# US 11,078,691 B2 · Deployable vehicle door handle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,691 B2 - Document ID: US11078691B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/018,374 - Filed: 2018-06-26 - Published: 2019-12-26 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-26 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Stuart C. Salter; Paul Kenneth Dellock; David Brian Glickman; Annette Lynn Huebner; Kosta Papanikolaou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078691B2 ## CPC - E05B 81/76: Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles - B60R 25/2045: {by hand gestures} - B60R 25/23: using manual input of alphanumerical codes - E05B 85/103: {creating a completely closed wing surface} - E05B 85/107: {Pop-out handles, e.g. sliding outwardly before rotation} - G07C 9/0069: {actuated in a predetermined sequence} - H03K 17/955: using a capacitive detector - H03K 17/9622: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard} - B60R 25/24: using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user - E05B 17/10: Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; {Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights} - E05B 81/06: using rotary motors - E05B 81/34: of geared transmissions - E05Y 2400/86: by hand - E05Y 2900/531: Doors - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - H03K 17/962: {Capacitive touch switches} - H03K 2217/96: Touch switches - H03K 2217/960705: Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract A vehicle door handle is provided that includes a deployable handle body located on a door, keypad contacts on an outer side of the handle body, an actuator configured to deploy the handle to a deployed position, a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields, and a controller processing signals generated by the sensors to determine an input command for controlling the actuator and to determine a keypad input. The controller may sense ice on the handle and determine ice thickness and may control the actuator to break the ice based on the ice thickness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle door handle comprising: a deployable handle body having an inner side and an outer side; an actuator configured to deploy the handle body to a deployed position; a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields; and a controller processing signals generated by the plurality of sensors to determine an input command and controlling the actuator to deploy the handle based on the input command, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors are configured to as keypads, wherein the controller further determines a keypad input based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors, and wherein the controller further determines a handle pull on the inner side of the handle body based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors when the handle body is deployed and controls a door actuator to open a door in response to the handle pull. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The door handle of claim 1, wherein the keypad input comprises a sequence of inputs sensed by the plurality of sensors used to deploy the handle body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The door handle of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of keypad contact surfaces on an outer side of the handle body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The door handle of claim 1, wherein the controller further determines a swipe gesture command and generates a door command to close or open a door based on the swipe gesture command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The door handle of claim 4, wherein the swipe gesture command is input on the outer side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The door handle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The door handle of claim 1, wherein the handle body is flushed mounted in a door in a stowed position and extends outward from a door to an extended deployed position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The door handle of claim 7, wherein the handle body pivots between the stowed and extended deployed positions. ### Claim 9 A vehicle door handle comprising: a deployable handle body located on a door, the handle body having an inner side and an outer side; keypad contacts on an outer side of the handle body; an actuator configured to deploy the handle to a deployed position; a plurality of proximity sensors located on the handle body and generating activation fields; and a controller processing signals generated by the plurality of sensors to determine an input command for controlling the actuator and to determine a keypad input, wherein the controller further determines the keypad input based on the signals generated by the same plurality of proximity sensors, wherein the keypad input is entered on the outer side, and wherein the controller further determines a handle pull on the inner side of the handle body based on the signals generated by the same plurality of sensors when the handle body is deployed and controls a door actuator to open the door in response to the handle pull. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The door handle of claim 9, wherein the keypad input comprises a sequence of inputs sensed by the plurality of sensors used to deploy the handle body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The door handle of claim 9, wherein the controller further determines a swipe gesture command and closes or opens the door based on the swipe gesture command. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The door handle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The door handle of claim 9, wherein the handle body is flushed mounted in the door in a stowed position and extends outward from the door to an extended deployed position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The door handle of claim 13, wherein the handle body pivots between the stowed and extended deployed positions.