DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM

• US 20070176737A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Friese, Marco
• Application Number:
  US11/622,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.610
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2027 with data signals passing through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for actuating a vehicle door locking system, having a portable identification unit (10) and a vehicle-mounted control device (20) which, when the identification unit moves closer, generates, on the basis of the result of a contactless data communication between the control device and the identification unit for checking the access authorization for the identification unit, a control signal for unlocking the vehicle door locking system if the presence of the access authorization for the identification unit has been detected. The vehicle-mounted control device is configured in such a way that when a person approaches the contactless data communication is triggered when the distance between the person and a person sensor (23) drops below a first finite distance (d₁), and after successful identification of the identification unit the control signal for unlocking the locking device is generated when the person has reached a second finite distance (d₂) from a predefined location on the vehicle which is smaller than the first distance.

Claims

1. A device for actuating a vehicle door locking system, having:

a portable identification unit (10); and

a vehicle-mounted control device (20) which, when the identification unit (10) moves closer, generates, on the basis of the result of a contactless data communication between the control device (20) and the identification unit (10) for checking the access authorization for the identification unit (10), a control signal for unlocking the vehicle door locking system if the presence of the access authorization for the identification unit (10) has been detected, wherein the vehicle-mounted control device (20) is configured in such a way that;

when a person approaches the contactless data communication is triggered when the distance between the person and a person sensor (23) drops below a first finite distance (d₁), and

after successful identification of the identification unit (10) the control signal for unlocking the locking device is generated when the person has reached a second finite distance (d₂) from a predefined location on the vehicle which is smaller than the first distance (d₁).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the person sensor (23) is arranged in the door, tailgate and/or trunk handle.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the person sensor (23) is embodied at the same time as an antenna for transmitting signals during data communication between the control device (20) and the identification unit (10).

4. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a signal transfer takes place between the identification unit (10) and the vehicle-mounted control device (20) in a capacitive fashion.

5. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in addition to the person sensor (23) which is configured as a first proximity sensor a second proximity sensor (24) is arranged at the predefined location on the vehicle, preferably in the door, tailgate and/or trunk handle.

6. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the generation of the control signal for unlocking the vehicle door locking system takes place automatically without further action by the person when the second finite distance (d₂) is reached and after successful identification of the identification unit (10).

7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the first distance (d₁) is in the range from 10 to 20 cm and is preferably approximately 15 cm.

8. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the second distance (d₂) is less than 5 cm.

9. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the second distance (d₂) is less than the extent of the intermediate space remaining between the door handle and door surface.