 3, wherein the movement amount threshold increases as the body moves in the opening direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the speed threshold changes according to the position of the body.

### Claim 6

A control device for a body of a vehicle, the body being mounted on the vehicle to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis in both an opening direction and a closing direction, the control device comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to measure a position of the body of the vehicle, measure a speed of the body, and when the body is not operated by a drive unit, determine if a user is moving the body in the opening direction or the closing direction, and activate an assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction with use of the drive unit when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body, the speed threshold being set such that a force applied to the body by the user when the assist operation is activated is substantially constant irrespective of the position of the body,
wherein the speed threshold varies as the position of the body changes as the body moves in the opening direction or the closing direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The control device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to further measure a movement amount of the body, and activate the assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction with the use of the drive unit when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than the speed threshold at the measured position of the body, and the movement amount of the body from the measured position of the body is equal to or larger than a movement amount threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The control device according to claim 7, wherein the movement amount threshold changes according to the position of the body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control device according to claim 8, wherein the movement amount threshold increases as the body moves in the opening direction.

### Claim 10

A control device for a body of a vehicle, the body being mounted on the vehicle to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis in an opening direction and in a closing direction, the control device comprising:
an electronic control unit which measures a position of the body while the body is moving to determine a measured position of the body, measures a speed of the body while the body is moving, and when the body is not operated by a motor, determines if a user is moving the body in the opening direction or the closing direction, and activates an assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction through operation of the motor when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body; and
a memory that stores a speed threshold map identifying the speed threshold for different positions of the body so that a force applied to the body by the user when the assist operation is activated is substantially constant irrespective of the position of the body.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The control device according to claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to further measure a movement amount of the body, and activate the assist operation to move the body in the determined opening direction or closing direction through operation of the motor when the measured speed of the body, as moved by the user, at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than the speed threshold at the measured position of the body, and the movement amount of the body from the measured position of the body is equal to or larger than a movement amount threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The control device according to claim 11, wherein the movement amount threshold changes according to the position of the body.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The control device according to claim 12, wherein the movement amount threshold increases as the body moves in the opening direction.