Vehicle exterior door handle lighting

• US 9,227,558 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Spence, Graham J., Thor, Carolyn J., Karras, Panayiotis J., Park, So Yon
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US13/740,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 315/80, 315/84, 362/501, 340/426.28, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/40 Several lamps activated in sequence, e.g. sweep effect, progressive activation
• 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 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A vehicle includes a body that defines an opening and a door configured to selectively open and close the opening. The vehicle also includes a lock that operatively connects the door to the body and can be either unlatched or latched for maintaining closure of the opening. The vehicle also includes a control device positioned on the door for unlatching the lock, and also a vehicle electric system and a lighting system. The lighting system includes a light-emitting element arranged on the control device and in electric communication with the electric system. The lighting system also includes a portable transmitter configured to transmit a signal and thereby commence an unlatching sequence for the lock. The lighting system additionally includes a controller configured to receive the signal and activate the light-emitting element in response to the received signal to display a visual lighting sequence signifying the status of the lock.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body defining an opening;

a door configured to selectively open and close the opening;

a lock that operatively connects the door to the body and includes a selectable status of one of unlatched and latched to thereby maintain closure of the opening;

a control device positioned on the door and configured to unlatch the lock;

a vehicle electric system; and

a lighting system including;

a light-emitting element configured as a light string having a fiber optic component, wherein the light emitting element is arranged on the control device and in electric communication with the electric system;

a portable transmitter configured to transmit a signal and thereby commence an unlatching sequence for the lock; and

a controller operatively connected to the electric system and configured to receive the signal and activate the light-emitting element in response to the received signal to display, using the light string, a visual lighting sequence that signifies the status of the lock, wherein the visual lighting sequence includes an appearance of a dot of light traversing the fiber optic component.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the control device includes a touch sensitive region configured to unlatch the lock when the region is physically contacted by an operator having possession of the transmitter; and

the physical contact of the region triggers authentication of completion of the unlatching sequence via the controller.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller deactivates the light-emitting element after the unlatching sequence is completed.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller deactivates the light-emitting element by progressively diminishing an intensity of the light emitted by the element.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the control device is a door handle operatively connected to the lock, and wherein the touch sensitive region is identified with a visual image.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed with a plurality of selectable visual lighting sequences for being displayed on the light-emitting element in response to the received signal to signify the status of the lock.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect proximity of the transmitter to the vehicle and communicate the detected proximity to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to commence the lock unlatching sequence in response to the proximity being within a predetermined distance.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the light-emitting element in active state during the lock unlatching sequence.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter is configured to transmit the signal automatically.

10. A method of controlling lighting for a door arranged to selectively open and close an opening in a body of a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal via a portable transmitter to thereby commence an unlatching sequence for a lock, wherein the lock operatively connects the door to the body and includes a selectable status of one of unlatched and latched to thereby maintain closure of the opening;

receiving the signal via a controller operatively connected to an electric system of the vehicle;

activating, via the controller, a light-emitting element configured as a light string having a fiber optic component in response to the received signal, wherein the light-emitting element is arranged on a control device positioned on the door and configured to unlatch the lock; and

displaying, via the controller using the light string, a visual lighting sequence that signifies the status of the lock on the light-emitting element, wherein the visual lighting sequence includes an appearance of a dot of light traversing the fiber optic component.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control device includes a touch sensitive region configured to unlatch the lock when the region is physically contacted by an operator having possession of the transmitter, further comprising authentication of completion of the unlatching sequence via the controller when the region is physically contacted by the operator having possession of the transmitter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising deactivating, via the controller, the light-emitting element after the unlatching sequence is completed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein deactivating the light-emitting element via the controller is accomplished via progressively diminishing an intensity of the light emitted by the element.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the control device is a door handle operatively connected to the lock, and wherein the touch sensitive region is identified with a visual image.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is programmed with a plurality of selectable visual lighting sequences for being displayed on the light-emitting element in response to the received signal to signify the status of the lock.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle includes a sensor configured to detect proximity of the transmitter to the vehicle and communicate the detected proximity to the controller, further comprising commencing the lock unlatching sequence via the controller in response to the proximity being within a predetermined distance.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining the light-emitting element in an active state via the controller during the lock unlatching sequence.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the signal via the portable transmitter automatically.