Hands-free vehicle door opener

• US 20070132552A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: McBride, Justin, Uesaka, Hiroto, Keeling, Thomas, Kurpinski, Christopher, Wiegand, Michael, Chiba, Tanemichi, Aoyama, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.720
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A hands-free vehicle door opener utilizes a spring-loaded mechanical pushing device, or other method, to open a vehicle door a few inches upon a laser emitting device sensing a foot in its emitted laser. The laser is emitted from the laser emitter upon the key fob of a smart key being validated by the vehicle'"'"'s smart key validation system when a user approaches the vehicle with the smart key fob. When the laser beam is interrupted, a signal is sent from a smart ECU to a door lock ECU, which unlocks the vehicle door. Next, a signal is sent to a door open ECU to unlatch the vehicle door. Upon door unlatching, the spring-loaded pushing device pushes open the vehicle door. Instead of a laser emitting device being used as the sensor, a device with electrical contacts, an ultrasonic wave emitting sensing device, or other device could be used.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a door;

a door push device; and

a detector located outside of the vehicle, wherein upon activation of the detector, the door push device opens the door.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is a laser emitting device, the laser emitting device emitting a laser to detect motion to activate the door push device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a smart electronic control unit, wherein the smart electronic control unit communicates with the laser emitting device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a door lock; and

a door lock electronic control unit, the door lock electronic control unit receiving a door unlock request from the smart electronic control unit and unlocking the door lock.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a door latch; and

a door latch solenoid, wherein the door latch solenoid unlatches the door latch from the door.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the door push device further comprises:

a shaft; and

a spring, the shaft contacting and pushing against the door to open the door when the spring decompresses.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is a foot activated electrical contact device.

8. An apparatus for opening a door of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a door latch attached to the vehicle door;

a door latch release for releasing the door latch;

a door opener that opens the vehicle door from a vehicle door closed position; and

a detector located outside of the vehicle, wherein upon activation of the detector, the door opener opens the door upon release of the door latch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the door opener pushes against the inside surface of the vehicle door.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the door opener further comprises:

a shaft; and

a spring that biases against the shaft, which pushes against the door.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the door opener is an electric motor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the door is a sliding door.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the detector is a laser emitter that emits a laser and detects laser interruption when an object passes through the laser, the door opener opening the door upon releasing the door latch in response to interruption of the laser.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the detector is an electrical switch and upon change of a switch position the door opener opens the door after release of the door latch.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the detector is an ultrasonic detector.

16. An apparatus for opening a door of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a door latch attached to the vehicle door;

a door latch release for releasing the door latch;

a door opener that opens the vehicle door from a vehicle door closed position; and

an electrical switch located outside of the vehicle, wherein upon change of a switch position, the door opener automatically opens the door after release of the door latch.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the door opener further comprises:

an electric motor to open the door.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the door opener further comprises:

a shaft; and

a spring that biases against the shaft, which pushes against the door.