An infrared (IR) sensor for use in a door sensor. The IR sensor may include a plurality of emitters arranged in multiple rows. Each emitter of the plurality of emitters may be configured to emit an emission beam comprising IR light. A plurality of receptors may be arranged in multiple rows. Each receptor of the plurality of receptors may be configured to receive a reception beam comprising the IR light reflected off of a surface. One or more lenses comprising refractive elements may be configured to duplicate and direct one or more of the emission beams and one or more of the reception beams onto the surface to form an IR pattern. The IR pattern may include multiple IR curtains. One or more of the receptors and/or emitters may be deactivated to change a width of the IR pattern and/or number of IR curtains.

A refrigerator is configured to enable a user to open doors of the refrigerator easily. The refrigerator performs a method for controlling the doors to prevent from opening due to a malfunction.

A vehicle door opening/closing apparatus includes: an electrode provided near a vehicle door, which is opened and closed by driving of an actuator; a detection unit configured to separately detect presence or absence of an opening/closing operation of requesting opening/closing of the vehicle door by a user and presence or absence of a proximity state where a person exists in proximity of the vehicle door based on variation in an electrostatic capacity in the electrode; and a controller configured to drive the actuator when the opening/closing operation is detected by the detection unit even when an opening/closing request of the vehicle door from a device other than the detection unit is recognized and not to drive the actuator when the detection unit detects the proximity state.

Disclosed herein is a sliding door system including a motor, a driveshaft coupled to the motor, and a coupling mechanism fastened to the sliding door. The coupling mechanism is configured to convert rotation of the driveshaft into linear motion of the sliding door, such that movement of the coupling mechanism is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door. The sliding door system also includes a rotary encoder, a belt mechanically coupled to the coupling mechanism. The belt, as moved by the coupling mechanism, is configured to turn the rotary encoder as the sliding door moves, such that movement of the rotary encoder is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door and not directly correlated to movement of the motor and driveshaft.

The invention relates to a method for the operation of a motorized flap arrangement (1) of a motor vehicle (2), wherein the flap arrangement (1) has a flap (4) which can be adjusted by means of flap kinematics (3), wherein the flap arrangement (1) has a drive assembly (5) assigned to the flap (4) and a control arrangement (7) for controlling the drive assembly (5), wherein by means of the control arrangement (7) an actuation action manually introduced into the flap kinematics (3) via the flap (4) in the form of an actuating movement and/or an actuating load is detected and on the detection of a predetermined actuation action the drive assembly (5) is controlled, subject to a plausibility check, for the motorized adjustment of the flap (4). It is proposed that in the context of the plausibility check an environment sensor system (8) of the motor vehicle (2), which is used for the detection of an object, in particular of an operator (B), in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (2), is checked by means of the control arrangement (7) for the fulfilment of at least one plausibility criterion.

A door operator system and a method for moving a door leaf between a closed and open position utilize a door operator and a supervise unit. The door operator includes a control unit, a presence sensor, activation sensors, and a drive unit. The drive unit is connected to the door leaf and moves the door leaf between the open and closed position to achieve a plurality of operational states. The presence sensor is configured to monitor a risk area and send presence data associated with an object detected in the risk area to the control unit. The activation sensors are configured to monitor respective activation areas near the door leaf and send activation data associated with an object detected in the respective activation areas to the control unit. The control unit controls a movement of the drive unit based on the activation and presence data.

A method for state-based maintenance of an access device of a vehicle, in particular of a public transport vehicle, wherein the access device includes a moveable element and an electric drive for moving the moveable element and is attached to the vehicle. The drive is controlled with control signals, wherein actual state signals for describing the state are generated based on a detected state of the access device. The control signals are applied to a physical simulation model for computationally simulating the access device and determining expected target state signals and wherein based on a comparison between the actual state signals and associated target state signals, a maintenance state of the access device is determined. The simulation model is adjusted based on the comparison between the actual state signals and the associated target state signals.

A vehicle roof assembly comprises an electronic control circuitry and at least one sensor operatively coupled to the electronic control circuitry. An output of the sensor exhibits hysteresis. A method of operating the vehicle roof assembly comprises performing a sensor power-down sequence. The sensor power-down sequence of steps comprises switching off the sensor; switching on the sensor; detecting the output of the sensor; storing the output of the sensor in a memory; and switching off the sensor. The method prevents inadvertent position drift due to hysteresis effects during a power toggle.

Disclosed herein is a sliding door system including a motor, a driveshaft coupled to the motor, and a coupling mechanism fastened to the sliding door. The coupling mechanism is configured to convert rotation of the driveshaft into linear motion of the sliding door, such that movement of the coupling mechanism is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door. The sliding door system also includes a rotary encoder, a belt mechanically coupled to the coupling mechanism. The belt, as moved by the coupling mechanism, is configured to turn the rotary encoder as the sliding door moves, such that movement of the rotary encoder is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door and not directly correlated to movement of the motor and driveshaft.

A door opening/closing device includes an operation handle, a detection unit provided in the operation handle and configured to detect a contact state of a user with the operation handle, a door driving unit configured to open or close a door, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine that a first operation involving a direction is a user operation in which a user comes into contact with the operation handle, when the detection unit detects the first operation and a second operation. The control unit is configured to control the door driving unit and open or close the door based on the user operation.