Abstract: A device for controlling a movable member for closing or clearing an opening, such as a sliding roof or a window in a door of a vehicle, a direct-current motor being arranged for driving the movable member, and detection means being arranged for detecting a body being caught between the movable member and an edge of the opening. The detection means are arranged to measure the motor current flowing through the direct-current motor and, upon detection of a predetermined increase of the motor current, or a related quantity, to provide a body-caught detection signal. Further, a position sensor is provided, which can measure the displacement of the movable member. A body-caught detection signal is transmitted only after the position sensor has indicated that the movable member has begun to move.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for realizing a highly compact system for determining a position. This position-determination method can be used for measuring the displacement of the panel of a sliding roof, or the displacement of a window in a side-window control in a motorcar. In general, this method can be used for measuring displacements of objects. For determining a position, a gear wheel is used which is driven by the drive cable and which drives, by means of an eccentric, a second wheel having substantially the same center as the first wheel. As a result, this second wheel rotates much more slowly than the first wheel. Mounted on a ring on the first wheel are crenellations which rotate through an optical slotted sensor whereby incremental position information is provided. On a concentric second ring on the wheel, with only one crenellation, another slotted sensor is disposed, which provides a reference pulse which, however, occurs several times over the total distance.