EP1023511A1

EP1023511A1 - Closing device, in particular for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1023511A1
Application number: EP98949986A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Harald Kemmann; Stefan Lange; Andreas Van Den Boom
Original assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1997-10-14
Filing date: 1998-09-03
Publication date: 2000-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-03
Also published as: EP1023511B2; ES2214737T3; DE59811066D1; JP4337075B2; WO1999019585A1; BR9813042A; EP1023511B1; US6768413B1; JP2001520337A

Abstract

The invention concerns a closing device comprising, on the vehicle door (11) a lock (14) to be actuated by a hand lever (12). Said lock is normally in locked position, but it should be capable of being placed in unlocked position by a control device (30) arranged in the vehicle (10), said position making said actuating hand lever operative. Said control device is made effective by means of an antenna (33) mounted in the vehicle and a transmission and reception unit (32), when a communication with a data storage medium (20) located outside the vehicle is successfully carried out, said data storage medium being also provided with a transmission and reception unit (22) for this purpose. In order to optimise the effects of the communication between the data storage medium and the vehicle, the antenna of the transmission and reception unit located in the vehicle is placed in the door handle (15) zone, preferably in the door handle hand lever made of insulating material.

Description

Locking device, in particular for motor vehicles

The invention is directed to a device of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1. In this locking device, access authorization is obtained by a vehicle user through an electromagnetic dialogue between the transmitting and receiving units of an electrical control unit in the vehicle and one outside the vehicle located disk on the other hand determined. The field of application of the invention is directed in particular to motor vehicles, but is also applicable to access points in security zones or the like.

In the known device of this type (WO 97/41322), the antenna used for the dialogue with the external data carrier with the transmitting and receiving unit is located inside the vehicle. The reception and transmission properties of the vehicle antenna for the dialog with the user data carrier are unsatisfactory. The installation of the device part located in the vehicle is cumbersome and a replacement of elements of this device part and a change between different types of these elements are complex and therefore not practical in practice.

The invention has for its object to develop a locking device of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, which is easy to assemble and optimized in terms of its effects. This is achieved according to the invention by the measure mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1, which has the following special meanings.

Because in the invention the antenna of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit is already integrated in the door handle and is therefore at an exposed point on the vehicle, there is a particularly high electromagnetic sensitivity. The transmission and reception of the electromagnetic signals between the data carrier and the vehicle is optimal. The door handle has the new function of being the carrier of the antenna and possibly at least some other components of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit. An otherwise required space in the vehicle and the laying of associated lines are saved in the invention. The door handle and at least the antenna form a unit that can be easily preassembled. With the installation of the door handle, which is necessary anyway, the antenna already assumes the prescribed position.

With the invention, retrofitting of existing vehicles is possible, as is the replacement of door handles of different types equipped according to the invention, which are mentioned in the further subclaims. The arrangement in the door handle minimizes the path of signal transmission between the data carrier and the vehicle. The antenna characteristics of the antenna integrated in the handle are favorable. Because the door handle protrudes from the vehicle, there is also an optimal detection area for communication with the user data carrier. Further measures and advantages of the invention result from the subclaims, the following description and the drawings. In the drawings, the invention is shown in one embodiment. Show it:

1, in an exploded view, the components of the handle of a door handle according to the invention,

2 is a top view of the antenna component for that of the handle of FIG. 1,

Fig. 3, schematically, a vehicle with the part of the integrated therein

Locking device according to the invention,

Fig. 4, schematically, a data carrier with the other parts integrated there for the locking device according to the invention and

Fig. 5, schematically, a block diagram with the sequence of action between the parts of Fig. 3 and 4 of the device according to the invention.

The locking device according to the invention can be divided into two spatially separate parts, one of which is arranged in the area of the vehicle 10 and the other in the area of a data carrier 20. The data carrier 20 is initially outside the vehicle, in the possession of the vehicle user. The basic structure of these device parts is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The vehicle 10 comprises a door 11, which has a door handle 15 in addition to a lock 14. The door handle 15 itself initially consists of the actual handle 12, which is designed here as a handle or as a handle flap. In the field of Handle 12, the door 11 can be provided with a recessed grip 13 which belongs to the door handle 15.

The lock 14 can be reversed between two different positions. A first position of the lock 14 is a so-called "secured position" where the handle 12 is set ineffective. In the other position of the lock 14, the handle 12 is effective; when the handle 12 is actuated, the lock is opened. In this case there is a "unlocked position" of the lock 14. In the present case, these reversals of the lock 14 take place centrally from an electrical control device 30 indicated in FIG. 3 via electrical conduction paths

16, which either lead directly to the various locks 14, as indicated in FIG. 3, or indirectly, first reach a central locking device according to FIG. 5, which controls the locks 14.

