A steering wheel control method and vehicle

Abstract

This application discloses a steering wheel control method and a vehicle. The method includes: responding to a driver's hand state satisfying a hand state condition, determining the driver's hand gesture based on the changing patterns of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel; and controlling the steering wheel based on a control signal corresponding to the hand gesture. The hand state condition is a condition used to determine whether to enable gesture recognition functionality. Based on this, diversified and context-adaptive control optimization is achieved within a limited space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and in particular to a steering wheel control method and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] As the level of automotive intelligence continues to improve and in-vehicle functions become increasingly rich, drivers have placed higher demands on the ease of operation and functionality of the human-machine interface on the steering wheel.

[0003] In related technologies, steering wheels typically integrate multiple functions beyond the basic horn function, including voice control, entertainment system adjustment, and driver assistance system control. However, with market development, product homogenization is becoming increasingly severe, with low levels of intelligence, making it difficult to differentiate products and enhance market competitiveness.

[0004] With the rapid development of intelligent cockpits, intelligent steering wheels have become an important trend. However, the control logic of existing steering wheels is mostly limited to physical buttons, resulting in low levels of intelligence and poor interactivity. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a steering wheel control method and vehicle, which aims to achieve...

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this application provides a steering wheel control method, which includes determining the driver's hand gesture based on the change pattern of capacitance values ​​of multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel in response to the driver's hand state satisfying hand state conditions; and controlling the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the hand gesture; wherein the hand state conditions are state conditions used to determine whether to enable the gesture recognition function.

[0007] Based on this, this application ensures that interaction is triggered only in safe or permissible driving situations by activating gesture recognition only when specific hand conditions are met. This avoids accidental activation when the driver's hands are not properly gripping the steering wheel, thus improving driving safety and system reliability from the source. Furthermore, by accurately determining gesture movements based on changes in capacitance values, the capacitive sensing hardware originally used for basic detection can be reused without adding extra physical controls, significantly simplifying the steering wheel structure and reducing costs. Simultaneously, it provides an intuitive interactive experience through natural gestures such as tapping and swiping. Finally, the recognized gestures are mapped to corresponding control signals, directly driving the steering wheel functions. This not only enhances the convenience and enjoyment of operation but also ensures efficient and accurate function execution through conditionally triggered intelligent logic, achieving diversified and situation-adaptive control optimization within a limited space.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the hand state conditions are determined as follows: when the current vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is in a hands-on state, which means that the hand is in contact with the steering wheel when the capacitance value is greater than the preset threshold; when the current vehicle speed is less than the preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is in a hands-on state or a hands-off state, which means that the hand is off the steering wheel when the capacitance value is less than the preset threshold.

[0009] Therefore, this application strongly links the activation conditions of gesture recognition with driving safety, requiring the hand to be in a hand position at high speeds to prevent accidental operation, and allowing the hand to be off at low speeds to improve convenience, thereby achieving an intelligent balance and hierarchical management of safety and interactive flexibility at the system level.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the driver's hand gesture is determined based on the changing pattern of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel. This includes determining the driver's hand gesture as a slapping motion when multiple transitional changes are detected in the capacitance value of a single sensing area of ​​the steering wheel. The multiple transitional changes refer to the capacitance value undergoing multiple complete alternating changes from below a preset threshold to above a preset threshold within a preset time period.

[0011] Based on this, this application accurately defines gestures by utilizing the objective electrical signal characteristic of complete alternation within a preset time period. This makes the action recognition standard clear and highly repeatable, effectively avoiding misrecognition caused by differences in gesture amplitude and speed, and improving the accuracy and robustness of recognition. In one possible implementation, the method further includes determining the number of slaps based on the number of complete alternating changes in capacitance value within the multiple transition change pattern.

[0012] Based on this, this application directly correlates the intuitive number of taps with the number of complete alternations of the underlying electrical signal, providing a direct and reliable technical basis for quantifying continuous gestures into discrete control commands, and forming the foundation for realizing the multi-dimensional interactive logic that different numbers of taps correspond to different functions.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the steering wheel is controlled based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture action, including: when the gesture action is a tapping action, generating a corresponding control signal based on the number of taps, with different numbers of taps corresponding to different vehicle functions; and outputting the control signal to control the steering wheel.

