Method and device for operating a motor vehicle component by means of gestures

• US 9,524,032 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Rosenstock, Thomas, Stege, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US14/427,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1464 3D-gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• 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 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• 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 method for operator control of a motor vehicle component by a gesture includes: detecting the gesture being executed by an input unit of an operator in a three-dimensional operator control space, which is part of an interior of a motor vehicle; executing an operator control function associated with the identified gesture; and outputting a feedback signal as soon as the input unit enters or has entered the three-dimensional operator control space from outside the three-dimensional operator control space.

Claims

1. A method for operator control of a motor vehicle component by a gesture, the method comprising:

detecting the gesture being executed by an input unit of an operator in a three-dimensional operator control space (2), which is part of an interior (1) of a motor vehicle;

executing an operator control function associated with the identified gesture; and

outputting a feedback signal as soon as the input unit enters or has entered the three-dimensional operator control space (2) from outside the three-dimensional operator control space (2),

wherein the feedback signal is output while the input unit is in the three-dimensional operator control space (2) and no gesture has been detected.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises:

detecting at least one selected from the group consisting of;

(a) a movement of the input unit and (b) a state of the input unit, and extracting corresponding parameters;

comparing the extracted parameters with stored gesture parameters; and

selecting an operator control function linked to said gesture if there is a sufficient match between the extracted parameters and the stored gesture parameters.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output of the feedback signal is terminated, or an altered feedback signal is output, as soon as a gesture has been detected.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feedback signal is output as an audible, visual or haptic feedback signal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the feedback signal is output as a continuous audible feedback signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the feedback signal is output as a variable audible feedback signal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the audible feedback signal is output at a variable frequency on the basis of a speed of movement of the input unit or a position of the input unit in the three-dimensional operator control space (2).

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the audible feedback signal is output at variable volume on the basis of a speed of movement of the input means or the position of the input unit in the three-dimensional operator control space (2).

9. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the input unit is a hand (3) and the audible feedback signal is output with a harmonic distortion on the basis of an open state of the hand (3).

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an activation step, wherein the feedback signal is output only if the activation step has been performed.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises a hand (3) or portions of a hand of an operator.

12. A method for operator control of a motor vehicle component by a gesture, the method comprising:

detecting the gesture being executed by an input unit of an operator in a three-dimensional operator control space (2), which is part of an interior (1) of a motor vehicle;

executing an operator control function associated with the identified gesture; and

outputting a feedback signal as soon as the input unit enters or has entered the three-dimensional operator control space (2) from outside the three-dimensional operator control space (2),

wherein the detecting step comprises;

detecting at least one selected from the group consisting of;

(a) a movement of the input unit and (b) a state of the input unit, and extracting corresponding parameters;

comparing the extracted parameters with stored gesture parameters; and

selecting an operator control function linked to said gesture if there is a sufficient match between the extracted parameters and the stored gesture parameters, and

wherein the stored gestures contain a termination gesture, and a detected termination gesture prompts at least one selected from the group consisting of;

(a) terminating the feedback signal and (b) ending the gesture input.

13. An operator control unit of a motor vehicle for operator control of a motor vehicle component by a gesture, comprising:

a detecting unit that detects a movement by an input unit in a three-dimensional operator control space (2), which is part of an interior (1) of the motor vehicle;

an extraction unit that extracts parameters corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of;

(a) a state of the input unit and (b) a movement of the input unit;

a comparison unit that compares the extracted parameters with stored gesture parameters for gestures;

a selecting unit that selects an operator control function for the motor vehicle component, which operator control function is linked to an identified gesture; and

a feedback unit (9) that produces a feedback signal as soon as the input unit enters or has entered the three-dimensional operator control space (2), the feedback signal being output while the input unit is in the three-dimensional operator control space (2) and no gesture has been detected.

14. The operator control unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the input unit comprises a hand (3) or portions of a hand of an operator.