US 11,988,032 B2
Vehicle door control system
Stuart C. Salter, White Lake, MI (US); Aaron Halonen, Brighton, MI (US); Annette Lynn Huebner, Highland, MI (US); Kristin Ann Hellman, Walled Lake, MI (US); David Brian Glickman, Southfield, MI (US); and Kristopher Karl Brown, Dearborn, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/198,365.
Prior Publication US 2022/0290484 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. E05F 15/73 (2015.01); B60J 5/04 (2006.01); B60J 5/10 (2006.01); B60Q 3/20 (2017.01); E05F 15/71 (2015.01); E05F 15/72 (2015.01); E05F 15/76 (2015.01); G08B 3/10 (2006.01)
CPC E05F 15/73 (2015.01) [B60J 5/047 (2013.01); B60J 5/105 (2013.01); B60J 5/106 (2013.01); B60Q 3/20 (2017.02); E05F 15/71 (2015.01); E05F 15/72 (2015.01); E05F 15/76 (2015.01); G08B 3/10 (2013.01); E05F 2015/767 (2015.01); E05Y 2400/44 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/45 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/52 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/66 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/856 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/531 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/546 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A door control system for a vehicle, comprising:
a liftgate assembly including a liftgate actuation assembly operably coupled to an upper liftgate panel and a lower liftgate panel, wherein the liftgate actuation assembly selectively adjusts the upper liftgate panel and the lower liftgate panel between an opened positions and closed positions, respectively;
a side door assembly including a door actuation assembly operably coupled to at least one side door, wherein the door actuation assembly adjusts the at least one side door between an opened position and a closed position;
a sensor assembly including a first sensor defining a rear sensor field extending outwardly from the liftgate assembly and a second sensor defining a side sensor field extending outwardly from the side door assembly; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the liftgate assembly, the side door assembly, and the sensor assembly, wherein the controller:
determines whether a person detected in at least one of the rear sensor field and the side sensor field is a recognized passenger;
determines a speed of the recognized passenger;
activates at least one of the liftgate actuation assembly and the door actuation assembly to adjust at least one of the upper liftgate panel and the lower liftgate panel and the at least one side door, respectively, to the opened position based on a position of the recognized passenger relative to said vehicle and the speed of the recognized passenger; and
determines whether the recognized passenger is carrying an object and how many hands the recognized passenger is utilizing to carry the object,
wherein the controller activates the liftgate actuation assembly to open the upper liftgate panel when the recognized passenger is carrying the object with one hand, and
wherein the controller activates the liftgate actuation assembly to open the upper liftgate panel and the lower liftgate panel when the recognized passenger is carrying the object with two hands.