Vehicle Power Door Control for Safe Automatic Exit

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle entry systems reduce user load only when getting on a vehicle, but not when getting off, as they lack mechanisms to assist in door opening operations during exit.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device with a getting-off-intention recognizing unit, a vehicle-surrounding-situation recognizing unit, and a power door control unit that automatically opens or prohibits the opening of power doors based on the user's intention and surrounding conditions, such as obstacles or parking location, to facilitate easy exit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vehicle door remains closed for safety reasons, then safety is improved, but user convenience when getting off deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoiduser convenience when getting off

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the user's getting-off intention through camera-based pose estimation and line-of-sight recognition before automatically opening the door. This advance detection allows the system to prepare for door opening while ensuring safety conditions are met, resolving the contradiction between safety and convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors surrounding environment and user state, using feedback from cameras and sensors to dynamically adjust door opening decisions. The feedback mechanism ensures safety by detecting pedestrians and obstacles while improving convenience by automatically opening doors when safe, eliminating the need for manual operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If automatic door opening is implemented, then user convenience is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential opening into obstacles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsafety risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the user's getting-off intention through camera-based pose estimation and line-of-sight recognition before automatically opening the door. This advance detection allows the system to prepare for door opening while ensuring safety conditions are met, resolving the contradiction between safety and convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors surrounding environment and user state, using feedback from cameras and sensors to dynamically adjust door opening decisions. The feedback mechanism ensures safety by detecting pedestrians and obstacles while improving convenience by automatically opening doors when safe, eliminating the need for manual operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If manual door opening operation is required, then safety control is improved, but user load increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety controlVSAvoiduser load

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically detecting the user's intention to exit and autonomously opening the door without requiring manual intervention. The camera system detects pose and line-of-sight, and the control unit automatically actuates the door, allowing the user to benefit from automated assistance while maintaining safety through continuous environmental monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11549303B2Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and recording medium

Publication Date: 2023.01.10 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle control device includes a power door control unit that: when a getting-off-intention of a user is recognized by a getting-off-intention recognizing unit, determines whether a door-opening-prohibition condition of a predetermined door is satisfied based on a surrounding situation of a vehicle recognized by a vehicle-surrounding-situation recognizing unit; and executes power-door-automatic-opening control, the power-door-automatic-opening control causing a power door to perform an opening operation when the door-opening-prohibition condition is not satisfied, the power-door-automatic-opening control prohibiting the opening operation of the power door when the door-opening-prohibition condition is satisfied.