TOUCH SENSITIVE PANEL IN VEHICLE FOR USER IDENTIFICATION

• US 20110115606A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: KARAOGUZ, JEYHAN, FU, QIANG, KWAN, TOM W.
• Application Number:
  US12/912,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115606A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes at least one touch pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the at least one touch pad. The processing circuitry is operable to receive touch pad input from the at least one touch pad, the touch pad input corresponding to a user'"'"'s touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The processing circuitry further processes the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics. The processing circuitry further processes the user finger characteristics to identify the user via pattern recognition and alters at least one vehicle setting based upon the identified user. Vehicle settings may be one or more of entertainment system settings, navigation system settings, suspension system settings, seat settings, mirror settings, steering wheel settings, climate control system settings, suspension system settings, engine control system settings, lighting system settings, and communication system settings.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

at least one touch pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the at least one touch pad, the processing circuitry operable to;

receive touch pad input from the at least one touch pad, the touch pad input corresponding to a user'"'"'s touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements;

process the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics;

process the user finger characteristics to identify the user via pattern recognition; and

alter at least one vehicle setting based upon the identified user.

2. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one touch pad is located on one or more of:

a steering wheel;

a gear shifter;

a throttle control;

a door handle; and

an arm rest.

3. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle setting is selected from the group consisting of:

entertainment system settings;

navigation system settings;

suspension system settings;

seat settings;

mirror settings;

steering wheel settings;

climate control system settings;

suspension system settings;

engine control system settings;

lighting system settings; and

communication system settings.

4. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein:

the processing circuitry comprises touch pad circuitry and system processing circuitry;

the touch pad circuitry is operable to;

process the touch pad input to determine the user finger characteristics; and

initiate transmission of the determined user finger characteristics to the system processing circuitry; and

the system processing circuitry is operable to process the determined user finger characteristics to identify the user via pattern recognition.

5. The vehicle control system of claim 4, wherein in processing the touch pad input to determine the user finger characteristics, the touch pad circuitry is operable to perform operations selected from the group consisting of:

identifying at least one finger orientation based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger spacing based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger width based upon the touch pad input;

identifying a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations based upon the touch pad input; and

identifying a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

6. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein in processing the touch pad input to determine the user finger characteristics, the processing circuitry is operable to perform operations selected from the group consisting of:

identifying at least one finger orientation based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger spacing based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger width based upon the touch pad input;

identifying a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations based upon the touch pad input; and

identifying a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

7. The vehicle control system of claim 1:

wherein in processing the touch pad input, the processing circuitry is further operable to determine heat transfer characteristics of a user'"'"'s fingers; and

the processing circuitry is further operable to use the heat transfer characteristics to assist in identifying the user.

8. The vehicle control system of claim 1:

wherein in processing the touch pad input, the processing circuitry is further operable to determine pulse rate characteristics of a user'"'"'s fingers; and

the processing circuitry is further operable to use the pulse rate characteristics to assist in identifying the user.

9. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive voice data from a microphone of the vehicle control system; and

use the voice data to assist in identifying the user.

10. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive vehicle location data from a navigation system; and

use the vehicle location data to assist in identifying the user.

11. A method for operating a vehicle control system comprising:

receiving touch pad input from the at least one touch pad of a vehicle, the touch pad input corresponding to a user'"'"'s touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements;

processing the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics;

processing the user finger characteristics to identify the user via pattern recognition; and

altering at least one vehicle setting based upon the identified user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving touch pad input comprises receiving the touch pad input from at least one touch pad located on one or more of:

a steering wheel;

a gear shifter;

a throttle control;

a door handle; and

an arm rest.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one vehicle setting is selected from the group consisting of:

entertainment system settings;

navigation system settings;

suspension system settings;

seat settings;

mirror settings;

steering wheel settings;

climate control system settings;

suspension system settings;

engine control system settings;

lighting system settings; and

communication system settings.

14. The method of claim 11:

wherein;

processing the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics is performed by touch pad circuitry; and

processing the user finger characteristics to identify the user via pattern recognition is performed by system processing circuitry; and

further comprising transmitting the user finger characteristics from the touch pad circuitry to the system processing circuitry.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein processing the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics is selected from the group consisting of:

identifying at least one finger orientation based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger spacing based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger width based upon the touch pad input;

identifying a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations based upon the touch pad input; and

identifying a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the touch pad input to determine user finger characteristics is selected from the group consisting of:

identifying at least one finger orientation based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger spacing based upon the touch pad input;

identifying at least one finger width based upon the touch pad input;

identifying a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations based upon the touch pad input; and

identifying a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.

17. The method of claim 11:

wherein processing the touch pad input includes determining heat transfer characteristics of a user'"'"'s fingers based upon the touch pad input; and

further comprising using the heat transfer rate characteristics to assist in identifying the user.

18. The method of claim 11:

wherein processing the touch pad input includes determining pulse rate characteristics of a user'"'"'s fingers based upon the touch pad input; and

further comprising using the pulse rate characteristics to assist in identifying the user.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving voice data from a microphone of the vehicle control system; and

using the voice data to assist in identifying the user.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving vehicle location data from a navigation system; and

using the vehicle location data to assist in identifying the user.