In the present case, the control device 30 has a car battery as an energy store

17. A sensor is arranged in the region of the door handle 15, which is capacitively effective in the present case and is designated 31 in the block diagram of FIG. 5. It goes without saying that instead of a capacitive sensor 31, other types of sensors could also be used, which e.g. are acoustically effective and respond to a language of a specific user or to certain words and sounds of any user or an acoustic device of the user. Instead of a sensor, a trigger could also be provided, which e.g. is mechanically effective and responds by actuating a door handle or a button arranged in the area of the door handle 15. The task of such a sensor 31 or of such a trigger is to switch on the control device 30 which is normally switched off. One speaks of "waking" the control unit 30.

In the present case, this is done by bringing the hand of the user 40 closer to the handle 12 of the door handle 15. In this case, an electric field is built up between the handle 12 and the door 11. If your hand comes into this area, so the capacitance of the dielectric changes between the two electrodes, which is determined by the capacitive sensor 31. In the present case, this sensor 31 is integrated in the handle 12. This gives the handle 12 a first additional function. The sensor 31 could also be integrated in the region of the recessed grip 13, that is to say in the region of the door 11.

In the block diagram of FIG. 5, the vehicle 10 and the person of the vehicle user 40 are first illustrated by dash-dot lines. If the vehicle user 40 approaches the outer door handle 15, e.g. his hand, as shown by the arrow 41, comes very close to the sensor 31, the sensor 31 "wakes up" the electrical control device 30 in the vehicle 10 via the line 36 illustrated in FIG. 5. The control device 31 then acts via a further electrical line 18, also illustrated in FIG. 3, on a vehicle-side transmission and reception unit 32 arranged in the region of the door handle 15. This unit 32 includes an antenna 33, which is integrated in the door handle 15 and, by electromagnetic means, sends a request identified by the arrow 37 to the data carrier 20 located outside the vehicle. In the present case, this takes place in a particularly optimal manner due to the special structure of the handle 12, which is explained in more detail in FIGS. 1 and 2.

2 shows the antenna 33 in plan view. This consists of a possibly multi-layer winding of an electrically insulated antenna wire 38 on a ferromagnetic body 39, which has a plate shape. This inductive antenna 33 is integrated in a subrack 42, which carries conductor tracks on which as many components as possible of the transmitting and receiving unit 32 are arranged and interconnected. This unit 32 includes either amplifiers provided in the subrack 42 or in adjacent components of the vehicle 10, frequency conditioning devices for the carrier frequency, modulators for the transmission signals 37 described above and demodulators for those indicated by the arrow 47 Received signals indicated in FIG. 5 and to be described in more detail. This antenna 33 is therefore integrated in the handle 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the handle 12 initially comprises a bow-shaped base part 44 made of plastic material, on which the subrack 42 is mounted. The base part 44 has a receptacle 43 for the antenna 33. During assembly, the various lines in the subrack 42 can already be contacted with the contact points provided in the base part 44 by power supply lines 45 and the signal lines 36 and / or 16, which continue in the base part 44 and be automatically contacted when installing the handle 12 in the vehicle 10. After the parts 42, 44 have been assembled, a cover 46 according to FIG. 1 can be used. Either antenna 33 or cover 46, e.g. can be chrome plated, can also assume the function of forming an electrode of the capacitive sensor 31 described above. Then, in addition to acting as an actuating element for the lock 14, the handle 12 has also assumed the two functions of being the carrier of the antenna 33 on the one hand and the electrode of the proximity sensor 31 on the other hand. The antenna function of the handle 12 extremely optimizes the transmission and reception characteristics of the antenna 33.

If other sensors are used to trigger the authentication process to be described in more detail, these sensors and at least some of their control means are also advantageously arranged in the handle 12 or at least in the region of the door handle 15. If, for example, the acoustic sensors already mentioned above are used, the sound entry point for this sensor and, if appropriate, the microphone and further electro-acoustic transducers will also be integrated into the handle 12. The mechanical or electrical triggers mentioned at the outset will also be arranged in the region of the door handle and preferably installed in the handle 12. This allows the handle 12 with the integrated sensors, electrodes, antennas and others Functional parts are completely prefabricated. If the vehicle owner decides on a specific version of the locking device according to the invention, which is to activate the electrical control unit 30 either mechanically, capacitively or acoustically, all that is required is to select the specific, desired handle 12 and to use the predefined conduction paths in the vehicle 10 to be contacted. As already mentioned, the latter can be done automatically by simply installing the handle 12 as intended.

