Vehicle Door Handle with Multiple Switching Units

Abstract

A vehicle door handle and a corresponding system is described. The vehicle door handle comprises a first pair of switches with a first on-off switching unit and a second on-off switching unit, wherein the switching units of the first pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the car door handle, the first on-off switching unit is connectable to a first input of a control unit as to control switching between a high level and a low level at the first input, and the second on-off switching unit is connectable to a second input of the control unit as to control switching between a high level and a low level at the second input.

Claims

1. A vehicle door handle, comprising: a first pair of switches comprising a first on-off switching unit and a second on-off switching unit, wherein, the switching units of the first pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the door handle, the first on-off switching unit is connectable to a first input of a control unit to control switching between a high level and a low level at the first input, and the second on-off switching unit is connectable to a second input of the control unit to control switching between a high level and a low level at the second input.

2. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein: a first terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a first potential via a first resistor, a second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a second potential via a second resistor, and the second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connectable to the first input of the control unit.

3. The vehicle door handle according to claim 2, wherein: a first terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected to the first potential via a third resistor, a second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected the second potential via a fourth resistor, and the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connectable to the second input of the control unit.

4. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, further comprising an inverting unit comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal.

5. The vehicle door handle according to claim 4, wherein: a first terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a first potential via a first resistor, a second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a second potential via a second resistor, and the second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connectable to the first input of the control unit.

6. The vehicle door handle according to claim 5, wherein: a first terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected to the first terminal of the inverting unit, a second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected the second potential via a fourth resistor, and the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connectable to the second input of the control unit.

7. The vehicle door handle according to claim 6, wherein: the second terminal of the inverting unit is connected to a first terminal of a third resistor, a second terminal of the third resistor is connected to the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit, and the third terminal of the inverting unit is connected to the first potential.

8. The vehicle door handle according to claim 7, wherein the inverting unit is arranged to connect the second terminal of the inverting unit to the third terminal of the inverting unit if the second switch is open and to disconnect the second terminal of the inverting unit from the third terminal of the inverting unit if the second switching unit is closed.

9. The vehicle door handle according to claim 8, wherein the inverting unit comprises a first and a second transistor.

10. The vehicle door handle according to claim 9, wherein the first transistor comprises a PNP transistor, and the second transistor comprises an NPN transistor.

11. The vehicle door handle according to claim 9, wherein: the first potential is ground, and the second potential is a positive voltage.

12. The vehicle door handle according to claim 11, wherein: an emitter of the first transistor is connected to the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit, and an emitter of the second transistor is connected to ground.

13. The vehicle door handle according to claim 12, wherein the door handle further comprises: a fifth resistor connected between the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit and ground; a sixth resistor connected between the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit and a base of the first transistor; a seventh resistor connected between a collector of the first transistor and a base of the second transistor; and an eighth resistor connected between the base of the second transistor and ground.

14. The vehicle door handle according to claim 13, wherein the collector of the second transistor is connected to the second terminal of the inverting unit.

15. The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, further comprising a second pair of switches with a third on-off switching unit and a fourth on-off switching unit.

16. The vehicle door handle according to claim 15, wherein: the third on-off switching unit is connected in parallel to the first on-off switching unit, and the fourth on-off switching unit is connected in parallel to the second on-off switching unit.

17. The vehicle door handle according to claim 16, wherein the switching units of the second pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the door handle.

18. The vehicle door handle according to claim 17, wherein the first pair of switches and the second pair of switches are spaced apart.

19. A vehicle door handle system, comprising: the vehicle door handle according to claim 1, and a control unit.

20. The vehicle door handle system according to claim 19, wherein the control unit is adapted to detect an opening or closing request for a car door based on the first input of the control unit and the second input of the control unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The disclosed embodiments have advantages and features, which will be more readily apparent from the detailed description, the dependent claims, and the accompanying figures and brief introduction of the Figures below.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle door handle according to the first aspect.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a vehicle door handle with the additional inverting unit.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows the vehicle door handle with the inverting unit implemented as a transistor net.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows the implementation of the inverting unit according to one embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment with six switching units.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of switching units on the vehicle door handle system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Details on the embodiments according to the present disclosure shall be described with regard to the figures below.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment with one pair of switches connectable to a control unit 5. In detail, the vehicle door handle 0 comprises a first on-off switching unit 1 and a second on-off switching unit 2. A first terminal of the first on-off switching unit 1 is connected to a first potential 3a, which is ground, via a first resistor 4. The second terminal of the first on-off switching unit 1 is in turn connectable to a first input of the control unit 5. As may be taken from FIG. 1, the second terminal of the first on-off switching unit 1 is also connected to a second potential 3b, which is a positive voltage in this case, via a second resistor 6.

[0043] In a similar manner, an equivalent second branch is formed as can be taken from the below part of FIG. 1. In detail, a first terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2 is connected to ground 3a via a third resistor 7. The second terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2 is in turn connectable to a second input of the control unit 5 and the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2 is also connected to the second potential 3b, the positive voltage, via a fourth resistor 8.

