EP3084962A2

EP3084962A2 - Presence sensor for an openable body section of a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP3084962A2
Application number: EP14816254.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ciprian Musat
Original assignee: Valeo Comfort and Driving Assistance SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Comfort and Driving Assistance SAS
Priority date: 2013-12-19
Filing date: 2014-12-19
Publication date: 2016-10-26
Also published as: CN106464252A; FR3015690A1; FR3015690B1; WO2015091950A2; US20160326778A1; CN106464252B; JP6567527B2; WO2015091950A3; US9797169B2; JP2017503939A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capacitive presence sensor (1) arranged in the gripping lever (L) of a handle of an openable body section (2) of a motor vehicle (V) characterised in that it comprises: a printed circuit (10) including a first surface (101) and a second surface (102), an electrode (E1) including a surface which extends along said first surface (101) and a second electrode (E2) including a surface which extends along said second surface (102); and also in that it comprises: a guard plane (13) made up of a conductive track arranged between the first electrode (E1) and the second electrode (E2), passing through the body (e) of said printed circuit (10) and comprising a first printed surface (130) extending along said first surface (101) of the printed circuit (10) and a second printed surface (131) extending along said second surface of the printed circuit (10).

Description

PRESENCE SENSOR FOR OPENING VEHICLE

AUTOMOBILE

DOMAI N E TECH N I A L OF THE I NVE NTI ON

The present invention relates to a capacitive presence sensor adapted to be disposed in a handle of a motor vehicle door. It finds a particular but non-limiting application in the field of motor vehicles.

I NV E NTI ON I N A T I N A T I N A T IO N E R T

It is known to those skilled in the art to integrate capacitive presence sensors in the lever for gripping door handles of a motor vehicle.

This makes it possible to detect the presence of an object such as a hand of a user of the motor vehicle when he is about to grip the lever for gripping the handle in order to open the door, and thus launching the unlocking of said opening.

The approach of the user's finger or hand to the electrode of the capacitive sensor varies its capacity.

The capacitive sensor is generally connected to a management unit that triggers the locking or unlocking of the opening according to the information delivered by the electrode, that is to say according to the capacity variation of this last.

A disadvantage is that such a capacitive sensor has an electrode sensitive to the value of the capacity of the environment. Thus, when this sensor is disposed in a lever for gripping a handle which has a decorative conductive element, for example on the outer face of this lever, the sensitivity of the electrode is reduced by the presence of this decorative conductive element. The decorative conductive element thus varies the electric field of the sensor. When the hand passes on the front face of the grip lever of the handle, it is then considered to be inside the handle and thus interpreted as a user action of locking or unlocking the door.

Similarly, during a rain shower, a trickle of water may run down the handle. In this case, the capacity of the electrode also varies and this variation is wrongly interpreted by the management unit as a user action of locking or unlocking the door.

Also, according to another state of the art known to those skilled in the art, to overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed a capacitive presence sensor disposed in the lever for gripping a motor vehicle opening handle comprising:

a first capacitance measuring electrode defining a first detection zone and a second capacitance measuring electrode defining a second detection zone;

a so-called guard plane capable of minimizing a capacitive coupling between said first electrode and said second electrode; and

said sensor being connected to a processing unit connected to said first electrode, to said second electrode and to the guard plane, said processing unit being adapted to periodically and alternately position said guard plane at the same potential as said first electrode or at the same potential as said second electrode.

The two measurement electrodes are arranged perpendicularly to each other, one being oriented towards the opening of the vehicle, namely towards the area where one hand is to be detected, and the second being directed towards the upper part of the gripping lever. handle, which part can receive a decorative conductive element.

In order to arrange them perpendicularly with respect to each other, the second electrode (or side electrode) which is a bi-electrode is an insert. It consists of a pair of metal bars welded. Subsequently, signal processing is required to separate the capacitive information from each of the electrodes.

A disadvantage of such a capacitive sensor is that it is bulky and requires a reported component which makes it mechanically fragile. Moreover, if the sensor incorporates a low frequency antenna, the performance thereof is reduced by the parasitic effect of the patch on the antenna. In this context, the present invention aims to solve the aforementioned drawback.

