Concealed door handle control system and method

Abstract

The application provides a hidden car door handle control system and method. The system comprises: a driving execution module for driving the car door handle to be initially opened; a proximity sensing module arranged on the car door handle for sensing whether an external object approaches the car door handle; and a control module receiving a sensing signal sent by the proximity sensing module and being in control connection with the driving execution module to control the driving execution module to drive the car door handle to be initially opened and to drive the car door handle to be opened again on the basis of the initial opening according to the sensing signal, the opening degree of the second opening of the car door handle being greater than that of the initial opening. The hidden car door handle control system can meet the requirements of the national standard GB 11566-2009 for the external protrusions of passenger cars when the car door handle is initially opened, and can solve the problem that the opening degree of the car door handle is too small to easily pinch the hand or the problem that the car door handle cannot be held by stretching the hand to open the door by opening the car door handle again, thereby meeting the man-machine requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive component control, specifically to a concealed door handle control system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of automotive manufacturing technology, more and more car models now have higher requirements for exterior design, among which hidden door handles are gradually becoming a trend.

[0003] Current concealed door handles have a large electric pre-opening travel when opened with a key, resulting in a large pre-opening degree that does not meet the requirements of the national standard GB 11566-2009 for external protrusions in passenger vehicles. However, shortening the electric pre-opening travel and reducing the opening degree of the door handle may result in problems such as the door handle opening being too small, making it easy to pinch a hand, or making it impossible to reach in and grasp the door handle to open the door, thus failing to meet ergonomic requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the defects existing in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a concealed door handle control system and method.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives of the present invention, the present invention provides a concealed vehicle door handle control system, comprising:

[0006] The drive execution module is used to pre-open the door handle;

[0007] The proximity sensor module is located on the door handle and is used to detect whether there is an external object approaching the door handle.

[0008] The control module receives the sensing signal sent by the proximity sensing module and connects with the drive execution module to control the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle initially. Based on the sensing signal, the control module further controls the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle again, with the opening degree of the door handle being greater than the initial pre-opening degree.

[0009] This concealed door handle control system performs initial pre-opening and re-pre-opening of the door handle's pre-opening travel. During the initial pre-opening, it meets the requirements of the national standard GB 11566-2009 for external protrusions in passenger vehicles. The re-pre-opening solves the problems of the door handle opening being too small and easily pinching the hand or being unable to reach in and grasp the door handle to open the door, thus meeting human-machine requirements.

[0010] In one option of this concealed door handle control system, the sensing module is one of an infrared sensing module, an optical sensing module, an ultrasonic sensing module, or a capacitive sensing module.

[0011] In this optional solution, infrared sensing modules, optical sensing modules, ultrasonic sensing modules, and capacitive sensing modules can all achieve rapid and accurate sensing of external objects approaching the door handle.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment of the concealed door handle control system, a first micro switch electrically connected to the control module is also included for sensing the initial pre-opening of the door handle.

[0013] The control module controls the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle again based on the sensing signal and the trigger signal of the first micro switch.

[0014] In this optional solution, when the door handle is pre-opened for the first time, the first micro switch is triggered, which can accurately sense the completion of the initial pre-opening of the door handle.

[0015] In one alternative embodiment of the concealed door handle control system, a second micro switch electrically connected to the control module is included for sensing the door handle to be pre-opened again, and a third micro switch is included for sensing the door lock to be unlocked.

[0016] The control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to its initial position based on the trigger signals of the first micro switch, the second micro switch, and the third micro switch.

[0017] In this optional solution, when the door handle is pre-opened again, the second micro switch is triggered, which can accurately sense the completion of the pre-opening of the door handle; when the door lock is unlocked, the third micro switch is triggered, which can accurately sense the unlocking of the door lock.

[0018] In one alternative embodiment of the concealed door handle control system, a first timing module connected to the control module is also included. When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to open for the first time, it synchronously controls the first timing module to time. When the first timing module times out for a first preset time but the proximity sensing module still does not sense any foreign object approaching the door handle, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial position.

[0019] In one optional embodiment of the concealed door handle control system, a second timing module connected to the control module is also included. When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to pre-open again, it synchronously controls the second timing module to time. When the second timing module times for more than a second preset time but still does not receive a trigger signal from the third micro switch, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial pre-open position.

