Vehicle Door Opening and Emergency Stop via Speed-Based Actuation

Solution Overview

Problem

In autonomous vehicles, the need for separate buttons and additional hardware to execute door opening and emergency stop functions increases complexity and risks confusion, requiring redundant signal evaluation and additional hardware.

Innovation Solution

Integrate door opening and emergency stop functions into a single actuation element, using driving speed ranges to differentiate between the two functions, eliminating the need for multiple switches and reducing hardware requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate buttons are provided for door opening and emergency stop functions, then functional safety is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to occupant confusion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional safetyVSAvoidhardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the door opening button and emergency stop button into a single actuation element. The control device differentiates between the two functions by evaluating the actuation duration: a first actuation duration triggers door opening, while a second, longer actuation duration triggers emergency stop. This merging reduces hardware complexity while maintaining functional safety through temporal differentiation of the same physical component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes in the form of actuation duration to differentiate between two functions. The control device measures how long the actuation element is held pressed and triggers different functions based on whether the duration exceeds a threshold value. This allows a single button to serve multiple purposes without causing occupant confusion, as the differentiation is based on intuitive temporal patterns rather than requiring the occupant to understand complex signal processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If separate buttons are provided for door opening and emergency stop functions, then functional safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to occupant confusion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional safetyVSAvoidoccupant confusion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the door opening button and emergency stop button into a single actuation element. The control device differentiates between the two functions by evaluating the actuation duration: a first actuation duration triggers door opening, while a second, longer actuation duration triggers emergency stop. This merging reduces hardware complexity while maintaining functional safety through temporal differentiation of the same physical component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes in the form of actuation duration to differentiate between two functions. The control device measures how long the actuation element is held pressed and triggers different functions based on whether the duration exceeds a threshold value. This allows a single button to serve multiple purposes without causing occupant confusion, as the differentiation is based on intuitive temporal patterns rather than requiring the occupant to understand complex signal processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If redundant signal evaluation is implemented for safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal evaluation safetyVSAvoidelectronics complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the door opening button and emergency stop button into a single actuation element. The control device differentiates between the two functions by evaluating the actuation duration: a first actuation duration triggers door opening, while a second, longer actuation duration triggers emergency stop. This merging reduces hardware complexity while maintaining functional safety through temporal differentiation of the same physical component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The actuation element serves multiple functions through its own actuation characteristics. By varying the duration of the same actuation element's operation, the system generates different control signals for door opening and emergency stop without requiring separate physical buttons or additional safety evaluation hardware. The single actuation element effectively performs the function of multiple buttons through temporal encoding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12497806B2System and method for controlling a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A system controls a stop function or a door opening function of a vehicle. The system includes an actuating element which is designed to generate an actuation signal depending on an actuation by a vehicle occupant, and a control device which is designed to receive the actuation signal and, in response to receiving the actuation signal and depending on a travel velocity of the vehicle, to trigger either the stop function or the door opening function.