GESTURE-BASED INFORMATION AND COMMAND ENTRY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20110050589A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ren, Liu, Cheng, You-Chi, YAN, BAOSHI, Shen, Zhongnan, Weng, Fuliang
• Granted Patent: US 9,551,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/141 Activation of instrument input devices by approaching fingers or pens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• 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: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of receiving input from a user includes providing a surface within reach of a hand of the user. A plurality of locations on the surface that are touched by the user are sensed. An alphanumeric character having a shape most similar to the plurality of touched locations on the surface is determined. The user is audibly or visually informed of the alphanumeric character and/or a word in which the alphanumeric character is included. Feedback is received from the user regarding whether the alphanumeric character and/or word is an alphanumeric character and/or word that the user intended to be determined in the determining step.

Claims

1. A method of receiving input from a user, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a surface within reach of a hand of the user;

sensing a plurality of locations on the surface that are touched by the user;

determining an alphanumeric character having a shape most similar to the plurality of touched locations on the surface;

informing the user of the alphanumeric character and/or a word in which the alphanumeric character is included; and

receiving feedback from the user regarding whether the alphanumeric character and/or word is an alphanumeric character and/or word that the user intended to be determined in the determining step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is provided on a steering wheel or on an armrest of a motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface includes a plurality of cells or a gradient color palette, the sensing step including ascertaining which locations of the surface are touched by the user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the determining step comprises using a lookup table or algorithm relating the ascertained touched locations to the determined alphanumeric character.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step, in response to receiving feedback from the user that the alphanumeric character or word is correct, of transmitting an input to an electronic system, the input being dependent upon the alphanumeric character or word.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing and determining steps are repeated until a word formed by the alphanumeric characters is identified, the informing step comprising audibly or visually informing the user of the identified word.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the alphanumeric character corresponds to a menu selection offered to the user.

8. A method of entering input into a vehicle system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a surface on a steering wheel and/or an armrest of the vehicle;

sensing a plurality of locations on the surface that are touched by the user;

determining an alphanumeric character best matching the plurality of touched locations on the surface; and

transmitting an input to an electronic system of the vehicle, the input being dependent upon the determined alphanumeric character.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the electronic system of the vehicle comprises a navigation system, an entertainment system, or an HVAC system.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensing and determining steps are repeated until a word formed by the determined alphanumeric characters is identified, the input being dependent upon the identified word.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the word is a command or information to the electronic system.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of confirming via feedback from the user that the determined alphanumeric character is an alphanumeric character that the user intended to convey when touching the surface.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the confirming step includes:

informing the user of the determined alphanumeric character; and

receiving feedback from the user related to whether the determined alphanumeric character is the user'"'"'s intended alphanumeric character.

14. The method of claim 8 comprising the further steps of:

detecting vocalizations from the user; and

ascertaining a string of alphanumeric characters best matching the vocalizations from the user as well as the plurality of touched locations on the surface, the input to the electronic system being dependent upon the ascertained string of alphanumeric characters.

15. An arrangement for providing electronic inputs to a system within a vehicle, comprising:

a surface disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a gesture-capturing module associated with the surface, the gesture-capturing module being configured to identify a plurality of locations on the surface that are touched by a user;

a gesture recognition module communicatively coupled to the gesture-capturing module, the gesture-recognition module being configured to determine an alphanumeric character having a shape most similar to a shape formed by the plurality of touched locations on the surface; and

a gesture confirmation module communicatively coupled to the gesture recognition module, the gesture confirmation module being configured to;

interact with the user to thereby confirm that the determined alphanumeric character or a word including the determined alphanumeric character is an alphanumeric character or word that the user intended to convey via the user touching the screen; and

transmit an input to the system within the vehicle, the input being dependent upon the confirmed alphanumeric character or word.

16. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the gesture-capturing module comprises a camera.

17. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the surface is on a steering wheel or an armrest of the vehicle.

18. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the gesture confirmation module is configured to:

inform the user of the determined alphanumeric character; and

receive feedback from the user related to whether the determined alphanumeric character is the alphanumeric character that the user had in mind.

19. The arrangement of claim 15 where in the surface is covered with a special background, such as a grid or a gradient color palette.

20. The arrangement of claim 19 wherein the gesture-capturing module is configured to identify which part of the background on the surface is touched by the user.