Method and Device for Operating Functions Displayed on a Display Unit of a Vehicle Using Gestures Which are Carried Out in a Three-Dimensional Space, and Corresponding Computer Program Product

• US 20140358368A1
• Filed: 12/08/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Entenmann, Volker, Mattes, Stefan, Reisinger, Joerg, Zhang-Xu, Tingting
• Granted Patent: US 9,440,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 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: 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 to control functions displayed on a display unit of a vehicle uses gestures carried out in three-dimensional space. When a first gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected it is determined whether the detected first gesture is allocated to an activation of an operation of a function. If it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function, then the function is activated. Next a second gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected and it is determined whether the detected second gesture is a gesture allocated to the operation of the function. If it is determined that the detected second gesture is the gesture allocated to the operation of the function then the operation of the function is performed.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method to control functions displayed on a display unit of a vehicle using gestures carried out in three-dimensional space, the method comprising:

a) determining whether a first gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

b) determining, if it is determined that the first gesture has been detected, whether the first gesture is a gesture allocated to activation of an operation of a function;

c) activating operation of the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function;

d) determining whether a second gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

e) determining, if it is determined that the second gesture has been detected, whether the detected second gesture is a gesture allocated to the operation of the function; and

f) operating the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function and the detected second gesture is the gesture allocated to the operation of the function.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein after performing steps a) to c), steps d) to f) are repeatedly performed directly one after the other.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein it is determined in step b) that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function if the detected first gesture is static for a first predetermined amount of time in a first predetermined region in three-dimensional space.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein it is determined in step e) that the detected second gesture is the gesture allocated to the operation of the function if the detected second gesture is dynamic in a second predetermined region in three-dimensional space.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein in step f), a direction of the operation of the function is determined and set by a direction of implementation of the second gesture.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the setting of the direction of the operation of the function is sustained if repeated implementation of steps d) to f) directly after one another after steps a) to c) have been carried out.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

g) determining whether a third gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

h) determining, if it is determined that the third gesture has been detected, whether the third gesture is a gesture allocated to the resetting of the direction of the operation of the function;

i) resetting the direction of the operation of the function if it is determined that the detected third gesture is the gesture allocated to the resetting of the direction of the operation of the function.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein it is determined in step h) that the detected third gesture is the gesture allocated to the resetting of the direction of the operation of the function if the detected third gesture is static for a third predetermined amount of time in a third predetermined region in three-dimensional space.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein in step c), a display element depicting the activation of the function is displayed on the display unit.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the display element depicting the activation of the function is no longer displayed on the display unit after a fourth predetermined amount of time in which no gesture is detected.

25. A device to control functions displayed on a display unit of a vehicle using gestures carried out in three-dimensional space, wherein the device is configured to:

a) determine whether a first gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

b) determine, if it is determined that the first gesture has been detected, whether the first gesture is a gesture allocated to activation of an operation of a function;

c) activate the operation of the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function;

d) determine whether a second gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

e) determine, if it is determined that the second gesture has been detected, whether the detected second gesture is a gesture allocated to the operation of the function; and

f) operate the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function and the detected second gesture is the gesture allocated to the operation of the function.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein an infra-red detection device is configured to detect the gestures carried out in three-dimensional space.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the infra-red detection device has several infra-red sensors arranged in one or more rows.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium control functions displayed on a display unit of a vehicle using gestures carried out in three-dimensional space, wherein the computer-readable contains instructions, which when executed by a device, cause the device to:

a) determine whether a first gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

b) determine, if it is determined that the first gesture has been detected, whether the first gesture is a gesture allocated to activation of an operation of a function;

c) activate the operation of the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function;

d) determine whether a second gesture carried out in three-dimensional space is detected;

e) determine, if it is determined that the second gesture has been detected, whether the detected second gesture is a gesture allocated to the operation of the function; and

f) operate the function if it is determined that the detected first gesture is the gesture allocated to the activation of the operation of the function and the detected second gesture is the gesture allocated to the operation of the function.