Vehicle door control device and vehicle door handle device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404705-B2
Application number	US-202117907086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle door control device 1 according to the present invention relates to a vehicle door control device 1 for controlling opening and closing of a door of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle door control device 1 comprises: a handle member 30 attached to the door; an entry detection sensor 31 for detecting entry of an object into a space between the door and the handle member 30 ; an external force detection sensor 32 for detecting application of an external force to the handle member 30 ; and a circuit portion 4 connected to the entry detection sensor 31 and the external force detection sensor 32 , the circuit portion 4 releasing a latch of the door when the external force detection sensor 32 detects the application of the external force and the entry detection sensor 31 detects the entry of the object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle door control device for controlling opening and closing of a door of a vehicle,
wherein the vehicle door control device comprises:
a handle member attached to the door;
an entry detection sensor for detecting entry of an object into a space between the door and the handle member;
an external force detection sensor for detecting application of an external force to the handle member,
the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor disposed together with the external force detection sensor closer to an outer surface of the handle and the entry detection sensor closer an inner surface of the handle; and
a circuit portion connected to the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor, the circuit portion signals a drive assembly to release a latch of the door when the door is unlocked, and the external force detection sensor detects the application of the external force and the entry detection sensor detects the entry of the object,
wherein the circuit portion unlocks the door when the entry detection sensor detects the entry of the object while the door is locked.

2. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1 , wherein the external force detection sensor is an inductive sensor.

3. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1 , wherein the entry detection sensor is an electrostatic capacitive proximity sensor.

4. A vehicle door control device for controlling opening and closing of a door of a vehicle,
wherein the vehicle door control device comprises:
a handle member attached to the door;
an entry detection sensor for detecting entry of an object into a space between the door and the handle member:
an external force detection sensor for detecting application of an external force to the handle member,
the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor disposed together with the external force detection sensor closer to an outer surface of the handle and the entry detection sensor closer an inner surface of the handle; and
a circuit portion connected to the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor, the circuit portion signals a drive assembly to release a latch of the door when the door is unlocked, and the external force detection sensor detects the application of the external force and the entry detection sensor detects the entry of the object,
wherein the circuit portion locks the door when the entry detection sensor does not detect the entry of the object and the external force detection sensor detects the application of the external force while the door is unlocked.

5. The vehicle door control device according to claim 4 , wherein the external force detection sensor is an inductive sensor.

6. The vehicle door control device according to claim 4 , wherein the entry detection sensor is an electrostatic capacitive proximity sensor.

7. A vehicle door control device for controlling opening and closing of a door of a vehicle,
wherein the vehicle door control device comprises:
a handle member attached to the door;
an electronic key;
an entry detection sensor for detecting entry of an object into a space between the door and the handle member;
an external force detection sensor for detecting application of an external force to the handle member; and
a circuit portion connected to the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor,
the circuit portion being configured to perform a first control operation wherein authentication of the electronic key occurs before the entry detection sensor can detect the entry of the object or a second control operation wherein authentication of the electronic key occurs after the entry detection sensor detects the entry of the object,
in either the first or the second control operation, the door is unlocked by authentication of the electronic key and the entry detection sensor detecting the entry of the object, and
after the door is unlocked, the circuit portion being configured to signal a drive assembly to release a latch of the door when the door is unlocked, and the external force detection sensor detects the application of the external force and the entry detection sensor detects the entry of the object.

8. The vehicle door control device according to claim 7 , wherein the circuit portion locks the door when the entry detection sensor does not detect the entry of the object and the external force detection sensor detects the application of the external force while the door is unlocked.

9. The vehicle door control device according to claim 7 , wherein the external force detection sensor is an inductive sensor.

10. The vehicle door control device according to claim 7 , wherein the entry detection sensor is an electrostatic capacitive proximity sensor.

11. The vehicle door control device according to claim 7 , wherein, in the first control operation, the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor are not activated until authentication of the electronic key, after which the circuit portion activates the entry detection sensor and the external force detection sensor.

12. The vehicle door control device according to claim 11 , wherein, in the second control operation, the entry detection sensor is activated before authentication of the electronic key.

Assignees

• Alpha Corp

Inventors

• Ishii Shun
• Sakakura Hiroaki

Classifications

• E05B85/10

  Handles · CPC title

• E05B81/56

  Control of actuators · CPC title

• E05B81/78

  as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation · CPC title

• E05B81/77 Primary

  comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user · CPC title

• E05B81/76 Primary

  Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles · CPC title