Radio frequency transmission and reception device detected to detect automated opening

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a reflector (1) for constituting a component of a radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device for driving a detector of an automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, said reflector (1) comprising: a reflecting plate (2) capable of reflecting a radio frequency beam; -at least one fixing sheet (3), each fixing sheet (3) being integrally formed with the reflecting plate (2), and each fixing sheet (3) being configured to: be inserted into a corresponding aperture through the thickness of the printed circuit board; and soldered to the printed circuit board at the aperture, the printed circuit board including at least one radio frequency antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for transmitting and / or receiving radio frequency signals, which is used to form a component of a detector for driving the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, and according to the invention the device is equipped with a reflector.

[0002] The device according to the invention is suitable, for example, for use in vehicles equipped with a hands-free entry system so that the user of the vehicle can open the vehicle's doors or its cabin simply by making a gesture, without having to make physical contact with the vehicle or with a badge or other activation key. Background Art

[0003] Currently, many hands-free entry systems have been developed that ensure automatic opening of the vehicle's active hatch once the user makes a predetermined movement of a body part near the vehicle. This predetermined movement can be detected by means of a radio frequency type detector arranged in the vehicle's bumper, rearview mirror, B-pillar or handle.

[0004] For example, in the case of opening the compartment of a vehicle, it is known to use motion detection based on a transmitting and receiving device of radio frequency signals. Such a device is arranged in the rear bumper of the vehicle. The device is equipped with two radio frequency antennas: a first antenna that transmits a radio frequency beam in a direction toward the rear of the vehicle; and a second antenna that transmits a radio frequency beam in a direction toward the ground. Thus, when the user performs a foot movement that passes through the two radio frequency beams, the detector detects the desire to open the compartment of the vehicle and initiates the opening of the compartment.

[0005] However, problems are sometimes encountered with untimely opening of the active cover. In practice, the radio frequency beams overlap and are not accurately differentiated, so that a foot movement near the bumper is sometimes sufficient to open the vehicle's cabin without the user intending to do so. The detection ratio formed by the detection rate to the false detection rate is often too low. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to propose a solution for reducing the false detection rate of a radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device as described in the background art.

[0007] In this context, the invention therefore relates to a device for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency signals within its maximum acceptance range, for actuating a detector of an action for the automatic opening of a flap of a motor vehicle, said device being equipped with a reflector and comprising:

[0008] -Reflector, capable of reflecting RF beams;

[0009] - at least one fixing piece, each fixing piece is formed as a whole with the reflective plate, and each fixing piece is configured to: be inserted in a corresponding hole through the thickness of the printed circuit board; and be soldered to the printed circuit board at the hole, the printed circuit board comprising at least one radio frequency antenna.

[0010] The reflector is intended to be soldered to a printed circuit board equipped with a radio frequency antenna. It allows the radiation pattern of the antenna to be configured to make it more selective. It is particularly concerned with concentrating the electromagnetic field in the desired coverage area and thus reducing the electromagnetic field outside this coverage area.

[0011] Therefore, the reflector according to the present invention increases the detection rate, reduces the false detection rate, and avoids the situation where the movable cover is opened when the user does not intend.

[0012] Furthermore, the reflector according to the invention is adapted to be integrated on the printed circuit board in a very simple manner simply by sinking at least one of the fixing tabs of the reflector into a corresponding aperture in the printed circuit board and by welding the fixing tabs on the corresponding apertures. This arrangement ensures that the reflector is mechanically fixed to the printed circuit board very easily. This arrangement also allows the reflector to be oriented relative to the plane of the printed circuit board along any desired orientation. Thus, in an advantageous manner, the reflector and more particularly the maximally extended constituent surface of the reflector is inclined obliquely relative to the plane of the printed circuit board. This inclination forms an angle between the reflector and the plane of the printed circuit board, for example, between 10° and 80°, even between 20° and 70°, even between 34° and 55°.

