Hands-free vehicle door opener

• US 7,688,179 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Wiegand, Michael A, Aoyama, Keiichi, Kurpinski, Christopher M, Keeling, Thomas J, McBride, Justin P, Uesaka, Hiroto, Chiba, Tanemichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/301,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.76, 340/5.64, 340/825.72, 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/825.69, 340/825.31, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/5.61, 340/5.62, 340/5.72, 340/825.19, 340/1, 292/266, 292/269, 292/279
• US Class Current: 340/5.72
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• 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 hands-free vehicle door opener utilizes a spring-loaded mechanical pushing device, or other method, to open a vehicle door a few inches upon a laser emitting device sensing a foot in its emitted laser. The laser is emitted from the laser emitter upon the key fob of a smart key being validated by the vehicle'"'"'s smart key validation system when a user approaches the vehicle with the smart key fob. When the laser beam is interrupted, a signal is sent from a smart ECU to a door lock ECU, which unlocks the vehicle door. Next, a signal is sent to a door open ECU to unlatch the vehicle door. Upon door unlatching, the spring-loaded pushing device pushes open the vehicle door. Instead of a laser emitting device being used as the sensor, a device with electrical contacts, an ultrasonic wave emitting sensing device, or other device could be used.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle door having a door lock and a door latch and a door open ECU;

a smart key fob transponder;

a smart electronic control unit within a vehicle, wherein the smart electronic control unit communicates with the smart key fob transponder when the smart key fob transponder is within a predetermined range outside the vehicle door and outside the vehicle, the smart electronic control unit verifying that the smart key fob transponder possesses a unique security code;

a door lock electronic control unit, the door lock electronic control unit receiving a door unlock request from the smart electronic control unit after verification of the unique security code and unlocking the door lock;

a door release solenoid, wherein the door release solenoid unlatches the door latch from the vehicle door upon the door open ECU receiving a signal from the door lock electronic control unit for unlocking of the door lock;

a door push device; and

a laser emitting detector device located outside of and on a vehicle, wherein upon activation of the detector by detection of a user outside of the vehicle who has possession of the smart key fob transponder, the door push device opens the door after the door has been unlocked and unlatched, providing the user to access the inside of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the door push device further comprises:

a shaft; and

a spring, the shaft contacting and pushing against the door to open the door when the spring decompresses.

3. An apparatus for opening a door of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a door latch attached to the vehicle door;

a door latch release for releasing the door latch;

a smart electronic control unit within the vehicle, wherein the smart electronic control unit communicates with the smart key fob transponder when the smart key fob transponder is within a predetermined range outside said vehicle door and said vehicle, the smart electronic control unit verifying that the smart key fob transponder possesses a unique security code;

a door lock electronic control unit, the door lock electronic control unit receiving a door unlock request from the smart electronic control unit after verification of the unique security code and unlocking the door lock;

a door opener that pushes against the inside surface of the vehicle door upon unlocking of the door lock and opens the vehicle door from a vehicle door closed position, the door opener further comprising;

a shaft; and

a spring that biases against the shaft, which pushes against the door;

a laser detector that is a laser emitter and emits a laser and detects laser interruption when an object passes through the laser, the laser detector located outside of the vehicle, wherein upon interruption of the laser of the laser detector, the door opener opens the door upon release of the door latch, providing hands-free access to an inside of the vehicle.

4. An apparatus for opening a door of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a door lock attached to the vehicle door;

a door latch attached to the vehicle door;

a door latch release for releasing the door latch;

a door opener that opens the vehicle door from a vehicle door closed position; and

a laser emitting detector device located on and outside of the vehicle and under the vehicle, wherein upon activation of the detector by detection of a human outside of the vehicle, the door opener automatically opens the door after release of the door latch providing hands-free access to an inside of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the door opener further comprises:

an electric motor to open the door.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the door opener further comprises:

a shaft; and

a spring that biases against the shaft, which pushes against the door.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a door open ECU;

a smart key fob transponder remote from the vehicle;

a smart electronic control unit in the vehicle, wherein the smart electronic control unit communicates with the smart key fob transponder when the smart key fob transponder is within a predetermined range, the smart electronic control unit verifying that the smart key fob transponder possesses a unique security code;

a door lock electronic control unit, the door lock electronic control unit for receiving a door unlock request from the smart electronic control unit and unlocking the door lock after verification of the unique security code;

a door release solenoid, wherein the door release solenoid unlatches the door latch from the door upon the door open ECU receiving a signal from the door lock electronic control unit and unlocking of the door lock; and

a tilt sensor, wherein when the vehicle is sitting on a predetermined grade, the tilt sensor communicates with the door open ECU to prevent activation of the door release solenoid to prevent unlatching of the door.