Device for monitoring a member on a motor vehicle, and a system comprising a member and a device for monitoring such a member

• Main Author: GRANDO JEROME
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.05.2006
• Subjects: ALARM SYSTEMS; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING ORSUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES INGENERAL; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION,OR SHOCK; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR

The present invention relates to a device for monitoring a member that is stationary relative to a motor vehicle, the member having at least one position for proper operation, and a position in which it does not operate properly. The device comprises: measurement means suitable for measuring a geometrical magnitude characteristic of the position of at least a portion of the member relative to another stationary member of the vehicle, and for delivering a signal; comparator means connected to the measurement means and suitable for comparing the signal with a set of reference signals corresponding to at least one position for proper operation, said set being stored in the comparator means and supplying a positive result when the measured signal forms part of the set of reference signals, and otherwise supplying a negative result; and warning means connected to the comparator means and suitable for triggering a malfunction alert when the result supplied by the comparator means is negative.