# US 12,000,182 B2 · Device for detecting intention to lock or unlock a motor vehicle door and associated method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,182 B2 - Document ID: US12000182B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/286,143 - Filed: 2019-10-15 - Published: 2021-11-18 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-19 - Assignees: Vitesco Technologies GmbH - Applicants: Vitesco Technologies GmbH - Inventors: Gabriel Spick; Mathieu Girodin; Steffen Eckhardt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000182B2 ## CPC - E05B 81/77: {comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user} - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - B60R 25/31: of human presence inside or outside the vehicle - E05B 81/78: as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation - G01R 27/02: Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant (by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00) - G01R 27/2605: {Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24)} - G01R 27/2635: {Sample holders, electrodes or excitation arrangements, e.g. sensors or measuring cells} - G01V 3/38: Processing data, e.g. for analysis, for interpretation, for correction - H03K 17/955: using a capacitive detector - H03K 17/9622: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard} - E05B 77/34: Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress (closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14) - G01N 27/221: {by investigating the dielectric properties (using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26)} - G01N 27/223: {for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825)} - G01N 33/2852: {Alcohol in fuels} - G07C 9/00944: {Details of construction or manufacture} - G07C 2209/65: using means for sensing the user's hand - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - 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 - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Disclosed is a device detecting intention to lock or unlock a vehicle door, including: a first capacitive sensor including a first electrode, detecting the approach and/or contact of a human body part in a predetermined region around the handle; a first sensor controller, generating a first approach and/or contact detection signal; a second capacitive sensor including a second electrode, detecting the approach of a human body part in the predetermined region, wherein: the first and second electrodes are each separate segments electrically connected to one another, the segments of the first electrode and of the second electrode are alternately juxtaposed; a second sensor controller generate a second approach and/or contact detection signal; a correlator to calculate a correlation value between the first signal and the second signal; and a confirmation unit comparing the correlation value with a predetermined value to detect intention to lock or unlock the door. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device (D′) for detecting intention to lock or unlock a door (P) of a vehicle, said device (D′) comprising at least: a first capacitive sensor comprising a first electrode (EA), capable of detecting the approach and/or contact of a human body part in a predetermined region (Z2) around the handle (10′); a second capacitive sensor comprising a second electrode (EB), capable of detecting the approach and/or contact of a human body part in the predetermined region (Z2) around the handle (10′); and a microcontroller (60′), wherein the first electrode (EA) and the second electrode (EB) are each formed as separate segments that are electrically connected to one another, and said segments of the first electrode (EA) and of the second electrode (EB) being alternately juxtaposed, and wherein the microcontroller (60′) is configured to operate as: control means (MA) that controls said first capacitive sensor and generates a first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA), control means (MB) that controls said second capacitive sensor and generates a second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB), correlation means (MC) that calculates a correlation value between the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) and the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB), and confirmation means (MD) that compares said correlation value with a predetermined value in order to detect intention to lock or unlock the door (10′). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said segments are positioned and dimensioned such that the approach and/or contact of a part of a body of a user is detected on at least two juxtaposed segments each belonging to a different electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the segments are in the form of rectangles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said segments are identical in size and identical in number for each electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the segments are in the form of rectangles of predetermined length and width, and said segments are juxtaposed over their length. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correlation value consists of a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined first threshold (SA) and the predetermined second threshold (SB) are of equal values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A motor vehicle door handle (10′), comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A motor vehicle, comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 2 said segments are identical in size and identical in number for each electrode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the correlation value consists of a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB). ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the correlation value consists of a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB). ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the correlation value consists of a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB). ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the correlation value consists of a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB). ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) A motor vehicle door handle (10′), comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 2. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) A motor vehicle door handle (10′), comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 3. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) A motor vehicle door handle (10′), comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 4. ### Claim 18 (depends on 5) A motor vehicle door handle (10′), comprising the detection device (D′) as claimed in claim 5. ### Claim 19 A method for detecting intention to lock or unlock a door (P) of a vehicle, said method comprising the following steps: providing a detection device (D′) that includes a first capacitive sensor with a first electrode (EA), capable of detecting the approach and/or contact of a human body part in a predetermined region (Z2) around the handle (10′), a second capacitive sensor with a second electrode (EB), capable of detecting the approach and/or contact of a human body part in the predetermined region (Z2) around the handle (10′), and a microcontroller (60′), the first electrode (EA) and the second electrode (EB) each formed as separate segments that are electrically connected to one another, and said segments of the first electrode (EA) and of the second electrode (EB) being alternately juxtaposed, and the microcontroller (60′) being configured to operate as: control means (MA) that controls said first capacitive sensor and generates a first approach and/or contact detection signal (SA), and control means (MB) that controls said second capacitive sensor and generates a second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB); and determining, via the microcontroller, whether there is a correlation between the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) and the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB), such that: if there is a correlation, then there is confirmation of detection of intention to lock or unlock; and if not, there is no confirmation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The detection method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the correlation exists if a period (Δt) between a first time (t1) corresponding to the first approach and/or contact detection signal (NA) exceeding a predetermined first threshold (SA) and a second time (t2) corresponding to the second approach and/or contact detection signal (NB) exceeding a predetermined second threshold (SB) is less than a predetermined duration (Δtref).