I NV E NTI ON G ENERAL C OMMITTEE

To this end the invention proposes a capacitive presence sensor adapted to be disposed in the lever for gripping a motor vehicle opening handle comprising:

a so-called guard plane adapted to minimize a capacitive coupling between said first electrode and said second electrode;

said sensor being connected to a processing unit connected to said first electrode, to said second electrode and to the guard plane, said processing unit being adapted to periodically and alternately position said guard plane at the same potential as said first electrode or at the same potential as said second electrode,

said sensor being characterized in that it further comprises:

a printed circuit comprising a first face and a second face, said first electrode comprising a surface that extends along said first face and said second electrode comprising a surface that extends along said second face; and in that :

the guard plane is composed of a conductive track arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, passing through the thickness of said printed circuit and comprising a first printed surface extending along said first face of the printed circuit and a second printed surface extending along said second face of the printed circuit.

Thus, as will be seen in detail below, this new sensor structure without insert removes mechanical problems, and at the same time unwanted spurious effects on a low frequency antenna.

According to non-limiting embodiments, the presence sensor may furthermore include one or more additional characteristics among the following:

- The first surface of the conductive track is of length at least equal to the length of said second electrode, and the second surface of the conductive track is of length at least equal to the length of said first electrode.

- The capacitive presence sensor further comprises a second second electrode arranged so that the second two electrodes are located on either side of the first electrode in a plane perpendicular to said presence sensor.

- The first electrode is offset from the second electrode in a plane perpendicular to said printed circuit so as to obtain detection directions respectively corresponding to the first detection zone and the second detection zone which are oblique.

- The first electrode is adapted to be positioned opposite said opening. - The second electrode is adapted to be positioned opposite a conductive element.

It is further proposed a motor vehicle opening handle comprising a gripping lever characterized in that it comprises a presence sensor disposed in said gripping lever, according to any one of the preceding features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention and its various applications will be better understood on reading the following description and examining the figures which

accompany it.

- Figure 1 is a diagram of a capacitive presence sensor disposed in the lever for gripping a handle of a motor vehicle opening according to a first non-limiting embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a diagram of a diagram of a capacitive presence sensor disposed in the lever for gripping a handle of a motor vehicle leaf according to a second non-limiting embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective representation of the capacitive presence sensor of FIG. 2 incorporating an antenna;

- Figure 4 shows a section of an opening comprising a handle provided with a gripping lever in which is integrated a capacitive presence sensor according to Figure 2 or according to Figure 3. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Identical elements, structure or function, appearing in different figures retain, unless otherwise specified, the same references.

The capacitive presence sensor 1 disposed in the gripping lever L of an opening handle 2 of a motor vehicle V is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4.

It will be noted that FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the capacitive presence sensor 1 according to a cross-sectional view.

FIG. 1 represents a first nonlimiting embodiment of the capacitive presence sensor 1. According to this mode, it includes:

a first capacitance measurement electrode E1 defining a first detection zone Z1 and a second capacitance measurement electrode E2 defining a second detection zone Z2;

a printed circuit 10 comprising a first face 101 and a second face 102, said first electrode E1 comprising a surface that extends along said first face 101 and said second electrode E2 comprising a surface that extends along said second face 102. The printed circuit 10 is a PCB ("Printed Circuit Board").

The capacitive presence sensor 1 further comprises:

a so-called guard plane 13 able to minimize a capacitive coupling between said first electrode E1 and said second electrode E2;

The capacitive presence sensor 1 is furthermore connected to a processing unit UT of the vehicle V.

This processing unit UT is in particular connected to said first electrode E 1, to said second electrode E 2 and to the guard plane 13.

The processing unit UT is also adapted to positively and periodically and alternately to the guard plan. 13 at the same potential as said first electrode E1 or at the same potential as said second electrode E2. In a non-limiting embodiment, the processing unit UT is formed by a microcontroller provided with means for measuring the electrical capacitance of the electrodes. The setting of a microcontroller can be changed in a simple way.

In an alternative embodiment, it is conceivable to also have the processing unit UT in the gripping lever L of a handle of the opening 2

The different elements are described in more detail below.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 are respectively lying on the two faces 102, 101 of the printed circuit 10, which makes it possible to reduce the bulk of the presence sensor 1.

The electrodes E1 and E2 are tracks printed on the printed circuit board 10.

