Obstruction detection device for vehicle door and method

A vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• a door assembly rotatably connected with respect to the vehicle body;
• a power source disposed on the vehicle body;
• a controller disposed on the vehicle body and operatively connected to the power source;
• an actuator operatively connected to and controlled by the controller and configured to apply a selectively variable force restricting the rotation of the door assembly with respect to the vehicle body;
• an interface configured to allow users of the door assembly to control the actuator;
• at least one sensor operatively connected to the controller and configured to monitor the presence and proximity of an object relative to the door assembly and to transmit signals indicative thereof to the controller;
• and
• a transducer operatively connected to the controller and configured to measure the rotational displacement of the door assembly along a trajectory and transmit signals indicative thereof to the controller, wherein the controller instructs the actuator to apply the selectively variable force to the door assembly in response to at least one of the transducer signals and the sensor signals.

A method of selectively varying the movement of a vehicle door assembly, comprising:

• creating a predetermined detection zone;
• monitoring movement of the vehicle door assembly within the detection zone;
• sensing a presence or absence of an object within the detection zone;
• sensing a proximity of the object relative to the door assembly in response to movement of the door assembly along a predetermined trajectory;
• sensing if the proximity of the object is less than a predetermined first length;
• and
• responding to the proximity being less than the first length by selectively resisting movement of the door assembly along the trajectory to a point sufficiently less than the first length so as to prevent impact between the door assembly and the object, and sufficiently close to the first length to maximize the movement of the door assembly short of the first length to provide the largest opening for vehicle ingress and egress without such impact.