Opening-closing member control apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,542,071 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kudou, Tsuneo, Oka, Takuji, Inada, Takahiro, Ohtsubo, Yoshinori, Matsumura, Kunihiko, Kanada, Norifumi, Murashige, Kazuhiro, Harada, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/706,857
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/505, 340/5.2, 340/5.1, 340/5.21, 340/5.61, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/426.28
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/246 characterised by the challenge triggering
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00349 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00404 starting with prompting the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

When a “window automatic opening mode” is set in advance by a window automatic opening mode setting switch (14), and the user who carries a portable unit (1A) approaches an onboard unit, doors are automatically unlocked, and a window of a predetermined door is opened when the electric field strength of a radio signal from the portable unit (1A) becomes larger than a predetermined value. This function can be disabled by the window automatic opening mode setting switch (14).

Claims

1. An opening-closing member control apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a user recognition system which recognizes if an authentic user is present near the vehicle, in accordance with a reception result of an authentication signal automatically sent from a transmitter provided to a portable unit, comprising:

operation detection means for detecting user'"'"'s predetermined operation for the vehicle; and

opening operation means for opening a predetermined opening-closing member of the vehicle that opens or closes an opening formed on a vehicle body so as to allow placement of an object into a vehicle compartment via said opening even if a door is closed when the predetermined operation is detected while the presence of the authentic user is recognized near the vehicle upon receiving the authentication signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined opening-closing member is a trunk of the vehicle, said operation detection means detects if the user puts his or her foot below a bumper of the vehicle, and said opening operation means opens the trunk of the vehicle when said operation detection means detects that the user has put his or her foot below the bumper.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation detection means detects by image recognition if the user puts his or her hand or leg over the predetermined opening-closing member, and said opening operation means opens the predetermined opening-closing member when said operation detection means detects that the user puts his or her hand or leg over the predetermined opening-closing member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined opening-closing member is a window of a vehicle door, said operation detection means detects if the user kicks a vehicle tire, and said opening operation means opens the window when said operation detection means detects that the vehicle tire is kicked.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opening operation means detects a reception direction of the signal, and opens a predetermined opening-closing member corresponding to the detected reception direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined opening-closing member is a window of a vehicle door, said operation detection means detects if the user kicks a vehicle tire, and said opening operation means opens the window corresponding to the vehicle tire kicked by the user when said operation detection means detects that the vehicle tire is kicked.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined opening-closing member is a window of a vehicle door, said operation detection means detects by image recognition using cameras that sense images of right and left side portions of the vehicle if the user puts his or her hand or leg over the predetermined opening-closing member, and said opening operation means opens a window corresponding to a position where the user puts his or her hand or leg when said operation detection means detects that the user puts his or her hand or leg over the predetermined opening-closing member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined opening-closing member is a window of a vehicle door, said apparatus further comprises object detection means for detecting if an object is present on a vehicle seat, and said opening operation means inhibits the window of the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle seat where the object is present from being opened when said object detection means detects that the object is present on that vehicle seat.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising informing means for informing the position of the window which is inhibited from being opened, when said opening operation means inhibits the window from being opened.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising rain detection means for detecting if it rains, and in that said opening operation means sets an opening operation speed of the predetermined opening-closing member when a rainfall is detected to be higher than an opening operation speed set when no rainfall is detected.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opening operation means opens the predetermined opening-closing member by switch means provided inside the vehicle, and sets an opening operation speed of the predetermined opening-closing member in response to the received signal to be higher than an opening operation speed of the predetermined opening-closing member by the switch means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising closing operation means for closing the predetermined opening-closing member opened by said opening operation means when the signal is not normally received.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

onboard detection means for detecting if the user enters a passenger room; and

closing operation means for closing the predetermined opening-closing member opened by said opening operation means when it is detected that the user has entered the passenger room.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a closing operation speed by said closing operation means when the signal is not normally received is set to be higher than a closing operation speed by said closing operation means when said onboard detection means detects that the user has entered the passenger room.

15. An opening-closing member control apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a keyless entry system in which an onboard unit of the vehicle controls to lock/unlock a door lock mechanism in accordance with a reception result of an unlock signal automatically sent from a transmitter provided to a portable unit, comprising:

entrance detection means for detecting if the user enters the vehicle; and

opening operation means for opening a predetermined opening-closing member of the vehicle that opens or closes an opening formed on a vehicle body so as to allow placement of an object into a vehicle compartment via said opening even if a door is closed when a predetermined time has elapsed without detecting entrance of the user after the door lock mechanism was unlocked while the door mechanism is unlocked upon receiving the unlock signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said entrance detection means detects user'"'"'s outer handle operation of a vehicle door, and said opening operation means opens the predetermined opening-closing member when a predetermined time has elapsed without detecting entrance.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said entrance detection means detects operation of an operation member to be operated by the user inside the vehicle, and said opening operation means opens the predetermined opening-closing member when a predetermined time has elapsed without detecting any operation.

18. An opening-closing member control apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a user recognition system which recognizes if an authentic user is present near the vehicle, in accordance with a reception result of an authentication signal automatically sent from a transmitter provided to a portable unit,

wherein the portable unit includes an operation mode setting switch which can turn on or off a function of automatically opening a predetermined opening-closing member of the vehicle that opens or closes an opening formed on a vehicle body so as to allow placement of an object into a vehicle compartment via said opening even if a door is closed, and comprising

opening operation means for opening the predetermined opening-closing member when an onboard unit receives the authentication signal while the function is turned on by said operation mode setting switch.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the operation mode setting switch is provided to the portable unit.

20. An opening-closing member control apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a keyless entry system in which an onboard unit of the vehicle controls to lock/unlock a door lock mechanism in accordance with a reception result of an unlock signal automatically sent from a transmitter provided to a portable unit, comprising:

operation detection means for detecting user'"'"'s predetermined operation for the vehicle; and

opening operation means for opening a predetermined opening-closing member of the vehicle that opens or closes an opening formed on a vehicle body so as to allow placement of an object into a vehicle compartment via said opening even if a door is closed when the predetermined operation is detected while the door lock mechanism is unlocked upon receiving the unlock signal.

21. An opening-closing member control apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a user recognition system which recognizes if an authentic user is present near the vehicle, in accordance with a reception result of an authentication signal automatically sent from a transmitter provided to a portable unit, comprising:

entrance detection means for detecting if the user enters the vehicle; and

opening operation means for opening a predetermined opening-closing member of the vehicle that opens or closes an opening formed on a vehicle body so as to allow placement of an object into a vehicle compartment via said opening even if a door is closed when a predetermined time has elapsed without detecting entrance of the user after the door lock mechanism was unlocked while the presence of the authentic user is recognized near the vehicle upon receiving the authentication signal.