[0014] Based on this, this application realizes multi-functional reuse on a single sensing area. Users can trigger different functions by changing the number of operations at the same location, which greatly enriches the interaction dimensions, while maintaining the simplicity and intuitiveness of the interaction logic, improving operating efficiency and the space utilization of the steering wheel.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the driver's hand gesture is determined based on the changing pattern of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel. This includes determining the driver's hand gesture as a sliding motion when a continuous alternating pattern of capacitance values ​​in adjacent sensing areas of the steering wheel is detected. The continuous alternating pattern is an action in which the change of capacitance value starts from one sensing area and continuously transitions to at least one adjacent sensing area.

[0016] Based on this, this application accurately captures the spatial trajectory features of the dynamic gesture of finger sliding, providing a technical basis for recognizing directional operations, enabling the steering wheel to support more natural and intuitive sliding control, and expanding the interaction methods.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining the sliding direction of the sliding action based on the direction from the starting sensing area to the ending sensing area of ​​the capacitance value change in a continuous alternating change pattern.

[0018] Based on this, this application provides a simple and reliable method for determining the sliding direction based on the timing of capacitance changes (i.e., the start and end sensing zones). This creates conditions for converting one-dimensional sliding actions into control commands with clear semantics (such as up / down, left / right), which is key to realizing directional functional control.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the steering wheel is controlled based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture action, including: when the gesture action is a sliding action, generating a corresponding control signal based on the sliding direction of the sliding action, with different sliding directions corresponding to different vehicle functions; and outputting the control signal to control the steering wheel.

[0020] Based on this, this application naturally links the intuitive sliding direction with vehicle control functions (such as volume adjustment and menu switching), making the operation intention and function feedback highly consistent, reducing the user's learning cost, and providing a smooth interactive experience that conforms to the mental model.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the plurality of sensing zones include a first sensing zone disposed on the outer ring of the steering wheel frame and at least three second sensing zones disposed on the inner ring of the steering wheel frame.

[0022] Based on this, this application achieves reliable on-hand / off-hand detection through an outer ring overall sensing area, while accurately sensing the position and trajectory of gestures through multiple separate sensing areas in the inner ring. This partitioned layout takes into account both basic security monitoring and fine gesture recognition needs, optimizing hardware utilization efficiency.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides a steering wheel control device, which includes a processing unit and a control unit; the processing unit is used to determine the driver's hand gesture based on the change pattern of capacitance values ​​of multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel in response to the driver's hand state satisfying the hand state condition; the control unit is used to control the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the hand gesture; wherein, the hand state condition is a state condition used to determine whether the gesture recognition function is enabled.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to: when the current vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is in a hands-on state, which means that the hand is in contact with the steering wheel when the capacitance value is greater than the preset threshold; when the current vehicle speed is less than the preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is in a hands-on state or a hands-off state, which means that the hand is off the steering wheel when the capacitance value is less than the preset threshold.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: determine the driver's hand gesture as a slapping action when the capacitance value of a single sensing area of ​​the steering wheel shows a pattern of multiple transitions; wherein, the pattern of multiple transitions is that the capacitance value undergoes multiple complete alternating changes from below a preset threshold to above a preset threshold within a preset time period.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is also used to: determine the number of taps of the tapping action based on the number of complete alternating changes in capacitance value in the multiple transition change pattern.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: generate a corresponding control signal based on the number of taps when the gesture is a tapping action, with different numbers of taps corresponding to different vehicle functions; and output the control signal to control the steering wheel.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: determine that the driver's hand gesture is a sliding motion when a continuous alternating pattern of capacitance values ​​in adjacent sensing areas of the steering wheel is detected; wherein the continuous alternating pattern is an action in which the change of capacitance value starts from one sensing area and continuously transitions to at least one adjacent sensing area.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is also used to: determine the sliding direction of the sliding action based on the direction from the starting sensing area to the ending sensing area of ​​the capacitance value change in a continuous alternating change pattern.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: generate a corresponding control signal based on the sliding direction of the gesture when the gesture is a sliding action, with different sliding directions corresponding to different vehicle functions; and output the control signal to control the steering wheel.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the plurality of sensing zones include a first sensing zone disposed on the outer ring of the steering wheel frame and at least three second sensing zones disposed on the inner ring of the steering wheel frame.

[0032] Thirdly, this application provides an electronic device including a processor connected to a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program to implement the above-described steering wheel control method.