In the nonlimiting embodiment of Figure 1, there is only one second electrode E2. The first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2 are arranged such that said first zone Z1 and said second zone Z2 are offset in space. Thus, the first electrode E1 is shifted relative to the second electrode E2 in a plane perpendicular to said printed circuit 10 so as to obtain detection directions d1, d2 respectively corresponding to the first detection zone Z1 and to the second detection zone Z2 which are oblique. In a non-limiting embodiment, the directions d1 and d2 are orthogonal with respect to each other.

The first detection zone Z1 corresponds to the zone where the hand will be inserted into the gripping lever L of the handle of the opening 2, while the second detection zone Z2 corresponds to the zone where an element can be located. conductor such as a decorative chrome element, namely for example the upper part (called side portion) of the handle lever L of the handle of the opening 2 (described later in the description). Detection direction means a direction in which the gradient of the electric field is maximum, an electrode E1, E2 establishing magnetic field lines corresponding to a given detection area. Thanks to the different orientation of the detection directions d1, d2, and to the guard plane, a detection is made inside the handle and on its lateral face (s) (on the top and / or below). The detection zones (inside and opposite the chromed element) are therefore well differentiated;

The guard plane 13 is composed of a conductive track arranged between the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2. It passes through the thickness e of the printed circuit 10 and has a first printed surface 130 which extends along said first face 101 of the printed circuit 10 and a second printed surface 131 which extends along said second face 102 of the printed circuit 10. printed circuit 10.

In order to perform the so-called guard function, the potential of the conductive track 13 is positioned at the same level as that of the first electrode E1, or is positioned at the same level as that of the second electrode E2. We are talking about an active daycare plan.

In a nonlimiting embodiment, each electrode E1, E2 is connected to the processing unit UT by means of a single connection C.

Each single connection C alternately forms the measuring input E adapted to measure the capacitance variation of the corresponding electrode or the control output S adapted to control the potential of the corresponding electrode.

Moreover, the guard plane 13 is connected to the processing unit UT by means of a DC connection. It makes it possible to position the potential of the conductive track 13 at the potential of the electrode E1 or of the electrode E2.

In addition, the positioning of the potential is ensured in a periodic and alternating between the first electrode E1 and the second electrode E2, namely at the same potential as the electrode which makes a capacitive signal measurement. The signal measurements are indeed acquired alternately by the electrode E1, then by the electrodes E2. Thus, the presence sensor 1 alternately looks in the direction d1 and then in the direction d2. It recovers each signal measured on E1 and E2 separately.

In a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, when the first electrode E1 acquires the capacitive signal, the second electrode E2 is inactive, and when the second electrode E2 acquires the capacitive signal, the first electrode E1 is inactive.

In another nonlimiting example, when the first electrode E1 acquires the capacitive signal, the second electrode E2 is positioned as an output element of the processing unit UT at the same potential as the guard plane 13, namely at Same potential as the first electrode E1. In the same way, when the second electrode E2 acquires the capacitive signal, the first electrode E1 is positioned as an output element of the processing unit UT at the same potential as the guard 13, namely at the same potential as the second electrode E2. This implementation avoids having additional parasitic capacitances on the guard plan 13.

It will be noted that the voltage applied to the electrodes E1, E2 is alternative. In a non-limiting example, the voltage varies between 0V and 3V. The guard plane 13 will thus follow the alternating voltage of the electrode to the potential of which it is positioned.

Thanks to the guard plane 13, the capacitive coupling between the two electrodes E1 and E2 is reduced, and is thus no longer troublesome for the capacitive function of the sensor 1. Indeed, each electrode E1, E2 will deliver a signal (capacity value) representative of a hand, or raindrops, a signal that will no longer be parasitized by the coupling.

In addition, the guard plan prevents the chrome element from influencing the electric field around the lever L. This element does not interfere with the detection of the hand.

FIG. 2 represents a second nonlimiting embodiment of the capacitive presence sensor 1. According to this mode, it further comprises a second second electrode E2 arranged so that the two second electrodes E2 are located on either side of the first electrode E1 in a plane perpendicular to said presence sensor 1. Thus, a second second detection zone Z2 is created. This second zone Z2 is placed facing the lower part of the gripping lever L and will thus make it possible to detect a hand that comes under said lever. Moreover, in combination with the other second electrode E2, this makes it possible to carry out a front detection of the gripping lever L. It will be possible to detect a front-facing hand or any other object such as the body, a wall, etc. Finally, thanks to the symmetrical mounting of the two electrodes E2, the presence sensor 1 can be mounted on a gripping lever L which is located on a left or right door of the vehicle V.

