Method for automatic closure of a vehicle tailgate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697226-B2
Application number	US-201715406176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a method for the remote-controlled operation of a tailgate of a motor vehicle. A sensor arrangement of the motor vehicle detects environmental data of the motor vehicle. A control apparatus of the motor vehicle triggers the opening of the tailgate on receiving a wireless opening signal from an operator and triggers the closing of the tailgate on receiving a wireless closing signal from an operator. The control apparatus checks for the presence of at least one closure condition of the tailgate that is independent of the wireless closing signal based on the environmental data detected by the sensor arrangement during opening of the tailgate, and if the closure condition is present, the control apparatus triggers the closing of the tailgate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for remote-controlled operation of a tailgate of a motor vehicle comprising:
detecting environmental data using a sensor arrangement of the motor vehicle;
opening the tailgate in response to receiving a wireless opening signal, via a control apparatus;
checking for a presence of at least one closure condition including a timeout of a timer for the tailgate during the opening, the at least one closure condition being independent of a wireless closing signal and based on the environmental data detected by the sensor arrangement;
inhibiting opening the tailgate if an inhibition condition exists indicating the timeout; and
closing the tailgate in response to the at least one closure condition being present.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor arrangement includes a signal receiver that receives the opening signal and the closing signal, and at least partly detects the environmental data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising monitoring, via the control apparatus, the closing of the tailgate using a proximity sensor of the sensor arrangement for collision avoidance during movement of the tailgate, wherein the proximity sensor at least partly detects the environmental data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a location of the motor vehicle with a position determination device and comparing the determined location with server data for a surrounding of the motor vehicle using a telecommunications device that wirelessly accesses the server data to indicate the presence of the at least one closure condition.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a distance from an operator of the control apparatus to a person distance sensor included in the sensor arrangement, wherein checking for the at least one closure condition is based on the distance from the operator to the person distance sensor.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the at least one closure condition is based on a change of the determined distance from the operator with time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a distance from a mobile device associated with the operator to an operating sensor included in the sensor arrangement, wherein checking for the at least one closure condition is based on the distance from the mobile device to the operating sensor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one closure condition is based on a change with time of the determined distance from the mobile device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a probability of intention to open the tailgate via the control apparatus and whether the determined probability of intention to open is below a predetermined probability limit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one closure condition exists if the determined probability of intention to open is below the predetermined probability limit.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising, in response to reception of the opening signal, checking, via the control apparatus, for an inhibition condition indicating the presence of the at least one closure condition of the tailgate based on the environmental data detected by the sensor arrangement and inhibiting, via the control apparatus, the opening of the tailgate if the inhibition condition exists.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the inhibition condition corresponds to one of the other at least one closure conditions.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the inhibition condition exists if the determined probability of intention to open is below the predetermined probability limit.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a sensor arrangement configured to detect environmental data; and
a control apparatus configured to,
in response to receiving a wireless opening signal, check for an inhibition condition indicating a closure condition being a timeout of a timer for a tailgate based on the environmental data and inhibit the opening of the tailgate if the inhibition condition exists, and
in response to receiving a wireless closing signal and a presence of a closure condition of the tailgate independent from the wireless closing signal and based on the environmental data detected by the sensor arrangement, close the tailgate.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the control apparatus is further configured to determine a probability of intention to open the tailgate and calculate whether the probability of intention to open is below a predetermined probability limit.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the control apparatus is further configured to identify presence of the closure condition if the probability of intention to open is below the predetermined probability limit.

17. A vehicle system comprising: a control apparatus configured to, in response to receiving a wireless opening signal, check for an inhibition condition indicating a timer timeout for a tailgate during the opening and inhibit the opening of the tailgate if the inhibition condition exists, and
in response to receiving a wireless closing signal and the timeout being independent from the wireless closing signal and detected by a sensor arrangement, close the tailgate.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Gussen Uwe
• Arndt Christoph
• Stefan Frederic

Classifications

• E05Y2400/44

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