METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKING AN OPENING MEMBER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE FOR A HANDS-FREE SYSTEM, AND DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

• US 20110242303A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U-Shin France SAS (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Securite Habitacle (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Giraud, Frederic, Menard, Eric, Senpauroca, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/01 Mechanical arrangements specially adapted for hands-free locking or unlocking handles with means for initiation of a hands-free locking or unlocking process E05B81/78
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/611 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/767 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/858 by body parts, e.g. by feet
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/548 Trunk lids
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatically unlocking an opening member of a motor vehicle using a hands-free access system (4), comprising a central processing unit (5) intended to be installed inside the vehicle, a portable identification member (17), said central processing unit (5) being capable of communicating remotely by radiofrequency with the identification member (17) in order to authenticate it and, in response to the authentication of the identification member (17), of controlling the locking or unlocking of the opening member of the vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: the step of detecting the presence of an identification member (17) in a predefined perimeter around the vehicle; the step of authenticating that the identification member (17) is associated with the vehicle; and, in the case of positive authentication, the step of placing the access system in a “ready to unlock” state for all the opening members. The method further includes a step of remote optical recognition of a predetermined movement of a member of the body and, in the case of positive recognition of the movement, the opening member in front of which the movement has been performed, is unlocked. The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method of automatically unlocking an opening member of a motor vehicle with the aid of a hands-free access system comprising a central unit intended to be installed inside the vehicle, a portable identification item, said central unit being able to communicate by radiofrequency remotely with the identification item so as to authenticate it and, in response to the authentication of the identification item, to order the locking or the unlocking of the opening member of the vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

detecting the presence of an identification item in a predefined perimeter around the vehicle;

authenticating that the identification item is associated with the vehicle;

in the case of positive authentication, placing the access system in a “

ready to be unlocked”

state for all the opening members; and

remote optical recognition of a predetermined gesture of a limb of the body, and wherein, in the case of positive recognition of the gesture, the opening member in front of which the gesture executed, is unlocked.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical recognition is carried out with the aid of a camera.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote optical recognition comprises the recognition of a movement of a foot.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remote optical recognition comprises the recognition of a rotation movement of a foot.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the remote optical recognition comprises the recognition of a direction of rotation of a foot.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, the opening member is equipped with a motorized assistance unit to aid the opening of the opening member, wherein the unlocking is followed by an automatic opening of the opening member by way of the motorized assistance unit.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the camera, capable of remote optical recognition of a predetermined gesture of a limb of the body, is only activated after a positive authentication.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein remote optical recognition by the camera of a predetermined gesture of a limb of the body is carried out using gray-level images.

9. A device for automatically unlocking an opening member of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a hands-free access system comprising a central unit intended to be installed inside the vehicle, a portable identification item,

wherein said central unit is able to communicate by radiofrequency remotely with the identification item while the identification item is located in a predefined perimeter around the vehicle so as to authenticate the identification item and in response to the authentication of the identification item, to order the locking or the unlocking of the opening member of the vehicle,

means of remote optical recognition of a predetermined gesture of a limb of the body so as to unlock the opening member in front of which the gesture has been executed in the case of positive recognition of the gesture.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means of remote optical recognition of a predetermined gesture comprise a camera.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the recognition means is able to recognize a movement of a foot.

12. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the recognition means is able to recognize a rotation or a direction of rotation of a foot.