An automated door system includes a hinge assembly having a movable hinge portion coupled to a door and a fixed hinge portion coupled to a vehicle body at a hinge pillar. The movable hinge portion includes first and second mounting portions. The first mounting portion is rotatably connected to the fixed hinge portion for rotation about a hinge axis of the hinge assembly. A power assist device is coupled to the fixed hinge portion and further coupled to the second mounting portion of the mounting hinge portion by a drive shaft. The power assist device includes a motor that is configured to drive the drive shaft for providing at least one of opening and closing movement of the door about the hinge axis of the hinge assembly.

A damping device includes a housing, a piston and a controller. The housing defines a chamber filled with a damping medium. The piston is movable in the chamber and includes a passage for allowing the damping medium to pass through. The controller includes a control member and a resilient member. The control member is capable of being moved toward the passage of the piston or closing a portion or all portions of the passage of the piston in response to a speed of the piston.

A damping device includes a housing and a piston. The housing has an inner wall, and a chamber is defined by the inner wall. The chamber has a damping medium filled therewith. The piston is movable in the chamber, wherein the inner wall has a plurality of inner diameters.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle door assistance. An example vehicle includes a solenoid between a frame of the vehicle and a door, a restraint control module with an accelerometer to provide a roll angle and a pitch angle of the vehicle; and a body control unit. The body control unit determines a door adjustment force based on the roll and pitch angles and personal characteristics of an occupant, and when a door is moving, applies the door adjustment force with the solenoid.

The technology relates to assisting in the closing of a vehicle door by automatically pulling a door closed. One or more computing devices having one or more processors may receive, from one or more sensors, information indicating that a door on the vehicle is not closed. In response to the received information indicating that the door is not closed, the one or more computing devices may determine to send a triggering signal to close the door. The one or more computing devices may send the triggering signal to the actuator and the actuator may receive the triggering signal. In response to receiving the triggering signal the actuator may be activated to close the door of the vehicle without user input.

An automatic door operator (30) for a swing door assembly (10) having a door leaf (14) rotationally supported by a door frame (12) is disclosed. The automatic door operator has a motor (34) for causing opening of the door leaf (14) with respect to the door frame (12), and a controller (31) being configured for performing different functions (60) of the automatic door operator. The controller (31) is configured to detect (42) a movement of the door leaf (14), not caused by the motor (34), identify (44) a predefined movement matching the detected movement, determine (46), among the different functions, a function (61-A, 61-B) being associated with the predefined movement, and perform (48) the determined function.