[0033] Fourthly, this application provides a vehicle including a steering wheel and a processing unit configured to perform the steering wheel control method as described in the first aspect.

[0034] Fifthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, enable the computer to perform the aforementioned steering wheel control method.

[0035] Sixthly, this application provides a computer program product, which includes instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer performs the aforementioned steering wheel control method.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a chip including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and the processor being coupled together, the processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to implement the steering wheel control method described above.

[0037] Specifically, the chip provided in this application embodiment also includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 An architectural diagram of a vehicle provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A structural diagram of a steering wheel provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 An architecture diagram of a control system provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A flowchart of a steering wheel control method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A flowchart of another steering wheel control method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a steering wheel control signal provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or relative positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Unless otherwise specified, the above-mentioned orientational descriptions can be flexibly set in practical applications, provided that the relative positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings are satisfied.

[0042] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "communication" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In embodiments of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0045] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0046] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0047] As the automotive industry evolves towards greater intelligence and connectivity, in-vehicle functions are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. As the driver's most direct and core interface, the steering wheel's control functions have expanded far beyond traditional steering. Integrating complex functions such as voice assistant activation, multimedia control, driver assistance system adjustments, and instrument information switching has become crucial for enhancing user experience and vehicle competitiveness. This trend places higher demands on steering wheel design: how to achieve richer, more intuitive, and safer human-machine interaction within a limited space, while maintaining aesthetic appeal and driver focus, remains a core challenge in this field.

[0048] To address the aforementioned technical issues, related technologies have employed two approaches: first, using physical mechanical buttons or independent touch switches; and second, introducing off-hand detection functionality to enhance security. However, these solutions have all revealed significant technical bottlenecks during their evolution. The system architecture suffers from redundancy and low integration: it commonly employs a "stacked-up" approach to functional modules. This involves treating modules such as the hands-free detection module, physical button module, and heating module as independent units, each equipped with its own dedicated control chip and sensor. This fragmented architecture leads to a waste of hardware resources, increases system complexity and manufacturing costs, and results in poor inter-module coordination.

[0049] The conflict between space occupancy and design flexibility: Dense physical buttons or independent touch areas occupy a large amount of valuable space on the steering wheel spokes, restricting innovation in steering wheel design. Any addition or removal of functions or adjustment of layout often has far-reaching consequences, requiring redesign of the structure and molds, limiting rapid product iteration and personalized customization.

[0050] The lack of interactive intelligence and context awareness: Crucially, the interaction logic of existing technologies is typically static and rigid. Whether it's button presses or basic hands-off detection, the triggering mechanisms fail to intelligently integrate with the vehicle's actual operating state (especially speed). This makes it impossible to distinguish between safety-priority scenarios at high speeds and convenience-priority scenarios when stationary, hindering the provision of a flexible, rich, and enjoyable interactive experience while ensuring driving safety. This one-size-fits-all approach, lacking dynamic strategy adjustment capabilities, has become the primary obstacle to improving the intelligence level of steering wheel interaction.

[0051] Therefore, this application proposes a steering wheel control method and vehicle. By activating gesture recognition only when specific conditions are met in response to hand positions, it ensures that interaction is triggered only in safe or permissible driving situations, such as avoiding accidental activation when the driver's hands are not properly gripping the steering wheel, thereby improving driving safety and system reliability from the source. Based on this, gesture actions are accurately determined according to the change pattern of capacitance value, allowing the capacitive sensing hardware originally used for basic detection to be reused without the need for additional physical controls, significantly simplifying the steering wheel structure and reducing costs. At the same time, it provides an intuitive interactive experience through natural gestures such as tapping and sliding. Finally, the recognized gesture actions are mapped to corresponding control signals to directly drive the steering wheel functions. This not only enhances the convenience and fun of operation but also ensures efficient and accurate function execution through conditionally triggered intelligent logic, achieving diversified and situation-adaptive control optimization within a limited space.

[0052] This application provides a means of transportation. This means of transportation includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, airplanes, or ships.

[0053] The following uses a vehicle as an example to illustrate some embodiments of this application.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 100 may include chassis 110, body 120, wheels 130, and steering wheel 140. It is understood that vehicle 100 may be a gasoline-powered vehicle, electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle, natural gas vehicle, methanol vehicle, solar-powered vehicle, etc.

