The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2001
Takehito Sugawara, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides a power window system, by which it is possible to reliably detect that a foreign object is caught in a car window even during the period from the time of starting of a motor to the time when stable operation of the window is reached, and also, it is possible to minimize erroneous detection. The power window system of the present invention includes a pulse generator for generating repeated pulses in response to rotation of a motor, and a control unit for judging that a foreign object is caught in the window. The control unit divides the period of operation into three periods to match the characteristics during the starting of the power window system, i.e. a first period from the starting of the motor to the initiation of upward or downward movement of the window, a second period to the time point when the window reaches and maintains stable operation, and a third period after the second period. In the first and the second periods, one cycle immediately before the repeated pulses is compared with the next half cycle. In the third period, a half cycle immediately before is compared with the next half cycle to judge whether a foreign object is caught in the window or not.