Gesture based input system in a vehicle with haptic feedback

• US 9,718,477 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Truong, Dat
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US15/011,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20160144868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use

Abstract

A vehicle haptic feedback system includes a haptic actuator, a detection device, and a controller. The haptic actuator is configured to provide haptic feedback to a vehicle driver. The detection device is disposed in an interior of the vehicle and is configured to capture movements of the vehicle driver and output data representing the movements. The controller is coupled to the detection device and is configured to receive a signal from the detection device indicative of the movements. The controller is also coupled to a haptic effect feedback system. Based on the signal, the controller is configured to send a signal to select a haptic effect from an effect table and is configured to send a signal to the haptic actuator to provide the selected haptic effect. The haptic actuator is coupled to a driver'"'"'s seat, a steering wheel, a driver'"'"'s seat belt, and/or an object wearable by the driver.

Claims

1. A vehicle haptic feedback system comprising:

a haptic actuator configured to provide haptic feedback;

a detection device disposed in an interior of the vehicle, wherein the detection device is configured to capture movements of a vehicle driver and output data representing the movements made by the vehicle driver; and

a controller coupled to the detection device and configured to receive a signal from the detection device indicative of the movements, wherein the controller is coupled to a haptic effect feedback system,

wherein based on the signal indicative of the movements, the controller is configured to send a signal to select a haptic effect from an effect table and configured to send a signal to the haptic actuator to provide the selected haptic effect, and

wherein the haptic actuator is coupled to at least one of a driver'"'"'s seat, a steering wheel, a driver'"'"'s seat belt, and/or a wearable device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the movements of the vehicle driver are hand and/or finger movements.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein haptic actuator is coupled to a wearable device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic actuator is selected from group consisting of electromagnetic motor actuators, eccentric rotating mass, linear resonant actuators, shape memory alloy actuators, electro-active polymer actuators, vibrotactile actuators, inertial actuators, piezoelectric actuators, and moving magnet actuators.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection device is at least one camera.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the wearable device is at least one of a pair of gloves, a hat, a necklace, a wrist band, and/or wristlets.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the wearable device is a wrist band.

6. A method of providing haptic feedback to a driver of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

tracking movements of a driver of the vehicle to detect a particular movement by the driver from a table of movements;

selecting a haptic effect from a table of effects based on the detected movement; and

providing the haptic effect to the driver through a haptic actuator,

wherein the haptic actuator is coupled to at least one of a driver'"'"'s seat, a steering wheel, a driver'"'"'s seat belt, and/or a wearable device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of tracking movements of the vehicle driver comprises tracking hand and/or finger movements of the driver.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein haptic actuator is coupled to a wearable device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the haptic actuator is selected from group consisting of electromagnetic motor actuators, eccentric rotating mass, linear resonant actuators, shape memory alloy actuators, electro-active polymer actuators, vibrotactile actuators, inertial actuators, piezoelectric actuators, and moving magnet actuators.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of tracking movements of the vehicle driver comprises tracking movements via at least one camera.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the wearable device is at least one of a pair of gloves, a hat, a necklace, a wrist band, and/or wristlets.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the wearable device is a wrist band.