Figure 3 is a perspective representation of the presence sensor 1 according to the mode shown in Figure 2 with an integrated antenna BF. As can be seen in this figure, the two electrodes E2 are arranged flat on the printed circuit 10. The volume of the presence sensor is thus reduced with respect to a sensor comprising electrodes arranged perpendicular to said printed circuit board 10.

As can also be seen in FIG. 3, a low frequency antenna 4 is positioned on the printed circuit 10 near the electrodes E1 and E2. Such an antenna may be necessary to ensure communication between the sensor 1 and an electronic card adapted to trigger the locking or unlocking of the opening 2 of the vehicle V.

Positioning the second or the second electrodes E2 flat on the printed circuit, makes it possible to move them away from the antenna BF and thus from no longer short-circuiting the electric waves emitted by the antenna towards the electrodes E2. There is indeed no metal part facing and all along the antenna BF. There is no more heat loss due to electric waves that were transformed into heat as before.

In order to optimize the guard function, the first surface 130 (illustrated by horizontal hatching) of the conductive track 13 is of length at least equal to the length of said second electrode E2, and the second surface 131 of the conductive track 13 is of length at least equal to the length of said first electrode E1. In the example taken, they are greater than the electrodes E1, E2.

The detection zones Z1 and Z2 thus do not overlap at all.

Thus, it is avoided that a signal measured by the electrode E1 comes to parasitize a signal measured by an electrode E2 and vice versa so as not to be able to distinguish the signal measured at the origin.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of an opening 2 (door, trunk) of a motor vehicle on which is mounted a handle comprising a gripping lever L. The gripping lever L integrates the presence sensor 1 according to the second embodiment of FIG. production. To open the opening 2, in the example taken, the user must pass his hand between the handle lever L and the opening 2 in the direction of the arrow F. The hand is positioned in the ES space. In this particular non-limiting implementation of the gripping lever L, the lever L comprises a conductive element 3 which is for example a decorative chrome element. In this case, the decorative conductive element is for example electrically floating, that is to say that it is not connected to the mass of the vehicle, this reduces the manufacturing costs.

As can be seen in this nonlimiting embodiment, the first electrode E1 is adapted to be positioned facing the opening 2, while a second electrode E2 is adapted to be positioned opposite the conductive element 3 . As a reminder, the processing unit UT (not shown in this figure) of the sensor 1 is connected to the first electrode E1 and the second electrodes E2 to detect their capacitance variations.

Following the detection, a triggering action on the opening of the motor vehicle is triggered according to the signatures of the capacitance variations of each of the two electrodes E1, E2 due to the approach of a hand of the two detection zones Z1, Z2.

The capacity signatures of each of the electrodes E1, E2 are complementary information that will enable the processing unit UT to determine whether it is a hand that fits into the handle L or if it is raining.

In the case where a hand is inserted into the handle, the capacitance variations of the electrodes E1, E2 are important since the hand in the ES space stimulates the detection zone Z2 and the detection zone Z1 at the same time.

In the case where it is raining, the electrode E1 is not stimulated at the same time as the electrode E2 lying opposite the lateral part) because the raindrop is too small to stimulate the two electrodes at the same time. The other second electrode facing the lower part is not stimulated. The capacitance variations of the first electrode E1 and of this second electrode E2 are shifted in time because the raindrop falls either on the lateral part (top) of the gripping lever L, namely at the level of the detection zone Z2 either inside the lever L, namely at the detection zone Z1. Furthermore, it should be noted that in the case where the rain flows along the gripping lever L, the capacitance variations of the first electrode E1 are greater than those of the second electrodes E2 because in a non-limiting embodiment, the electrode E1 has a larger area than the electrodes E2. It is recalled that the capacity is proportional to the surface.

Without a guard plane 13, when it rains, the capacitance variations of the second electrodes E2 would be as great as those of the first electrode E1 and one could not differentiate the hand from the rain. When the hand is outside the gripping lever, the capacitance variations of the electrodes E1, E2 are lower than those corresponding to a hand inserted into the lever L. It is the same, when there is a chromed element decorative and if the hand touches it or approaches it (or any other object such as the body or wall) without inserting it into the lever. Indeed, since there is no parasitic coupling between the electrode E1 and the electrodes E2 thanks to the guard plane 1 3, taking into account the measurement on the electrodes E2 and thus the electrodes coupling E2-chromed element, can deduce if there is a stimulus on the chromed element only. In this case, the capacitance variations of the electrodes E2 are smaller and different from those corresponding to a hand inserted into the lever L.