[0013] The reflector according to the present invention may be completely composed of a reflective plate and at least one fixing piece.

[0014] In addition to the features just mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the reflector according to this aspect of the invention may have one or more supplementary features among the following, considered individually or in any technically possible combination.

[0015] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the reflective sheet has at least one groove passing through the reflective sheet throughout the thickness of the reflective sheet.

[0016] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the reflective plate is metallic.

[0017] Another aspect of the invention relates to a device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, for driving a detector for the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

[0018] - a printed circuit board equipped with at least one radio frequency antenna and traversed by at least one aperture; and

[0019] - At least one reflector according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention, at least one fixing tab of each of the at least one reflector being inserted inside a corresponding opening of a printed circuit board and being soldered to the printed circuit board at the opening.

[0020] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, at least one reflector comprises a major surface that is obliquely inclined at an inclination angle of between 20° and 70° relative to the plane of the printed circuit board.

[0021] According to the present invention, a printed circuit board is equipped with a first face and a second face facing each other, one of the first face or the second face is equipped with a first radio frequency antenna, the device further comprises a first reflector according to any one of the aforementioned aspects of the present invention, each fixing piece of the first reflector is inserted into a corresponding hole passing through the thickness of the printed circuit board and is soldered to the printed circuit board at the hole, and the reflecting plate of the first reflector faces the first face.

[0022] According to the present invention, the device also includes a second reflector according to any one of the aforementioned aspects of the present invention, each fixing piece of the second reflector is inserted into a corresponding hole passing through the thickness of the printed circuit board and is soldered to the printed circuit board at the hole, and the reflecting plate of the second reflector faces the second surface.

[0023] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the first reflector and the second reflector surround the first radio frequency antenna.

[0024] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention,

[0025] - a printed circuit board equipped with at least two radio frequency antennas; and

[0026] -The device comprises at least two sets of (one or more) reflectors, wherein each set of (one or more) reflectors comprises at least one reflector according to any of the aforementioned aspects of the present invention, and wherein each set of (one or more) reflectors is associated with a corresponding RF antenna of the at least two RF antennas.

[0027] In use, at least one fixing tab of each of the at least one reflector is inserted into a corresponding aperture of a printed circuit board and soldered to the printed circuit board at the aperture.

[0028] The set of reflectors is configured so as to improve the difference between the respective radiation patterns associated with each of the radio frequency antennas compared to the same device without the reflectors. In particular, the set of reflectors is configured to increase the separation between the radiation maximum of one radio frequency antenna and the radiation of another radio frequency antenna in the same direction. Where appropriate, the second set of reflectors allows a blind area to be created between the radiation from the two antennas to further improve the separation between their respective radiations.

[0029] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention,

[0030] a printed circuit board equipped with a first face and a second face facing each other, one of the first face or the second face being equipped with a first radio frequency antenna, the device further comprising a first reflector according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention, each fixing piece of the first reflector being inserted into a corresponding aperture through the thickness of the printed circuit board and being soldered to the printed circuit board at the aperture, the reflecting plate of the first reflector facing the first face;

[0031] - the device further comprises a second reflector according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention, each fixing piece of the second reflector being inserted into a corresponding aperture through the thickness of the printed circuit board and being soldered to the printed circuit board at the aperture, the reflecting plate of the second reflector facing the second face; and

[0032] -One of the first side or the second side of the printed circuit board is equipped with a second radio frequency antenna, and the device also includes a third reflector according to any one of the aforementioned aspects of the present invention, each fixing piece of the third reflector is inserted into a corresponding hole passing through the thickness of the printed circuit board and is soldered to the printed circuit board at the hole, and the reflecting plate of the third reflector faces the first side or the second side.

[0033] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the printed circuit board includes a ground plane, and each of the fixing plates is electrically connected to the ground plane.

[0034] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the printed circuit board includes a ground plane, the ground plane overlapping the first radio frequency antenna.

[0035] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the printed circuit board includes a ground plane, the ground plane overlapping the second radio frequency antenna.

