DOOR HANDLE LOCATION SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A door handle tracking system for a vehicle, comprising one or more modalities that provide a user with sensory feedback about the position of a door handle that is part of the vehicle. The door handle tracking system further comprises one or more controllers that are electronically connected to the one or more modalities. The one or more controllers execute instructions to receive a wireless signal indicating the user's position relative to the vehicle. Based on the user's position relative to the vehicle, the one or more controllers determine that the user is approaching the vehicle. In response to the determination that the user is approaching the vehicle, the one or more controllers instruct the one or more modalities to provide the user with sensory feedback about the position of the door handle.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a door handle location system for a vehicle having one or more modalities that provide a user with sensory feedback about the position of a door handle of the vehicle.

[0002] A person can operate a door handle to enter or exit a vehicle. Vehicles have interior door handles that allow passengers to exit the vehicle, as well as exterior door handles that allow people to enter the vehicle. Some people may have difficulty finding door handles in low-light conditions, such as at dusk or at night. Visually impaired people may find it especially difficult to find a vehicle's door handle in low-light conditions due to their limited vision. Additionally, vehicle door handles are often designed to blend in with the vehicle for aesthetic reasons, which further exacerbates the problems people may have finding door handles in low-light conditions.

[0003] Although vehicle door handles serve their purpose, there is a need in the art for a method that makes it easier to locate a door handle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to several aspects, a door handle location system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a door with a door handle. The door handle location system includes one or more modalities that provide sensory feedback to a user regarding the position of a door handle of the vehicle, and one or more controllers in electronic communication with the one or more modalities. The one or more controllers execute instructions to receive a wireless signal indicative of the user's position relative to the vehicle. The one or more controllers execute instructions to determine that the user is approaching the vehicle based on the user's position relative to the vehicle. In response to determining that the user is approaching the vehicle, the one or more controllers execute instructions tothe plurality of controllers instruct the one or more modalities to provide the user with sensory feedback regarding the position of the door handle.

[0005] In another aspect, the one or more modalities comprise one or more haptic mechanisms that generate haptic feedback.

[0006] In another aspect, the one or more haptic mechanisms generate a vibration pattern comprising a plurality of individual vibrations distributed throughout the body of the door, wherein the user locates the door handle based on the intensity of the individual vibrations.

[0007] According to one aspect, the one or more haptic mechanisms are located in a body of the door.

[0008] According to another aspect, one or more haptic mechanisms are located within the door handle.

[0009] In another aspect, the one or more controllers modulate an intensity and / or a length and / or a pitch of the haptic feedback to convey information about the door handle and / or the door opened by the door handle and / or an interior seat of the vehicle corresponding to the door opened by the door handle.

[0010] In yet another aspect, the one or more modalities comprise one or more light-emitting elements that emit visible light.

[0011] In one aspect, the one or more controllers modulate an intensity and / or a color of the visible light to convey information about the door handle and / or the door opened by the door handle and / or an interior seat of the vehicle corresponding to the door opened by the door handle.

[0012] In another aspect, the one or more controllers instruct the one or more lighting elements to generate an animation to indicate a particular position of the door handle relative to the door and / or a door status of the door opened by the door handle and / or an occupancy status of an interior seat corresponding to the door.

[0013] In yet another aspect, the one or more modalities comprise one or more loudspeakers that produce a sound audible to humans.

[0014] In one aspect, the one or more controllers modulate a frequency and / or an intensity of the sound emitted by the one or more speakers to guide the user to the door handle.

[0015] In another aspect, the sound output from the one or more speakers comprises voice instructions.

[0016] In yet another aspect, the one or more modalities include one or more actuators that move the door handle between a retracted and an extended position.

[0017] In one aspect, the one or more controllers instruct the one or more actuators to rotate the door handle from the retracted position to the extended position when the user is detected approaching the vehicle.

[0018] In another aspect, a distal end of the door handle projects outwardly relative to an outer surface of the door when the door handle is in the extended position.

[0019] In yet another aspect, the one or more modalities comprise one or more electromagnets that generate a magnetic field when energized.

[0020] In one aspect, the user wears an auxiliary magnet having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the one or more electromagnets.

[0021] According to another aspect, a magnetic force is generated when the one or more electromagnets attract the auxiliary magnet, the magnetic force being sufficient to direct a user's hand toward the vehicle door handle.

[0022] According to yet another aspect, a method for indicating the position of a door handle for a vehicle through a door handle location system. The method comprises receiving, by one or more controllers, a wireless signal indicative of a user's position relative to the vehicle. The method comprises determining, by the one or more controllers, that a user is approaching the vehicle based on the user's position relative to the vehicle. In response to determining that the user is approaching the vehicle, the method comprises instructing one or more modalities to provide sensory feedback to the user regarding the position of the door handle.

[0023] According to one aspect, a door handle locating system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a door with a door handle. The door handle locating system comprises one or more modalities that provide sensory feedback to a user regarding the position of the door handle, the one or more modalities comprising one or more haptic mechanisms, one or more lighting elements, one or more speakers, one or more actuators, and / or one or more electromagnets. The door handle locating system comprises one or more controllers in electronic communication with the one or more modalities.The one or more controllers execute instructions to receive a wireless signal indicative of the user's position relative to the vehicle, determine that the user is approaching the vehicle based on the user's position relative to the vehicle, and, in response to determining that the user is approaching the vehicle, instruct the one or more modalities to provide the user with sensory feedback regarding the position of the door handle.

[0024] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the present description. The description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a vehicle having the disclosed door handle location system according to one embodiment, including one or more controllers in electronic communication with one or more modalities that provide sensory feedback to a user regarding the position of a door handle; Fig. 2A shows one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment with one or more haptic mechanisms as a modality; Fig. Figure 2B shows a vibration pattern according to an embodiment that is generated along the door of the vehicle by the haptic mechanism of Fig. 2A is generated; Fig. 3A shows one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment with one or more lighting elements arranged as a modality in the door handle; Fig. 3B shows one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment with one or more lighting elements arranged as a modality around the door handle; Fig. 4A is a plan view of one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment having one or more actuators as a modality, wherein the one or more actuators are in a retracted position; Fig. 4B is a plan view of one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment having one or more actuators as a modality, wherein the one or more actuators are in a retracted position; Fig. 5 shows one of the doors of the vehicle according to an embodiment with one or more electromagnets as a modality; and Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method for providing sensory feedback about the position of the door handle by the door handle locating system, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses.

[0027] With reference to Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary door handle locating system 10 for a vehicle 12. The vehicle 12 may be any type of vehicle, including, but not limited to, a sedan, a truck, an SUV, a van, or a motor home. As explained below, the door handle locating system 10 includes one or more modalities 14 that provide a user 16 with sensory feedback about the position of a door handle 18 that is part of the vehicle 12 when activated. The door handle locating system 10 includes one or more controllers 20 that are in electronic communication with the one or more modalities 14 and one or more door handles 18. In the non-limiting embodiment of Fig. 1, the one or more modalities 14 comprise one or more haptic mechanisms 22 and / or one or more lighting elements 24 and / or one or more loudspeakers 26 and / or one or more actuating elements 28 and / or one or more electromagnets 30. Although in Fig. 1 only a single door handle 18 is shown for the sake of simplicity and clarity, each door 42 which is part of the vehicle 12 includes both an inside door handle and an outside door handle.

[0028] The one or more controllers 20 of the door handle location system 10 are in wireless communication with a personal electronic device 32, where the personal electronic device 32 sends a wireless signal to the one or more controllers 20 indicating a position of the user 16 relative to the vehicle 12. The one or more controllers 20 determine when the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12 based on the position of the user 16 relative to the vehicle 12. For example, if the position of the user 16 is within a predefined distance from the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 determine that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12. In response to determining that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20The plurality of controllers 20 instruct the one or more modalities 14 to provide the user 16 with sensory feedback regarding the position of the door handle 18. The personal electronic device 32 is any type of electronic device with wireless communication capability and is portable, allowing the personal electronic device 32 to be carried. Some examples of the personal electronic device 32 include, but are not limited to, key fobs, smartphones, and smartwatches.

[0029] If the door handle location system 10 includes more than one modality 14, in one embodiment, the user 16 can select which modalities 14 are activated to indicate the position of the door handle 18. The user 16 can activate the modalities 14 by providing user input on a surface 40 that is part of the vehicle 12 or, alternatively, via the personal electronic device 32. The surface 40 is any type of user interface that receives and processes user input, such as an infotainment system. For example, if the personal electronic device 32 is a smartphone, the user 16 can enter a user input into the smartphone that activates the one or more light elements 24 as the modality 14 that is activated to indicate the position of the door handle 18.

[0030] In one embodiment, the user 16 provides inputs either on the personal electronic device 32 or on the user interface 40 to customize the sensory feedback generated by the one or more modalities 14. Specifically, the sensory feedback can be customized to activate only certain modalities 14 corresponding to one or more door handles 18 that are part of the vehicle 12. In one embodiment, the vehicle 12 is a ride-sharing vehicle. In this example, the haptic feedback is customized to activate only the modalities 14 corresponding to the door handles 18 that provide access to the rear seats of the vehicle 12, since passengers do not typically sit in the front seats of the vehicle 12.

[0031] Fig. Figure 2A shows the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 that are in Fig. 1 for an outside door handle 18 arranged along an exterior door 42 of the vehicle 12. Although the door handle 18 is shown in the figures on an exterior door 42 of the vehicle 12, in another embodiment the door handle 18 may also be an inside door handle located in the interior of the vehicle 12. In the Fig. In the example shown in Figure 2A, the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 are shown in phantom and are located within the body 44 of the door 42 and surrounding the door handle 18. In another embodiment, the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 may be located within the door handle 18. The one or more haptic mechanisms 22 include any device that generates haptic feedback, such as eccentrically rotating mass actuators.

[0032] With reference to Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, the one or more controllers 20 ( Fig. 1) the one or more haptic mechanisms 22, upon detecting that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, to generate the sensor feedback, i.e., the haptic feedback. The haptic feedback generates a vibration pattern 46 comprising a plurality of individual vibrations 48 that propagate throughout the body 44 of the door 42. As shown in Fig. 2B, the individual vibrations 48 that are part of the vibration pattern 46 are stronger near the door handle 18, with the intensity of the vibrations 48 gradually decreasing as the vibrations 48 propagate through the body 44 of the door 42. Therefore, the user 16 ( Fig. 1) the door handle 18 based on the intensity of the individual vibrations 48 generated by the one or more haptic mechanisms 22.

[0033] In one embodiment, an intensity, a length, a pitch, or a combination of intensity, length, or pitch of the haptic feedback generated by the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 is modulated to convey information about the door handle 18 and / or the door 42 opened by the door handle 18 and / or an interior seat of the vehicle 12 corresponding to the door 42 opened by the door handle 18. Specifically, in one embodiment, the intensity and / or length and / or pitch of the haptic feedback is modulated to indicate a particular position of the door handle 18 relative to the door 42, a door status of the door 42 opened by the door handle 18, and an occupancy status of the interior seat corresponding to the door 42. The door status indicates whether door 42 is locked or unlocked, and the occupancy status indicates whether a passenger is sitting in a particular seat.For example, in one embodiment, the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 are modulated to generate repeated vibration patterns to indicate the specific position of the door handle 18 relative to the door 42. As another example, the one or more haptic mechanisms 22 are modulated to generate three higher frequency vibrations to indicate that a seat is occupied.

[0034] Fig. 3A shows the one or more light elements 24 which are arranged in Fig. 1 for the door handle 18. In the embodiment according to Fig. 3A, the lighting elements 24 are arranged inside the door handle 18. Alternatively, in the embodiment according to Fig. 3B, the lighting elements 24 are arranged along an outer surface 60 of the door 42 and are arranged around the door handle 18. The one or more lighting elements 24 include any devices that generate visible light, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). With reference to Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, the one or more controllers 20 ( Fig. 1) Upon detecting that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more light-emitting elements 24 begin generating visible light. The visible light provides illumination and guides the user's 16 hand toward the door handle 18. In some embodiments, the visible light is white light, but any other colored light may be used, such as red, blue, or green light.

[0035] In one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 ( Fig. 1) the visible light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements 24 to convey information about the door handle 18 and / or the door 42 opened by the door handle 18, and / or an interior seat of the vehicle 12 corresponding to the door 42 opened by the door handle 18. Specifically, in one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 modulate the color, the intensity, or both the color and the intensity of the visible light to indicate a particular position of the door handle 18 relative to the door 42, a door status of the door 42 opened by the door handle 18, and an occupancy status of the interior seat corresponding to the door 42. In one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20For example, to indicate door status, the plurality of controllers 20 may instruct the light elements 24 to generate blue light to indicate that the door 42 is unlocked and white light to indicate that the door 42 is locked. In another example, the one or more controllers 20 instruct the light elements 24 to flash or illuminate to guide the user 16 to a particular door handle 18 corresponding to one of the doors 42 of the vehicle 12.

