Granted Patent B2

US 12,643,378 · App. 18/918,906 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Tsuyoshi Nishio (Chiba, JP); Yohei Tanaka (Kanagawa, JP); Yuki Nishida (Kanagawa, JP); Toshihiro Miyamichi (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.

B60J3/04B60J5/06E06B9/24E06B2009/2464

Abstract

Claims (118)

1 . A vehicle control method for a vehicle capable of traveling in a predetermined direction using a wheel group, wherein

the vehicle includes:

a vehicle body;

the wheel group connected to the vehicle body;

a door disposed on the vehicle body and opened by an actuator in a first direction; and

a planar light shielding member disposed on the door, having a variable light transmittance and including at least a first region and a second region that are disposed along the first direction,

while the vehicle is in a first state, the first region and the second region of the light shielding member in the door have a first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in a second state, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has a second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance, and

then an opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

2 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

while the vehicle is in the second state, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region remains at the second light transmittance, and the second region has the second light transmittance, and

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

3 . The vehicle control method according to claim 2 , wherein

the light shielding member further includes a third region adjacent to the second region,

the first region, the second region, and the third region are disposed along the first direction,

while the vehicle is in the first state, the first region, the second region, and the third region of the light shielding member of the door have the first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in the second state, the second region and the third region remain at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region remains at the second light transmittance, the third region remains at the first light transmittance, and the second region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region and the second region remains at the second light transmittance, and the third region has the second light transmittance, and

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

4 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first state is a state where there is no trigger to open the door in a traveling state of the vehicle or in a stop state of the vehicle, and

the second state is a state where there is a trigger to open the door at least in the stop state of the vehicle.

5 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the door is disposed on a side surface of the vehicle body, and

the first direction is a direction along the side surface.

6 . The vehicle control method according to claim 5 , wherein

the door opens in the first direction in a state along the side surface.

7 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first region is disposed to be in contact with one end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

the second region is disposed to be in contact with another end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

while the vehicle is in the second state, at a first time point, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, at a second time point, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed while the first region remains at the second light transmittance and the second region has the second light transmittance, and

the opening operation

starts before the second time point,

starts simultaneously with the second time point, or

starts later than the second time point.

8 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first region is disposed to be in contact with one end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

the second region is disposed to be in contact with another end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

(N−2) regions are disposed in order along the first direction between the first region and the second region,

the first region is the first region, the second region is the Nth region,

while the vehicle is in the first state, the first region to the Nth region has the first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in the second state, at a first time point, the second region to the Nth region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, each of the first light transmittance from the second region to (N−1)th region is sequentially changed to the second light transmittance,

then, at a second time point, the first region to the Nth region has the second light transmittance,

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed,

N is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and

a first time between the first time point and the second time point corresponds to a second time between a start time point and a completion time point of the opening operation.

9 . The vehicle control method according to claim 8 , wherein

the first time is between 60% to 140% of the second time.

10 . An automatic door control method, wherein

the automatic door is disposed on a vehicle and includes:

a door opened by an actuator in a first direction; and

a planar light shielding member disposed on the door and having a variable light transmittance and including at least a first region and a second region that are disposed along the first direction,

the automatic door control method includes:

while the vehicle is in a first state, setting the first region and the second region of the light shielding member of the door to a first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in a second state, maintaining the second region at the first light transmittance and setting the first region to a second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance, and

completing an opening operation of the door in the first direction.

11 . A vehicle control device configured to be mounted on a vehicle capable of traveling in a predetermined direction using a wheel group, wherein

the vehicle control device includes:

a vehicle body;

a wheel group connected to the vehicle body;

a door disposed on the vehicle body and opened by an actuator in a first direction; and

a planar light shielding member disposed on the door and having a variable light transmittance and including at least a first region and a second region that are disposed along the first direction,

while the vehicle is in a first state, the first region and the second region of the light shielding member of the door have a first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in a second state, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has a second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance, and

then, an opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

12 . The vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein

while the vehicle is in the second state, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region remains at the second light transmittance, and the second region has the second light transmittance, and

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

13 . The vehicle control device according to claim 12 , wherein

the light shielding member further includes a third region adjacent to the second region,

the first region, the second region, and the third region are disposed along the first direction,

while the vehicle is in the first state, the first region, the second region, and the third region of the light shielding member of the door have the first light transmittance,

when the vehicle is in the second state, the second region and the third region remain at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region remains at the second light transmittance, the third region remains at the first light transmittance, and the second region has the second light transmittance,

then, the first region and the second region remains at the second light transmittance, and the third region has the second light transmittance, and

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

14 . The vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein

the first state is a state where there is no trigger to open the door in a traveling state or in a stop state of the vehicle, and

the second state is a state where there is a trigger to open the door at least in the stop state of the vehicle.

15 . The vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein

the door is disposed on a side surface of the vehicle body, and

the first direction is a direction along the side surface.

16 . The vehicle control device according to claim 15 , wherein

the door opens in the first direction in a state along the side surface.

17 . The vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein

the first region is disposed to be in contact with one end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

the second region is disposed to be in contact with the other end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

while the vehicle is in the second state, at a first time point, the second region remains at the first light transmittance and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, at a second time point, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed while the first region remains at the second light transmittance and the second region has the second light transmittance, and

the opening operation

starts before the second time point, or

starts simultaneously with the second time point, or

starts later than the second time point.

18 . The vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein

the first region is disposed to be in contact with one end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

the second region is disposed to be in contact with the other end of the light shielding member in the first direction,

(N−2) regions are disposed in order along the first direction between the first region and the second region,

the first region is the first region, the second region is the Nth region,

while the vehicle is in the first state, the first region to the Nth region has the first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in the second state, at a first time point, the second region to the Nth region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has the second light transmittance,

then, each of the first light transmittance from the second region to (N−1)th region is sequentially changed to the second light transmittance,

then, at a second time point, the first region to the Nth region has the second light transmittance,

then, the opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed,

N is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and

a first time between the first time point and the second time point corresponds to

a second time between a start time point and a completion time point of the opening operation.

19 . The vehicle control device according to claim 18 , wherein

the first time is between 60% to 140% of the second time.

20 . A control device for an automatic door including a door opened by an actuator in a first direction, and a planar light shielding member disposed on the door and having a variable light transmittance and including at least a first region and a second region that are disposed along the first direction, wherein

the automatic door is disposed on a vehicle; and

while the vehicle is in a first state, the first region and the second region of the light shielding member of the door have a first light transmittance,

while the vehicle is in a second state, the second region remains at the first light transmittance, and the first region has a second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance, and

then, an opening operation of the door in the first direction is completed.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (12)