Door opening/closing device for a vehicle and a method of recognizing an opening/closing operation of a vehicle door

• US 7,049,940 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueda, Masahiro, Murakami, Yuichi, Ieda, Kiyokazu, Mushiake, Eiji, Inaba, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/601,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.28, 340/426.36, 340/5.72, 340/10.5, 340/686.6, 340/691.1, 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 340/407.1, 362/501, 362/802
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A door opening/closing device for a vehicle includes a control mechanism recognizing an opening/closing operation of a vehicle door based upon an operation of a door handle, operating a door lock mechanism so as to unlock the vehicle door when the opening operation of the vehicle door is recognized, operating the door lock mechanism so as to lock the vehicle door when the closing operation of the vehicle door is recognized, and controlling a light-emitting means included in the door handle to light-emit In response to the operation of the door lock mechanism.

Claims

1. A door opening/closing device for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle operated for opening/closing a vehicle door;

a door lock mechanism for locking and unlocking the vehicle door;

a light-emitting means included in the door handle and visible from an outside of the door handle;

a control mechanism for recognizing the opening/closing operation of the vehicle door based upon the operation of the door handle, operating the door lock mechanism so as to unlock the vehicle door when the opening operation of the vehicle door is recognized, operating the door lock mechanism so as to lock the vehicle door when the closing operation of the vehicle door is recognized, and controlling the light-emitting means to light-emit in response to the opening and closing operation of the vehicle door;

wherein the control mechanism recognizes the vehicle door opening operation based upon the operation of the door handle under a condition that a portable station carried by a user is close to the vehicle from a vehicle outside, and recognizes the vehicle door closing operation based upon the operation of the door handle and recognition of the portable station moved from a vehicle inside to the vehicle outside;

wherein the door handle includes at least a first light-emitting means and a second light-emitting means, and the first and second light-emitting means are controlled individually; and

wherein the control mechanism controls the second light-emitting means to light-emit upon the door unlock operation of the door lock mechanism and controls the first light-emitting means to light-emit upon the door lock operation thereof.

2. A door opening/closing device for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle operated for opening/closing a vehicle door;

a door lock mechanism for locking and unlocking the vehicle door;

a light-emitting means included in the door handle and visible from an outside of the door handle;

a control mechanism for recognizing the opening/closing operation of the vehicle door based upon the operation of the door handle, operating the door lock mechanism so as to unlock the vehicle door when the opening operation of the vehicle door is recognized, operating the door lock mechanism so as to lock the vehicle door when the closing operation of the vehicle door is recognized, and controlling the light-emitting means to light-emit in response to the opening and closing operation of the vehicle door;

wherein the control mechanism recognizes the vehicle door opening operation based upon the operation of the door handle under a condition that a portable station carried by a user is close to the vehicle from a vehicle outside, and recognizes the vehicle door closing operation based upon the operation of the door handle and recognition of the portable station moved from a vehicle inside to the vehicle outside;

wherein the door handle includes at least a first light-emitting means and a second light-emitting means, and the first and second light-emitting means are controlled individually; and

wherein the control mechanism controls the first light-emitting means to light-emit when the portable station is recognized to be close to the vehicle from the vehicle outside, and controls the second light-emitting means to light-emit when the portable station is recognized to have moved from the vehicle inside to the vehicle outside.

3. A door opening/closing device for a vehicle comprising:

a door handle operated for opening/closing a vehicle door;

a door lock mechanism for locking and unlocking the vehicle door;

a light-emitting means included in the door handle and visible from an outside of the door handle;

a control mechanism for recognizing the opening/closing operation of the vehicle door based upon the operation of the door handle, operating the door lock mechanism so as to unlock the vehicle door when the opening operation of the vehicle door is recognized, operating the door lock mechanism so as to lock the vehicle door when the closing operation of the vehicle door is recognized, and controlling the light-emitting means to light-emit in response to the opening and closing operation of the vehicle door;

wherein the control mechanism recognizes the vehicle door opening operation based upon the operation of the door handle under a condition that a portable station carried by a user is close to the vehicle from a vehicle outside, and recognizes the vehicle door closing operation based upon the operation of the door handle and recognition of the portable station moved from a vehicle inside to the vehicle outside;

wherein the door handle includes at least a first light-emitting means and a second light-emitting means, and the first and second light-emitting means are controlled individually; and

wherein the control mechanism controls the second light-emitting means to light-emit when the door handle operation is recognized for the vehicle door opening operation, and controls the first light-emitting means to light-emit when the door handle operation is recognized for the vehicle closing operation.

4. A method of recognizing an opening operation of a vehicle door comprising:

recognizing that a user carrying a portable station is coming close to a vehicle from a vehicle outside;

controlling a light-emitting means to emit light when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to be coming close to the vehicle;

judging whether or not a user'"'"'s hand is in contact with a door handle;

unlocking the vehicle door by operating a door lock mechanism when the user'"'"'s hand is judged to be in contact with the door handle; and

controlling the light-emitting means to emit light for a predetermined time in a different manner from a light-emitting manner during the portable station coming close to the vehicle from the vehicle outside;

wherein the light-emitting means is controlled to continuously light-up when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to be coming close to the vehicle and the light emitting means is controlled to blink for the predetermined time when the vehicle door is unlocked.

5. A method of recognizing an opening operation of a vehicle door according to claim 4, wherein the light-emitting means includes a first light-emitting means and a second light emitting means, the first light-emitting means is controlled to light-up when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to be coming close to the vehicle and the second light-emitting means is controlled to light-up for the predetermined period of time when the vehicle door is unlocked.

6. A method of recognizing a closing operation of a vehicle door comprising:

recognizing that a user carrying a portable station has moved from a vehicle inside to a vehicle outside;

controlling a light-emitting means to emit light when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to have moved from the vehicle inside to the vehicle outside;

judging whether or not a user'"'"'s hand is in contact with a door handle;

locking the vehicle door by operating a door lock mechanism when the user'"'"'s hand is judged to be in contact with the door handle; and

controlling the light-emitting means to emit light in a different manner from a light-emitting manner during the portable station having moved to the vehicle outside from the vehicle inside;

wherein the light-emitting means is controlled to blink when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to have moved from the vehicle inside to the vehicle outside and the light emitting means is controlled to continuously light-up when the vehicle door is locked.

7. A method of recognizing a closing operation of a vehicle door according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting means includes a first light-emitting means and a second light emitting means, the second light-emitting means is controlled to light-up when the user carrying the portable station is recognized to have moved from the vehicle inside to the vehicle outside and the first light-emitting means is controlled to light-up when the vehicle door is locked.