[0044] Hence, if the first switching unit 1 is open, the input level at the first input of the control unit 5 is pulled up to the second potential 3b, the positive voltage, via the resistor 6. If, however, the switching unit 1 is closed, the input level at the first input of the control unit 5 is pulled down via the resistor 4 to the first potential 3a, which is ground. The same also applies to the branch shown below and the potential at the second input of the control unit 5, respectively.

[0045] Hence, the control unit 5 can detect a request for opening a door if both switching units 1 and 2 are closed and the input levels at the first and the second input of the control unit 5 is pulled to ground via resistors 4 and 7 and thus to the low level.

[0046] Since the two switching units 1 and 2 need to be pressed simultaneously, accidentally opening the car door is avoided since an error in both of the switching units 1 and 2 at the same time is less likely than an error in conventional SPDT switches.

[0047] In FIG. 2, an embodiment is shown which further includes an inverting unit 9.

[0048] As the upper branch including the first on-off switching unit 1 is identical to the one shown in FIG. 1, it is referred to the above description of FIG. 1 for the first branch. In the second branch, the additional inverting unit 9 is included. This inverting unit 9 comprises a first terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal. The first terminal of the inverting unit 9 is connected to the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2, the second terminal of the on-off switching unit 2 is again connected to the second potential 3b, here, a positive voltage, via the fourth resistor 8. The third resistor 7 is now connected between the second terminal of the inverting unit 9 and the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2 and is connectable to the second input of the control unit 5, respectively.

[0049] With the implementation of the inverting unit 9 as to connect the second terminal of the inverting unit 9 with the third terminal of the inverting unit 9 if the on-off switching unit 2 is open, a connection between the resistor 7 and ground 3a, which is connected to the third terminal of the inverting unit 9, is made if the second on-off switching unit 2 is open. Hence, if the switches 1 and 2 are open, in the present embodiment, the input level at the first input of the control unit 5 is low since it is pulled down while the input level at the second input of the control unit 5 is high since the connection to ground 3a in the second branch is open and thus, the input level is pulled up to a high level due to the connection to potential 3b via resistor 8.

[0050] Hence, if the switching units 1 and 2 are in the same state, the input level at the first input and at the second input of the control unit 5 are always inverted. This will mimic the behavior of conventional units while still having the further technical and security benefits as described herein.

[0051] In FIG. 3 it is shown that the inverting unit 9 may be constructed by using two transistors 10 and 11. In the embodiment shown here, a first transistor 10 is a PNP transistor while a second transistor 11 is a NPN transistor. As to implement the inverting unit 9 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the base of the first transistor 10 is connected to the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2, while the base of the second transistor 11 is connected to the first transistor 10. The second transistor 11 is then connected in a manner between ground 3a and the resistor 7, that if the second on-off switching unit 2 is open, a connection is formed between the third resistor 7 and ground 3a via the second transistor 11.

[0052] In one embodiment, which shall also be described with regard to FIG. 3, the first transistor 10 is connected such that the emitter of the first transistor 10 is connected to the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2, and the second input of the control unit 5, respectively. The collector of the first transistor is in turn connected to ground 3a. The base of the second transistor 11 is connected to the collector of the first transistor 10, while the collector of the second transistor 11 is connected to the third resistor 7 and the emitter of the second transistor 11 is connected to ground 3a.

[0053] With the use of this transistor net, reliable and fast switching also with low voltage differences is made possible without requiring an additional voltage supply, since the whole transistor net can be supplied via the two potentials 3a and 3b as shown in the Figures.

[0054] With regard to FIG. 4, details on a possible implementation of the transistor net shall be described. As may be taken from FIG. 4, an additional fifth resistor 12 may be connected between the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2 and ground 3a. Further, a sixth resistor 13 will be integrated between the base of the first transistor 10 and the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit 2. A seventh transistor 14 can be integrated between the collector of the first transistor 10 and the base of the second transistor 11 and an eighth resistor 15 can be connected between the base of the second transistor 11 and ground 3a.

[0055] The dimensions of the resistors may for example be 47 kΩ for the fifth resistor 12, 100 Ω 0 for the sixth resistor 13, 1 kΩ for the seventh resistor 14, 47 kΩ for the eighth resistor 15 and 110Ω for the third resistor 7.

[0056] In FIG. 5, a system is shown, which includes multiple pairs of switches. As can be taken from the Figure, a second and a third pair of switches is integrated in addition to the first pair. Hence, in addition to the first pair including the first on-off switching unit 1 and the second on-off switching unit 2, a second pair is provided comprising a third on-off switching unit 16 and a fourth on-off switching unit 17. In addition, a third pair is provided comprising a fifth on-off switching unit 18 and a sixth on-off switching unit 19. The first, the third, and the fifth on-off switching units 1, 16, 18 are arranged in parallel and the second, the fourth, and the sixth on-off switching units 2, 17, 19 are arranged in parallel. Hence, as to generate the required input to open or close the door via the control unit 5, either of the pairs of switching units needs to be pressed.

[0057] An arrangement of the switches with three pairs of switches is shown in FIG. 6. Here, it may be taken that always the switching units of one pair are located next to each other in close proximity to one other. As to generate the request for opening the door, the user thus needs to put one finger on one of the pairs of switching units to instruct the control unit accordingly. Hence, with providing additional pairs of switches, a larger area on the door handle may be used to open or close the door.