Claims:I claim:
1. A device (11) to control an actuator (16) in a vehicle, said device (11) comprising :
-a first sensor (12) to detect an open condition of a door of said vehicle;
-a second sensor (20) to detect whether said actuator (16) is present in a reference position;
-a control unit (14) to transmit a drive signal to said actuator (16) to move to said reference position based on an output from said first sensor (12) and said second sensor (20).
2. The device (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first sensor (12) is a motion detection sensor, a door open switch and the like.
3. The device (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second sensor (20) is a position sensor which detects said presence of said actuator (16) at said reference position.
4. The device (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second sensor (20) transmits an alert signal to said control unit (14) if said actuator (16) is not present in said reference position.
5. The device (11) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator (16) drives at least one component of the vehicle.
6. The device (11) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one component of the vehicle is an electronic clutch, a throttle valve, an exhaust flap or the like.
7. A method of controlling an actuator of a vehicle, wherein said method comprising :
-detecting an open condition of a door of a vehicle;
- detecting whether said actuator (16) is present in a reference position;
- transmitting a drive signal to said actuator (16) to move to said reference position based on an output from a first sensor (12) and a second sensor (20).
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said method comprising a step of transmitting an alert signal if said actuator (16) is not present in said reference position.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said actuator (16) drives at least one component of said vehicle including an electronic clutch, a throttle valve, an exhaust flap or the like.
, Description:Field of the invention
[0001] This disclosure relates to a device to activate an actuator in a vehicle. More particularly, it relates to activating an actuator of vehicular components such as electronic clutch, throttle valve, exhaust flap, etc., in a vehicle.
Background of the invention:
[0002] Current clutch control systems uses motors to engage and disengage the clutch assembly that require high torque and high currents. A typical automatic clutch system includes a controller which controls the motor on the basis of a gear-shift condition, an engine rotation speed, and a vehicle speed so as to smoothly engage or disengage the clutch. Conventional automatic clutch system requires installation of a large-force assist spring in the gear unit. For automated manual transmissions, the clutch is opened by an electromechanical clutch actuator. Once the clutch is opened, the shift operations within the gearbox are taken over by an electromechanical transmission actuator. The clutch mounted between the engine and the gear box is automatically engaged/disengaged by a microcontroller which immediately disengages the clutch when a gear shift is operated.

[0003] A WO 1994028328 patent application document discloses a clutch control system for a motor vehicle having an electrical system including an ignition switch, a hydraulic power circuit, an electrically driven pump, an accumulator, a clutch actuator and at least one sensor for sensing a predetermined vehicle condition and a control unit which controls the actuator in response to sensed conditions of the associated vehicle to operate an associated clutch.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
[0004] An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a device to activate an actuator in a vehicle in accordance with this an embodiment of the invention; and
[0006] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method of working of a device to activate an actuator in a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Detailed description of the embodiments
[0007] Figure 1 illustrates a device 11 to activate an actuator 16 in a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The device 11 comprises a first sensor 12 to detect an open condition of a door of a vehicle and a second sensor 20 to detect whether the actuator 16 is present in a reference position. The device 11 further comprises a control unit 14 to transmit a drive signal to the actuator 16 to move to the reference position based on an output from the first sensor 12 and the second sensor 20.
[0008] Further construction of the device 11 to activate the actuator 16 in a vehicle, and the components of the device 11 are explained as follows.
[0009] The actuator 16 can be an electric motor or any other drive unit for actuating vehicular components like an electronic clutch, a throttle valve, an exhaust flap or the like. The actuator 16 of any of these components has to complete a reference run in order to move itself to the initial position or reference position, so that the position of the actuator 16 is calibrated before it is actuated and further controlled. This reference has to be done beforehand so that it is ready to drive the vehicular component without any delay.
[00010] For example, an electronic clutch control system in a vehicle must know the position of the actuator of electronic clutch before the activating the clutch. It is normally done, after the ignition key is turned on. Therefore it delays the starting of the clutch control system. However present invention addresses this problem by making the actuator to perform the reference run before turning on the ignition key.
[00011] The first sensor 12 which is placed in at least one part of the vehicle door is connected to the control unit 14. In an example, the first sensor 12 detects whether the driver side door is opened or not. Examples of the first sensor can include but not limited to a motion detection sensor, a door open switch, etc. Opening of the vehicle door is detected by the output of the first sensor 12. Further the control unit 20 can also distinguish whether the door is opened for a possible starting of the vehicle. For instance, the control unit 20 has all the data related to engine driving cycle (i.e., the control unit 14 detects the completion of an engine driving cycle when the engine is switched off and the vehicle door is operated), an engine start and engine switch off condition. Therefore, when the driver-side door is opened after a elapse of particular time from the previous engine switch off condition, then the control unit 20 can understand that the driver side door is opened and possibly the vehicle may be started by the driver.
