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The apparatus and method includes a panel movable between at least two positions. An electric motor has a rotating armature. A multiple pole magnet is mounted on the armature. A sensor detects the passage of each magnet pole and generates an output signal. A control measures time periods between eac

The apparatus and method includes a panel movable between at least two positions. An electric motor has a rotating armature. A multiple pole magnet is mounted on the armature. A sensor detects the passage of each magnet pole and generates an output signal. A control measures time periods between each pole passage. An average time period is computed over a predetermined number of time periods. The difference between average time periods is computed and compared with a threshold difference to determine if an obstacle is present in the path of movement of the panel. Transient counts are accumulated for increasing average time periods over a number of time period samples as a measurement of the force exerted on an obstacle by the panel to detect an obstacle.

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1. A powered movable panel control apparatus for a panel movable between first and second positions by an electric motor having an armature coupled to the panel, the control apparatus comprising:means for detecting deceleration of a motor armature;timer means, responsive to the detecting means, for

1. A powered movable panel control apparatus for a panel movable between first and second positions by an electric motor having an armature coupled to the panel, the control apparatus comprising:means for detecting deceleration of a motor armature;timer means, responsive to the detecting means, for generating consecutive time periods between a predetermined amount of rotation of the armature over at least a portion of one complete revolution of the armature;means, responsive to the timer means, for calculating an average time period over the predetermined number of time periods;means, responsive to the average time period, for calculating the deceleration of the motor armature between two average time periods of the armature rotation;means for comparing the deceleration with a threshold defining normal motor decelerations resulting from motor armature load variations;means responsive to a comparison exceeding armature load threshold for classifying the deceleration as a relative deceleration with respect to the threshold;means for assigning a weighted value based on the relative deceleration with respect to the threshold;means for accumulating successive weighted values as a total cumulative weighted value;means for comparing the total cumulative value to a defined obstacle detection weighted value; andmeans, responsive to the comparing means, for generating a panel reverse movement signal when the total cumulative weighted value exceeds the defined obstacle detection weighted value. 2. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detecting means comprises:magnet means, adapted to be coupled to the armature, the magnet means having a plurality of poles; anda sensor detecting passage of each of the plurality of poles of the magnet means, and generating an output signal for each pole passage. 3. The control apparatus of claim 2 wherein:the average time period is calculated for the passage at least eight poles past the sensor. 4. The control apparatus of claim 3 wherein:the average time period is calculated for at least eight successive poles of a total of sixteen successive poles passing the sensor. 5. The control apparatus of claim 2 comprising:the time periods are defined by each edge transition of the output signal of the sensor. 6. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for calculating the average time period includes:means for calculating the average time period over a predetermined constant number of successive time periods. 7. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein:the threshold is adjustable by compensation factors. 8. The control apparatus of claim 7 wherein the compensation factors comprise:at least one of battery voltage, ambient temperature, motor binding positions, rough road conditions, end of travel engagement with seals, startup transient response, time based offset and position based offset. 9. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein the compensation factors comprise:the threshold being adjusted for at least one of the compensation factors. 10. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein:the values for the compensation factors for at least one of voltage and temperature are prestored in a lookup table for discrete values of voltage and temperature. 11. The control apparatus of claim 8 wherein:the values for the voltage and temperature are calculated for discrete values of voltage and temperature. 12. The control apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:means for detecting the speed of the motor armature; andmeans for generating a speed compensation factor for discrete speeds, the speed compensation factor replacing the voltage compensation factor during steady state operation of the motor armature. 13. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for calculating an average time period calculates the average time period between consecutive time periods. 14. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for classifying the relative deceleration further comprises:means for establishing a plur ality of ranges of relative deceleration magnitudes; andmeans for assigning a distinct weighted value to each range of the plurality of ranges. 15. The control apparatus of claim 14 wherein:the means for assigning discrete weight values which increase in magnitude in proportion to increasing magnitudes of relative deceleration with respect to the threshold. 16. The control apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:means for spacing each of the plurality of ranges apart by a bandwidth value. 17. The control apparatus of claim 16 wherein:the bandwidth values are constant between each of the plurality of ranges. 18. The control apparatus of claim 16 wherein:the magnitude of the bandwidths vary between at least two of the plurality of ranges. 19. The control apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:means for resetting the cumulative weight values to zero when the measured deceleration is below the threshold for a predetermined number of time periods. 20. A powered movable panel control apparatus for a panel movable between first and second positions by an electric motor having an armature coupled to panel, magnet means coupled to the armature and having a plurality of poles, and a sensor detecting passage of each of the plurality of poles of the magnet means and generating an output signal for each pole passage, the control apparatus comprising:means for determining deceleration of the motor armature;means for classifying a degree of relative deceleration with respect to a threshold defining a potential obstacle in the path of movement of a panel driven by the motor;means for assigning a weighted value to the relative deceleration of the motor armature;means for accumulating successive weighted values as a total cumulative weight value;means for comparing the total cumulative weighted value with a total cumulative weight defining an obstacle in the path of movement of the panel; andmeans for generating a signal to reverse the direction of panel movement when the total cumulative weighted value equals or exceeds a total cumulative weight defining an obstacle present. 21. A method for controlling panel movement employing an electric motor controlled by a control, the method comprising the steps of:determining the deceleration of the motor armature;calculating an average time period over a predetermined number of time periods;determining the deceleration of the motor between two selected time periods based on changes in the average time period;comparing the deceleration with a threshold defining an obstacle in the path of movement of the panel; andupon detecting a deceleration greater than or equal to the threshold, generating a signal to reverse the direction of movement of the panel. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of detecting a deceleration further comprises the steps of:establishing a ranking of relative deceleration magnitudes;assigning a distinct transient count to each ranked deceleration magnitude;adding the counts to obtain a total number of transient counts;continuously comparing the total transient count with a threshold count; anddetecting an obstacle in the path of movement of the panel when the transient count equals or exceeds the threshold count. 23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:increasing the ranked decelerations in magnitude above a threshold deceleration; andthe distinct transient counts increasing in magnitude from a threshold count. 24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:providing a threshold transient count. 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of:adjusting the threshold transient count for compensation factors. 26. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of:adjusting the ranked deceleration transient counts for the compensation factors. 27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of:adjusting each transient count by a threshold count plus the threshold count divided by four. 28. The method of claim 21 further comprising the ste p of:providing compensation factors for at least one of battery voltage, ambient temperature, panel binding positions, rough road conditions, end of travel engagement with seals, startup transient time, time based offset, and position based offset. 29. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining deceleration of the motor armature further comprises the steps of:establishing a ranking of relative deceleration magnitudes;assigning a distinct transient count to each ranked deceleration magnitude;adding the counts to obtain a total number of transient counts;continuously comparing the total transient count with a threshold count associated with an obstacle in the path of movement of the panel; anddetermining an obstacle present in the path of movement of the panel when the transient count equals or exceeds the threshold count. 30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the steps of:increasing the ranked decelerations in magnitude above a threshold deceleration; andthe distinct transient counts increasing in magnitude from a threshold count. 31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:providing a threshold transient count. 32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of:adjusting the threshold transient count for compensation factors. 33. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of:adjusting the ranked deceleration transient counts for the compensation factors. 34. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of:adjusting each transient count by a threshold count plus the threshold count divided by a constant. 35. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining the deceleration of the motor armature comprises the step of:determining successive time periods between the passage of at least one pole of a plurality of poles of a rotating motor armature past a sensor, the sensor generating an output signal on each detected pole passage.