Systems and methods for door collision avoidance

• US 10,183,640 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rhode, Douglas Scott, Tellis, Levasseur, Schmidt, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/436,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180238098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/04 arranged at the vehicle sides panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/007 Indication by a tactile impulse to the user, e.g. vibration of a lock-, handle- or key-part
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/006 with means for detecting obstacles outside the doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/622 using screw-and-nut mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/68 Handles, cranks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/53 Wing impact prevention or reduction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/532 Emergency braking or blocking
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/81 Feedback to user, e.g. tactile
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle includes: (a) a rotatable door including: a door stop assembly configured to arrest opening of the door; a rotatable handle; a haptic feedback assembly arranged to vibrate the handle; (b) processor(s) configured to simultaneously activate the door stop and haptic feedback assemblies. The haptic feedback assembly is disposed within the rotatable handle. The processor(s) are configured to: compute a time-to-collision, and run the haptic feedback assembly at a level based on the time-to-collision.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor;

a door including;

a door stop assembly;

a handle; and

a haptic device; and

a processor to;

detect, via the sensor, a bicycle predicted to intersect a sweep range of the door;

determine a time-to-collision (TTC) of the bicycle; and

simultaneously stop the door from opening, via the door stop assembly, and vibrate the handle, via the haptic device, when the TTC is less than a first threshold.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the haptic device is disposed within the handle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to

cause the haptic device to vibrate the handle at a high level when the TTC is less than the first threshold.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein, when the TTC is greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, the processor is configured to:

not activate the door stop assembly; and

cause the haptic device to vibrate the handle at a low level.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein, when the TTC is greater than the second threshold, the processor is configured to:

not activate the door stop assembly; and

not cause the haptic device to vibrate the handle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to stop the door from opening via the door stop assembly, the processor is configured to:

engage a clutch of the door stop assembly;

determine a door opening torque upon engaging the clutch; and

run a motor of the door stop assembly at a level that is equal and opposite to the door opening torque.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to detect whether the bicycle is to intersect the sweep range of the door, the processor is configured to identify a direction of travel of the bicycle.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to determine the TTC of the bicycle in response to predicting an opening event of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to predict the opening event based upon at least one of the vehicle being in park, a seatbelt becoming disengaged, a weight sensor of a seat detecting a reduced amount of weight, a capacitive sensor of the handle, and an image captured by an interior camera.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to determine the TTC based upon at least one of a position, a velocity, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the bicycle.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to stop the door from opening, the processor is configured to activate linear actuators of inhibitors of the door stop assembly.

7. A method of comprising:

detecting, via a sensor, a bicycle predicted to intersect a sweep range of a door of a vehicle;

determining, via a processor, a time-to-collision (TTC) between the bicycle and the door; and

responsive to determining that the TTC is less than a first threshold, simultaneously activating a door stop assembly to stop the door from opening and causing a haptic device to vibrate a handle of the door.

8. The method of claim 7, further including comprising:

causing the haptic feedback device to vibrate the handle at a high level when the TTC is less than the first threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

causing the haptic device to run at a low level when the TTC is greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold;

causing the haptic device not to run when the TTC is greater than the second threshold; and

not activating the door stop assembly when the TTC is greater than the first threshold.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein activating the door stop assembly includes:

engaging a clutch of the door stop assembly;

upon engaging the clutch, determining a door opening torque; and

running a motor of the door stop assembly at a level that is equal and opposite to the door opening torque.

16. The method of claim 7, further including detecting whether the bicycle is to intersect the sweep range of the door by identifying a direction of travel of the bicycle.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the TTC between the bicycle and the door is determined in response to predicting an opening event of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the opening event is predicted based upon at least one of the vehicle being in park, a seatbelt becoming disengaged, a weight sensor of a seat detecting a reduced amount of weight, a capacitive sensor of the handle, and an image captured by an interior camera.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the TTC is determined based upon at least one of a position, a velocity, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the bicycle.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein activating the door stop assembly includes activating linear actuators of inhibitors.