Vehicle door handle with antenna arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351101-B2
Application number	US-201815910541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle door handle for use on a motor vehicle includes a handle and a handle support, the handle being mounted in the handle support, the handle is configured in the form of an elongated body, with a first end section, a second end section and a gripping section. Bearing sections project into the handle support and are supported there. In a cavity of the handle, an antenna for UWB signal transmission is arranged and coupled with a control circuit. In a further development of the invention, it is coupled with a proximity sensor. An authentication system and the use of an inventive vehicle door handle in an authentication system is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle door handle for use on a motor vehicle, the vehicle door handle including a handle and a handle support, the handle being mounted in the handle support,
the handle being configured in the form of an elongated body, with a first end section and a second end section and a gripping section, the gripping section being located between the first and second end sections in a middle section of the handle, with the first end section and the second end section each having bearing sections,
wherein the bearing sections of the handle first end section and the handle second end section project into the handle support and are supported there,
an antenna arranged in an inner cavity of the handle,
wherein the antenna is configured in the form of a UWB antenna for a UWB signal transmission in a UWB frequency range and wherein a control circuit for a transmission and reception operation is coupled with the antenna, and
wherein a capacitive or inductive proximity sensor is arranged in the inner cavity of the handle, and wherein the control circuit and the proximity sensor are coupled to each other, and wherein the control circuit is arranged to control the antenna and to set it into a communication-ready mode after the proximity sensor has detected an approach by an operator.

2. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is arranged in the inner cavity and has signal lines, which are guided to the handle support.

3. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle door handle is configured at least in certain areas with one or more non-metallic materials in such a way that a signal path without metallic shielding is available between the UWB antenna and the external surroundings.

4. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is accommodated outside the gripping section in one of the first and second end sections of the handle.

5. A vehicle door handle according to claim 4 , wherein an enclosure of the end section accommodating the antenna consists at least partly of one or more non-metallic materials.

6. A vehicle door handle according to claim 4 , wherein the handle is supported in movable fashion in the handle support,
the first end portion of the handle being formed as an actuating portion and the second end portion being formed as a pivot portion in such a way that the pivot portion and actuating portion are arranged at opposite ends of the handle,
the bearing section of the actuating section projecting into the handle carrier and being in mechanical operative connection there with actuating means to transmit movement of the handle to the actuating means,
the bearing section of the pivoting section being accommodated in a pivot bearing of the handle support so that the handle in the pivot bearing can be pivoted in a movement guided by the bearing section and the pivot bearing,
the antenna being accommodated in the pivoting section of the handle.

7. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured for a UWB signal transmission in a UWB frequency band from the frequency range between 30 MHz and 10.6 GHz.

8. A vehicle door handle according to claim 7 , wherein the UWB frequency band is in the range between 2.0 GHz and 8 GHz.

9. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured in the form of a conductor track on a circuit board.

10. A vehicle door handle according to claim 9 , wherein the antenna is arranged together with the control circuit on a common board.

11. A vehicle door handle according to claim 10 , wherein the circuit board is configured in the form of a circuit board that can be bent at least in certain areas for positioning the circuit board in the vehicle door handle.

12. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured in the form of a separate component spaced from the control circuit and/or the antenna is configured in the form of an equipped antenna.

13. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the end sections are configured in the form of integral extensions of the gripping section, wherein each end section is formed by a section of the handle, which has a length of less than 30 percent of the total length of the handle.

14. A vehicle door handle according to claim 13 , wherein each end section has a length of less than 20% of the total length of the handle.

15. A vehicle door handle according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the handle and the handle support is greater in the entire gripping section than in the first and second end sections.

16. Use of a vehicle door handle in an authentication system of a vehicle for authenticating a portable ID transmitter to the vehicle to enable vehicle functions for an operator carrying the portable ID transmitter,
wherein the vehicle door handle comprises a handle and a handle support, the handle being mounted in the handle support and being configured in the form of an elongated body, with a first end section, a second end section and a gripping section which is located between the first and second end sections in a middle section of the handle, wherein the first end section and the second end section each include bearing sections,
wherein the bearing sections of the handle first and second end sections project into the handle support are supported there,
an antenna arranged in an inner cavity of the handle, wherein the antenna is configured in the form of a UWB antenna for a UWB signal transmission in a UWB frequency range,
a control circuit for a transmission and reception operation which is coupled with the UWB antenna,
wherein the authentication system comprises the portable ID transmitter and an authentication arrangement on the side of the vehicle, the portable ID transmitter comprising at least one first ID transmitter UWB interface and the authentication arrangement comprising the UWB antenna which is part of a first vehicle UWB interface, and wherein the first ID transmitter UWB interface and the first vehicle UWB interface are arranged for UWB communication with each other.

17. An authentication system for a vehicle for authenticating a portable ID transmitter to the vehicle to enable vehicle functions for an operator carrying the portable ID transmitter, comprising:
a vehicle door handle including a handle and a handle support, the handle being mounted in the handle support and being configured in the form of an elongated body, with a first end section, a second end section and a gripping section which is located between the first and second end sections in the middle section of the handle, wherein the first end section and the second end section each include bearing sections,
wherein the bearing sections of the handle first and second end sections proiect into the handle support and are supported there,
an antenna arranged in an inner cavity of the handle, wherein the antenna is configured in the form of a UWB antenna for a UWB signal transmission in a UWB frequency range,
a control circuit for a transmission and reception operation which is coupled with the UWB antenna,
the authentication system comprising the portable ID transmitter and an authentication arrangement on the side of the vehicle, the portable ID transmitter comprising at least one first ID transmitter UWB interface and the authentication arrangement comprising a first vehicle UWB interface, including the UWB antenna arranged within the vehicle door handle, and wherein the first ID transmitter UWB interface and the first vehicle UWB inte

Assignees

• Neuhoff Stefan
• Schindler Mirko
• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Neuhoff Stefan
• Schindler Mirko

Classifications

• G07C9/22

  in combination with an identity check of the pass holder · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G07C2209/64

  using a proximity sensor · CPC title

• E05B85/00

  Details of vehicle locks not provided for in groups E05B77/00 - E05B83/00 · CPC title

• G07C9/00309

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title