Method for operating a motor vehicle locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559996-B2
Application number	US-202117801960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2021
Priority date	Feb 25, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method of operating a motor vehicle locking system including an electric drive for providing a locking function, a central battery of the motor vehicle supplies electrical energy to the electric drive during normal operation, an auxiliary energy supply supplies electrical energy to the central battery and is arranged in a closure arrangement of the motor vehicle, the closure element is configured to assume an open and a closed position. Access to the auxiliary energy supply is blocked by the closure element in the closed position and cleared in the open position. The central battery is monitored by a control unit to check whether an emergency operation criterion is satisfied. The closure element is locked in the closed position by means of a lock unit, and when the emergency operation criterion is satisfied, the lock unit is actuated by the control unit to unlock the closure element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a motor vehicle locking system, the motor vehicle locking system including an electric drive configured to provide a motorized locking function for the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including a central battery configured to supply the electric drive with electrical energy during normal operation, the method comprising:
assuming, by a closure element, an open position in which access to an auxiliary energy supply is blocked by the closure element; assuming, by the closure element, an open position in which access to the auxiliary energy supply is enabled by the closure, the auxiliary energy supply arranged in the closure element; monitoring, by a control unit, to check whether an emergency operation criterion is met; blocking, by a blocking unit, the closure element in the closed position so that the closure element is in a blocked state; and unblocking the closure element by actuating the control unit to unblock the closure element starting from the blocked state, in response to the emergency operation criterion being met; wherein the auxiliary energy supply is either a plug socket configured for connection to an external energy source to supply electrical energy from the external energy source or an electrical generator provided with a movement element, configured generate electrical energy in response to movement of the movement element by an operator.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unblocking step is accomplished by providing energy stored in an electrical energy store to the blocking unit so that the blocking unit is unblocked by means of the energy stored in the energy store.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
charging, by the control unit during normal operation, the electrical energy store, wherein the electrical energy store is configured to be rechargeable.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
electrically connecting, by the control unit, the auxiliary energy supply to at least one of the central battery and the motor vehicle locking system, wherein the blocking step includes electrically disconnecting the auxiliary energy supply from the central battery and the motor vehicle locking system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the assuming the open position step includes the closure element assuming a pre-latching position as the open position, and the unblocking step includes the blocking element transferring the closure element from the closed position into the pre-latching position.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
blocking the closure element to prevent the closure element from moving from the pre-latching position to a more open position.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a position of the closure element so that the closure element remains in the closed position, wherein the maintaining step is accomplished after the unblocking step.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the emergency operation criterion being met, wherein the emergency operation criterion is at least partially based on a state variable of the central battery falling below a specified limit.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the emergency operation criterion being met step includes the state variable falling below the specified limit for a specified minimum time period and/or the state variable follows a specified time curve.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the blocking unit includes a bistable blocking element, and wherein the unblocking step includes moving the bistable blocking element from a first stable position into a second stable position.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
actuating a motor vehicle lock, wherein the motor vehicle locking system includes the motor vehicle lock and the motor vehicle lock is configured to lock and unlock an adjustment element of the motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle lock includes a lock catch, configured for holding engagement with a locking part, and a pawl associated with the lock catch.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
changing, by the electric drive, a locking state of the motor vehicle lock to perform a locking function.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the actuating step includes actuating the electric drive to close the vehicle lock to perform the locking function.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting the adjustment element of the motor vehicle by actuating the electric drive to provide motorized adjustment of the adjustment element of the motor vehicle.

15 . A motor vehicle configured to perform the method of claim 1 .

16 . The motor vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the motor vehicle includes an electrical energy store and the electrical energy store includes a capacitor.

17 . The motor vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the closure element is a door or a door operating element.

18 . The motor vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the capacitor is comprised of at least one of a ceramic capacitor and a double layer capacitor.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the closure element, by the blocking unit, from the closed position to the pre-latching position, wherein the moving step is accomplished after the unblocking step.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile Se & Co Kg Bamberg

Inventors

• Pohl Florian
• MüLLER ALEXANDER

Classifications

• E05B83/34

  for fuel inlet covers essentially flush with the vehicle surface · CPC title

• E05B81/86

  using capacitors · CPC title

• E05B81/16

  operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action · CPC title

• B60R25/403

  Power supply in the vehicle · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title