[0036] Another aspect of the invention relates to a detector for actuating an automatic opening motion of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, comprising:

[0037] - a device according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention; and

[0038] - at least one computer configured to: receive as input a signal from at least one radio frequency antenna; perform processing on the signal so as to detect a predetermined action performed by a human operator; and generate an instruction to open a decklid of the motor vehicle when the predetermined action is detected.

[0039] The invention and its various applications will be better understood upon reading the following description and studying the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The figures are given by way of illustration and in no way limitative of the present invention.

[0041] [ Figure 1 ] shows a side view of a reflector according to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention.

[0042] [ Figure 2 ]yes Figure 1 Front view of the reflector shown in .

[0043] [ Figure 3 ] illustrates another non-limiting embodiment of a reflector according to the present invention.

[0044] [ Figure 4 ] illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of a radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device for a detector for driving an automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0045] [ Figure 5 ] is shown in Figure 4 Different views of the radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving equipment shown in FIG.

[0046] [ Figure 6 ] shows that Figure 4 and Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the radiation pattern of the radio frequency beam emitted by the device shown in .

[0047] [ Figure 7 ] illustrates another non-limiting embodiment of a radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device for a detector for driving the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0048] [ Figure 8 ] illustrates different non-limiting embodiments of a radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device for a detector for driving an automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0049] [ Fig. 9 ] shows a detector for driving the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0050] [ Fig.10] The figure shows a detector for driving the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Unless indicated otherwise, identical elements appearing in different figures have unique reference numbers.

[0052] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An embodiment of a reflector 1 according to one aspect of the invention is shown, which is intended to form part of a device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, the device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals being used to drive a detector of an action of automatic opening of a movable cover of a motor vehicle. More particularly, Figure 1 is a side view of the reflector 1 and Figure 2 is a front view of the reflector 1.

[0053] The reflector 1 is formed by a reflector plate 2 for radio frequency beams. The reflector plate 2 has three flat parts here: a first part 2a, a second part 2b and a third part 2c. In this non-limiting embodiment, the reflector plate 2 forms a Z shape. In order to reflect the radio frequency beams, the reflector plate 2 can be made of metal, for example, made of aluminum.

[0054] As in Figure 2 As shown in the figure, and in a non-limiting manner, the reflector 1 is furthermore constituted with three fixing pieces 3 formed integrally with the reflector plate 2. Each fixing piece 3 is arranged to be located in a corresponding aperture of the printed circuit board and is welded in said aperture. In a non-limiting manner, each of the fixing pieces can be flat and have a width between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm (for example 0.5 mm) and a length between 0.2 mm and 2 mm.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the reflector 1 is attached to the printed circuit board by means of the fixing piece 3, the second portion 2b forms a main surface which is inclined obliquely at an inclination angle between 20° and 70° relative to the plane of the printed circuit board. The main surface 2b forms the most extended flat surface among the plurality of constituent surfaces 2a, 2b, 2c of the reflector 1.

[0056] It should be noted that the printed circuit board is equipped with a radio frequency antenna. The reflector 2 therefore forms a reflection barrier for the radio frequency beam emitted by the radio frequency antenna once it is mounted on the printed circuit board. In this article, a radio frequency beam refers to an electromagnetic ray beam whose carrier frequency is between 30MHz and 300GHz. In a preferred manner, the frequency is between 3GHz and 100GHz, for example, centered around about 24GHz, or about 77GHz, or about 81GHz, or about 60GHz. In an advantageous manner, the radio frequency beam is a UWB (ultra-wide band) signal, and its frequency spectrum extends from 3GHz to 10GHz. As a variant, the frequency spectrum can extend from 77GHz to 81GHz.

