Opening/closing detection device for vehicle opening/closing member

• US 10,329,829 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Seika, Katsuda, Takeshi, Ishizaki, Satoru, Nishi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/532,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/00 Doors B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 ; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/10 arranged at the vehicle rear B60J5/04 takes precedence ; bonnets or lids B62D25/10; tail gates for pick-up trucks B62D33/0273; counterbalancing E05F; springs, e.g. pneumatic F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/005 Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/18 for car boot lids or rear luggage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/765 using optical sensors using photoelectric cells E05F15/74
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/68 Handles, cranks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides an opening/closing detection device, including: a plurality of sensors configured to be arranged along a predetermined portion of a mark attached to a vehicle; and a control unit configured to output an action trigger signal for instructing an opening action of an opening/closing body of the vehicle when detection signals representing a trace order of the predetermined portion are input from the plurality of sensors that detect an order of a motion of tracing the predetermined portion of the mark by a user of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An opening/closing detection device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to be arranged along a trace order of one character at a predetermined portion of a mark attached to a vehicle; and

a control unit configured to output an action trigger signal for instructing an opening action of an opening/closing body of the vehicle when detection signals representing the trace order of the one character are input from the plurality of sensors.

2. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a distance measurement sensor configured to detect a distance between a user and the mark,

wherein the control unit is configured to avoid outputting the action trigger signal when the control unit determines that the distance between the user and the mark is less than a threshold distance based on distance information from the distance measurement sensor.

3. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to avoid outputting the action trigger signal when the control unit determines that the user is not authenticated.

4. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, wherein the mark comprises an emblem of the vehicle.

5. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise sensors of a non-contact type.

6. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit outputs the action trigger signal for instructing the opening action of the opening/closing body of the vehicle when detection signals representing a trace order in a stroke order of the one character.

7. An opening/closing detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit outputs the action trigger signal for instructing the opening action of the opening/closing body of the vehicle when detection signals representing a trace order in a manner of a single stroke of the one character.