The data carrier 20 has the structure recognizable from the diagram in FIG. 4. In the data carrier 20, the above-described request 37 from FIG. 5 is received via an antenna 23 provided there and is forwarded to a transmitting and receiving unit 22 located there, which is analogous to that 32 in the vehicle 10. The unit 22 then takes data from a data memory 24 in the data carrier 20 and passes it on to the vehicle via the antenna 23, which is illustrated by the answer arrow 47 in FIG. 5. A power supply 25 and electronics 26 are also located in the data carrier 20. A battery can of course serve as the power supply 25. The energy supply can also be provided by induction from the components located in the vehicle 10. In the case of an internal energy source 25, this can also be charged by the antenna 33 in the vehicle 30 to such an extent that at least actuation of the lock 14 is possible. The antenna 33 itself can carry out such charging of the power supply 25, which is why it then has a further third function. For this emergency charge of the energy source in the data storage 20, it is sufficient to bring the data storage 20 close to the vehicle-side antenna 33.

The response 47 received by the door handle-side antenna 33 is passed on to the control unit 30 by the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit 32 via an electrical line 19, which is also shown in FIG. 3, where it is evaluated. If the control device 30 determines the authorization of the user 40 on the basis of the dialog 37, 47 between the vehicle 10 and the data carrier 20, a corresponding control pulse is either connected directly to the various locks 14 or to one of the locks 14 via the electrical conduction paths 16 already mentioned at the beginning Central locking device 35 given. If the locks 14 were previously in the secured position already described, they are now transferred to their unlocked position by the control pulse via 16. If, as illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 5 by the arrow 21, the user actuates the handle 12, the door lock in question is mechanically and / or electrically connected as indicated by the arrow 27 in the diagram in FIG. 5 14 reversed. The associated door can be opened via the handle 12.

The data carrier 20 can be part of a keyless access authorization, which is also referred to in technical terms as "passive entry". The authentication process is triggered when the data carrier 20 approaches the door handle 15 in the vehicle 10. The communication described by arrows 37, 47 takes place. Another possibility is to design the data carrier 20 as a so-called electronic key, which triggers the authentication process by manipulating the key, e.g. by pressing a button.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the data carrier 20 in FIG. 5 is also provided with a so-called panic button 28, which is actuated by the user 40 when the closing or opening functions on the vehicle 10 which have been triggered are to be interrupted immediately. The actuation of the panic button 28 generates a high-frequency signal, which is identified by the arrow 29 in the block diagram of FIG. 5. The high-frequency receiver in the vehicle 10 could also be provided in the region of the door handle 15, but in this case a RF receiver 34 located elsewhere in vehicle 10 is used. As illustrated by the point arrow 48, the RF receiver 34 activates the control device 30 immediately, for which electrical lines are provided. Further electrical lines are used around the received high-frequency data, as illustrated by the dash arrow 49.

The control commands coming via lines 16 or 27 to the lock 14 or to the central locking device 35 can act directly on the electrical actuator of the lock 14. However, a so-called bus system can also be used for the control commands, where coded control commands are carried in a uniform line system, which are recognized and followed by the various units due to their coding.

Reference list

Vehicle door from 10 handle from 15 recessed grip from 15 lock in 11 outer door handle cable path between 14, 30 car battery in 10 electrical cable between 30, 32 electrical cable between 32, 30 data carrier actuating arrow from 12 by 40 transmitter and receiver unit in 20 antenna in 20 Data storage in 20 power supply in 20 electronics in 20 active arrow from 15 to 14 (Fig.5) panic button in 20 (Fig.5) high-frequency signal arrow (Fig.5) electrical control unit sensor in 30, capacitive sensor transmitter and receiver unit in 10 antenna in 12 high-frequency receiver central locking device in 10 for 14 line between 31, 30 (Fig. 5) Inquiry arrow between 33 and 20 antenna wire for 33 (FIG. 2) plate-shaped ferromagnetic body (FIG. 2) vehicle user (FIG. 5) approach arrow from 40 to 15 subracks for 33, 32 in 12 (FIG. 1) receptacle in 44 for 33 ( Fig. 1) base part of 12 (Fig. 1) line for power supply of 32 (Fig. 1) cover of 12 (Fig. 1) answer arrow from 20 to 33 (Fig. 5) activation arrow for 30 by 34 RF data line arrow of 34 on 30

Claims

claims

1.) Locking device, in particular in a motor vehicle (10), with a lock (14) which is arranged on at least one door (11), flap or the like of the vehicle (10) and which has a door handle (12) of a door handle ( 15) to be actuated (21),

the lock (14) being reversible between two positions, namely a secured position which ineffectively sets the handle (12)

and an unlocked position effectively setting the handle (12), in which the lock (14) can be opened by actuating (21) the handle (12),

With an electrical control unit (30) arranged in the vehicle (10), which has an antenna (33) of a vehicle-side transmission and reception unit

(32) causes a data request (37) to a data carrier (20) outside the vehicle (10) in the possession of the vehicle user (40),

wherein the user-side data carrier (20) in turn has a transmitting and receiving unit (22) which transmits a data response (47) via the antenna

(33) transmitted to the control unit (30) from the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32),

and in the event of positive identification of the user data carrier (20), the vehicle-side control unit (30) initiates (16) securing or unlocking the lock (s) (14) on at least one door (11) of the vehicle (10),

characterized , that the antenna (33) of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) is arranged in the region of the door handle (15).

