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

Claim 11:
12. 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;
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;
responsive to determining the object is in the door path, preventing movement of the door;
wherein the radar unit is disposed in a handle of the door comprising a first handle end and a second handle end; and
wherein operating the scanning actuator to move the radar unit relative to the door comprises rotating the handle about a horizontal rotation axis in a handle opening path between a handle closed position, where the handle is angled relative to the door at a first handle rotation angle, and a handle open position, where the handle is angled relative to the door at a second handle rotation angle greater than the first handle rotation angle.