A control system 400 controls the opening of a vehicle charge port cover 200, or a vehicle fuel tank cover, and includes one or more controllers. The controller receives status data indicative of a current operational status of the vehicle. The status signal may relate to one of: ignition, gear selector, parking brake, driver seat sensor, vehicle speed, vehicle door opening or vehicle door lock. The controller determines a parking status of the vehicle in dependence on the status data, and outputs a cover opening signal to instruct the cover to be opened in dependence on the parking status. An actuator 300 opens the cover upon receiving a cover opening signal from the control system. The controller may output the cover opening signal in dependence on a received signal, indicative of a current location of the vehicle. The controller may output the cover opening signal in dependence on route planning information received from a vehicle navigation system. The controller may output a signal to instruct the cover to be closed in dependence on a connection signal, output from the control system, when a connector sensor 210 detects a presence of a charging connector in a charge port, or a fuel nozzle in a fuel tank, of the vehicle. The controller may output the cover closing signal in dependence on a cover status period signal, provided by a timer 450, and indicative of a time period that has lapsed since outputting the cover opening signal.
Automated charge port or fuel tank cover
2020-11-11
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
European Patent Office | 2018
|