Deployable vehicle door handle
A vehicle door handle is provided that includes a deployable handle body located on a door, keypad contacts on an outer side of the handle body, an actuator configured to deploy the handle to a deployed position, a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields, and a controller processing signals generated by the sensors to determine an input command for controlling the actuator and to determine a keypad input. The controller may sense ice on the handle and determine ice thickness and may control the actuator to break the ice based on the ice thickness.
1. A vehicle door handle comprising:
a deployable handle body having an inner side and an outer side;
an actuator configured to deploy the handle body to a deployed position;
a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields; and
a controller processing signals generated by the plurality of sensors to determine an input command and controlling the actuator to deploy the handle based on the input command, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors are configured to as keypads, wherein the controller further determines a keypad input based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors, and wherein the controller further determines a handle pull on the inner side of the handle body based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors when the handle body is deployed and controls a door actuator to open a door in response to the handle pull.
2. The door handle of claim 1 , wherein the keypad input comprises a sequence of inputs sensed by the plurality of sensors used to deploy the handle body.
3. The door handle of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of keypad contact surfaces on an outer side of the handle body.
4. The door handle of claim 1 , wherein the controller further determines a swipe gesture command and generates a door command to close or open a door based on the swipe gesture command.
5. The door handle of claim 4 , wherein the swipe gesture command is input on the outer side.
6. The door handle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors.
7. The door handle of claim 1 , wherein the handle body is flushed mounted in a door in a stowed position and extends outward from a door to an extended deployed position.
8. The door handle of claim 7 , wherein the handle body pivots between the stowed and extended deployed positions.
9. A vehicle door handle comprising:
a deployable handle body located on a door, the handle body having an inner side and an outer side;
keypad contacts on an outer side of the handle body;
an actuator configured to deploy the handle to a deployed position;
a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields; and
a controller processing signals generated by the plurality of sensors to determine an input command for controlling the actuator and to determine a keypad input, wherein the controller further determines the keypad input based on the signals generated by the same plurality of proximity sensors, wherein the keypad input is entered on the outer side, and wherein the controller further determines a handle pull on the inner side of the handle body based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors when the handle body is deployed and controls a door actuator to open the door in response to the handle pull.
10. The door handle of claim 9 , wherein the keypad input comprises a sequence of inputs sensed by the plurality of sensors used to deploy the handle body.
11. The door handle of claim 9 , wherein the controller further determines a swipe gesture command and closes or opens the door based on the swipe gesture command.
12. The door handle of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors.
13. The door handle of claim 9 , wherein the handle body is flushed mounted in the door in a stowed position and extends outward from the door to an extended deployed position.
14. The door handle of claim 13 , wherein the handle body pivots between the stowed and extended deployed positions.