Vehicle Door Handle Light Sensing Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door handle systems face issues with rain, latency, sensitivity, and cost in detecting a person's hand using capacitive sensors for passive entry systems.
Innovation Solution
A door handle assembly with a pocket light sensing module that uses light emitting diodes and sensors to detect the presence of a hand by emitting light and sensing the reflection, providing enhanced detection through visible or infrared light, and adjusting threshold sensitivity based on ambient light conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If capacitive sensors are used to detect hand presence, then passive entry functionality is achieved, but the system suffers from rain interference, latency, and high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces capacitive sensing (electrical field-based) with optical sensing using light emitting diodes and light sensors. This substitution eliminates the harmful effects of rain interference and latency associated with capacitive sensors, while maintaining hand presence detection functionality. The optical system uses reflected light detection to determine hand presence, which is not affected by moisture or electrical interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from electrical capacitance to optical reflection. By using light emitting diodes to illuminate the handle region and light sensors to detect reflected light, the system transforms the detection mechanism into one that measures light intensity variations caused by hand presence, thereby avoiding the limitations of capacitive sensing in rainy conditions.
2Reliability
If light emitting diodes and sensors are used for hand detection, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitting diode serves multiple functions: it illuminates the handle region for aesthetic purposes and simultaneously acts as the light source for hand presence detection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby minimizing device complexity while maintaining detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the lighting function and sensing function into a single integrated module. The light sensor is positioned to detect light reflected from the handle region, merging the illumination source and detection element into one compact unit, which simplifies the overall device structure.
3Measurement precision
If the light sensor continuously monitors reflected light, then hand presence is accurately detected, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitting diode and light sensor operate periodically rather than continuously. The system activates the LED and sensor at intervals to detect hand presence, then enters a low-power state between detections. This periodic operation maintains detection accuracy while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively determines hand presence with improved reliability and lower costs, reducing false determinations and power consumption while maintaining functionality in various lighting conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The surface of the handle region (such as a surface of a base portion or bezel portion of the handle assembly) opposite the module is configured so that, when a person's hand is not present at the handle region, the sensor detects the light reflected back to it from the surface
Implementation Method 2
When a person's hand is present at the handle region, the light emitted by the light emitting diode is scattered and not reflected back toward the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door of a vehicle, a handle portion, and a sensing module that includes a light emitter and a light sensor. With the base portion of the handle assembly mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, the light emitter is episodically energized to emit light. When the light emitter is not energized to emit light, the light sensor senses ambient light at the handle portion, and when the light emitter is energized to emit light, the light sensor senses emitted light emitted by the light emitter. The sensing module determines presence of a person's hand at the handle portion based at least in part on a difference between the sensed ambient light and the sensed emitted light being below a threshold light level.