Patent ID: 11866983
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC E  G | IPC E  G

Claim 8:
9. A method of controlling opening of a vehicular door, the method comprising:
providing a radar unit at or near a door of a vehicle and having a field of sensing that includes a space adjacent to and exterior of the door;
providing a scanning actuator coupled to the vehicle and the radar unit and operable to operably move the radar unit relative to the door;
providing an electrically powered actuator at the vehicle and operable to, when electrically powered, move the door along a door path;
transmitting emitted radar signals from the radar unit in the space adjacent to and exterior of the door and receiving at the radar unit reflected radar signals reflected from the object;
while transmitting emitted radar signals and receiving reflected radar signals, operating the scanning actuator to move the radar unit relative to the door to create a variation between the emitted radar signals and the reflected radar signals indicative of a relative shift between the radar unit and the object;
wherein the radar unit is disposed in a handle of the door, and wherein the handle comprises a first handle end and a second handle end, and wherein the handle is movable relative to the door along a handle moving path, and wherein the radar unit moves relative to the door according to movement of the handle along the handle moving path;
wherein operating the scanning actuator to move the radar unit relative to the door comprises moving the handle along the handle moving path between a first handle position, where the first and second handle ends are adjacent the door, and a second handle position, where at least one of the first and second handle ends is spaced from the door;
responsive to receiving reflected radar signals, processing the reflected radar signals at an electronic control unit (ECU) to determine presence of the object in the space adjacent to and exterior of the door;
responsive to determining via the ECU presence of the object in the space adjacent to and exterior of the door, determining whether the object is in the door path;
responsive to determining the object is not in the door path, operating the electrically powered actuator to move the door along the door path; and
responsive to determining the object is in the door path, preventing movement of the door.