Contact detection device for vehicular use and security device for vehicular use

• US 8,410,897 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Popelard, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US13/058,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 341 22- 33
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user

Abstract

Disclosed are a contact detection device for vehicular use and a security device for vehicular use that are capable of identifying whether contact is human-induced and that prevent erroneous detection due to raindrops and the like. A security device (10) is equipped with a contact detection device (11) comprising a contact unit (12), a detection unit (13), a standard detection pattern setting means (14) that sets standard detection patterns based on predefined patterns of human-induced contact to the contact unit, a detection signal identification means (15) that compares a detection signal detected by the detection unit (13) and the standard detection patterns that have been set and decides whether these match, and a contact identification signal output means (16), and is further equipped with a lock device (17) and a control device (18). The control device (18) comprises a security mode setting means (19) and a security mode specifying means (20) that specifies a security mode that has been predefined by the security mode setting means (19), and said control device causes the lock device (17) to execute the specified security mode.

Claims

1. An electrostatic capacitance sensing system for use in a door handle of a vehicle, the electrostatic capacitance sensing system comprising:

a plurality of touch locations that a user touches, the plurality of touch locations being provided on the door handle;

a sensor unit that outputs a detection signal in response to a change in electrostatic capacitance caused when the user touches the plurality of touch locations;

a reference detection pattern setting unit that sets a predefined reference detection pattern corresponding to a pattern of human-induced touch to the plurality of touch locations, wherein

the reference detection pattern setting unit determines that the predefined reference detection pattern corresponds to a pattern of human-induced touch by analyzing;

i) a given sequence of user touches to the plurality of touch locations, ii) a length of a time period between a start to an end of the given sequence of the user touches, and iii) a time interval between the user touches,

a detection signal identifying unit that compares the detection signal output by the sensor unit and the predefined reference detection pattern to determine whether or not the detection signal and the predefined reference detection pattern match; and

a touch recognition signal output unit that outputs a touch recognition signal when it is determined by the detection signal identifying unit that the detection signal output by the sensor unit and the predefined reference detection pattern match.

2. A security device for use in a vehicle having a vehicle component, the security device comprising:

the electrostatic capacitance sensing system according to claim 1;

a lock device that locks the vehicle component; and

a controller that controls an operation of the lock device based on the touch recognition signal from the electrostatic capacitance sensing system, wherein the controller includes;

a security mode setting unit that sets a security mode corresponding to the touch recognition signal output from the electrostatic capacitance sensing system; and

a security mode selecting unit that selects, in response to the touch recognition signal output from the electrostatic capacitance sensing system, a predefined security mode corresponding to the touch recognition signal, wherein

the selected security mode is executed by the lock device.

4. The security device according to claim 2, wherein at least two types of security modes are provided.

3. A security device for use in a vehicle having a door handle and a vehicle component, the security device comprising:

an electrostatic capacitance sensing system that includes;

a plurality of touch locations that a user touches, the plurality of touch locations being provided on the door handle;

a sensor unit that outputs a detection signal in response to a change in electrostatic capacitance caused when the user touches the plurality of touch locations;

a lock device that locks the vehicle component; and

a controller that controls an operation of the lock device based on the detection signal from the electrostatic capacitance sensing system, wherein the controller includes;

a mode-definition detection pattern setting unit that sets a mode-definition detection pattern that corresponds to a predefined pattern of human-induced touch to the plurality of touch locations,

the mode-definition detection pattern being determined as corresponding to the predefined pattern of human-induced touch to the plurality of touch locations by analyzing (a) a sequence of user touches to the plurality of touch locations, (b) a time period between a start to an end of the sequence of the user touches, and (c) a time interval between the user touches,

the mode-definition detection pattern corresponding to a predefined security mode;

a detection signal determining unit that compares the detection signal output by the sensor unit and the mode-definition detection pattern to determine whether or not the detection signal and the mode-definition detection pattern match; and

a security mode specifying unit that specifies the predefined security mode corresponding to the mode-definition detection pattern when it is determined that the detection signal output by the sensor unit and the mode-definition detection pattern match, wherein

the specified security mode is executed by the lock device.

5. The security device according to claim 3, wherein at least two types of security modes are provided.