Hands accelerating control system

• US 9,315,197 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Diaz-Jimenez, Ruben Alejandro, Enriquez-Perez, Alejandra, Madrid-Lopez, Kevin Adonai, Campos-Gomez, Armando Aharon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US14/502,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20160090104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/1, 701/36, 701/2, 701/31.4, 701/70, 701/41, 701/22, 701/50, 701/93, 701/96, 701/112, 701/23, 701/25, 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2026/029 Joystick type control devices for acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• 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: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image

Abstract

A touch vehicle control system having a gesture interface device with one or more touchless sensors that detect a position of a driver'"'"'s appendage within a range of movement detected by the sensors. The touchless sensors send a signal to the controller that is indicative of the position of the driver'"'"'s appendage within the range of movement which is then interpreted to be a vehicle command signal for a vehicle'"'"'s mechanical system. Command signals include, but are not limited to acceleration, braking, parking brake, turn signals, etc.

Claims

1. A touch free vehicle control system comprising:

a controller capable of controlling acceleration and braking of a vehicle; and

a gesture interface device having one or more touchless sensors being one of the group consisting of Leap Motion® and

charge coupled device that directly detect a one more gestures and a position of a driver'"'"'s appendage within a range of movement without any physical touching between said one or more touchless sensors and said driver'"'"'s appendage, wherein said one or more touchless sensors send a signal to said controller that is indicative of said one or more gestures and said position of said driver'"'"'s appendage within said range of movement, wherein different movements of said driver'"'"'s appendage cause said controller to generate different command signals from said controller; and

at least two or more spring loaded finger pedals positioned at a location relative to said one or more touchless sensors allowing said one or more sensors to send a signal to said controller that is indicative of the position of said appendage, which is a driver'"'"'s finger within said range of movement, where a first one of the said two or more finger pedals are interpreted by said controller to be one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for an accelerator pedal and a second of said two or more finger pedals is interpreted by said controller to be a second one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for a brake pedal, wherein depressing the accelerator causes said controller to cause acceleration of said vehicle and depressing the brake pedal causes said controller cause braking of said vehicle based solely on said position of said driver'"'"'s finger in said range of movement, wherein said position of said driver'"'"'s fingers within the range of movement controls a magnitude of acceleration or a magnitude of braking.

2. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein said gesture interface device further includes an enclosed well containing said one or more touchless sensors and said two or more finger pedals, said enclosed well having an aperture where said driver places said fingers within said enclosed well to access said two or more finger pedals to prevent accidental movement in the area of said one or more sensors.

3. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein said gesture interface device further includes an enclosed well containing said one or more touchless sensors, said enclosed well having an aperture where said driver places said appendage within said enclosed well so that movement of said appendage are detected by said one or more sensors and accidental movement in the area of said one or more sensors is prevented.

4. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein said gesture interface device further includes a glove having detection points on said glove, wherein said glove is worn on a driver'"'"'s hand and said one or more touchless sensors detect said detection points on said glove and determine driver commands based on movements of said detection points.

5. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 further comprising at least two or more spring loaded foot pedals positioned at a location relative to said one or more touchless sensors allowing said one or more sensors to send a signal to said controller that is indicative of the position of said appendage, which is a driver'"'"'s foot within said range of movement, where a first one of the said two or more foot pedals is interpreted by said controller to define a range of movement for an accelerator pedal and a second of said two or more foot pedals is interpreted by said controller to be a range of movement for a brake pedal, wherein depressing the accelerator causes said controller to cause acceleration of said vehicle and depressing the brake pedal causes said controller cause braking of said vehicle based solely on said position of said foot in said range of movement.

6. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 5 wherein said position of said driver'"'"'s foot within the range of movement controls a magnitude of acceleration or a magnitude of braking.

7. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein said different command signals generated from said controller include signals operating one or more of the following vehicle functions selected from the group consisting of:

parking brake on, parking brake release, door lock, door unlock, window actuators, door actuators, hood release switch, fuel door release switch, radio controls, telephone controls, navigation controls, interior light controls, exterior light controls, cruise controls, turn signal controls, hazard signal controls, odometer controls, vehicle information center controls, media player controls and window wiper controls and combinations thereof.

8. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 1 wherein the gesture interface devices includes two buttons mounted to the vehicle steering wheel for positioned at a location relative to said one or more touchless sensors allowing said one or more touchless sensors to send a signal to said controller that is indicative of the position of said appendage, which is a driver'"'"'s finger within said range of movement, where a first one of the said two buttons are interpreted by said controller to be one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for an accelerator pedal and a second one of said two buttons is interpreted by said controller to be a second one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for a brake pedal, wherein depressing the accelerator causes said controller to cause acceleration of said vehicle and depressing the brake pedal causes said controller cause braking of said vehicle based solely on said position of said driver'"'"'s finger in said range of movement.

9. A touch free vehicle control system comprising:

a controller capable of controlling acceleration and braking of a vehicle; and

a gesture interface device having an enclosed well containing one or more touchless sensors being one of the group consisting of Leap Motion® and

a charge coupled device, wherein said one or more sensors directly detect a one more gestures and a position of a driver'"'"'s appendage within a range of movement without any physical touching between said one or more touchless sensors and said driver'"'"'s appendage, wherein said one or more touchless sensors send a signal to said controller that is indicative of said one or more gestures and said position of said driver'"'"'s appendage within said range of movement, wherein different movements of said driver'"'"'s appendage cause said controller to generate different command signals from said controller, said enclosed well having an aperture where said driver places said appendage within said enclosed well so that movement of said appendage are detected by said one or more sensors and accidental movement in the area of said one or more sensors is prevented; and

a glove having detection points on said glove, wherein said glove is worn on a driver'"'"'s hand and said one or more touchless sensors detect said detection points on said glove and determine driver commands based on movements of said detection points;

at least two or more spring loaded finger pedals positioned at a location relative to said one or more touchless sensors allowing said one or more sensors to send a signal to said controller that is indicative of the position of said appendage, which is a driver'"'"'s finger within said range of movement, where a first one of the said two or more finger pedals are interpreted by said controller to be one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for an accelerator pedal and a second of said two or more finger pedals is interpreted by said controller to be a second one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for a brake pedal, wherein depressing the accelerator causes said controller to cause acceleration of said vehicle and depressing the brake pedal causes said controller cause braking of said vehicle based solely on said position of said driver'"'"'s finger in said range of movement, wherein said position of said driver'"'"'s fingers within the range of movement controls a magnitude of acceleration or a magnitude of braking.

10. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 9 wherein said different command signals generated from said controller include signals operating one or more of the following vehicle functions selected from the group consisting of:

parking brake on, parking brake release, door lock, door unlock, window actuators, door actuators, hood release switch, fuel door release switch, radio controls, telephone controls, navigation controls, interior light controls, exterior light controls, cruise controls, turn signal controls, hazard signal controls, odometer controls, vehicle information center controls, media player controls and window wiper controls and combinations thereof.

11. A touch free vehicle control system comprising:

a controller capable of controlling acceleration and braking of a vehicle; and

a gesture interface device having one or more touchless sensors, the one or more touchless sensors are one or more of the group consisting of Leap Motion® and

a charge coupled device that directly detect a one more gestures and a position of a driver'"'"'s appendage within a range of movement without any physical touching between said one or more touchless sensors and said driver'"'"'s appendage, wherein said one or more touchless sensors send a signal to said controller that is indicative of said one or more gestures and said position of said driver'"'"'s appendage within said range of movement, wherein different movements of said driver'"'"'s appendage cause said controller to generate different command signals from said controller; and

at least two or more spring loaded finger pedals positioned at a location relative to said one or more touchless sensors allowing said one or more sensors to send a signal to said controller that is indicative of the position of said appendage, which is a driver'"'"'s finger within said range of movement, where a first one of the said two or more finger pedals are interpreted by said controller to be one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for an accelerator pedal and a second of said two or more finger pedals is interpreted by said controller to be a second one of said one or more gestures and defines a range of movement for a brake pedal, wherein depressing the accelerator causes said controller to cause acceleration of said vehicle and depressing the brake pedal causes said controller cause braking of said vehicle based solely on said position of said driver'"'"'s finger in said range of movement, wherein said position of said driver'"'"'s fingers within the range of movement controls a magnitude of acceleration or a magnitude of braking.

12. The touch free vehicle control system of claim 11 wherein said different command signals generated from said controller include signals operating one or more of the following vehicle functions selected from the group consisting of:

parking brake on, parking brake release, door lock, door unlock, window actuators, door actuators, hood release switch, fuel door release switch, radio controls, telephone controls, navigation controls, interior light controls, exterior light controls, cruise controls, turn signal controls, hazard signal controls, odometer controls, vehicle information center controls, media player controls and window wiper controls.