Vehicle Assemblies Having Fascia Panels with Capacitance Sensors Operative for Detecting Proximal Objects

• US 20110041409A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nartron Corporation, Uusi LLC (Nartron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nartron Corporation
• Inventors: Newman, Todd R., Washeleski, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,705,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/324
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/46 responsive to changes in electrical capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

A vehicle assembly includes an electrically non-conductive fascia panel and an electrical conductor mounted to the fascia panel. The conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the fascia panel while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the object. The assembly may further include a controller operable for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel. The controller controls a vehicle function such as movement of a movable panel like a lift gate associated with the fascia panel depending on whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel.

Claims

1. A vehicle lift gate assembly comprising:

a movable lift gate having a metal construction;

an electrically non-conductive fascia panel mounted to the lift gate such that the fascia panel is spaced apart from lift gate, the fascia panel having an interior surface directed towards the lift gate and having an exterior surface directed away from the lift gate; and

an electrical conductor mounted to the fascia panel such that the conductor is spaced apart from the lift gate, wherein the conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the fascia panel while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein:

the controller is operable with the lift gate to control movement of the lift gate as a function of whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the fascia panel and the conductor are flexible such that the fascia panel and the conductor displace toward the lift gate upon an object touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel in a direction toward the lift gate;

wherein the conductor is capacitively coupled to the lift gate while the conductor is driven with the electrical charge such that the capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor being displaced toward the lift gate upon an object touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further comprising:

a controller for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether an object is touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel;

wherein the controller is operable with the lift gate to control movement of the lift gate as a function of whether an object is touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the fascia panel is rigid such that the fascia panel maintains the spaced apart relationship with the lift gate upon an object touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel in a direction toward the lift gate;

wherein the conductor is capacitively coupled to the lift gate while the conductor is driven with the electrical charge such that the capacitance of the conductor remains constant in response to an electrically non-conductive object touching the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the conductor is mounted to the fascia panel between the fascia panel and the lift gate, wherein the conductor capacitively couples through the fascia panel to an electrically conductive object proximal with the fascia panel while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the conductor is mounted to the interior surface of the fascia panel.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the conductor is mounted to the exterior surface of the fascia panel.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the conductor is mounted within the fascia panel to the fascia panel.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductor is a first electrical conductor, the assembly further comprising:

a second electrical conductor mounted to the fascia panel such that the second conductor is spaced apart from the lift gate and is spaced apart from the first conductor, wherein the first and second conductors are electrically connected to one another, wherein at least one of the conductors capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the fascia panel while the conductors are driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductors changes due to the at least one of the conductors capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.

12. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

an electrically non-conductive compressible spacer, wherein the spacer is between a portion of the lift gate and a portion of the fascia panel, wherein a portion of the conductor is mounted to the portion of the fascia panel;

wherein the portion of the conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that the capacitance of the conductor changes due to the portion of the conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object;

wherein the spacer compresses toward the lift gate in response to an object touching the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel such that the portion of the conductor displaces toward the lift gate, wherein the conductor is capacitively coupled to the lift gate while the conductor is driven with the electrical charge such that the capacitance of the conductor changes due to the portion of the conductor being displaced toward the lift gate upon an object touching the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel.

13. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether either an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel or an object is touching the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel;

wherein the controller is operable with the lift gate to control movement of the lift gate as a function of either an electrically conductive object being proximal to the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel or an object touching the exterior surface of the portion of the fascia panel.

14. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the electrical conductor is a first electrical conductor, the assembly further comprising:

a second electrical conductor mounted to the lift gate, wherein the second conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object touching the second conductor while the second conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the second conductor changes due to the second conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.

wherein the controller drives the second conductor with the electrical charge and measures the capacitance of the second conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is touching the second conductor, wherein the controller is operable with the lift gate to control movement of the lift gate as a function of whether an electrically conductive object is touching the second conductor.

15. A vehicle door assembly comprising:

an interior door fascia having an electrically non-conductive faceplate, the faceplate having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and

a plurality of electrical conductors mounted to respective portions of the interior surface of the faceplate, wherein the conductors are electrically isolated from one another, wherein each conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the interior surface of the faceplate to which the conductor is mounted while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object.

16. The assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

a controller for driving the conductors with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of each conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the interior surface to which the conductor is mounted.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein:

each conductor is associated with a function;

the controller controls the function of a conductor upon the controller determining that an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the interior surface to which the conductor is mounted.

18. The assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

an electrically non-conductive backing having a plurality of electrically conductive traces which are electrically isolated from one another;

wherein the conductors are mounted to respective portions of the backing, wherein the traces are respectively electrically connected with the conductors.

19. A vehicle keyless entry assembly comprising:

an electrically non-conductive faceplate, the faceplate having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

an electrically non-conductive backing having a plurality of electrically conductive traces which are electrically isolated from one another, wherein the backing is mounted to the interior surface of the faceplate;

a plurality of electrical conductors mounted to respective portions of the backing and electrically connected to respective traces of the backing, wherein the conductors are electrically isolated from one another and each conductor is respectively associated with a vehicle keyless entry function, wherein each conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the backing to which the conductor is mounted while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the electrically conductive object; and

a controller electrically connected to the conductors via the respective traces for driving the conductors with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of each conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the backing to which the conductor is mounted.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein:

the controller controls the vehicle keyless entry function associated with a conductor upon the controller determining that an electrically conductive object is proximal to the exterior surface of the faceplate adjacent to the portion of the backing to which the conductor is mounted.