2.) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in addition to the antenna (33) at least some other components of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) are arranged in the region of the door handle (15).

3.) Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the antenna (33) and optionally further components of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) in the insulating material of the handle (12) of the door handle (15) are arranged.

4.) Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the antenna (33) and optionally further components of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) are arranged in the region of the recessed grip (13) of the door handle (15).

5.) Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vehicle-side antenna (33) arranged in the region of the door handle (15) is at the same time designed as an electrical emergency charger, which is provided in the user-side data carrier (20) Energy store (25) can charge.

6.) Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the user-side data carrier (20) is part of a keyless access authorization (passive entry),

which triggers the authentication process between the user-side data carrier (20) and the vehicle-side control unit (30) when the data carrier (20) approaches the door handle (15).

7.) Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the user-side data carrier (20) is part of an electronic key,

which triggers the authentication process between the key and the vehicle (10) by handling the key or the lock.

8.) Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the electrical control device (30) is normally switched off, but sensors (31) and / or triggers are located on the vehicle,

which when the user (40) or the data carrier (20) approaches and / or when the user-side data carrier (20) is actuated, switch on the vehicle-side control unit (30) and the data dialog (37, 47) between the vehicle-side and the user-side transmission and reception unit Start (32; 22).

.) Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sensor (31) and / or the trigger member are arranged in the region of the door handle (15).

10.) Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the sensor (31) responds to the approach (41) of the hand of the user (40) and / or the user-side data carrier (20).

11.) Device according to one or more of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the sensor (31) is capacitively active and has two electrodes,

one of which is arranged in the handle (12) of the door handle (15) while the other electrode is in the door (1 1), or is formed by the door (1 1) itself,

that an electric field is built up between the handle (12) and the door (1 1) and the capacitance between the two electrodes can be changed and thus sensed by the dielectric of a human hand reaching into the area of the electric field.

12.) Device according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the antenna (33) of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) is also the one electrode of the capacitive sensor (31).

13.) Device according to one or more of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the trigger for switching on the control device (30) can be actuated mechanically and responds to actuation of the door handle (15) and / or a button arranged in the region of the door handle (15).

14.) Device according to claim 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that the sensor (31) serving to switch on the control device is acoustically active.

15.) Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the acoustic sensor (31) responds to the language of a specific user and / or to certain sounds or words of any user or an acoustic device operated by the user.

16.) Device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the sound entry point for the acoustic sensor (31) and / or the microphone and optionally further components of the acoustically active sensor (31) are arranged in the region of the door handle (15).

17.) Device according to one or more of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the sound entry point and / or at least some components of the acoustically active sensor (31) are in the handle (12) of the door handle (15). CHANGED REQUIREMENTS

[Received at the International Office on March 24, 1999 (March 24, 1999); original claims 1 and 2 amended; all other claims unchanged (5 pages)]

and the vehicle-side control device (30) in the event of positive identification of the user-side data carrier (20) securing or. Unlocking (s) of the locks (14) on at least one door (11) of the vehicle (10), (16),

characterized , lo

that the antenna (33) of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) is arranged in the handle (12) of the door handle (15).

2.) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in addition to the antenna (33) at least some other components of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) are arranged in the handle (12) of the door handle (15).

CHANGED SHEET (ARTJTKEL 19)

which, when the user (40) or the data carrier (20) approaches and / or when the user-side data carrier (20) is actuated, switch on the vehicle-side control unit (30) and the data dialog (37, 47) between the vehicle-side and the user-side transmission and reception unit Start (32; 22).

CHANGED SHEET (ARTDXEL 19)

1 1.) Device according to one or more of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the sensor (31) is capacitively effective and has two electrodes,

of which one electrode is arranged in the handle (12) of the door handle (15) while the other electrode is in the door (11), or is formed by the door (1 1) itself,

that an electric field is built up between the handle (12) and the door (1 1) and the capacitance between the two electrodes can be changed and thus sensed by the dielectric of a human hand entering the area of the electric field.

12.) Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the antenna (33) of the vehicle-side transmission and reception unit (32) is also the one electrode of the capacitive sensor (31).

17.) Device according to one or more of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the sound entry point and / or at least some components of the acoustically active sensor (31) are in the handle (12) of the door handle (15).

CHANGED SHEET (ARTJTKEL 19)