FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to motor vehicle-mounted wireless access systems and, more particularly, to such systems in which transmitted and reflected wireless signals are used to detect the presence of an in-range mobile device and to then detect a predefined gesture for unlocking and/or opening at least one vehicle closure.

BACKGROUND

Many vehicles today are equipped with a passive entry system, or “PES.” In some PES implementations, a key fob communicates with a computer of the motor vehicle, and the motor vehicle computer operates to automatically unlock one or more door locks of the motor vehicle in response to detection of the key fob being in close proximity to the motor vehicle. This allows an operator of the vehicle to approach the vehicle and open the door without having to manually unlock the door with a key or to manually press a button on the key fob. In some such applications, the motor vehicle computer is also configured to automatically lock the vehicle in response to detection of the key fob being outside of the close proximity of the motor vehicle.

Another known type of hands-free vehicle access or entry system employs an infrared (“IR”) detector assembly. Typically, such systems may use an active near infrared arrangement including multiple IR LEDs and one or more sensors in communication with a computer or other circuitry. The computer is typically operable in such an assembly to calculate the distance of an object from the assembly by timing the interval between emission of IR radiation and reception by the sensor(s) of at least a portion of the emitted IR radiation that is reflected by the object back to the sensor(s), and then interpreting the timing information to determine movement of the object within the IR field. Exemplary IR movement recognition systems are disclosed in US Patent Application Publication 20120200486, US Patent Application Publication 20150069249, and US Patent Application Publication 20120312956, and US Patent Application Publication 20150248796, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY

This disclosure comprises one or more of the features recited in the attached claims, and/or one or more of the following features and any combination thereof. In one aspect, a gesture access system for a motor vehicle may comprise at least one ultra wide band (UWB) transceiver configured to be mounted to the motor vehicle, the at least one UWB transceiver responsive to activation signals to emit UWB radiation signals outwardly away from the motor vehicle, and to produce UWB radiation detection signals, the UWB radiation detection signals including at least one reflected UWB radiation signal if at least one of the emitted UWB radiation signals is reflected by an object toward and detected by the at least one UWB transceiver, at least one processor, and at least one memory having instructions stored therein executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to: monitor a mobile device status signal produced by a control computer of the motor vehicle or by the at least one processor based on a determination by the control computer or the at least one processor of a proximity, relative to the motor vehicle, of a mobile communication device known to the control computer or to the at least one processor, in response to the mobile device status signal corresponding to the known mobile communication device being within a perimeter defined about the motor vehicle, operate in a gesture access mode by processing the activation and UWB radiation detection signals to determine whether an object is within a sensing region of the at least one UWB transceiver and, upon determining that the object is within the sensing region, controlling at least one actuator associated with an access closure of the motor vehicle to lock, unlock, open or close the access closure in response to the object within the sensing region exhibiting a predefined gesture, and in response to the mobile device status signal corresponding to the known mobile communication device being beyond the perimeter defined about the motor vehicle, operate in an inactive mode in which the at least one processor does not receive or does not act on UWB radiation detection signals.

In another aspect, a gesture access system for a motor vehicle, may comprise at least one ultra wide band (UWB) transceiver configured to be mounted to the motor vehicle, the at least one UWB transceiver responsive to activation signals to emit UWB radiation signals outwardly away from the motor vehicle, and to produce UWB radiation detection signals, the UWB radiation detection signals including at least one reflected UWB radiation signal if at least one of the emitted UWB radiation signals is reflected by an object toward and detected by the at least one UWB transceiver, at least one processor, and at least one memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to be operable in either of (i) a gesture access mode to control an actuator associated with an access closure of the motor vehicle to lock, unlock, open or close the access closure in response to an object within a sensing region of the at least one UWB transceiver exhibiting a predefined gesture, and (ii) an inactive mode in which the at least one processor does not receive or does not act on UWB radiation detection signals, the at least one memory further having instructions stored therein executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to operate in the gesture access mode upon determining by the control computer or the at least one processor that a mobile communication device known to the control computer or the at least one processor is within a perimeter defined about the motor vehicle, and to cause the at least one processor to operate in the inactive mode upon determining by the control computer or the at least one processor that the known mobile communication device is outside of a perimeter defined about the motor vehicle.