[0057] Here, but in a non-limiting manner, the reflector plate 2 also has two slots 4. Each slot 4 advantageously passes completely through the thickness e2 of the reflector plate 2. When the reflector plate 2 is soldered to a printed circuit board, these slots 4 are arranged facing the conductive tracks on the printed circuit board in order to avoid any electromagnetic interference. Here, and in an advantageous manner, each slot 4 extends from an edge of the reflector plate 2.

[0058] In a different implementation, not shown, each of the grooves 4 passes through only a portion of the thickness of the reflective plate 2 .

[0059] Figure 3 1 is a side view of another embodiment of a reflector 1 for a device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, the device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals being used to drive a detector of an action of automatically opening a movable cover of a motor vehicle. In this embodiment, the reflector 2 is curved.

[0060] Figure 4 A non-limiting embodiment of a device for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals of a detector for driving the automatic opening of a movable cover of a motor vehicle according to an aspect of the invention is illustrated. The device 5 can be used to detect a specific action of a user's foot that allows the automatic opening of the vehicle's cabin to be controlled. Figure 5 Different views of this embodiment are shown.

[0061] The device 5 comprises a printed circuit board 6 comprising a first face 7 and a second face 8 which are parallel to each other.

[0062] The first face 7 is equipped with a first radio frequency antenna 9, for example of the VIVALDI type.

[0063] The device 5 also comprises a first reflector 1a. Each of the fixing tabs 3 of the first reflector 1a is arranged in a corresponding aperture 10 passing through the thickness e6 of the printed circuit board 6. Here, but in a non-limiting manner, the aperture 10 and the fixing tab 3 pass through the entire thickness of the printed circuit board 6. In a variant not represented, the aperture 10 and the fixing tab 3 pass through only a portion of the total thickness of the printed circuit board 6. In this example, the fixing tab 3 is soldered to the second face 8 of the printed circuit board 6. To facilitate soldering, the inner wall of the aperture 10 can be metallized.

[0064] It should furthermore be noted that the reflector plate 2 of the first reflector 1 a extends opposite the first antenna 9 and faces the first face 7 of the printed circuit board 6 .

[0065] The device 5 comprises a second reflector 1 b. Each of the fixing tabs 3 of the second reflector 1 b is arranged in a metallized aperture 10 passing through a thickness e6 of a printed circuit board 6. The fixing tabs 3 are soldered to the first face 7 of the printed circuit board 6 in this example.

[0066] It should furthermore be noted that the reflector plate 2 of the second reflector 1 b extends opposite the first antenna 9 and faces the second side 8 of the printed circuit board 6 .

[0067] In this embodiment, the first reflector 1a and the second reflector 1b surround the first radio frequency antenna 9. Therefore, the radio frequency beam emitted by the first radio frequency antenna 9 is directed and confined by the reflecting plates 2 of the first reflector 1a and the second reflector 1b.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first side 7 of the printed circuit board 6 is equipped with a second radio frequency antenna 11 , for example of the patch type.

[0069] The device 5 further comprises a third reflector 1c. Each of the fixing tabs 3 of the third reflector 1c is arranged in a metallized aperture 10 passing through the thickness e6 of the printed circuit board 6. The fixing tabs 3 are soldered to the second face 8 of the printed circuit board 6 in this example.

[0070] It should furthermore be noted that the reflective plate 2 of the third reflector 1 c extends in an offset manner relative to the second radio frequency antenna 11 and faces the first face 7 of the printed circuit board 6 .

[0071] The printed circuit board 6 also comprises a ground plane, not specifically shown, which can extend in particular opposite to the second antenna 11 .

[0072] Thus, the radio frequency beam emitted by the second radio frequency antenna 11 is directed and confined by the reflective plate 2 of the third reflector 1c (and by the ground plane where appropriate).

[0073] Furthermore, the reflective plate 2 of the third reflector 1c has two slots 4 through its thickness e2. Each of these slots 4 is arranged facing a corresponding conductive track 13 comprised by the printed circuit board 6. This arrangement allows avoiding the risk of electromagnetic interference.

