Operation system for vehicle

• US 8,849,506 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Hyundai Motor Japan R&D Center Incorporated (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Hyundai Motor Japan R&D Center Incorporated (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US12/627,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 715/781, 715/863, 715/867, 701/36, 701/49, 382/104, 382/106
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention provides an operation system for a vehicle capable of shortening an operation time, reducing an operation load, and improving visibility of a display section. The operation system includes an operation section on which a camera capturing a finger and a touch panel are installed, and a display section installed away from the operation section, and further includes a finger determination processor determining from an image captured by the camera whether or not an object approaching the operation section is a hand, a conversion processor converting a determination signal of the finger determination processor into a display instruction signal and outputting the converted result, and a pop-up processor displaying an operation button or an operation window on the display section before the hand is touched to the touch panel on the basis of the display instruction signal input from the conversion processor.

Claims

1. An operation system for a vehicle operation system comprising:

an operation section on which a touch panel and a camera for capturing an image of a vehicle operator'"'"'s finger or fingers are installed, the operation section providing a plurality of pop-ups;

a display section provided with a monitor installed in the middle of a dashboard in the vehicle, separately from the operation section;

a finger determination processor configured to determine from an image captured by the camera both whether or not an object approaching the operation section is a hand based an image processing signal and once the finger determination processor determines that the object is a hand, determines the number of fingers on the hand based on the image processing signal of the hand as the hand gradual increases in size as the hand approaches the operation section to determine which of the pop-ups to display;

a conversion processor configured to convert a determination signal of the finger determination processor into a display instruction signal and outputting the display instruction signal, wherein the conversion processor generates an instruction signal that indicates the number of fingers approaching the operation section when it is determined that the object approaching is a hand; and

a pop-up processor configured to display an image of the hand with the determined number of fingers based on the number of determined fingers on the monitor of the display section and also display a particular operation button or an operation window on the monitor of the section.

2. The operation system of claim 1, wherein:

outputs a determination signal when it is determined that the object approaching the operation section is the hand; and

the pop-up processor synthesizes the operation button or the operation window corresponding to the number of fingers determined by the finger determination processor with a displayed window and displays the synthesized result, or converts the operation button or the operation window into the displayed window and displays the converted result.

3. The operation system of claim 2, further comprising:

an image processor for receiving the image captured by the camera, processing the received image, and outputting an image processing signal of the finger or fingers; and

a synthesizing processor for receiving the image processing signal output from the image processor, synthesizing the image with the displayed window input by the pop-up processor, sending the synthesized result to the display section such that the displayed window with which the image is synthesized is displayed on the display section.

4. The operation system of claim 2, further comprising an image processor for receiving the image captured by the camera, processing the received image, and outputting an image processing signal of the finger or fingers, wherein the finger determination processor receives the image processing signal output from the image processor, and determines from the received image processing signal whether or not the object approaching the operation section is the hand and what the number of fingers is.

5. The operation system of claim 1, wherein the conversion processor continues to display the operation button or the operation window without elimination when the hand is moved away from the operation section and when a preset driving operation is detected by an electronic control unit.

6. The operation system of claim 5, wherein the conversion processor continues to display the operation button or the operation window without elimination when operation of any one of a turn signal device, a steering wheel, a shift lever, a power window device, and an air conditioner is detected.

7. The operation system of claim 5, wherein the conversion processor outputs an elimination instruction signal to the pop-up processor after a predetermined time has lapsed such that the operation button or the operation window is eliminated, when a condition that the hand of the operator moves away from the operation section and that the operation button or the operation window continues to be displayed is released.

8. The operation system of claim 7, wherein the conversion processor eliminates the operation button or the operation window if the hand is not captured again for a set time when the hand of the operator is moving away from the operation section and when the preset driving operation is detected by the electronic control unit.

9. The operation system of claim 7, wherein the conversion processor eliminates the operation button or the operation window if the hand is not captured again for a set reference time when the hand of the operator is moving away from the operation section and when the preset driving operation is not detected by the electronic control unit.