IP Library Granted Patent US 11,492,823
Granted Patent B2
US 11,492,823 · App. 17/005,740 · Granted Nov 8, 2022

Door handle

Inventors: Toshiki Nakamura (Miyagi, JP); Takashi Sasaki (Miyagi, JP); Yoshiyuki Kikuchi (Miyagi, JP); Yuzuru Kawana (Miyagi, JP); Yukimitsu Yamada (Miyagi, JP); Daisuke Takai (Miyagi, JP); Heishiro Fudo (Niigata, JP)
Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
E05B81/76B60J5/00E05B85/16E05Y2900/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,492,823
App. No.
17/005,740
Granted
Nov 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A door handle includes door handle case, a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode disposed in the door handle case, and a controller connected to the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode. The controller separately measures a first capacitance between the first detection electrode and an operation body and a second capacitance between the second detection electrode and the operation body, and the controller determines whether a locking operation is performed by the operation body based on one or both of the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

Claims (19)

1. A door handle comprising

a door handle case;

a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode disposed in the door handle case; and

a controller connected to the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode, wherein

the controller separately measures a first capacitance between the first detection electrode and an operation body and a second capacitance between the second detection electrode and the operation body, and

the controller determines whether an operation is performed by the operation body based on one or both of the first capacitance and the second capacitance, wherein the controller measures a total capacitance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode versus the operation body, and

when the total capacitance is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the controller separately measures the first capacitance between the first detection electrode and the operation body and the second capacitance between the second detection electrode and the operation body.

2. The door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller does not measure the second capacitance at the second detection electrode when measuring the first capacitance at the first detection electrode, and the controller does not measure the first capacitance at the first detection electrode when measuring the second capacitance at the second detection electrode.

3. The door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that the operation is performed by the operation body when one of the first capacitance and the second capacitance is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

4. The door handle according to claim 3 , wherein the controller determines that the operation is not performed by the operation body when both the first capacitance and the second capacitance are greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value.

5. The door handle according to claim 4 , wherein the controller determines that the operation is not performed by the operation body when both the first capacitance and the second capacitance are less than the predetermined reference value.

6. The door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the door handle is attached to a door of a vehicle,

the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode are lock detection electrodes, and

the operation performed by the operation body is an operation for locking the door.

7. The door handle according to claim 6 , further comprising a substrate, an upper-side wiring electrode, and a lower-side wiring electrode that is disposed separately from the upper-side wiring electrode, wherein

the first detection electrode is disposed on an upper part of the door handle, and the second detection electrode is disposed on a lower part of the door handle, and

the first detection electrode is connected to the substrate via the upper-side wiring electrode, and the second detection electrode is connected to the substrate via the lower-side wiring electrode.

8. The door handle according to claim 6 , wherein the controller determines that the operation is performed by the operation body when one of the first capacitance or the second capacitance is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, and the controller determines that the operation is not performed by the operation body when both the first capacitance and the second capacitance are greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value, or when both the first capacitance and the second capacitance are less than the predetermined reference value.

9. The door handle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a condition whether the total capacitance is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value is met, and separately measure the first capacitance and the second capacitance only upon determining that the condition is met.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2020
From: NAKAMURA, TOSHIKI; SASAKI, TAKASHI; KIKUCHI, YOSHIYUKI; KAWANA, YUZURU; YAMADA, YUKIMITSU; TAKAI, DAISUKE; FUDO, HEISHIRO
To: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053627/0969 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-056212 · Mar 23, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019003713 · Feb 1, 2019
Related Publication 20200392769A1 · Dec 17, 2020