[00012] The second sensor 20 is placed in proximal to the actuator 16 to detect whether the actuator 16 is in the reference position or not. The second sensor 20 is a position sensor and it can be a wireless or wired sensor. The second sensor 20 is connected to the control unit 14 to transmit an information regarding a positon of the actuator 16.
[00013] The control unit 20 can be an electronic control unit, body control module, an engine management system of the vehicle. The control unit 20 transmits a drive signal to the actuator so that it can move to the reference position, when the first sensor 12 detects the opening of driver-side door and the second sensor 20 detects that the actuator 16 is not in the reference position. This is done to calibrate the position of the actuator 16.
[00014] In one embodiment of the invention, the actuator 16 is a clutch actuator for an electronic clutch 18 in a clutch control system 10. The first sensor 12 transmits a signal to the control unit 14 when the door is detected in the open state. The first sensor 12 generates a first output which is a voltage pulse of a predefined amplitude when it detects the open state and the generated voltage pulse is transmitted to the control unit 14. Upon receiving the signal from the first sensor 12, the control unit 14 signals the second sensor 20 to check for the presence of the actuator 16 in the reference position. The control unit 14 receives a second output from the second sensor 20 when the actuator 16 is not in the reference position.
[00015] Depending on the first output and the second output generated from the first sensor 12 and the second sensor 20, the control unit 14 transmits the drive signal to the clutch actuator 16 to move it to the reference position, if the actuator 16 is away from the reference position. The clutch actuator 16 after moving to the reference position, will actuate the electronic clutch 18 as per the control unit request. The movement of the actuator 16 to the reference position is called a reference run which is performed prior to the operation of the engine crank. If the actuator 16 has not moved to the reference position upon receiving the drive signal from the control unit 14, the second sensor 20 transmits an alert signal to the control unit 14 regarding the position of the clutch actuator 16.
[00016] In another embodiment of the invention, the actuator 16 is a throttle valve actuator. Before the ignition is turned ON, the actuator 16 is in the closed position. (Even the in the closed position, the throttle valve is designed in such a way that, some air is allowed to flow into an intake manifold). When a new ignition request (i.e., when an ignition key is inserted) is generated, a throttle valve will move from a closed position to an open position and vice versa, to clear any obstacles like ice or dust.
[00017] The first sensor 14 detects the open state of the vehicle door and transmits a signal to the control unit 16. The control unit 14 receives a signal from the second sensor 16 regarding the positon of the throttle valve. The control unit transmits the drive signal to the actuator 16 if the first sensor detects the open state of the vehicle door and the second sensor 18 detects that the actuator 16 is not in the reference positon (i.e. closed position). The actuator 16 moves to the reference position upon receiving the drive signal from the control unit14. The second sensor 20 is a dual potentiometer sensor which is used to sense the position of the actuator 16 and the throttle valve. The actuator will be ready in a position to open the throttle valve quickly; as a result, the engine will be switched ON very fast.
[00018] In another embodiment, the actuator 16 is present in the exhaust flap control system. The control unit 14 transmits the drive signal to the actuator 16 to move to the reference position to operate the exhaust flap upon receiving the output from the first sensor 12 and the second sensor 20. The first sensor 12 and the second sensor 20 operating methodology will be same as in the process explained in the above embodiments.
[00019] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method of controlling an actuator 16 in a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In step S1, an open condition of a door of a vehicle is detected. For example, the opening of driver-side door is detected by a first sensor 12. In step S2, presence of the actuator 16 in a reference position is detected. In step S3, a drive signal is transmitted to the actuator 16 to move to the reference position based on an output from a first sensor 12 and a second sensor 20.
[00020] With the above device 11 and the method disclosed, the clutch control system 10 is activated in a less amount of time. The clutch control system 10 will not delay the cranking of an engine after an ignition switch is switched on. After successful completion of the movement of the actuator 16 to the reference position, the actuator 16 will be ready to operate according to the clutch position signal. Activating the actuator 16 prior to the operation of the engine helps in disengaging the clutch 18 during cranking and in reducing the transmission load on the engine which in turn increases the start time of the engine.
[00021] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.