Vehicle door control apparatus and method for controlling vehicle door

• US 8,938,337 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Konishi, Toshiyuki, Hioki, Hideki, Okada, Yoshihisa, Matsuura, Mitsuyasu, Isogai, Toshiki, Nakakura, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US12/565,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/45, 701/49, 34042624-42629, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/00 Devices for holding wings open; Devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing; Braking devices, stops or buffers, combined therewith combined with hinges E05D11/00; combined with operating apparatus for wings E05F; other braking devices, stops, buffers E05F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/006 with means for detecting obstacles outside the doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/435 by interruption of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/483 for detection during opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37631 Means detecting object in forbidden zone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing

Abstract

A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists.

Claims

1. A vehicle door control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a laser sensor located to move with a vehicle door about a rotation axis of the vehicle door, the laser sensor including a single emitting element configured to emit a laser beam, a rotatable mirror configured to reflect (a) the emitted laser beam and (b) returning laser beam light reflected from the obstacle, and a single element acceptance unit configured to accept the returning light reflected from an obstacle and the mirror, for scanning a scanning plane shifted relative to a surface of the vehicle door in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable;

determination means for determining whether the obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor;

a speed detection means for detecting speed of opening the vehicle door; and

opening regulating means for regulating an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination means that the obstacle exists,

wherein

the laser sensor changes an interval at which the laser sensor repeats emission of the laser beam according to the speed detected by the speed detection means;

the determination means pre-stores a pre-stored distance from a mount position of the laser sensor to an end of the vehicle door in a scanning direction of each emission of the laser beam;

the determination means is configured to calculate an actual distance to the obstacle based on the result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor;

the determination means determines that the obstacle exists when the actual distance to the obstacle is less than the pre-stored distance;

the scanning plane is inclined from the surface of the vehicle door by a predetermined angle in the door-opening direction, and

the opening regulating means is configured to regulate the opening of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is further opened by an angle, which is less than said predetermined angle, from an opening position of the vehicle door at a time point where the determination means determines that the obstacle exists.