Extendable flush door handle for vehicle
First Claim
1. A system for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, said system comprising:
- a door handle assembly comprising (i) a base portion mounted at or incorporated into a structure of the door of the vehicle and (ii) a handle portion movable relative to said base portion between a recessed position, where said handle portion is at least partially recessed at said base portion so as to be not readily graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle, and a partially extended position, where said handle portion extends partially outward from said base portion to be graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle;
a control operable to control operation of a motor of an electrically operable actuator of said handle assembly, wherein operation of said motor moves said handle portion between the recessed position and the partially extended position;
a sensing system that is operable to detect an authorized user;
wherein said sensing system, responsive to detecting an authorized user, determines a motion vector of the detected authorized user, wherein the determined motion vector is indicative of a direction that the detected authorized user is moving relative to the vehicle;
wherein said sensing system determines whether the determined motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle; and
wherein, responsive to determination that the detected authorized user is approaching the door of the vehicle, said control unlocks the door handle assembly and controls operation of said motor to move said handle portion to the partially extended position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle includes a door handle assembly, a control operable to control operation of a motor of an electrically operable actuator of the handle assembly, and a sensing system operable to detect an authorized user. The sensing system, responsive to detecting an authorized user, determines a motion vector of the detected authorized user. The sensing system determines whether the motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle. Responsive to determination that the detected authorized user is approaching the door of the vehicle, the control unlocks the door handle assembly and controls operation of the motor to move a handle portion from a recessed position to a partially extended position so as to be graspable by the user.
138 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a door handle assembly comprising (i) a base portion mounted at or incorporated into a structure of the door of the vehicle and (ii) a handle portion movable relative to said base portion between a recessed position, where said handle portion is at least partially recessed at said base portion so as to be not readily graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle, and a partially extended position, where said handle portion extends partially outward from said base portion to be graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle; a control operable to control operation of a motor of an electrically operable actuator of said handle assembly, wherein operation of said motor moves said handle portion between the recessed position and the partially extended position; a sensing system that is operable to detect an authorized user; wherein said sensing system, responsive to detecting an authorized user, determines a motion vector of the detected authorized user, wherein the determined motion vector is indicative of a direction that the detected authorized user is moving relative to the vehicle; wherein said sensing system determines whether the determined motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle; and wherein, responsive to determination that the detected authorized user is approaching the door of the vehicle, said control unlocks the door handle assembly and controls operation of said motor to move said handle portion to the partially extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a door handle assembly comprising (i) a base portion mounted at or incorporated into a structure of the door of the vehicle and (ii) a handle portion movable relative to said base portion between a recessed position, where said handle portion is at least partially recessed at said base portion so as to be not readily graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle, and a partially extended position, where said handle portion extends partially outward from said base portion to be graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle; a control operable to control operation of a motor of an electrically operable actuator of said handle assembly, wherein operation of said motor moves said handle portion between the recessed position and the partially extended position; a sensing system that is operable to detect an authorized user; wherein said sensing system, responsive to detecting an authorized user, determines a motion vector of the detected authorized user, wherein the determined motion vector is indicative of a direction that the detected authorized user is moving relative to the vehicle; wherein said sensing system determines whether the determined motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle; wherein said sensing system determines whether the determined motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle by comparing the determined motion vector to previously determined motion vectors stored in memory; wherein, responsive to determination that the detected authorized user is approaching the door of the vehicle, said control unlocks the door handle assembly and controls operation of said motor to move said handle portion to the partially extended position; and wherein, responsive to said sensing system determining that the determined motion vector of the detected authorized user is not indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle, said control does not unlock the door handle assembly and does not control operation of said motor to move said handle portion to the partially extended position. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a door handle assembly comprising (i) a base portion mounted at or incorporated into a structure of the door of the vehicle and (ii) a handle portion movable relative to said base portion between a recessed position, where said handle portion is at least partially recessed at said base portion so as to be not readily graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle, and a partially extended position, where said handle portion extends partially outward from said base portion to be graspable by a person at the door of the vehicle; a control operable to control operation of a motor of an electrically operable actuator of said handle assembly, wherein operation of said motor moves said handle portion between the recessed position and the partially extended position; a sensing system that is operable to detect an authorized user, wherein said sensing system detects an authorized user responsive to detection of a device carried by the authorized user; wherein said sensing system, responsive to detecting an authorized user, determines a motion vector of the detected authorized user, wherein the determined motion vector is indicative of a direction that the detected authorized user is moving relative to the vehicle; wherein said sensing system determines whether the determined motion vector is indicative of the detected authorized user approaching the door of the vehicle; wherein, responsive to determination that the detected authorized user is approaching the door of the vehicle, said control unlocks the door handle assembly and controls operation of said motor to move said handle portion to the partially extended position; and wherein said control controls said motor to move said handle portion from the recessed position to the partially extended position responsive to a trigger signal received from the device carried by the authorized user. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification