How to Unlock a Locked Vehicle Door

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for a user to unlock a locked vehicle door (11) of a motor vehicle (10) by means of an input unit (2) provided on a door handle (1) of the vehicle door (11) and using a tactile signal output, - in a measure M) for inputting a single digit to generate an identification number including at least one digit, preferably two or more digits, the input unit (2) generates, as a tactile signal output, successive tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger, spaced apart in time, as long as the user is touching the input unit (2) with the finger, and in measure M), the number of tactile signals generated until the contact with the input unit (2) ends is determined as one digit of the identification number; - the step M) is performed a total of n times in succession to input an identification number consisting of n digits, The entered identification number is compared with a reference identification number stored in the motor vehicle (10), and the vehicle door (11) is unlocked only if the entered identification number matches the stored reference identification number.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for a user to unlock a locked vehicle door of a motor vehicle by means of an input unit with a tactile signal output, which is provided on the door handle of the vehicle door, and further to a motor vehicle equipped with a control / regulating device that is configured / programmed to carry out the method. [Background technology]

[0002] Modern automobiles are often equipped with vehicle doors that automatically unlock upon successful authentication by transmitting a coded signal from the vehicle key to a receiver built into the vehicle door.

[0003] The drawback to this is that the aforementioned vehicle key must be present to perform the authentication and thereby unlock the vehicle. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for the authenticated unlocking of vehicle doors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The above problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0006] The idea of ​​the present invention is therefore to use an input unit that is provided in the door handle of a vehicle door and that is capable of generating tactile signals for the entry of an identification number, i.e. a "personal identification number (PIN)", by the user of the door handle, so that the desired authentication can be performed by checking the entered identification number against stored reference identification numbers. The input unit can then have an input element that includes a touch function, so that the user of the door handle or the input unit can receive an input signal that is detectable by the input unit when he or she touches the surface of the input element with one of his or her fingers. In order to perform the method according to the invention, the input unit is designed to detect how long the user touches the surface of the input element.

[0007] In the method according to the present invention, in step M) for inputting a single digit to determine an identification number including at least one digit, preferably two or more digits, the input unit generates successive tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger as tactile signal outputs at intervals as long as the user's finger is touching the input unit. In the same step M), the number of tactile signals generated until the user's finger stops touching the input device is determined as one digit of the identification number. According to the method according to the present invention, step M) is performed a total of n times in succession to input an identification number consisting of n digits, where n is an integer ≥ 1. The input identification number is then compared with a reference identification number stored in the vehicle, and the vehicle door is unlocked only if the input identification number matches the stored reference identification number.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, in measure M), the haptic signals are generated at periodic time intervals. This makes it easier for the user to mentally count the individual haptic signals generated when a single digit is entered. Particularly preferably, two different periodic durations can be determined for the periodic time intervals in two consecutive measures M). This makes it difficult for a third party to exploit the method according to the invention by tracking together the elapsed time for each digit entry. In another variant, random variations of each, several, or all consecutive time intervals between two haptic signals are conceivable.

[0009] It is noteworthy that the method according to the invention does not allow the entry of the digit "0".

[0010] If the time between the output of a ninth tactile signal corresponding to the digit "9" and the user releasing the input unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, the input of the identification number is reset and the method is terminated and can optionally be restarted.

[0011] The present invention further relates to a motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body and at least one vehicle door, in particular a side door, adjustable between a locked state and an unlocked state, the vehicle door having a door handle and an input unit arranged in the door handle for input of an identification number by a user of the door handle. The input unit has a tactile output element for generating a tactile output signal. Input units designed in this way are known to those skilled in the art as "actuator sensors." The motor vehicle according to the invention further comprises a control / regulation device, cooperating with the input unit, for adjusting the vehicle door between a locked state and an unlocked state. According to the invention, the control / regulation device is configured to execute the method according to the invention presented above. The aforementioned advantages of the method according to the invention therefore also apply to the motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the input unit has an input element with a touch function, whereby an input signal detectable by the input unit can be generated by the user of the door handle or the input unit as long as the user touches the surface of the input element with a finger, thus making it particularly convenient to input one or more digits.

[0013] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the drawings and the corresponding description based on the drawings.

[0014] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above, and those further described below, may not only be used in the combinations shown, but may also be used in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and described in more detail below, where like reference numbers indicate identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0016] Here, the following is generally described in each of the drawings: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary partial view of the area of ​​the door handle of a side door of a motor vehicle according to the invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic flow chart illustrating an exemplary method according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] FIG. 1 exemplarily shows a vehicle door 11 of a motor vehicle 10 according to the invention.

