US 12,466,360 B2
Systems and methods for controlling vehicle rear closure
Adam Merz, New Boston, MI (US); Kirsen J. Quan, Northville, MI (US); Ronald M. Lovasz, Allen Park, MI (US); Matthew Ryan Preston, Whitmore Lake, MI (US); Lee Mitchell Tome, Windsor (CA); and Sathyanarayana Chary Palakonda, Northville, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/354,380.
Prior Publication US 2025/0026306 A1, Jan. 23, 2025
Int. Cl. B60R 25/01 (2013.01); B60Q 1/50 (2006.01); B60Q 1/54 (2006.01); B60Q 5/00 (2006.01); B60R 25/31 (2013.01); E05F 15/76 (2015.01)
CPC B60R 25/01 (2013.01) [B60Q 1/543 (2022.05); B60Q 5/005 (2013.01); E05F 15/76 (2015.01); B60R 25/31 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/546 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a rear closure configured to move between a closed state and an open state;
a detection unit configured to detect a location of a vehicle access device in proximity to the vehicle;
a notification unit configured to output at least one of visual or audible notifications; and
a processor communicatively coupled with the rear closure, the detection unit and the notification unit, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the vehicle access device has entered a predefined zone in proximity to a vehicle rear portion based on inputs obtained from the detection unit;
activate the notification unit to output a first set of notifications for a first predefined time duration and at a first frequency responsive to a determination that the vehicle access device has entered the predefined zone;
determine a time duration the vehicle access device is present in the predefined zone;
determine that the time duration is greater than the first predefined time duration;
activate the notification unit to output a second set of notifications at a second frequency for a second predefined time duration responsive to the determination that the time duration is greater than the first predefined time duration, the second predefined time duration including a third predefined time duration after the first predefined time duration lapses; and
cause the rear closure to move from the closed state to the open state responsive to a determination that the second predefined time duration has lapsed.