[0020] This invention also proposes a method for controlling a concealed car door handle, comprising the following steps:

[0021] Intelligent or manual control drives the door handle to pre-open initially;

[0022] When the door handle has been pre-opened for the first time and an object approaches the door handle, the door handle will be pre-opened again based on the initial pre-opening. The opening degree of the door handle pre-opening again is greater than the opening degree of the initial pre-opening.

[0023] In one alternative embodiment of this concealed door handle control method, an initial pre-opening completion signal is sent after the door handle has been pre-opened for the first time.

[0024] When the control terminal receives the initial pre-opening completion signal and an external object approaches the door handle, it drives the door handle to pre-open again based on the initial pre-opening.

[0025] Once the door handle has been pre-opened again, a pre-opening completion signal is sent; once the door lock is unlocked, an unlocking completion signal is sent.

[0026] When the control unit receives the initial pre-opening completion signal, the second pre-opening completion signal, and the unlocking completion signal, it drives the door handle back to its initial position.

[0027] When the control terminal controls the door handle to open for the first time, a synchronous timer is started. When the timer exceeds the first preset time but no foreign object is detected approaching the door handle, the control terminal controls the door handle to return to the initial position.

[0028] When the control terminal controls the door handle to pre-open again, a synchronous timer is started. When the timer exceeds the second preset time but no trigger signal is received from the third micro switch, the control terminal controls the door handle to return to the initial pre-open position.

[0029] This method involves initial pre-opening and subsequent pre-opening of the door handle's pre-opening stroke. The initial pre-opening meets the requirements of the national standard GB 11566-2009 for external protrusions in passenger vehicles. The subsequent pre-opening solves the problems of the door handle opening being too small and easily pinching the hand, or the inability to reach in and grasp the door handle to open the door, thus satisfying human-machine requirements.

[0030] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-deployment process for the car door handle. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components. They can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a concealed door handle control system, including: a control module, a drive execution module and a proximity sensing module.

[0038] The system includes a drive execution module for pre-opening the door handle, and a proximity sensor module mounted on the door handle to detect the presence of an object. The proximity sensor module is electrically connected to the control module and sends its detected signal to the control module. The control module receives the signal from the proximity sensor module and connects to the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle initially. Based on the detected signal, the control module further pre-opens the door handle, increasing the opening degree of the second pre-opening beyond the initial pre-opening. In other words, when an object approaches the door handle, such as a hand near or on it, if the door handle has already pre-opened initially, the control module will pre-open it again to ensure the door handle is open to a degree suitable for manual opening.

[0039] In this embodiment, the proximity sensing module can be any of the following: infrared sensing module, optical sensing module, ultrasonic sensing module, or capacitive sensing module. Other sensing methods can also be used.

[0040] In this embodiment, an environmental data acquisition module electrically connected to the control module is also provided. This environmental data acquisition module includes a first microswitch for sensing the initial pre-opening of the door handle. When the door handle is initially pre-opened, the first microswitch is triggered. The control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to pre-open again based on the sensing signal and the trigger signal of the first microswitch. The specific location of the first microswitch is not limited, as long as it can sense the signal when the door handle is initially pre-opened. For example, it can be a stop switch located at the stroke corresponding to the initial pre-opening in the drive stroke of the drive execution module, or a stop switch located at the initial pre-opening degree of the door handle, etc.

[0041] In this embodiment, the environmental data acquisition module further includes a second micro switch for sensing the door handle's re-opening and a third micro switch for sensing the door lock unlocking. When the door handle re-opens, the second micro switch is triggered; when the door lock unlocks, the third micro switch is triggered. The control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to its initial position based on the trigger signals from the first, second, and third micro switches. The specific location of the second micro switch is not limited, as long as it can sense a signal when the door handle re-opens. For example, it could be a stop switch located at the corresponding point of the re-opening stroke in the drive execution module's drive stroke, or a stop switch located at the re-opening degree of the door handle, etc. Similarly, the specific location of the third micro switch is not limited, as long as it can sense the door lock unlocking, such as an unlocking sensor switch located within the door lock.

[0042] In this embodiment, the concealed door handle control system is further equipped with a first timing module and a second timing module connected to the control module.

[0043] When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to open for the first time, it synchronously controls the first timing module to time. When the first timing module times for more than the first preset time (e.g., 20 seconds) but the proximity sensing module still does not sense any foreign object approaching the door handle or still does not receive a signal that the second micro switch has been triggered, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial position.

