Vehicle exterior keypad having interior lamp

• US 10,124,767 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Johnson, Aaron Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US15/882,191
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 340 55- 555
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/208 Sun roofs; Windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination

Abstract

An input keypad assembly on a vehicle is provided and includes a keypad located on a vehicle body member and configured to receive a user input on an exterior of the vehicle, and a lamp configured to illuminate light in an interior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An input keypad assembly on a vehicle, comprising:

a keypad comprising a plurality of proximity sensors mounted between a vehicle body member and a circuit board and connected to the circuit board, the keypad configured to receive a user input on an exterior of the vehicle; and

a lamp mounted on the circuit board and configured to illuminate light in an interior of the vehicle.

2. The input keypad assembly of claim 1, wherein the body member comprises a window.

3. The input key assembly of claim 2, wherein the input keypad assembly is located in a frit region of the window.

4. The input keypad assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors are positioned on a surface of the vehicle body member.

5. The input keypad assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors.

6. The input keypad assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the capacitive sensors comprises a first plurality of electrode fingers interlaced with a second plurality of electrode fingers.

7. The input keypad assembly of claim 1, wherein the keypad is employed to control operation of a door lock to lock or unlock a vehicle door.

8. The input keypad assembly of claim 1 further comprising a character region viewable from the exterior of the vehicle for providing an illuminated character for identifying pads of the keypad.

9. The input keypad assembly of claim 8 further comprising a circuit board, wherein the lamp comprises a first light source assembled on the circuit board.

10. The input keypad assembly of claim 9 further comprising a second light source assembled on the circuit board and located behind the character region for backlighting the character region.

11. An input keypad assembly on a vehicle comprising:

a circuit board located on a vehicle body member;

a keypad comprising a plurality of proximity sensors mounted between the body member and a first side of the circuit board and configured to receive a user input on an exterior of the vehicle; and

a lamp mounted on the circuit board and configured to illuminate light in the interior of the vehicle.

12. The input keypad assembly of claim 11, wherein the body member comprises a window.

13. The input key assembly of claim 12, wherein the input keypad assembly is located in a fit region of the window.

14. The input keypad assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors are positioned on a surface of the vehicle body member.

15. The input keypad assembly of claim 14, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors.

16. The input keypad assembly of claim 15, wherein each of the capacitive sensors comprises a first plurality of electrode fingers interlaced with a second plurality of electrode fingers.

17. The input keypad assembly of claim 11, wherein the keypad is employed to control operation of a door lock to lock or unlock a vehicle door.

18. The input keypad assembly of claim 11 further comprising a character region viewable from the exterior of the vehicle for providing an illuminated character for identifying pads of the keypad.

19. The input keypad assembly of claim 17, wherein the lamp comprises a first light source assembled on the circuit board and arranged to illuminate light outward from a second side of the circuit board.

20. The input keypad assembly of claim 18 further comprising a second light source assembled on the circuit board and located behind the character region for backlighting the character region.