Vehicle and vehicle door clearance notification system

• US 9,751,462 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Compton, Grant A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US14/729,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 340436, 3409322
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1071 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/624 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/638 Cams; Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a door and a controller. The door is configured to transition to a partially opened position between a fully opened position and a closed position. The controller is programmed to issue an insufficient door clearance notification in response to an object being detected within a swing radius of the door between the closed position and the partially opened position. The controller may be further programmed to issue the insufficient door clearance notification in response to an object being detected within an egress path from the partially opened position of the door.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a sideways swinging door, having a swing radius, configured to transition to a predetermined first partially opened position between a fully opened position and a closed position;

a detent arm comprising one or more features configured to engage a roller to retain the door in the first partially opened position; and

a controller programmed to, in response to an object within the swing radius of the door between the fully opened position and the first partially opened position, but not between the first partially opened position and the closed position, issue a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the first partially opened position but not to the fully opened position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the first partially opened position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the first partially opened position.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within a zone comprising an egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the first partially opened position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the first partially opened position.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the fully opened position and the first partially opened position, but not between the first partially opened position and the closed position nor within the zone comprising the egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the first partially opened position, issue the notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the first partially opened position but not the fully opened position.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door is also configured to transition to a predetermined second partially opened position between the fully opened position and the closed position, and wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the fully opened position and the second partially opened position, but not between the second partially opened position and the closed position, issue a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the second partially opened position but not the fully opened position.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within a zone comprising an egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the second partially opened position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the second partially opened position.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the second partially opened position and an absence of an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the first partially opened position, issue a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the first partially opened position but not the second partially opened position.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a passenger door;

a detent arm having features engaging a roller to retain the door in a predetermined partially opened first position; and

a controller programmed to, in response to an object within a swing radius of the door between the first and fully opened positions, but not between the first and closed positions, issue a notification indicating clearance to open the door to the first but not the fully opened position.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the first position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the first position.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to an object being detected within a zone comprising an egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the first position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the first position.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the fully opened position and the first position, but not between the first position and the closed position nor within the zone comprising the egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the first position, issue the notification indicative of clearance to open the door to the first position but not the fully opened position.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the fully opened position and a predetermined second partially opened position, but not between the predetermined second partially opened position and the closed position, issue a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the predetermined second partially opened position but not the fully opened position.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within a zone comprising an egress path from the vehicle when the door is in the second partially opened position, issue a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the predetermined second partially opened position.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the predetermined second partially opened position and an absence of an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the first position, issue a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the first position but not the predetermined second partially opened position.

15. An obstruction warning method for a vehicle passenger door that is retainable in one or more partially opened detent positions via corresponding detent arm features engaging a roller comprising:

issuing a notification indicative of clearance to open the door to a predetermined partially opened detent position, but not a fully opened position, in response to an object within a swing radius of the door between the predetermined partially opened detent and fully opened positions, but not between predetermined partially opened detent and closed positions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising issuing a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to the predetermined partially opened detent position in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the predetermined partially opened detent position.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising issuing a notification indicative of insufficient clearance to open the door to a predetermined second partially opened detent position in response to the object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the second predetermined partially opened detent position.

18. The method of claim 17, issuing a notification indicative of sufficient clearance to open the door to the predetermined partially opened detent position but not the predetermined second partially opened detent position in response to an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the predetermined second partially opened detent position and an absence of an object being detected within the swing radius of the door between the closed position and the predetermined partially opened detent position.