IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,390,246
Granted Patent B2
US 11,390,246 · App. 17/276,932 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Method for detecting the intention to lock or unlock a vehicle door and associated detecting device

Inventors: Gabriel Spick (Toulouse, FR); Vincent Marimoutou (Toulouse, FR); Steffen Eckhardt (Toulouse, FR)
Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
B60R25/20B60R25/01B60R25/30H03K17/9525H03K2217/95
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,390,246
App. No.
17/276,932
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a device for detecting intention to lock or unlock a door of a motor vehicle, the device including at least a first inductive sensor, including a first target, an oscillating circuit including a coil, a unit measuring a resonant frequency of the circuit, and a printed circuit. The device includes a second inductive sensor including: a second target in the form of a loop, such that a first end of the loop is connected to a fixed potential, and a second end of the loop is connected to a switch having two states, in a first state, the second end of the loop is connected to the fixed potential, in a second state, the second end of the loop is connected to a floating potential; and a controller for the switch. The coil of the first inductive sensor is common to the second inductive sensor.

Claims (35)

1. A device (D) for detecting intention to lock or unlock a door of a motor vehicle, said device (D) comprising at least a first inductive sensor (A 1 ), comprising a first target ( 20 ), an oscillating circuit (M 1 ) comprising a coil (B), measuring means for measuring a resonant frequency of said circuit (M 2 ), and a printed circuit ( 10 ), said device (D) further comprising a second inductive sensor (A 2 ) comprising:

a second target ( 30 ) in the form of a loop, such that a first end (E 1 ) of the loop is connected to a fixed potential, and a second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to switching means (S 1 ) having two states:

in a first state (P 1 ), the second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to said fixed potential,

in a second state (P 2 ), the second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to a floating potential,

control means (M 3 ) for controlling the switching means (S 1 ),

the coil (B) of the first inductive sensor (A 1 ) being common to the second inductive sensor (A 2 ).

2. The detection device (D) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first target ( 20 ) and the second target ( 30 ) are located on either side of the printed circuit ( 10 ) and wherein the coil (B) consists of a winding formed of turns (Ba, Bb) that are electrically connected to one another, each located on a layer ( 10 a , 10 b ) of the printed circuit.

3. The detection device (D) as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the fixed potential is electrical ground.

4. A motor vehicle door handle (P), comprising a detection device (D) as claimed in claim 2 .

5. A motor vehicle (V), comprising the detection device (D) as claimed in claim 2 .

6. A motor vehicle door handle (P), comprising a detection device (D) as claimed in claim 3 .

7. A motor vehicle (V), comprising the detection device (D) as claimed in claim 3 .

8. The detection device (D) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixed potential is electrical ground.

9. A motor vehicle door handle (P), comprising a detection device (D) as claimed in claim 8 .

10. A motor vehicle (V), comprising the detection device (D) as claimed in claim 8 .

11. A motor vehicle door handle (P), comprising the detection device (D) as claimed in claim 1 .

12. A motor vehicle (V), comprising the detection device (D) as claimed in claim 1 .

13. A method for detecting intention to lock or unlock a motor vehicle door, performed by a detection device (D) comprising at least a first inductive sensor (A 1 ), comprising a first target ( 20 ), an oscillating circuit (M 1 ) comprising a coil (B), measuring means for measuring a resonant frequency of said circuit (M 2 ), and a printed circuit ( 10 ), said method comprising:

fitting the detection device (D) beforehand with a second inductive sensor (A 2 ) comprising:

a second target ( 30 ) in the form of a loop, such that a first end (E 1 ) of the loop is connected to a fixed potential, and a second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to switching means (S 1 ) having two states:

in a first state (P 1 ), the second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to said fixed potential,

in a second state (P 2 ), the second end (E 2 ) of the loop is connected to a floating potential,

control means (M 3 ) for controlling the switching means (S 1 ),

the coil (B) of the first inductive sensor (A 1 ) being common to the second inductive sensor (A 2 ),

positioning the switching means (S 1 ) in the second state (P 2 ) and performing a first measurement (N 1 ) of an actual resonant frequency of the circuit (M 1 ),

positioning the switching means (S 1 ) in the first state (P 1 ) and performing a second measurement (N 2 ) of an actual resonant frequency of the circuit (M 1 ),

calculating the measured difference (ΔN) between the second measurement (N 2 ) and the first measurement (N 1 ),

comparing the first measurement (N 1 ) with a first threshold (Th 1 ),

if the first measurement (N 1 ) is greater than a first threshold (Th 1 ), then

comparing the measured difference (ΔN) with a second threshold (Th 2 ),

if the measured difference (ΔN) is greater than a second threshold (Th 2 ), then detection is confirmed on the two inductive sensors (A 1 , A 2 ), otherwise it is confirmed on the first inductive sensor (A 1 ),

otherwise, if the first measurement (N 1 ) is less than the second threshold (Th 1 ), then:

comparing the measured difference (ΔN) with a second threshold (Th 2 ),

if the measured difference (ΔN) is greater than a second threshold (Th 2 ), then detection is confirmed on the second inductive sensor (A 2 ), otherwise no detection is confirmed.

14. The detection method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the fixed potential is electrical ground.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2021
From: SPICK, GABRIEL; MARIMOUTOU, VINCENT; ECKHARDT, STEFFEN
To: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 055782/0693 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 1858397 · Sep 18, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220032872A1 · Feb 3, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,278,077 US 12,354,813