[0036] In one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 instruct the one or more light-emitting elements 24 to generate an animation to indicate a particular position of the door handle 18 relative to the door 42, a door status of the door 42 being opened by the door handle 18, and an occupancy status of the interior seat corresponding to the door 42. The animation by the light-emitting elements 24 corresponds to a dynamic flashing, illuminating, color change, or intensity change. For example, if a seat corresponding to one of the door handles 18 is occupied, the one or more controllers 20 may instruct the light-emitting elements 24 to generate relatively short flashes of blue and white light to indicate that the corresponding seat is occupied. In one embodiment, the color, intensity, and animation of the visible light emitted by the one or more controllers 20 arethe plurality of light elements 24, specifically adapted to attract the attention of a guide dog or other service animal.

[0037] With reference to Fig. 1, in one embodiment, the one or more modalities 14 include the one or more speakers 26. The one or more speakers 26 may be disposed in the body 44 of one of the doors 42 ( Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B), in an area directly behind the door handle 18. In response to determining that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 ( Fig. 1) the one or more speakers 26 to generate a human-audible sound. The sound guides the user 16 to the door handle 18. Specifically, in one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 can guide the user 16 to the door handle 18 by modulating the frequency, the intensity, or both the frequency and the intensity of the sound output from the one or more speakers 26. In another embodiment, the sound output from the one or more controllers 20 includes voice instructions, where the voice instructions guide the user 16 to the door handle 18.

[0038] In one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 instruct the sound output from the one or more speakers 26 to include information about the door handle 18 and / or the door 42 opened by the door handle 18 and / or an interior seat of the vehicle 12 corresponding to the door 42 ( Fig. 2A) opened by the door handle 18. In one embodiment, the one or more controllers 20 instruct the tone to indicate a door status of the door 42 opened by the door handle 18 or an occupancy status of the inside seat corresponding to the door 42. For example, voice prompts are used to indicate whether a seat is occupied, such as voice prompts stating "Seat is occupied, find another door." As another example, a tone or voice prompts may be used to indicate that the door is locked, such as a voice prompt stating "the door is locked" or "the door is unlocked." In another example, the one or more controllers 20 direct the sound emitted by the speaker 26 to direct the user 16 to a particular door handle 18 corresponding to one of the doors 42 of the vehicle 12.For example, the voice prompts may say “Wrong door” if the user 16 attempts to open the passenger door even though the user 16 has called a ride-sharing vehicle in which the user 16 is sitting in the back seat.

[0039] Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B show a plan view of the door 42 of the vehicle 12 with the one or more actuating elements 28. Specifically, Fig. 4A the door handle 18 in a retracted position, and Fig. 4B shows the door handle 18 in an extended position, with the one or more actuators 28 moving the door handle 18 between the retracted position and the extended position. The one or more actuators 28 are any device that moves the door handle 18 between the retracted and extended positions, particularly an electric motor. The one or more actuators 28 are located within the body 44 of the door 42 and are operatively connected to a proximal end 62 of the door handle 18.

[0040] As in Fig. 4A, the door handle 18 is normally in the retracted position, with the proximal end 62 and a distal end 64 of the door handle 18 flush with the outer surface 60 of the door 42. In response to determining that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 ( Fig. 1) the one or more actuating elements 28 to move the door handle 18 from the retracted position according to Fig. 4A into the extended position according to Fig. 4B. In the extended position, the distal end 64 of the door handle 18 projects outwardly at an angle θ relative to the outer surface 60 of the door 42, causing the door handle 18 to protrude more than in the retracted position. Therefore, the user sees 16 ( Fig. 1) the door handle 18 in the extended position. This not only makes the door handle 18 more visible, but also easier for the user 16 to grasp, which can be particularly beneficial for people who have difficulty gripping or handling objects.

[0041] Fig. 5 shows the one or more electromagnets 30 from Fig. 1 as the one or more modalities 14 for the door handle 18. In the embodiment according to Fig. 5, the one or more electromagnets 30 are arranged within the body 44 of the door 42 directly adjacent to the door handle 18, however, in alternative embodiments, the electromagnets 30 may also be arranged within the door handle 18. With reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, in response to determining that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 activate the one or more electromagnets 30 by energizing the one or more electromagnets 30 to generate a magnetic field M.

