APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTACTLESSLY DETECTING OBJECTS AND/OR PERSONS AND GESTURES AND/OR OPERATING PROCEDURES MADE AND/OR CARRIED OUT THEREBY

• US 20140195096A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Schliep, Frank, Kirsch, Oliver, Zhao, Yanning
• Application Number:
  US14/129,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195096A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/333 Lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

An apparatus for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, is arranged in a vehicle interior and includes at least one lighting unit, a display unit and an optical detection unit. The lighting unit is formed from at least one infrared laser diode.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to be arranged in a vehicle interior and for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, the apparatus comprising:

at least one lighting unit;

a display unity; and

an optical detection unit,

wherein the lighting unit is formed horn at least one infrared laser.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit comprises at least one optical sensor.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit is designed as a three-dimensional camera system.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a time-of-flight method for distance measurement can be carried out by the optical detection unit.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit is designed as a stereo camera.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one optical sensor is designed as a photomixing detector.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical sensor is integrated in a three-dimensional camera system or a stereo camera or is coupled thereto.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is designed as a head-up display in a vehicle driver'"'"'s field of view.

12. The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for representing and manipulating virtual images on a display unit.

13. The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for operating virtual operating elements generated on a display unit.

14. The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for monitoring and safeguarding a vehicle interior and/or openings in the vehicle with regard to an undesirable intrusion.

9. A method for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, comprising:

using an optical detection unit to detect three-dimensionally in a vehicle interior an object and/or a person and/or gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out by said person.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a touch-sensitive display unit is emulated by an apparatus, said display unit enabling an emulated capacitive proximity method for distinguishing whether the display unit is operated by a vehicle driver or some other vehicle occupant.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein virtual displays of the display unit are manipulated, in particular shifted, exchanged, rotated and/or controlled, by actions and/or gestures made by a person in the vehicle interior.