# US 12,000,183 B2 · Door handle apparatus and controller

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- Number: US 12,000,183 B2
- Document ID: US12000183B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/649,978
- Filed: 2022-02-04
- Published: 2022-05-19
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-04
- Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wataru Sato; Yuzuru Kawana; Hajime Shikata; Kazuhito Oshita; Takeshi Masaki; Takashi Sasaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000183B2

## CPC

- E05B 81/76: Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
- E05B 81/77: {comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user}
- B60J 5/04: arranged at the vehicle sides {(panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428)}
- E05B 81/56: Control of actuators
- E05B 85/10: Handles
- G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks}
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05)
- 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

## Abstract

A door handle, to be attached to a door, includes an outer case, an inner case integrated with the outer case, and a pressure detector configured to detect pressure applied to the inner case. The inner case includes a recess in proximity to an end portion in a longitudinal direction, and the pressure detector detects a displacement of a first inner wall surface on a center portion side of the inner case in the recess, caused by the pressure applied to the inner case.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A door handle to be attached to a door, the door handle comprising:
an outer case;
an inner case integrated with the outer case; and
a pressure detector configured to detect pressure applied to the inner case,
wherein the inner case includes a recess in proximity to an end portion in a longitudinal direction,
the pressure detector detects a displacement of a first inner wall surface on a horizontal center portion side of the inner case in the recess, caused by the pressure applied to the inner case,
the pressure detector includes both a base portion directly or indirectly fixed to the first inner wall surface and a pillar portion protruding from the base portion, and detects distortion of the base portion, caused by a load applied to the pillar portion due to the displacement of the first inner wall surface,
the pressure detector is disposed in the inner case so as to face a holding portion provided closer to the end portion than the recess such that the pillar portion faces the holding portion side,
the base portion is fixed to the first inner wall surface through a fixing member,
a tip of the pillar portion is held by the holding portion, and
the pillar portion causes distortion in the base portion upon application of a load by the holding portion to the pillar portion due to the displacement of the first inner wall surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The door handle according to claim 1, wherein the pillar portion is disposed inside of the recess so as to face a second inner wall surface facing the first inner wall surface,
the base portion is fixed to the first inner wall surface, and
the pillar portion causes distortion in the base portion upon application of a load by the second inner wall surface to the pillar portion due to the displacement of the first inner wall surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The door handle according to claim 1, wherein the recess is a first recess provided at a first end portion, and a second recess provided at a second end portion in the longitudinal direction, and
in the door handle, the pressure detector is a first pressure detector provided in the first recess at the first end portion, and a second pressure detector provided in the second recess at the second end portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The door handle according to claim 1, further comprising a contact detector configured to detect contact of a user's hand with respect to the door handle.

### Claim 5

A door handle to be attached to a door, the door handle comprising:
an outer case;
an inner case integrated with the outer case; and
a pressure detector configured to detect pressure applied to the inner case,
wherein the inner case includes a recess in proximity to an end portion in a longitudinal direction,
the pressure detector detects a displacement of a first inner wall surface on a horizontal center portion side of the inner case in the recess, caused by the pressure applied to the inner case,
the pressure detector includes both a base portion directly or indirectly fixed to the first inner wall surface and a pillar portion protruding from the base portion, and detects distortion of the base portion, caused by a load applied to the pillar portion due to the displacement of the first inner wall surface,
the pressure detector is disposed in the inner case so as to face a pedestal portion provided closer to the end portion than the recess such that the pillar portion faces the pedestal portion side,
the base portion is fixed to the first inner wall surface at the horizontal center portion side relative to the recess in a longitudinal direction of the inner case,
a tip of the pillar portion is held by the pedestal portion, and
the pillar portion causes distortion in the base portion by being applied a load from the pedestal portion due to the displacement of the first inner wall surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The door handle according to claim 5, wherein the recesses are provided at a first end portion and a second end portion in the longitudinal direction, and
in the door handle, the pressure detector is provided in each of the recess at the first end portion and the recess at the second end portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The door handle according to claim 5, further comprising a contact detector configured to detect contact of a user's hand with respect to the door handle.

### Claim 8

A door handle to be attached to a door, the door handle comprising:
an outer case;
an inner case integrated with the outer case;
a pressure detector configured to detect pressure applied to the inner case;
a contact detector configured to detect a contact position of a user's hand with respect to the inner case; and
a controller including a memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to correct, according to a distance between the pressure detector and the contact position detected by the contact detector:
the pressure detected by the pressure detector or
a threshold value of a pressure detection value for determining whether to perform a predetermined operation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The door handle according to claim 8, wherein the processor determines whether to correct the pressure based on an area of the contact of the user's hand with respect to the inner case, thereby not correcting the pressure upon determining that the area of the contact of the user's hand with respect to the inner case is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The door handle according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:
correct, as the contact position detected by the contact detector is closer to the pressure detector, the pressure detected by the pressure detector lower or the threshold value higher, and
correct, as the contact position detected by the contact detector is farther to the pressure detector, the pressure detected by the pressure detector higher or the threshold value lower.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

A controller comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to
unlock a door upon detection of contact, by a contact detector of the door handle according to claim 8 attached to the door, of a user's hand with respect to a predetermined position inside of the door handle; and
release a latch of the door, in a state where the door is unlocked, upon detection of pressure, by the pressure detector of the door handle, applied to a predetermined position inside of the door handle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The controller according to claim 11, wherein
the inner case includes a recess in proximity to an end portion in a longitudinal direction,
wherein the processor, in a state where the door is unlocked, releases the latch of the door when a displacement of an inner wall surface on a horizontal center portion side of the inner case, caused by the pressure applied to the inner case, is detected by the pressure detector.