[0019] In this example scenario, the vehicle door 11 is a side door of a motor vehicle. The vehicle door 11 is provided with a door handle 1 that is adjustable between a locked state and an unlocked state for opening and closing the vehicle door 11 in the unlocked state. Furthermore, an input unit 2 is arranged on the door handle 1 for a user of the door handle 1 to input an identification number. The input unit 2 has an input element 4 that includes a touch function, whereby an input signal that can be detected by the input unit 2 is generated by the user of the door handle 1 or the input unit 2 as long as the user touches the surface of the input element 4 with their finger. Furthermore, the input unit 2 has a tactile output element 3 for generating a tactile output signal. The motor vehicle 10 further comprises a control / regulation device (not shown) that cooperates with the input unit 2 for adjusting the vehicle door 11 between a locked state and an unlocked state, i.e., in particular for unlocking the vehicle door 10, and for this purpose, the control / regulation device is designed to perform the method according to the present invention.

[0020] The method according to the invention will now be described exemplarily on the basis of the flow chart shown in Figure 2. As an example, we will explain how a user can enter the PIN "362".

[0021] In a first step S1, the user touches the input element 4 of the input unit 1. As long as the user's finger is touching the input element 4, the output element 3 of the input unit 2 generates tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger as tactile outputs at periodic time intervals in a second step S2. The user counts the number of generated tactile signals, and in a third step S3, ends contact with the input element 4 after exactly three tactile signals have been output and perceived. The three steps S1 to S3 are a measure M for inputting the first digit "3" of the three-digit identification number "362" to be input.

[0022] In a fourth step S4, the user touches the input element 4 of the input unit 1 again. As long as the user's finger is touching the input element 4, the output element 3 of the input unit 2 generates tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger as tactile output at periodic time intervals in a fifth step S5. The user counts the number of generated signals and, in a sixth step S6, ends contact with the input element 4 after exactly six tactile signals have been output and perceived. The three steps S4 to S6 are another step M) for inputting the second digit "6" of the three-digit identification number "362" to be input.

[0023] In a seventh step S7, the user touches the input element 4 of the input unit 2 again. As long as the user's finger touches the input element 4, the output element 3 generates tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger as tactile outputs at periodic time intervals in an eighth step S8. The user counts the number of generated signals and, in a ninth step S9, ends contact with the input element 3 after exactly two tactile signals have been output and perceived. The three steps S7 to S9 are a measure M for inputting the third digit "2" of the three-digit identification number "362" to be input. This completes the input of the identification number "362." If the input digit "362" matches the value of the reference identification number stored in the automobile 10, the previously locked vehicle door 11 is unlocked; otherwise, it remains locked.

Claims

1. A method for a user to unlock a locked vehicle door (11) of a motor vehicle (10) by means of an input unit (2) using a tactile signal output, the input unit (2) being provided on a door handle (1) of the vehicle door (11), comprising: - in a step M) for inputting a single digit to generate an identification number including at least one digit, the input unit (2) generates, as a tactile signal output, successive tactile signals perceptible by the user's finger, spaced apart in time, as long as the user is touching the input unit (2) with the finger, and in the step M), the number of tactile signals generated until the touch on the input unit (2) ends is determined as one digit of the identification number; - said action M) is carried out a total of n times in succession to enter an identification number consisting of n digits, - the entered identification number is compared with a reference identification number stored in the motor vehicle (10), and the vehicle door (11) is unlocked only if the entered identification number matches the stored reference identification number.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step M), the haptic signal is generated at periodic or random time intervals.

3. A motor vehicle (10), a vehicle body and at least one vehicle door (11) adjustable between a locked state and an unlocked state, the vehicle door, in particular a side door, having a door handle (1), in which an input unit (2) is arranged for inputting an identification number by a user of the door handle, the input unit (2) having a tactile output element (3) for generating a tactile output signal; a control / regulating device for adjusting the vehicle door (11) between the locked and unlocked states, cooperating with the input unit (2); Equipped with - The motor vehicle, wherein the control / regulation device is designed to carry out the method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the input unit (2) has an input element (4) including a touch function, whereby an input signal detectable by the input unit (2) is generated by a user of the door handle (1) or the input unit (2) as long as the user touches the surface of the input element (4) with his / her finger.

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