Controlling an actuator of an actuator unit of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326656-B2
Application number	US-201817043744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	May 8, 2018
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A method for controlling an actuator of an actuator unit of a motor vehicle includes detecting desired activation of the actuator, detecting whether a currently present operating state of the motor vehicle is a first operating state or a second operating state, selecting either a first control routine upon detecting the first operating state or a second control routine upon detecting the second operating state, and actuating the drive motor with the selected first control routine or second control routine. A drive motor of the actuator unit is controlled depending on the operating state of the motor vehicle. In the first operating state, an actuation of the actuator occurs according to the first control routine with high dynamics of the drive motor, and in the second operating state, the actuation of the actuator occurs according to the second control routine with adjusted dynamics of the drive motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an actuator of an actuator unit of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a) detecting a desired activation of the actuator, wherein the actuator unit includes the actuator, at least one component that is activated by the actuator, and a drive motor for driving the actuator;
b) detecting whether a currently present operating state of the motor vehicle is a first operating state or a second operating state;
c) selecting either a first control routine upon detecting the first operating state or a second control routine upon detecting the second operating state; and
d) actuating the drive motor with the selected first control routine or second control routine, wherein in the first operating state the actuator is activated according to the first control routine with high dynamics of the drive motor, and in the second operating state the actuator is activated according to the second control routine with adapted dynamics of the drive motor; and
wherein the first operating state and the second operating state relate at least to generation of noise by the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle has a first noise generation level in the first operating state and a second noise generation level in the second operating state, and the second noise generation level is lower than the first noise generation level.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the first operating state the motor vehicle is driven by means of a torque of a drive unit of the motor vehicle, and in the second operating state torque of the drive unit is not used to drive the motor vehicle in at least one situation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an internal combustion engine which is provided as a drive unit of the motor vehicle is switched off in the second operating state.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second control routine corresponds to the first control routine which is delayed with a PT1 controller or a PT2 controller.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component is a clutch.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing steps (a) to (d) from performing in response to a setpoint position of the actuator which is requested with the desired activation.

8. A system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a drive unit for driving the motor vehicle; and
an actuator unit including an actuator, a component, a drive motor for driving the actuator, and a control device, wherein the actuator is configured to activate the component;
wherein the control device is programmed to:
a) detect a desired activation of the actuator;
b) detect whether a currently present operating state of the motor vehicle is a first operating state or a second operating state;
c) select either a first control routine upon detecting the first operating state or a second control routine upon detecting the second operating state; and
d) actuate the drive motor with the selected first control routine or second control routine;
wherein in the first operating state the actuator is activated according to the first control routine with high dynamics of the drive motor, and in the second operating state the actuator is activated according to the second control routine with adapted dynamics of the drive motor; and
wherein the first operating state and the second operating state relate at least to generation of noise by the motor vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the component is a clutch by which a torque of the drive unit for driving the motor vehicle can be coupled into a drive train of the motor vehicle and decoupled therefrom.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the motor vehicle has a first noise generation level in the first operating state and a second noise generation level in the second operating state, and the second noise generation level is lower than the first noise generation level.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein in the first operating state the motor vehicle is driven by means of a torque of the drive unit of the motor vehicle, and in the second operating state torque of the drive unit is not used to drive the motor vehicle in at least one situation.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein an internal combustion engine which is provided as the drive unit of the motor vehicle is switched off in the second operating state.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second control routine corresponds to the first control routine which is delayed with a PT1 controller or a PT2 controller.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control device is further programmed to prevent steps (a) to (d) from performing in response to a setpoint position of the actuator which is requested with the desired activation.

15. A control device comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
a) detect a desired activation of an actuator, wherein an actuator unit of a motor vehicle includes the actuator, at least one component that is activated by the actuator, and a drive motor for driving the actuator;
b) detect whether a currently present operating state of the motor vehicle is a first operating state or a second operating state;
c) select either a first control routine upon detecting the first operating state or a second control routine upon detecting the second operating state; and
d) actuate the drive motor with the selected first control routine or second control routine, wherein in the first operating state the actuator is activated according to the first control routine with high dynamics of the drive motor, and in the second operating state the actuator is activated according to the second control routine with adapted dynamics of the drive motor; and
wherein the first operating state and the second operating state relate at least to generation of noise by the motor vehicle.

16. The control device of claim 15 , wherein the motor vehicle has a first noise generation level in the first operating state and a second noise generation level in the second operating state, and the second noise generation level is lower than the first noise generation level.

17. The control device of claim 15 , wherein in the first operating state the motor vehicle is driven by means of a torque of a drive unit of the motor vehicle, and in the second operating state torque of the drive unit is not used to drive the motor vehicle in at least one situation.

18. The control device of claim 15 , wherein an internal combustion engine which is provided as a drive unit of the motor vehicle is switched off in the second operating state.

19. The control device of claim 15 , wherein the second control routine corresponds to the first control routine which is delayed with a PT1 controller or a PT2 controller.

20. The control device of claim 15 , further comprising preventing steps (a) to (d) from performing in response to a setpoint position of the actuator which is requested with the desired activation.

Assignees

• Gkn Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Resvoll Erik
• Weller Markus
• Zimmermann Mark
• Langhanki Andreas

Classifications

• F16D2500/3121

  Ambient conditions, e.g. air humidity, air temperature, ambient pressure · CPC title

• F16D48/06 Primary

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16D2500/70402

  Actuator parameters · CPC title

• F16D2500/31

  from the vehicle · CPC title

• F16D2500/1023

  Electric motor · CPC title