Hands-free vehicle door opener
US7688179B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 12, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 30, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07C2209/65
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A hands-free vehicle door opener utilizes a spring-loaded mechanical pushing device, or other method, to open a vehicle door a few inches upon a laser emitting device sensing a foot in its emitted laser. The laser is emitted from the laser emitter upon the key fob of a smart key being validated by the vehicle's smart key validation system when a user approaches the vehicle with the smart key fob. When the laser beam is interrupted, a signal is sent from a smart ECU to a door lock ECU, which unlocks the vehicle door. Next, a signal is sent to a door open ECU to unlatch the vehicle door. Upon door unlatching, the spring-loaded pushing device pushes open the vehicle door. Instead of a laser emitting device being used as the sensor, a device with electrical contacts, an ultrasonic wave emitting sensing device, or other device could be used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.