Motor vehicle door lock system

• US 6,809,630 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Gerhardt, Christian, Schmitz, Stephan, Berger, Rainer Josef, Dreimann, Thomas, Buedding, Gregor
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANGACHON, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/657,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.62, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.63, 340/5.65, 340/10.5, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 292/336.3
• US Class Current: 340/5.62
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/42 Means for damping the movement of lock parts, e.g. slowing down the return movement of a handle E05B77/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles

Abstract

A motor vehicle door lock system with at least one vehicle lock, an outside door handle assigned to the vehicle lock, and at least one sensor assigned to the outside door handle, where the system is adapted to detect the approach of the hand of an operator to the outside door handle and/or touching and/or activating of the outside door handle. In one embodiment of motor vehicle door lock system, the activation of the outside handle by the hand of an operator or the approach to the outside door handle is recognized early. A vibration generator is assigned to the outside door handle such that the outside door handle or a part thereof is mechanically vibrated. A sensor is provided for acquiring the vibration, the sound waves caused by the vibration and/or their reflections so that the motor vehicle door lock system can detect when the outside door handle or a part thereof is being approached and/or touched and/or activated by the hand of an operator.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle door luck system comprising:

at least one vehicle lock;

an outside door handle assigned to the vehicle lock;

at least one vibration sensor assigned to the outside door handle; and

a vibration generating device in vibration transmissive association with the outside more handle for enabling generated by the vibration generating device to mechanically vibrate at least a part of the outside door handle;

wherein the sensor is adapted to sense a change in the vibrating of said at least a part of the outside door handle to thereby detect touching of the outside door handle by a hand of an operator on the basis of an evaluation of said change.

2. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to acquire at least one of the frequency the damping, the amplitude and a transit time of the at least one of the vibration caused by vibrating of at least a part of the outside door handle.

3. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 2, further including control electronics adapted to evaluate a change in at least one of the frequency, the damping, and the amplitude of said vibrations when the outside door handle is at least one of approached and touched by the hand of an operator.

4. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control electronics provides a signal output when the outside door handle is touched by the hand of the operator.

5. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control electronics is further adapted to provide the signal output when the change in at least one of the frequency, the damping, and the amplitude is of the vibration occurs with a minimum rate of change.

6. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control electronics is adapted to evaluate transit times of the sound waves.

7. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control electronics is further adapted to provide a signal output when the outside door handle is touched by the hand of the operator.

8. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control electronics includes a feedback means for readjusting at least one of the frequency and the amplitude of the vibration of at least a part of the outside door handle when the rate of change is below a lower boundary rate.

9. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, further including:

at least one of a motor and a circuitry adapted to lock and unlock the at least one vehicle lock,

a remote control module;

control electronics with a passive entry function to at least passively unlock said vehicle lock, and having means for sensing the remote control module in a reaction phase having an operator initiated starting interval, means for determining access authorization based on information from the remote control module in an authorization check interval, and means for initiating unlocking of the vehicle lock in an action interval; and

wherein the detection of touching of the outside door handle by the sensor is evaluated by the control electronics as a signal to initiate the unlocking of the vehicle lock in the action interval.

10. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the change in at least one of the frequency, the damping, and the amplitude is evaluated to initiate the starting interval.

11. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration generating device is electrically driven.

12. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vibration generating device produces ultrasonic vibrations.

13. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vibration generating device is adapted to provide pulsed vibrations.

14. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vibration generating device is located on the outside door handle.

15. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vibration generating device is assigned to the outside door handle in a manner to produce sound waves that are radiated by at least part of the outside door handle.

16. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vibration generating device is at least one of a piezovibration generator and a piezoelement.

17. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated into the vibration generating device.

18. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration generating device is adapted to vibrate at least a part of the outside door handle at a resonant frequency.

19. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is an electrical sensor adapted to detect one of detect ultrasound and mechanical vibrations in an ultrasonic range.

20. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the sensor is located on the outside door handle.

21. Motor vehicle door lock system a claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is an acceleration sensor and is located at an anti-node of the vibration.

22. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is two sensors assigned to at least a part of the outside door handle, the two sensors each providing a signal corresponding to at least one of vibration and sound waves that are caused by vibrating at least a part of the outside door handle, the signals of the two sensors being combined in determining touching of the outside door handle.

23. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, further including a feedback means between the sensor and the vibration generating device for controlling at least one of the frequency and the amplitude of the vibrations.

24. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outside door handle includes an inner handle shell and an outer part, the inner handle shell being adapted to be vibrated by the vibration generating device.

25. Motor vehicle door lock system of claim 24, wherein at least one of the vibration generating device and the sensor is located between the inner handle and the outer part of the outside door handle.

26. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the handle shell is connected to the outer part of the outside door handle via an idle stroke connection.

27. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration generating device is a piezoelement adapted to vibrate at least a part of the outside door handle in an ultrasonic range.

28. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the vibration generating device is integral with the sensor for sensing at least one of vibration and sound waves that are caused by vibrating at least a part of the outside door handle.

29. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 27, further including a sound sensor for acquiring ultrasound waves radiated by the vibration generating device, the sound sensor being positioned in a handle recess assigned to the outside door handle.

30. Motor vehicle door lock system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the vibration generating device is a piezovibration generator.

31. A method for controlling a motor vehicle door lock system adapted to detect touching of the outside door handle by a hand of an operator, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one vehicle lock;

providing an outside door handle assigned to the at least one vehicle lock;

using a vibration generating device to mechanically vibrate at least a part of the outside door handle;

sensing vibrations that are caused by the vibration of at least a part of the outside door handle and detecting a change in said vibrations to thereby detect touching of the outside door handle on the basis of an evaluation of said change.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of vibrating at least a portion of the outside door handle is attained with the vibration that is an ultrasonic range.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of detecting touching of the outside door handle is attained by monitoring at least one of decay and dampening of said vibration.

34. The method of claim 31, further including the step of unlocking the vehicle lock subsequent to the detection of touching of the outside door handle.