Claims
- 1. A control system for a vehicle having a convertible top comprising a plurality of articulating support members and a tonneau cover, said control system comprising:
- a plurality of motive means for moving said support members and said tonneau cover to open and close said convertible top;
- a plurality of sensing means connected to certain of said support members and to said tonneau cover for sensing the position of said members and said tonneau cover throughout their range of motion; and
- control means for interpreting said sensed positions and for commanding said motive means to move said members and said tonneau cover in accordance with predetermined movements based upon said interpreted sensed positions, said control means further adapted for logging errors whenever said members and said tonneau cover do not move in accordance with said predetermined movements.
- 2. A control system set forth in claim 1 wherein said predetermined movements comprise a series of sequential movements, wherein each movement of said series movements is adapted to prevent said members and said tonneau cover from colliding with one another, and wherein when said interpreted sensed positions indicate a collision is imminent, said control means commands said motive means to move said members and said tonneau cover to corrective positions where no collision is possible.
- 3. A control system as set forth in claim 2 wherein, after said control means has commanded said motive means to move said members and said control cover to one of said corrective positions and said interpreted sensed positions indicate said members and said tonneau sever have not reached said corrective position, said control means logs misalignment error.
- 4. A control system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said control means is further adapted to measure the torque loading of said motive means, and wherein said control means commands said motive means to cease movement of said convertible top when said interpreted sensed positions indicate said convertible top is in a fully extended position when said control system was moving said convertible top from a retracted to an extended position and said measured torque exceeds a predetermined torque for a predetermined length of time, and wherein said control means commands said motive means to cease movement of said convertible top when said interpreted sensed positions indicate said convertible top is in a fully retracted position when said control system was moving said convertible top from said extended position to said retracted position and said measured torque exceeds said predetermined torque for said predetermined length of time.
- 5. A control means as set forth in claim 4 wherein said control means logs an overload error whenever said measured torque exceeds said predetermined torque for said predetermined length of time and said interpreted sensed positions indicate said convertible top is not in said fully extended position or said fully retracted position.
- 6. A method for commanding movement of a convertible top and for monitoring positional information of said convertible top as it is extended and retracted, said method comprising:
- determining the desired direction of motion as being either extend or retract;
- determining the position of said convertible top;
- commanding said convertible top to move toward said extended position when said desired direction of motion is extend and commanding said convertible top to move toward said retracted position when said desired direction of motion is retract;
- commanding said convertible top to cease moving when said determined position indicates said convertible top is in said extended position and said convertible top was being commanded to move toward said extended position, and commanding said convertible top to cease moving when said determined position indicates said convertible top is in said retracted position and said convertible top was being commanded to move toward said retracted position;
- commanding said convertible top to move toward neutral positions when said determined position indicates said convertible top is not moving toward said extended or said retracted position in accordance with predetermined normal positions; and
- logging errors whenever said determined position indicates said convertible top cannot move toward said extended position when being commanded to move toward said extended position and when said determined position indicates said convertible top cannot move toward said retracted position when being commanded to move toward said retracted position.
- 7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said method further comprises:
- monitoring the torque exerted when moving said convertible top;
- commanding said convertible top to cease moving when said determined position indicates said convertible top is in said extended position and said monitored torque exceeds a predetermined threshold for a predetermined length of time and said convertible top was being commanded to move toward said extended position, and commanding said convertible top to cease moving when said determined position indicates said convertible top is in said retracted position and said monitored torque exceeds said predetermined threshold for said predetermined length of time and said convertible top was being commanded to move toward said retracted position; and
- logging errors whenever said monitored torque exceeds said predetermined threshold for said predetermined length of time and said determined position indicates said convertible top is not in said extended or retracted position.
- 8. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means inhibits said convertible top from raising or lowering if said vehicle is moving.
- 9. A control system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said control means monitors a transmission shift lever to determine if said vehicle is moving.
- 10. A control system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said control means monitors wheel speed to determine if said vehicle is moving.
- 11. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means inhibits a trunk lid of said vehicle from opening when said convertible top is raising or lowering.
- 12. A control system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said control means inhibits said trunk lid from opening by disabling a power trunk release.
- 13. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one window of said vehicle is automatically lowered by said control means when said convertible top is set in motion.
- 14. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of motive means includes a plurality of DC motors, wherein said plurality of DC motors can be manually back driven in the event of an electrical system failure.
- 15. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means employs a current wetting scheme during power-up of said control means, said current wetting scheme providing a short burst of electrical current through said motive means to ensure that connectors and relay contact points of said motive means do not become corroded.
- 16. A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means transmits a status signal to an alarm system of said vehicle indicating whether said convertible top is up or down.
- 17. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said method further comprises:
- determining whether a vehicle containing said convertible top is moving; and
- inhibiting said convertible top from raising or lowering if said vehicle is moving.
- 18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said method further comprises inhibiting a trunk lid of said vehicle from opening when said convertible top is raising or lowering.
- 19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:
- providing a short burst of electrical current through a motive means to ensure that connectors and relay contact points of said motive means do not become corroded.
- 20. A control system for lowering and raising a convertible top in a vehicle, said control system comprising:
- a plurality of motive means for raising and lowering said convertible top;
- a plurality of sensing means connected to said convertible top and to said vehicle for sensing the position of said convertible top throughout its range of motion and the speed of said vehicle;
- control means for interpreting said sensed positions of said convertible top and said vehicle speed, wherein said control means commands said motive means to move said convertible top in accordance with predetermined movements based upon said sensed positions if the speed of said vehicle is zero, said predetermined movements including a series of sequential movements, wherein each sequential movement of said series is adapted to prevent members of said convertible top from colliding with one another, and wherein when said sensed positions indicate a collision is imminent, said control means commands said motive means to move members of said convertible top to corrective positions where no collision is possible.
- 21. A control system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said convertible top includes a plurality of articulating support members and a tonneau cover member.
- 22. A control system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said control means is further adapted for logging errors whenever members of said convertible top do not move in accordance with said predetermined movements.
- 23. A control system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said control means is further adapted to measure the torque loading of said motive means, and wherein said control means commands said motive means to cease movement of said convertible top when said sensed positions indicate said convertible top is in a fully extended position when said control system was moving said convertible top from a retracted to an extended position and said measured torque exceeds a predetermined torque for a predetermined length of time, and wherein said control means commands said motive means to cease movement of said convertible top when said sensed positions indicate said convertible top is in a fully retracted position when said control system was moving said convertible top from said extended position to said retracted position and said measured torque exceeds said predetermined torque for said predetermined length of time.
Parent Case Info
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 817299 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,747, filed Jan. 6, 1992, for "Single-Button Actuated Self-Correcting Automatic Convertible Top", by James A. Helms and George A. Alderton, IV and assigned to the present assignee.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
817299 |
Jan 1992 |
|