VEHICLE LATCH WITH INTEGRATED RADAR MODULE

• US 20190309564A1
• Filed: 04/03/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: MITCHELL, J. R. Scott, CARON, Stephen James, MIU, Traian, FERRI, James J., SABATINI, Gabriele Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 11,465,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/04 arranged at the vehicle sides panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/70 the wing position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/36 Locks for passenger or like doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/006 with means for detecting obstacles outside the doors

Abstract

An electronic latch system for a motor vehicle includes an electronic latch (e-latch) including an e-latch controller within a door of the vehicle. A plurality of radar sensors are located within the door for performing non-contact detection of objects around the vehicle. The radar sensors include an outside-face sensor adjacent an outside face of the door to sense an object within a first sensing zone extending from the outside face. The radar sensors also include an inner sensor adjacent an inside surface of the door to sense an object within a second sensing zone extending from the inside surface. The radar sensors also include a shut-face sensor adjacent a shut face of the door to sense an object within a third sensing zone extending from the shut face. The e-latch includes a light source for projecting a warning image and an audio source for generating an audible warning.

Claims

1. An electronic latch system for a closure member of a motor vehicle comprising:

at least one non-contact object detection (NCOD) sensor fixed to the closure member;

a controller configured to selectively enable the at least one NCOD sensor in response to detecting the position of the closure member.

2. The electronic latch system of claim 1, further comprising an angle sensor configured to detect an angle of the closure member relative to a body of the motor vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to selectively enable the at least one NCOD sensor in response to the angle of the closure member as detected by the angle sensor.

3. The electronic latch system of claim 1, further comprising:

the closure member including an outside surface facing outwardly with the closure member in a closed position;

wherein the at least one NCOD sensor includes an outside-face sensor disposed adjacent an outside face of the closure member and configured to sense an object within a first sensing zone extending outwardly from the outside face of the closure member.

4. The electronic latch system of claim 1, further comprising:

the closure member defining an inside surface facing inwardly toward a body of the motor vehicle with the closure member in a closed position;

wherein at least one NCOD sensor includes an inner sensor disposed adjacent the inside surface of the door and configured to sense an object within a second sensing zone extending outwardly from the inside surface of the closure member.

5. The electronic latch system of claim 1, further comprising:

the closure member defining an outside surface facing outwardly with the closure member in a closed position;

the closure member defining a shut face extending generally transverse to the outside surface and being covered with the closure member in the closed position; and

wherein the at least one NCOD sensor includes a shut-face sensor disposed adjacent the shut face of the closure member and configured to sense an object within a third sensing zone extending outwardly from the shut face of the closure member.

6. The electronic latch system of claim 1, wherein the closure member includes an outside surface defining an aperture;

and

wherein the at least one NCOD sensor includes a radar antenna protruding through the aperture.

7. The electronic latch system of claim 1, wherein the closure member defines an outside surface;

and

wherein the at least one NCOD sensor includes a radar antenna disposed within the closure member and recessed beneath the outside surface.

8. The electronic latch system of claim 7, wherein the outside surface of the closure member includes a sensor region transmissive to radio-frequency (RF) radiation;

and

wherein the radar antenna is disposed beneath the sensor region of the outside surface of the closure member.

9. An electronic latch for a closure member of a motor vehicle comprising:

a latch housing configured to be attached to the closure member;

a latching mechanism disposed within the latch housing and configured to hold the closure member in a closed position;

a latch actuator configured to drive the latching mechanism between a locked condition and an unlocked condition;

a latch controller configured to provide a drive signal to the latch actuator to cause the latching mechanism to drive the latch actuator into one of the locked condition or the unlocked condition in response to a command signal; and

a radar module in communication with the latch controller and including at least one radar antenna configured to detect an object in a sensing zone.

10. The electronic latch of claim 9, wherein the radar antenna is disposed within the latch housing.

11. The electronic latch of claim 9, wherein the radar module is disposed within the closure member and remotely from the latch housing.

12. The electronic latch of claim 9, further comprising a light source in communication with the latch controller and disposed upon the closure member and configured to illuminate a warning in response to an object being detected in the sensing zone.

13. A method of operating an electronic latch system, comprising:

monitoring a sensing zone adjacent a motor vehicle by a radar sensor disposed within a closure member of the motor vehicle; and

controlling the radar sensor using a latch controller disposed within the closure member.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating a signal from the radar sensor to the latch controller disposed within the closure member;

wherein communicating the signal from the radar sensor to the latch controller is performed using a direct communication path between the radar sensor and the latch controller and without being communicated via an intermediate controller.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying an object within the sensing zone; and

initiating an action in response to identifying an object within the sensing zone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein initiating an action in response to identifying an object within the sensing zone further comprises:

communicating a warning by a warning enunciator disposed upon the closure member; and

wherein the warning enunciator comprises one of a light source or an audio source.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to move the closure member by an actuator; and

wherein initiating an action in response to identifying an object within the sensing zone further comprises transmitting a signal to stop the actuator from moving the closure member.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying an object within the sensing zone comprises one of:

processing the signal from the radar sensor by a radar processor within the latch controller to determine the presence or absence of an object within the sensing zone;

or

processing a raw signal from a radar transceiver by a radar controller within the radar sensor to determine the presence or absence of an object within the sensing zone.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a position of the closure member relative to a body of the motor vehicle;

wherein the radar sensor is one of a plurality of radar sensors disposed within the closure member; and

selectively monitoring a given one of the plurality of radar sensors depending upon the position of the closure member.

20. The method of claim 19:

wherein the closure member is a door defining a shut face;

wherein the plurality of radar sensors includes a shut-face sensor configured to project a radar beam through a port in the shut face of the door; and

wherein selectively monitoring a given one of the plurality of radar sensors depending upon the position of the closure member comprises monitoring the shut-face sensor with the door in a first position with the shut-face sensor exposed.