[0044] When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to pre-open again, it synchronously controls the second timing module to time. When the second timing module times for more than the second preset time (e.g., 20 seconds) but still does not receive the trigger signal from the third micro switch, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial pre-open position.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] The present invention also provides a method for controlling a concealed car door handle, comprising the following steps:

[0047] The door handle is pre-opened initially using either intelligent or manual control. Once the initial pre-opening is complete, a pre-opening completion signal is sent to the control unit.

[0048] When the door handle completes its initial pre-opening (i.e., the control unit receives the initial pre-opening completion signal) and an external object approaches the door handle, the door handle is driven to pre-open again, with the opening degree of the second pre-opening being greater than the initial pre-opening degree. After the door handle completes its second pre-opening, a second pre-opening completion signal is sent to the control unit.

[0049] When the control terminal controls the door handle to pre-open for the first time, it starts a synchronous timer. When the timer exceeds the first preset time (e.g., 20 seconds) but no foreign object is detected approaching the door handle or no signal is received indicating that the door handle has been pre-opened again, the control terminal controls the door handle to return to the initial position.

[0050] When the customer pulls the door handle, the door lock unlocks and sends an unlocking completion signal to the control terminal.

[0051] When the control unit receives the initial pre-opening completion signal, the second pre-opening completion signal, and the unlocking completion signal, it drives the door handle back to its initial position.

[0052] When the control terminal controls the door handle to pre-open again, it starts a synchronous timer. When the timer exceeds the second preset time (e.g., 20 seconds) but no trigger signal is received from the third micro switch, it controls the door handle to return to the initial pre-open position.

[0053] This method can be applied to the concealed door handle control system described in Embodiment 1.

[0054] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0055] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A concealed vehicle door handle control system, characterized in that, include: The drive execution module is used to pre-open the door handle; The proximity sensor module is located on the door handle and is used to detect whether there is an external object approaching the door handle. The control module receives the sensing signal sent by the proximity sensing module and connects with the drive execution module to control the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle initially. Based on the sensing signal, the control module further controls the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle again, with the opening degree of the door handle being greater than the initial pre-opening degree.

2. The concealed door handle control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing module is one of an infrared sensing module, an optical sensing module, an ultrasonic sensing module, or a capacitive sensing module.

3. The concealed door handle control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first microswitch, which is electrically connected to the control module, for sensing the initial pre-opening of the door handle; The control module controls the drive execution module to pre-open the door handle again based on the sensing signal and the trigger signal of the first micro switch.

4. The concealed door handle control system according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a second micro switch electrically connected to the control module for sensing the door handle to be pre-opened again, and a third micro switch for sensing the door lock to be unlocked; The control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to its initial position based on the trigger signals of the first micro switch, the second micro switch, and the third micro switch.

5. The concealed door handle control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first timing module connected to the control module. When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to open for the first time, it synchronously controls the first timing module to time. When the first timing module times for more than a first preset time but the proximity sensing module still does not sense an object approaching the door handle, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial position.

6. The concealed door handle control system according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a second timing module connected to the control module. When the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle to pre-open again, it synchronously controls the second timing module to time. When the second timing module times for more than a second preset time but still does not receive a trigger signal from the third micro switch, the control module controls the drive execution module to drive the door handle back to the initial pre-open position.

7. A method for controlling a concealed car door handle, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Intelligent or manual control drives the door handle to pre-open initially; When the door handle has been pre-opened for the first time and an object approaches the door handle, the door handle will be pre-opened again based on the initial pre-opening. The opening degree of the door handle pre-opening again is greater than the opening degree of the initial pre-opening.

8. The concealed door handle control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Once the door handle has completed its initial pre-opening, a pre-opening completion signal is sent. When the control terminal receives the initial pre-opening completion signal and an external object approaches the door handle, it drives the door handle to pre-open again based on the initial pre-opening.

9. The concealed door handle control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Once the door handle has been pre-opened again, a pre-opening completion signal is sent; once the door lock is unlocked, an unlocking completion signal is sent. When the control unit receives the initial pre-opening completion signal, the second pre-opening completion signal, and the unlocking completion signal, it drives the door handle back to its initial position.

10. The concealed door handle control method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the control terminal controls the door handle to open for the first time, a synchronous timer is started. When the timer exceeds the first preset time but no foreign object is detected approaching the door handle, the control terminal controls the door handle to return to the initial position. When the control terminal controls the door handle to pre-open again, a synchronous timer is started. When the timer exceeds the second preset time but no trigger signal is received from the third micro switch, the control terminal controls the door handle to return to the initial pre-open position.

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