[0074] By virtue of the first reflector 1a, the second reflector 1b and the third reflector 1c, the radio frequency beam emitted by the first radio frequency antenna 9 and the radio frequency beam emitted by the second radio frequency antenna 11 do not overlap. This allows, in particular, effective discrimination of specific actions. Figure 6 Allow to illustrate this advantage.

[0075] More specifically, Figure 6 Radiation patterns of the radio frequency beam transmitted by the first radio frequency antenna 9 and the radio frequency beam transmitted by the second radio frequency antenna 11 are illustrated.

[0076] More specifically,

[0077] - Curve C1 illustrates the radiation diagram in the YOZ plane of a radio frequency beam transmitted or received by the first radio frequency antenna 9 of a device according to the prior art, which is different from the device according to the prior art. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The devices differ only in that: the RF beam is not constrained by any reflector;

[0078] - Curve C2 illustrates the radiation diagram in the YOZ plane of the radio frequency beam transmitted or received by the second radio frequency antenna 11 of the device according to the prior art, the device according to the prior art and Figure 4 and Figure 5 The devices differ only in that: the RF beam is not constrained by any reflector;

[0079] - Curve C3 is shown as Figure 4 and Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the radiation of the radio frequency beam transmitted or received by the first radio frequency antenna 9 of the device 5, the radio frequency beam being constrained by the first reflector 1a and the second reflector 1b;

[0080] - Curve C4 is shown as Figure 4 and Figure 5 2 is a diagram of the radiation pattern of a radio frequency beam transmitted or received by the second radio frequency antenna 11 of the device 5, which is constrained by the third reflector 1c (and, where appropriate, the ground plane).

[0081] It can thus be appreciated that in the YOZ plane, for an angle of -50 degrees, the difference in gain between the radiation of the first RF antenna 9 and the radiation of the second RF antenna 11 of the device according to the prior art is 11 dB. Here, the YOZ plane extends orthogonally to the plane of the printed circuit board.

[0082] For this same angle, the difference in gain between the radiation of the first radio frequency antenna 9 and the radiation of the second radio frequency antenna 11 of the device 5 according to the invention is 23 dB. This difference is explained by the presence of the first reflector 1a, the second reflector 1b and the third reflector 1c. The two beams are thus better distinguished, thereby increasing the detection accuracy of the device 5. In addition, by means of the reflector 1c, a region called a blind region (radiation attenuated to -15 dB) is created in the angular range between 25° and 55°.

[0083] Figure 7 Another non-limiting embodiment of a device 5 according to an aspect of the invention is illustrated. In the case of this configuration, only two reflectors 1a and 1b are used on the first antenna. No reflector is positioned opposite the second antenna. Therefore, the secondary radiation of the first antenna is reduced, but no blind area is created between the radiation of the two antennas.

[0084] The device 5 comprises a printed circuit board 6 comprising a first face 7 and a second face 8 which are parallel to each other.

[0085] The first face 7 is equipped with a first radio frequency antenna 9 .

[0086] The device 5 further comprises a first reflector 1 a. The reflective plate 2 of the first reflector 1 a extends opposite the first antenna 9 and faces the first face 7 of the printed circuit board 6.

[0087] The device 5 further comprises a second reflector 1 b . The reflective plate 2 of the second reflector 1 b extends opposite to the first antenna 9 and faces the second side 8 of the printed circuit board 6 .

[0088] Figure 8 Different non-limiting embodiments of a device 5 for detecting an action to automatically open a flap of a vehicle according to an aspect of the invention are illustrated.

[0089] The device 5 comprises a printed circuit board 6 comprising a first face 7 and a second face 8 which are parallel to each other.

[0090] The first face 7 is equipped with a first radio frequency antenna 9 .

[0091] The sensor 5 further comprises a first reflector 1 a . The reflective plate 2 of the first reflector 1 a extends opposite to the first antenna 9 and faces the first face 7 of the printed circuit board 6 .

[0092] The printed circuit board 6 comprises a ground plane, not specifically indicated, which can extend in particular opposite to the first radio frequency antenna 9 .

