Active apparatus for modifying aerodynamic properties of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433760-B2
Application number	US-202016918264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2019
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

An active apparatus for modifying aerodynamic properties of a vehicle, encompassing: a frame; a movable portion movable relative to the frame along a motion path; a transceiver to emit a transceiver signal and has a specified transceiver position relative to the frame; an antenna to receive the transceiver signal and arranged on the movable portion, an antenna signal, induced by a predetermined transceiver signal, of the antenna exhibiting a predetermined functional dependence dependent on a position of the movable portion along the motion path and on the transceiver position; a signal transmitting unit to emit a unit signal that is associatable with the antenna and carries information regarding the antenna signal, the transceiver configured to receive the unit signal; and a signal evaluation unit, the signal evaluation unit configured to determine the position of the movable portion along the motion path on the basis of the unit signal, the functional dependence, and the transceiver position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An active apparatus for modifying aerodynamic properties of a vehicle, in particular an air flap apparatus, having at least one pivotable air flap or a plurality of pivotable air flaps, encompassing:
an apparatus frame;
a first movable portion movable with respect to the apparatus frame along a first motion path;
a transceiver that is configured to emit a non-wire-based transmitted transceiver signal and has a specified transceiver position with respect to the apparatus frame;
a first antenna configured to receive the transmitted transceiver signal and arranged on the first movable portion for motion together therewith, a first antenna signal, induced by a predetermined transmitted transceiver signal, of the first antenna exhibiting a predetermined first functional dependence dependent on a position of the first movable portion along the first motion path and on the transceiver position;
a first signal transmitting unit which is configured to emit a non-wire-based first transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal that is associatable with the first antenna and carries information regarding the first antenna signal, the transceiver furthermore being configured to receive the first transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal; and
a signal evaluation unit, the signal evaluation unit being configured to determine the position of the first movable portion along the first motion path on the basis of the first transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal, the first functional dependence, and the transceiver position;
wherein the apparatus encompassing a first antenna signal circuit that is electrically coupled to the first antenna and is configured to detect at least one first characteristic variable that is characteristic of the first antenna signal and is suitable as a basis for a determination of the position of the first movable portion along the first motion path, and is configured to emit the detected first characteristic variable in encoded fashion as a first transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal using the first signal transmitting unit;
the first antenna being electrically coupled to a first electrical load in order to supply the first electrical load with energy, and when power is transferred by the predetermined transmitted transceiver signal to the first antenna, the first characteristic variable for the first antenna signal being a power level transferred from the first antenna to the first electrical load, in particular an effective value of that power level.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further encompassing at least one actuator to which control can be applied by a vehicle system or by a user.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic variable for the first antenna signal being a voltage tapped at the first antenna, in particular an effective value of that voltage.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further encompassing:
a second movable portion movable with respect to the apparatus frame along a second motion path;
a second antenna configured to receive the transmitted transceiver signal and arranged on the second movable portion for motion together therewith, a second antenna signal, induced by the predetermined transmitted transceiver signal, of the second antenna exhibiting a predetermined second functional dependence dependent on a position of the second movable portion along the second motion path and on the transceiver position;
a second signal transmitting unit which is configured to emit a non-wire-based second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal that is associatable with the second antenna and carries information regarding the second antenna signal; and
the transceiver furthermore being configured to receive the second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal;
the signal evaluation unit being configured to determine the position of the second movable portion along the second motion path on the basis of the second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal, the second functional dependence, and the transceiver position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first antenna signal circuit and/or the first antenna being arranged on or in the first movable portion, and/or the second antenna signal circuit and/or the second antenna being arranged on or in the second movable portion.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the transceiver being embodied as part of at least one of an actuator of the first movable portion, the second movable portion, a control unit and an LED control unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first antenna signal circuit and/or the first antenna being arranged on or in the first movable portion, and/or the second antenna signal circuit and/or the second antenna being arranged on or in the second movable portion, and being arranged by at least one of using an injection molding method, being molded on and being injection-embedded.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further encompassing:
a second movable portion movable with respect to the apparatus frame along a second motion path;
a second antenna configured to receive the transmitted transceiver signal and arranged on the second movable portion for motion together therewith, a second antenna signal, induced by the predetermined transmitted transceiver signal, of the second antenna exhibiting a predetermined second functional dependence dependent on a position of the second movable portion along the second motion path and on the transceiver position;
a second signal transmitting unit which is configured to emit a non-wire-based second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal that is associatable with the second antenna and carries information regarding the second antenna signal;
the transceiver furthermore being configured to receive the second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal;
the signal evaluation unit being configured to determine the position of the second movable portion along the second motion path on the basis of the second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal, the second functional dependence, and the transceiver position;
the apparatus encompassing a second antenna signal circuit that is electrically coupled to the second antenna and is configured to detect at least one second characteristic variable that is characteristic of the second antenna signal and is suitable as a basis for a determination of the position of the second movable portion along the second motion path, and
is configured to emit the detected second characteristic variable in encoded fashion, as a second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal using the second signal transmitting unit, the transceiver being configured to exchange data with the first antenna signal circuit and with the second antenna signal circuit using a routing principle in such a way that using those data, the transceiver and/or the signal evaluation unit is configured to associate the first transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal with the first antenna and the second transmitted signal-transmitting-unit signal with the second antenna.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the second antenna signal circuit is configured to emit the detected second characteristic variable in a digitally encoded fashion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first antenna signal circuit and/or the first antenna being arranged on or in the first movable portion.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver being embodied as part of at least one of an actuator of the first movable portion, a control un

Assignees

• Roechling Automotive Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Solazzo Domenico
• Dill Peter

Classifications

• B60K11/085 Primary

  with adjustable shutters or blinds · CPC title

• B60Y2400/302

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• B62D35/00 Primary

  Vehicle bodies characterised by streamlining · CPC title

• B62D35/005

  Front spoilers (B62D35/001 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01P7/10

  by throttling amount of air flowing through liquid-to-air heat exchangers · CPC title