Interface method and apparatus for inputting information with air finger gesture
First Claim
1. An interface apparatus for an electronics system, comprising:
- a gesture sensor provided near a steering wheel of a vehicle to capture a user'"'"'s finger gesture;
a head-up display configured to display information on a vehicle windshield and to provide feedback in response to the user'"'"'s finger gesture captured by the gesture sensor,a gesture processor communicably coupled to the gesture sensor and configured to recognize the user'"'"'s finger gesture that is received from the gesture sensor, to convert at least a portion of the recognized user'"'"'s finger gesture into at least one letter, and to interpret the converted one letter to produce a list of entries or options, the entries or options comprising the one letter as a first letter, in order to cause the head-up display to display the information for selection based on the interpreted gesture;
a light adjustment unit for maintaining a constant lighting level in an area defined as a finger gesture area, where the finger gesture area is a limited space close to the steering wheel within which finger gestures can be made without releasing a user'"'"'s hand performing the finger gesture from the steering wheel; and
at least one touch sensor on a steering wheel configured to detect whether a user'"'"'s hand is placed on the steering wheel and if so, the position of the hand on the steering wheel;
wherein the list of entries is a plurality of candidate points of interest based on a current vehicle position for optimum routing information, and wherein the gesture sensor and the light adjustment unit are mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle close to the steering wheel, and further wherein the recognition of the user'"'"'s finger gesture is conditioned upon the detection of the user'"'"'s hand is placed on the steering wheel detected by the touch sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interface apparatus and method is disclosed for inputting information with a user'"'"'s finger gesture while the user is driving with his two hands on a steering wheel. In one aspect, the interface apparatus includes a gesture sensor, a gesture processor, and a head-up display (HUD), where the gesture sensor and the gesture processor recognizes and interpret the information input by the user'"'"'s finger gesture and such information is displayed on the HUD. In one embodiment, a plurality of point of interest (POI) icons are displayed on the HUD after the user inputs at least one letter into the system and the user can select the POI by his/her finger gesture. In another embodiment, the gesture sensor can recognize the user'"'"'s finger gesture in non-alphabet characters.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An interface apparatus for an electronics system, comprising:
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a gesture sensor provided near a steering wheel of a vehicle to capture a user'"'"'s finger gesture; a head-up display configured to display information on a vehicle windshield and to provide feedback in response to the user'"'"'s finger gesture captured by the gesture sensor, a gesture processor communicably coupled to the gesture sensor and configured to recognize the user'"'"'s finger gesture that is received from the gesture sensor, to convert at least a portion of the recognized user'"'"'s finger gesture into at least one letter, and to interpret the converted one letter to produce a list of entries or options, the entries or options comprising the one letter as a first letter, in order to cause the head-up display to display the information for selection based on the interpreted gesture; a light adjustment unit for maintaining a constant lighting level in an area defined as a finger gesture area, where the finger gesture area is a limited space close to the steering wheel within which finger gestures can be made without releasing a user'"'"'s hand performing the finger gesture from the steering wheel; and at least one touch sensor on a steering wheel configured to detect whether a user'"'"'s hand is placed on the steering wheel and if so, the position of the hand on the steering wheel; wherein the list of entries is a plurality of candidate points of interest based on a current vehicle position for optimum routing information, and wherein the gesture sensor and the light adjustment unit are mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle close to the steering wheel, and further wherein the recognition of the user'"'"'s finger gesture is conditioned upon the detection of the user'"'"'s hand is placed on the steering wheel detected by the touch sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An interface method of inputting information for an electronics system, comprising the following steps of:
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capturing a user'"'"'s finger gesture by a gesture sensor provided near a steering wheel of a vehicle; recognizing the user'"'"'s finger gesture captured by the gesture sensor by a finger gesture processor, to convert at least a portion of the recognized user'"'"'s finger gesture into at least one letter, and to interpret the converted one letter to produce a list of entries or options, the entries or options comprising the one letter as a first letter, in order; displaying, on a head-up display, information for selection to provide feedback to the user in response to the user'"'"'s finger gesture; maintaining a constant lighting level in an area defined as a finger gesture area by a light adjustment unit, where the finger gesture area is a limited space close to the steering wheel within which finger gestures can be made without releasing a user'"'"'s hand performing the finger gesture from the steering wheel; and detecting, by a touch sensor, whether a user'"'"'s hand is placed on the steering wheel of the vehicle and if so, the position of the hand on the steering wheel; wherein the list of entries is a plurality of candidate points of interest based on a current vehicle position for optimum routing information, and wherein the gesture sensor and the light adjustment unit are mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle close to the steering wheel, and further wherein the recognition of the user'"'"'s finger gesture is conditioned upon the detection of the user'"'"'s hand placed on the steering wheel detected by the touch sensor. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification