Sliding-door opening control apparatus

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

a sliding door arranged to be moved in an opening direction and a closing direction along a side face of the vehicle;

a driving source arranged to drive the sliding door to move in the opening direction and the closing direction;

a clutch arranged to connect the driving source and the sliding door in an engaged state and to disconnect the driving source and the sliding door in a disengaged state; and

a control section that controls the driving source and the clutch, measures a distance of movement of the sliding door in the opening direction and the closing direction, and controls a speed of movement of the door by

(1) changing the clutch from the disengaged state to the engaged state when a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from a stop position to a position in one of the opening direction and the closing direction reaches a first predetermined distance within a predetermined time and then a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from the position in the one of the opening direction and the closing direction reaches a second predetermined distance, and

(2) driving the sliding door to move in the one of the opening direction and the closing direction by controlling the driving source.

2. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section measures a speed of the movement of the sliding door, and controls movement of the sliding door when the measured speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed during the movement of the first predetermined distance of the sliding door.

3. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section measures a speed of the movement of the sliding door, and controls movement of the sliiding door when the measured speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed during the movement of the second predetermined distance of the sliding door.

4. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section does not control movement of the sliding door when the second predetermined distance of the movement of the sliding door is not measured after the first predetermined distance of the movement of the sliding door is measured.

5. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section does not control movement of the sliding door when the first predetermined distance of the movement of the sliding door is not measured within a predetermined time from a time at which the sliding door is stopped at the stop position.

6. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section includes a door position measuring section configured to measure a position of the sliding door in accordance with a signal from a movement signal generating section configured to generate the signal in accordance with the movement of the sliding door.

7. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the control section resets a count value of the door position measuring section in response to a fully closing signal from a full closure sensing section configured to sense a fully closed position of the sliding door.

8. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section includes a door movement distance measuring section configured to measure the distance of the movement of the sliding door in accordance with a signal from a movement signal generating section configured to generate the signal in accordance with the movement of the sliding door.

9. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section includes a door speed measuring section configured to measure a speed of the movement of the sliding door in accordance with a signal from a movement signal generating section configured to generate the signal in accordance with the movement of the sliding door.

10. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the driving source and the clutch to drive the sliding door to move in one of the opening direction and the closing direction in response to an operation of an operating handle provided in the sliding door.

11. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the control section includes an operating handle sensing section configured to generate a signal in accordance with the operation of the operating handle.

12. The sliding-door opening control apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the control section controls movement of the slidng door irrespective of a switching state of a main switch configured to change over between a permission and an inhibition of drive operation of the driving source and the clutch in accordance with the signal of the operating handle sensing section.

13. A sliding-door opening control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a sliding door arranged to be moved in an opening direction and a closing direction along a side face of the vehicle;

first means for driving the sliding door to move in the opening direction and the closing direction;

second means for connecting the first means and the sliding door in a first state, and disconnecting the first means and the sliding door in a second state; and

third means for controlling the first means and the second means, for measuring a distance of movement of the sliding door in the opening direction and the closing direction, and for controlling a speed of the door movement by bringing the second means from the second state to the first state when a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from a stop position to a position in one of the opening direction and the closing direction reaches a first predetermined distance within a predetermined time from a time at which the sliding door is stopped at the stop position and then a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from the position in the one of the opening direction and the closing direction reaches a second predetermined distance, and driving the sliding door to move in the one of the opening direction and the closing direction by the first means.