Control system and method for opening tail gate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830754-B2
Application number	US-201514923013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A control method for opening a tail gate for a vehicle capable of performing an auto opening operation of the tail gate includes steps of primarily sensing an intention of a user carrying a smart key to open the tail gate and then performing secondary sensing to confirm whether a distance between the smart key and the tail gate is equal to or more than a predetermined distance. Thus, any damage or interference of the tail gate may be prevented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for opening a tail gate for a vehicle, comprising:
a distance sensing unit configured to primarily sense a smart key of a user within a first distance from a tail gate and to secondarily sense the smart key within a second distance from the tail gate, the first distance being less than the second distance;
an authentication receiving unit configured to receive authentication data of the smart key for opening the tail gate; and
a controller configured to instruct the tail gate to be automatically opened by determining that the primary sensing and the secondary sensing results by the distance sensing unit meet a predetermined pattern and confirming the authentication data by the authentication receiving unit,
wherein the distance sensing unit is adopted as a low frequency (LF) antenna which communicates with the smart key to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is equal to or less than a first predetermined distance and the second distance is equal to or less than a second predetermined distance.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the authentication receiving unit is adopted as an RF receiver which communicates with a smart key.

4. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an alarm unit configured to produce different alarm sounds and alarm illumination patterns at the time of the primary sensing and the secondary sensing.

5. A control method for opening a tail gate for a vehicle, comprising:
primarily sensing, by a distance sensing unit, a first distance between a smart key of a user and a tail gate, wherein the distance sensing unit is adopted as a low frequency (LF) antenna which communicates with the smart key to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate;
secondarily sensing, by the distance sensing unit, a second distance between the smart key and the tail gate, the second distance being greater than the first distance;
authenticating, by an authentication receiving unit, the smart key; and
performing, by a controller, a control to automatically open the tail gate after the secondary sensing ends and then the authentication of the smart key ends,
wherein the first distance is a distance to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate, the second distance is a distance to prevent a damage and an interference of the tail gate at the time of opening the tail gate.

6. The control method of claim 5 , wherein the first distance is a distance to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate and is equal to or less than a first predetermined distance and the second distance is a distance to prevent a damage and an interference of the tail gate at the time of opening the tail gate and is equal to or less than a second predetermined distance.

7. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the primary sensing, the first distance is first sensed once and then is further sensed a first predetermined number of times during a predetermined period, the ending of the primary sensing is satisfied.

8. The control method of claim 7 , further comprising:
when the first distance is first sensed once, outputting a welcome alarm; and
when the ending of the primary sensing is satisfied, further outputting an alarm having a period shorter than the welcome alarm.

9. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the primary sensing, the first distance is first sensed once and then is sensed three times or more while the first distance is further sensed the first predetermined number of times, the ending of the primary sensing is satisfied.

10. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the primary sensing, the first distance is first sensed once and then is not sensed continuously twice while the first distance is further sensed the first predetermined number of times, a primary sensing ending condition is not satisfied and thus the sensing of the first distance is reperformed.

11. The control method of claim 5 , wherein the secondary sensing is performed when the primary sensing results meet a predetermined pattern.

12. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the secondary sensing, the second distance which is a remote distance between the smart key and the tail gate is sensed continuously twice during a second predetermined period, the ending of the secondary sensing is satisfied.

13. The control method of claim 12 , wherein a twice alarm having a short period is performed when the secondary sensing starts and the twice alarm having the short period is further performed when the secondary sensing ends.

14. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the secondary sensing, the second distance which is the remote distance between the smart key and the tail gate is sensed once or more while the second distance is sensed continuously twice, the ending of the secondary sensing is satisfied.

15. The control method of claim 5 , wherein when in the secondary sensing, the second distance which is the remote distance between the smart key and the tail gate is not sensed continuously twice, the secondary sensing ending condition is not satisfied and thus the sensing of the first distance is again performed.

16. The control method of claim 5 , wherein after the secondary sensing ends and the authentication of the smart key ends, an alarm having a long period as an alarm for the opening of the tail gate is performed once.

17. A method for opening a tail gate for a vehicle, comprising:
upon detecting, by a distance sensing unit, that a smart key is at or within a predetermined first distance from the tail gate periodically checking whether the smart key is at or within the first predetermined distance from the tail gate during a first predetermined period, wherein the distance sensing unit is adopted as a low frequency (LF) antenna which communicates with the smart key to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate;
upon determining that the smart key being at or within the first predetermined distance from the tail gate satisfies a first predetermined pattern, periodically checking whether the smart key being at a distance greater than the first predetermined distance from the tail gate and equal to or less than a second predetermined distance from the tail gates during a second predetermined period; and
upon determining that the smart key being at the distance greater than the first predetermined distance from the tail gate and equal to or less than the second predetermined distance from the tail gates satisfies a second predetermined pattern, automatically opening the tail gate,
wherein the first distance is a distance to confirm a user's intention to open the tail gate, the second distance is a distance to prevent a damage and an interference of the tail gate at the time of opening the tail gate.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising authenticating the smart key.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising outputting different alarms during the first predetermined period and during the second predetermined period.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jong Gyu

Classifications

• G07C9/20 Primary

  involving the use of a pass · CPC title

• B60R25/24 Primary

  using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user · CPC title

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R25/20

  Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off · CPC title

• B60R25/34

  of conditions of vehicle components, e.g. of windows, door locks or gear selectors · CPC title