# US 12,005,860 B2 · Vehicle and method for preventing malfunction of touch sensor in vehicle door > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,860 B2 - Document ID: US12005860B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/008,160 - Filed: 2020-08-31 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-19 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Dae Sung Jin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005860B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/245: {where the antenna reception area plays a role} - B60R 25/01: operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens - B60R 25/302: {using recording means, e.g. black box} - G01D 5/24: by varying capacitance - G01S 13/765: {with exchange of information between interrogator and responder} - G01S 13/767: {Responders; Transponders (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26)} - H04B 1/3822: specially adapted for use in vehicles (H04B1/3827 takes precedence) - B60R 2325/101: Bluetooth® - B60R 2325/103: Near field communication [NFC] - B60R 2325/105: Radio frequency identification data [RFID] - G01S 2013/9329: {cooperating with reflectors or transponders} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A vehicle and a method are configured to prevent malfunction of a touch sensor in a vehicle door. The vehicle includes a transceiver for transmitting a searching signal to a smart key located outside the vehicle and receiving a response signal to the searching signal, at least one touch sensor mounted in a door of the vehicle to sense a touch input of a user in a capacitive scheme, and a controller that determines an approach direction of the smart key based on the response signal and controls to operate only a touch sensor installed in a door mapped to the approach direction among the at least one touch sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle, comprising: a transceiver for transmitting a searching signal to a smart key located outside the vehicle and receiving a response signal from the smart key; at least one touch sensor mounted in a door of the vehicle to sense a touch input of a user in a capacitive scheme; and a controller configured to: determine an approach direction of the smart key based on the response signal; control to operate only a touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction among the at least one touch sensor; and store a failure code in a memory when the at least one touch sensor fails to activate a sleep mode for a predetermined number of times or more. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the transceiver includes: at least two antennas respectively installed on doors of the vehicle; and a communication circuit for transmitting searching signals and receiving response signals using the at least two antennas, wherein the communication circuit supports at least one of an Ultra Wideband (UWB), a Bluetooth (BLE), a Near Field Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or a Low Frequency (LF). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to: drive the at least two antennas in a predetermined order to respectively transmit the searching signals; and determine the approach direction of the smart key based on reception timings of the response signals to the transmitted searching signals, respectively. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to: drive the at least two antennas in a predetermined order to respectively transmit the searching signals; and determine the approach direction of the smart key based on signal strengths of the respective searching signals respectively included in the response signals to the respective transmitted searching signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine the approach direction of the smart key using a triangulation method. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch an operation mode of the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction from a sleep mode to a wake-up mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to lock or unlock the vehicle door based on a location of the smart key when sensing the touch input of the user through the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to unlock the door mapped to the approach direction when a distance between the smart key and the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined critical distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to switch the operation mode of the touch sensor from the wake-up mode to the sleep mode when the touch input of the user is not sensed for a predetermined time through the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction. ### Claim 10 A method for preventing a malfunction of at least one touch sensor mounted in a door of a vehicle, the at least one touch sensor configured to sense a touch input of a user in a capacitive scheme, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, an approach direction of a smart key based on a response signal from the smart key to a searching signal transmitted by a transceiver of the vehicle to search for the smart key located outside the vehicle; controlling, by the controller, to operate only a touch sensor installed in a door mapped to the approach direction among the at least one touch sensor; and storing, by the controller, a failure code in a memory when the at least one touch sensor fails to activate a sleep mode for a predetermined number of times or more. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the approach direction of the smart key includes: transmitting the searching signals respectively through at least two antennas based on a wireless communication technology; and receiving the response signals using the wireless communication technology, wherein the wireless communication technology is used at least one of an Ultra Wideband (UWB), a Bluetooth (BLE), a Near Field Communication (NFC), a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or a Low Frequency (LF). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the searching signals includes: driving the at least two antennas in a predetermined order and transmitting the searching signals respectively through the antennas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the approach direction of the smart key includes: determining the approach direction based on reception timings of the respective response signals or signal strengths of the respective searching signals included in the respective response signals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein controlling to operate only the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction includes: instructing, by the controller, the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction to activate a wake-up mode; and switching, by the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction, an operation mode from a sleep mode to the wake-up mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: sensing the touch input of the user through the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction; and locking or unlocking the door based on a location of the smart key when the touch input of the user is sensed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking the door includes: detecting a distance between the smart key and the vehicle; and unlocking the door mapped to the approach direction when the detected distance is equal to or less than a predetermined critical distance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: switching an operation mode of the touch sensor from a wake-up mode to a sleep mode when the touch input of the user is not sensed for a predetermined time through the touch sensor installed in the door mapped to the approach direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: instructing the at least one touch sensor to activate a sleep mode when the response signal is not received for a predetermined time.