Programmable door power assist
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsLarry Dean Elie, Timothy J. Potter, Robert F. Novak, John Wayne Jaranson, Jeff A. Wallace, Michael M. Azzouz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power assist device includes a motor that is operatively coupled to a door of a vehicle, a display for displaying a swing path of the door, a controller for controlling the motor, and a touchscreen device for supplying the controller with one or more user-inputted selections for controlling a door swing of the door, wherein the user-inputted selections are received by the touchscreen device via one or more touch events.
Claims19
A power assist device comprising:
- a motor operatively coupled to a door of a vehicle;
- a display configured to display an arcuate swing path of the door that the door is able to move between a first position and a second position;
- a controller for controlling the motor;
- and
- a user-input device for supplying the controller with one or more user-inputted selections for controlling a door swing of the door, wherein the user-inputted selections are created by one or more user-inputs received by the user-input device.
A vehicle door assembly comprising:
- a door of a vehicle;
- a power assist device comprising:
- a motor operatively coupled to the door;
- a controller for controlling the motor;
- a display configured to display an arcuate swing path of the door that the door is able to move between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a user-input device for supplying the controller with one or more user-inputted selections for controlling a door swing of the door, wherein the user-inputted selections are created by one or more user-inputs received by the user-input device, via one or more user-inputted selections specifying one or more door detent positions, each of the one or more door detent positions corresponds to a position on the swing path shown on the display.
A method of controlling a vehicle door, comprising the steps of:
- operatively coupling a motor to the door;
- displaying on a display an arcuate swing path of the door that the door is able to move between a first position and a second position;
- providing a controller for controlling the motor;
- receiving user-input on a user-input device, supplying the controller with the user-input wherein the user-input specifies one or more door detent positions for controlling a door swing of the door;
- and
- controlling the motor based on the user-input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.