Inductive Vehicle Door Handle Detection Coil Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door handle detection systems using capacitive sensors are prone to false detections due to environmental conditions such as humidity, salt, rain, and metallic coatings, leading to unreliable user presence detection.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a device with a primary coil and a secondary coil, where the magnetic metal target moves parallel to the coils' planes, increasing the variation in inductance detected when a user presses the handle, enhancing the reliability of pressure detection by measuring the induced magnetic field and voltage changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If capacitive sensors are used for detecting user presence, then the detection device can be integrated into the door handle, but false detections occur due to environmental conditions such as humidity, salt, rain, and metallic coatings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces capacitive sensing (electrical field-based) with inductive sensing (magnetic field-based). The inductive sensor uses a primary coil to generate a magnetic field and a secondary coil to detect changes in magnetic flux caused by the movement of an amagnetic metal target. This substitution eliminates sensitivity to environmental factors like humidity, salt, and metallic coatings that interfere with capacitive sensors, while maintaining integration capability in the door handle structure.
2Measurement precision
If the target moves perpendicular to the plane of the primary coil, then the detection mechanism is simpler, but the variation in inductance detected is insufficient for reliable pressure detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the movement dimension of the amagnetic metal target from perpendicular to parallel relative to the plane of the primary coil. When the target moves parallel to the coil plane, it effectively changes the area of the magnetic circuit and the magnetic reluctance, producing significant variations in inductance and magnetic flux. This dimensional change in target movement, combined with the addition of a secondary coil to measure flux variations, enhances measurement precision while maintaining a manageable device complexity.
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
This configuration improves the reliability of user intention detection by increasing the variation in inductance and flux, reducing false detections and ensuring accurate locking or unlocking of vehicle doors, even in adverse environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one receiver secondary coil (8) that receives a magnetic field and a voltage induced by said at least one primary coil (7)
Data Source
AI summary
A device for detecting the intention to lock or unlock a vehicle opening element integrated into a handle and including a housing, a variation in the position of a target occurring under pressure from a user on the handle. A primary coil has turns wound in a plane parallel to the plane of the surface of the target. A receiver secondary coil that receives a magnetic field induced by the primary coil and has its turns wound in a plane parallel to the plane of the turns of the primary coil and with the target at least partially intercalated between the primary and secondary coils when pressure is applied to the handle. A variation in the magnetic field received by the secondary coil is detected by a measurement device for measuring a parameter resulting from the voltage induced in the secondary coil.