In the case where the two capacity variation signatures are typical of a hand inserted into the lever L, then a locking or unlocking action is performed on the opening of the vehicle. Conversely, in the case where the two capacity variation signatures are typical of the rain, or of a hand or any other object which is outside the lever L, then no locking action or even unlocking is not realized.

In other words, the signatures make it possible to filter unwanted phenomena such as the unlocking of a door in an untimely manner when the user is located near the sensor 1 that includes a vehicle but has not approached its door. hand of the sensor 1 and raining or that he simply put his hand on or in front of the handle L. Of course the description of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

In another non-limiting embodiment, the conductive element 3 is not positioned facing the second electrode E2, but is positioned on the outer face of the gripping lever L and facing the first electrode E1. In another non-limiting embodiment, the control unit UT has two connections respectively for the measurement input E and the control output S. The invention is described in the foregoing by way of nonlimiting example, and it is understood that the signatures described are not limiting and other types of signatures may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, the described invention has the following advantages in particular: it makes it possible to overcome any mechanical problem related to mechanical attachment of lateral and metallic electrodes. The side electrodes are replaced by tracks arranged on a plane parallel to the electrode E1;

it makes it possible to reduce the volume of the presence sensor 1 by:

the new configuration (lying down) of the electrodes E2 on the printed circuit board 10;

- The guard plane 13 whose surfaces are printed on the printed circuit;

and thus to adapt to the reduced dimensioning of a lever L of a door handle 2

it makes it possible to no longer have any parasitic effect of the electrodes E2 on the low frequency antenna, since the latter are no longer metallic or positioned in front of the antenna;

it reduces the cost and complexity of manufacturing a presence sensor.

Claims

1. Capacitive presence sensor (1) adapted to be arranged in the gripping lever (L) of an opening handle (2) of a motor vehicle (V) comprising:

a first capacitance measuring electrode (E1) defining a first detection zone (Z1) and a second capacitance measurement electrode (E2) defining a second detection zone (Z2);

a so-called guard plane (13) adapted to minimize a capacitive coupling between said first electrode (E1) and said second electrode (E2);

said sensor (1) being connected to a processing unit (UT) connected to said first electrode (E1), to said second electrode (E2) and to the guard plane (13), said processing unit being adapted to position periodic and alternating said guard plane (13) at the same potential as said first electrode (E1) or at the same potential as said second electrode (E2);

characterized in that said sensor (1) further comprises:

a printed circuit comprising a first face and a second face, said first electrode comprising a surface that extends along said first face and said second electrode ) comprising a surface which extends along said second face (102);

and in that :

the guard plane (13) is composed of a conductive track arranged between the first electrode (E1) and the second electrode (E2), passing through the thickness (e) of said printed circuit (10) and comprising a first surface ( 130) printed extending along said first face (101) of the printed circuit (1 0) and a second printed surface (1 31) extending along said second face of the printed circuit (1 0).

The capacitive presence sensor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first surface (1 30) of the conductive track (1 3) is of length at least equal to the length of said second electrode (E2), and the second surface (1 31) of the conductive track (1 3) is of length at least equal to the length of said first electrode (E1).

3. A capacitive presence sensor (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it further comprises a second second electrode (E2) arranged so that the two second electrodes (E2) are on both sides of the first electrode (E1) in a plane perpendicular to said presence sensor (1).

4. capacitive presence sensor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrode (E1) is offset relative to the second electrode (E2) in a plane perpendicular to said printed circuit (1 0) so obtaining detection directions (d1, d2) respectively corresponding to the first detection zone (Z1) and the second detection zone (Z2) which are oblique.

5. Capacitive presence sensor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrode (E1) is adapted to be positioned opposite said opening (2).

Capacitive presence sensor (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the second electrode (E2) is adapted to be positioned facing a conductive element (3).

7. Capacitive presence sensor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, wherein the potential of the conductive track (13) is positioned at the same level as that of the first electrode (E1), or is positioned at the same level as that of the second electrode (E2).

8. opening handle (2) of a motor vehicle (V) comprising a gripping lever (L) characterized in that it comprises a presence sensor (1) disposed in said gripping lever (L), according to the any of the preceding claims.