[0042] As in Fig. 5, the user 16 wears an auxiliary magnet 70. The magnet 70 worn by the user 16 has a polarity opposite to the polarity of the one or more electromagnets 30 of the vehicle 12. The auxiliary magnet 70 is part of an accessory 72 worn on a hand 74 or forearm 76 of the user 16. The accessory 72 may be a piece of jewelry such as a ring, a bracelet, or a watchband. Thus, when the one or more electromagnets 30 are activated and the auxiliary magnet 70 worn by the user 16 enters the magnetic field M, a magnetic force is created because the one or more electromagnets 30 attract the auxiliary magnet 70 worn by the user 16. The magnetic force is sufficient to urge the hand 74 of the user 16 toward the door handle 18 of the vehicle 12.In other words, the magnetic force is so strong that the user 16 feels a force that guides his hand 74 to the door handle 18.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 600 for providing sensory feedback to the user 16 about the position of the door handle 18, which is part of the vehicle 12, by the door handle location system 10. Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 6, the method 600 may begin at block 602. At block 602, the one or more controllers 20 receive a wireless signal from the personal electronic device 32 indicating the position of the user 16 relative to the vehicle 12. The method 600 may then proceed to block 604.

[0044] At decision block 604, the one or more controllers 20 determine whether the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12 based on the position of the user 16 relative to the vehicle 12. For example, if the position of the user 16 is within a predefined distance from the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 determine that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12. In response to determining that the user 16 is not approaching the vehicle 12, the method 600 ends. However, if it is determined that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the method 600 continues to block 606.

[0045] At block 606, in response to determining that the user 16 is approaching the vehicle 12, the one or more controllers 20 instruct the one or more modalities 14 to provide the user 16 with sensory feedback regarding the position of the door handle 18. It is understood that the user 16 can select which modalities 14 are activated to indicate the position of the door handle 18. The method 600 may then end.

[0046] Referring generally to the figures, the disclosed door handle locating system provides various technical effects and advantages. Specifically, the disclosed door handle locating system provides an approach for providing sensory feedback indicating the position of the vehicle's door handle. The sensory feedback, through one or more modalities, may be particularly helpful for visually impaired individuals who may have difficulty locating a vehicle's door handle in low-light conditions. In addition to the position of the door handle, the door handle locating system may also provide a person with other information, such as information about the door status and the occupancy status of the interior seat corresponding to the door.

[0047] The controllers may refer to or be part of an electronic circuit, a combinational logic circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code, or a combination of some or all of the above components, e.g., in a system on a chip. Furthermore, the controllers may be microprocessor-based, e.g., a computer having at least one processor, memory (RAM and / or ROM), and associated input and output buses. The processor may operate under the control of an operating system located in memory. The operating system may manage computer resources so that computer program code, embodied as one or more computer software applications, such as an application in memory, can execute instructions from the processor.In an alternative embodiment, the processor may execute the application directly; in this case, the operating system may be omitted.

[0048] The description of the present disclosure is merely exemplary, and variations that do not depart from the gist of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Such variations are not to be construed as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

[1] A door handle locating system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a door with a door handle, the door handle locating system comprising: one or more modalities that provide a user with sensory feedback about the position of the door handle; and one or more controllers in electronic communication with the one or more modalities, the one or more controllers executing instructions to: to receive a wireless signal indicating the user's position relative to the vehicle; to determine, based on the user's position relative to the vehicle, that the user is approaching the vehicle; and in response to detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle, instruct the one or more modalities to provide the user with sensory feedback regarding the position of the door handle. [2] The door handle locating system of claim 1, wherein the one or more modalities comprise one or more haptic mechanisms that generate haptic feedback. [3] The door handle locating system of claim 2, wherein the one or more haptic mechanisms generate a vibration pattern comprising a plurality of individual vibrations distributed throughout the body of the door, the user locating the door handle based on the intensity of the individual vibrations. [4] The door handle locating system of claim 2, wherein the one or more haptic mechanisms are located in a body of the door. [5] The door handle locating system of claim 2, wherein the one or more haptic mechanisms are located in the door handle. [6] The door handle location system of claim 2, wherein the one or more controllers modulate at least one of an intensity, a length, and a pitch of the haptic feedback to convey information about the door handle, the door opened by the door handle, and an interior seat of the vehicle corresponding to the door opened by the door handle. [7] A door handle locating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more modalities comprise one or more actuators that move the door handle between a retracted and an extended position. [8] The door handle locating system of claim 7, wherein the one or more controllers instruct the one or more actuators to rotate the door handle from the retracted position to the extended position when the user is detected approaching the vehicle. [9] The door handle locating system of claim 7 or 8, wherein a distal end of the door handle projects outwardly with respect to an outer surface of the door when the door handle is in the extended position. [10] A door handle locating system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more modalities comprise one or more electromagnets that generate a magnetic field when energized.

Images