VEHICLE DOOR CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE DOOR

• US 20100076651A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: NAKAKURA, Yohei, Matsuura, Mitsuyasu, Isogai, Toshiki, Okada, Yoshihisa, Konishi, Toshiyuki, Hioki, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/00 Devices for holding wings open; Devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing; Braking devices, stops or buffers, combined therewith combined with hinges E05D11/00; combined with operating apparatus for wings E05F; other braking devices, stops, buffers E05F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/006 with means for detecting obstacles outside the doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/435 by interruption of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/483 for detection during opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37631 Means detecting object in forbidden zone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing

Abstract

A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists.

Claims

1. A vehicle door control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a laser sensor located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable;

determination means for determining whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor; and

opening regulating means for regulating an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination means that the obstacle exists.

2. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination means prestores a prestored distance from a mount position of the laser sensor to an end of the vehicle door in a scanning direction of each emission of the laser beam,

the determination means is configured to calculate an actual distance to the obstacle based on the result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor, and

the determination means determines that the obstacle exists when the actual distance to the obstacle is less than the prestored distance.

3. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the scanning plane is inclined from the surface of the vehicle door by a first predetermined angle in the door-opening direction, and

the opening regulating means is configured to regulate the opening of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is further opened by an angle, which is less than a second predetermined angle, from an opening position of the vehicle door at a time point where the determination means determines that the obstacle exists.

4. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in response to determination of the determination means that the obstacle exists, the opening regulating means:

(i) determines a contact position, which is possible to make contact with the obstacle, in the vehicle door; and

(ii) determines a rotation angle of the vehicle door, which corresponds to a distance between the obstacle and the contact position, in consideration of a shape of a surface of the vehicle door, and

the opening regulating means regulates opening of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is opened by an angle less than the rotation angle.

5. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle door is provided with a door mirror,

the scanning plane has a scanning-plane position, which coincides with a locus of an outermost peripheral end of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is rotated and opened, and

the scanning-plane position is closer to the vehicle door than a tip end of the door mirror.

6. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle door has an upper portion provided with a window, and

the laser sensor scans only a region of the vehicle door downward the window.

7. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speed detection means for detecting speed of opening the vehicle door,

wherein the laser sensor changes an interval, at which the laser sensor repeats emission of the laser beam, according to the speed detected by the speed detection means.

8. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser sensor inclines the laser beam from a direction perpendicular to a ground to direct the laser beam, as the laser beam goes forward, to be away from a surface of the vehicle door.

9. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser sensor is provided in a support axis via which the door mirror is fixed to the vehicle door.

10. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

first control means for causing a side air bag device of the vehicle to develop a side air bag in response to determination of the determination means that, while the vehicle runs, the obstacle exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor.

11. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

second control means for activating a warning device of the vehicle to cause a warning in response to determination of the determination means that, after a user gets off the vehicle and locks the vehicle, the obstacle exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor.

12. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle door includes a back door of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle door control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the laser sensor is a single element, and

the laser sensor is rotatable around an axis for scanning the scanning plane while emitting the laser beam and accepting the reflected light.

14. A method for controlling a vehicle door, comprising:

rotating a single element of a laser sensor, which is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door, around an axis for scanning a scanning plane, which is inclined from a surface of the vehicle door by a predetermined angle in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable, while repeating emission of a laser beam from the laser sensor to the surface of the vehicle door and accepting reflected light of the laser beam reflected from an obstacle;

determining whether an obstacle exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door and is possible to make contact with the vehicle door based on a result of acceptance of the laser beam; and

regulating the opening of the vehicle door in response to determination that the obstacle exists.