Method and apparatus for controlling auxiliary step rotated in association with door opening angle of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637057-B2
Application number	US-201514943173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A method for controlling an auxiliary step rotated in association with a door opening angle of a vehicle may include a start step of sensing the door opening angle of a door of the vehicle, a first determination step of determining whether the sensed door opening angle is zero, a second determination step of determining whether the sensed door opening angle is less than a preset reference angle, when the sensed door opening angle is not zero, and a first control step of rotating the auxiliary step by the sensed door opening angle, when the sensed door opening angle is less than the reference angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an auxiliary step rotated in association with a door opening angle of a vehicle, the method comprising:
a start step of sensing the door opening angle of a door of the vehicle;
a first determination step of determining whether the sensed door opening angle is zero;
a second determination step of determining whether the sensed door opening angle is less than a preset reference angle when the sensed door opening angle is not zero; and
a first control step of rotating the auxiliary step by the sensed door opening angle when the sensed door opening angle is less than the preset reference angle,
wherein when the sensed door opening angle is between zero and the preset reference angle, the auxiliary step is rotated by a same angle as the sensed door opening angle.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second control step of maintaining a state in which the auxiliary step is not rotated or returning the auxiliary step to the state in which the auxiliary step is not rotated when the sensed door opening angle is zero.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second control step is performed when the sensed door opening angle is greater than or equal to the preset reference angle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset reference angle is a maximum angle at which the door can be opened.

5. An apparatus for controlling an auxiliary step rotated in association with a door opening angle of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a storage medium configured to store program instructions for executing the method for controlling the auxiliary step rotated in association with the door opening angle of the vehicle according to claim 1 ;
a sensor configured to sense the door opening angle of a door of the vehicle;
an auxiliary step configured to be rotated in association with the door opening angle;
a motor arranged on a hinge shaft of the auxiliary step and configured to rotate the auxiliary step; and
a controller configured to control the motor according to the program instructions stored in the storage medium based on the door opening angle sensed by the sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a hinge part rotatably coupling a body of the vehicle and the door.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the hinge part includes a hinge fixation part fixed to the body of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the hinge part further includes a hinge rotation part fixed to the door and configured to rotate with respect to the hinge fixation part.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sensor includes a first sensor mounted on the hinge fixation part.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the sensor further includes a second sensor mounted on the hinge rotation part.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the door opening angle is sensed according to a relative positional difference between the first and second sensors.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for controlling an auxiliary step rotated in association with a door opening angle of a vehicle, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that determine whether a sensed door opening angle of a door of the vehicle is zero;
program instructions that determine whether the sensed door opening angle is less than a preset reference angle when the sensed door opening angle is not zero; and
program instructions that rotate the auxiliary step by the sensed door opening angle when the sensed door opening angle is less than the preset reference angle,
wherein when the sensed door opening angle is between zero and the preset reference angle, the auxiliary step is rotated by a same angle as the sensed door opening angle.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Myung-Kyu

Classifications

• B60R3/02 Primary

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R3/007 Primary

  Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005) · CPC title