[0093] Fig. 9 A detector 14 for actuating the automatic opening of a flap of a motor vehicle is shown, comprising:

[0094] - Device 5, which Figure 7 The same as the device 5 shown in FIG.

[0095] - at least one computer 15 configured to: receive as input a signal from at least one radio frequency antenna 9; perform processing on the signal so as to detect a predetermined action performed by a human operator; and generate an instruction to open the movable cover of the motor vehicle when the predetermined action is detected. Fig. 9 As shown in the figure, the computer 15 can be set on the printed circuit board 6.

[0096] exist Fig.10 In the different embodiments illustrated in the figure, the computer 15 comprises first data processing means 15a integral with the printed circuit board 6 and second data processing means 15b external to the printed circuit board 6. These second data processing means 15b may be formed by a vehicle control unit (better known by the acronym VCU for “Vehicle Control Unit” in English).

[0097] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can propose various modifications to the aforementioned aspects of the present invention, for example, by modifying the shape of the reflective plate included in the reflector and / or modifying the number of fixing plates.

[0098] Furthermore, the example described is limited to opening a vehicle compartment, it being understood that the reflector 1 , the device 5 and the detector 14 according to the invention may be applied to any type of movable cover of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A radio frequency signal transmitting and receiving device (5), used for driving a detector of an automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, the device (5) comprising: a printed circuit board (6) traversed by at least one opening (10) and equipped with a first face (7) and a second face (8) facing each other, one of the first face (7) or the second face (8) being equipped with a first radio frequency antenna (9); and - at least one reflector (1), which is equipped with a reflective plate (2) capable of reflecting radio frequency beams and is equipped with at least one fixing piece (3), each fixing piece (3) is formed as a whole with the reflective plate (2), and at least one fixing piece (3) of each of the at least one reflector (1) is inserted into a corresponding hole (10) of the printed circuit board (6) and is soldered to the printed circuit board (6) at the hole (10); The device (5) is characterized in that: - the at least one reflector comprises a first reflector (1a), the reflective plate (2) of the first reflector (1a) extending towards the first face (7) of the printed circuit board (6), and - the at least one reflector further comprises a second reflector (1b), the reflective plate (2) of the second reflector (1b) extending towards the second face (8) of the printed circuit board (6).

2. The device (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that The reflecting plate (2) of at least one of the first reflector (1a) and the second reflector (1b) has at least one groove (4) passing through the reflecting plate (2) over the entire thickness (e2) of the reflecting plate (2).

3. The device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The reflecting plate (2) of at least one of the first reflector (1a) and the second reflector (1b) is made of metal.

4. The device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that At least one of the first reflector (1a) and the second reflector (1b) comprises a main surface which is inclined obliquely at an inclination angle between 20° and 70° relative to the plane of the printed circuit board (6).

5. The device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that A first reflector (1a) and a second reflector (1b) surround the first radio frequency antenna (9).

6. The device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: - one of the first side (7) or the second side (8) of the printed circuit board (6) is equipped with a second radio frequency antenna (11); and - the at least one reflector comprises two sets of reflectors, wherein each set of one or more reflectors is associated with a respective one of the first radio frequency antenna (9) and the second radio frequency antenna (11).

7. The device (5) according to claim 6, characterized in that The first set of one or more reflectors includes a first reflector (1a) and a second reflector (1b), and the second set of one or more reflectors includes a third reflector (1c).

8. The device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The printed circuit board (6) comprises a ground plane, to which each fixing plate (3) of each reflector is electrically connected.

9. A detector (14) for driving the automatic opening action of a movable cover of a motor vehicle, comprising: - an apparatus (5) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; and - at least one computer (15) configured to: receive as input a signal from at least one radio frequency antenna (9); perform processing on the signal so as to detect a predetermined action performed by a human operator; and generate an instruction to open the movable cover of the motor vehicle when the predetermined action is detected.

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