Vehicle accessory operation based on motion tracking

• US 10,146,317 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yang, Hsin-hsiang, Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/568,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0896 including control systems responsive to a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle computing system (VCS) and a vehicle accessory system that may be a window wiper mechanism, a power lift gate, a door lock mechanism, a convertible mechanism or a sunroof mechanism. The VCS communicates with an activity tracking band worn on a wrist of a vehicle occupant. The activity tracking device detects motion of the wrist of the occupant, and is capable of exchanging that data with the VCS. The VCS generates at least one output signal based on data from the activity tracking device. For example, a controller may activate a window wiper mechanism based on signals indicative of a detected long wiping motion.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a window wiper motor assembly configured to move a wiper on a window; and

at least one controller configured to

communicate with at least one personal activity tracking device that outputs a signal indicative of a hand motion of at least one occupant, and

in response to the signal indicating a horizontal side to side wiping motion, activate the assembly.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the window is a front windshield.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the assembly with a speed proportional to a speed of the side to side wiping motion.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to filter the signal to generate a filtered signal, integrate the filtered signal to generate an integrated signal, and filter the integrated signal to generate a velocity indicative of a velocity of the hand motion, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the assembly in response to the velocity being greater than a threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller communicates with the at least one activity tracking device via a mobile phone.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one personal activity tracking device is a driver'"'"'s personal activity tracking device or a passenger'"'"'s personal activity tracking device.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to triangulate a position of the at least one occupant in the vehicle based on the signal.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a roof assembly configured to move a roof covering; and

at least one controller configured to

communicate with at least one personal activity tracking device that outputs a signal indicative of a hand motion of at least one occupant, and

in response to the signal indicating a pointing motion towards the covering followed by a swiping motion in a direction of desired travel, activate the assembly to move the covering in the direction.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to communicate with the at least one activity tracking device via a mobile phone.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to filter the signal to generate a filtered signal, integrate the filtered signal to generate an integrated signal, and filter the integrated signal to generate a velocity indicative of a hand motion velocity, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the assembly in response to the velocity being greater than a threshold.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one personal activity tracking device is a driver'"'"'s personal activity tracking device or a passenger'"'"'s personal activity tracking device.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the covering is a sunroof, a moon-roof, a panoramic roof, or a convertible rooftop.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a window assembly configured to move a window; and

at least one controller configured to

communicate with at least one personal activity tracking device that outputs a signal indicative of a hand motion of at least one occupant, and

in response to the signal indicating a series of two swiping motions within a predetermined time, activate the assembly to move the window.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to communicate with the at least one personal activity tracking device using a radio frequency band of two gigahertz or greater.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller communicates with the at least one activity tracking device via a mobile phone.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to triangulate a position of the at least one occupant in the vehicle based on the signal.