[0055] For example, vehicle 100 can be a passenger car such as a sedan, sport utility vehicle (SUV), or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), or a bus, truck, or semi-trailer. This application does not impose specific limitations in this regard.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the steering wheel 104 is provided with multiple sensing areas. The first sensing area 1101 is located on the outer ring of the frame of the steering wheel 104, and the second sensing area 1102 is located on the inner ring of the frame of the steering wheel 104. Among them, at least three second sensing areas 1102 are provided.

[0057] It is understood that the above-mentioned components are merely examples of some components of vehicle 100, and are not a limitation on the specific structure of vehicle 100.

[0058] Optionally, for the purpose of controlling the vehicle, the vehicle 100 may also include a control system. This control system can control the steering wheel 104.

[0059] like Figure 3 The diagram shown is an architecture diagram of a control system provided in an embodiment of this application. The control system may include at least one processor 310 and a controller 320. The processor 310 and the controller 320 can be connected via a communication line.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the driver's hand state meets the hand state conditions, the processor 310 can determine the driver's hand gesture based on the changing pattern of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel.

[0061] Among them, the hand state condition is the state condition used to determine whether the gesture recognition function is enabled.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 320 can control the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture.

[0063] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the control system may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0064] Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating a steering wheel control method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is described with a control system as the executing entity. Of course, the entity executing the control system actions in this method can also be a device / module in the controller, such as an integrated circuit or a chip; this embodiment of the application does not specifically limit this.

[0065] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the control method provided in this application embodiment may include: S401. In response to the driver's hand state satisfying the hand state condition, the driver's hand gesture is determined based on the change pattern of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel.

[0066] In this embodiment of the application, the hand state condition is a state condition used to determine whether the gesture recognition function is enabled.

[0067] In some embodiments, the hand state conditions include, but are not limited to, the driver's hand being in a hand state, the driver's hand being in a hand state, or the driver's hand being off-hand.

[0068] For example, "in hand state" refers to the state in which the hand contacts the steering wheel when the capacitance value is greater than a preset threshold.

[0069] For example, when a driver holds the steering wheel in a normal driving posture, their palm and fingers make full and stable contact with the sensing areas on the steering wheel rim. At this time, the capacitance value detected by one or more sensing areas not only remains consistently higher than a preset threshold, but the system also determines, by analyzing the capacitance distribution or intensity of changes in multiple sensing areas, that the effective contact area formed is greater than or equal to a pre-stored single-hand grip area (e.g., the typical contact range corresponding to an adult's palm). This contact, satisfying both the capacitance threshold and the effective area condition, is comprehensively judged by the system as a valid "hand position," serving as a safety prerequisite for enabling gesture recognition functionality.

[0070] For example, the off-hand state refers to the state in which the hand leaves the steering wheel when the capacitance value is less than a preset threshold.

[0071] For example, when the driver takes both hands off the steering wheel to operate the central control screen, the capacitance values ​​detected by all sensing areas drop back to levels close to the environmental reference value and remain stably below the preset threshold. At this point, the system determines that the driver is in a clear "hands-off state".

[0072] For example, if the driver only lightly rests their arm on the side edge of the steering wheel, causing a slight increase in the capacitance value of the local sensing area but not reaching the threshold for effective contact, or if the effective contact area exceeds the threshold but the calculated effective contact area is smaller than the area of ​​a single hand grip (e.g., only equivalent to the touch area of ​​a single finger), the system will also determine it as "hand off state" or "invalid contact," thus failing to meet the conditions for enabling gesture recognition to ensure the intentionality and safety of the interaction.

[0073] For example, the above hand state conditions can be determined by either of the following two methods.

[0074] Case (1): Hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is in the hand state, that is, the driver's hands are holding the steering wheel.

[0075] In one scenario, when the current vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a preset speed threshold, the hand status condition requires the driver's hands to be in a "hands-on" state. For example, the preset speed threshold can be set to 5 km / h to distinguish between the vehicle's essentially stationary state and its dynamic driving state. When the vehicle speed exceeds this threshold (e.g., traveling at 100 km / h on a highway), the control system (such as the main control MCU) continuously monitors the capacitance value to confirm the hand status. If the system detects that the capacitance value is consistently higher than the threshold, it determines that the hand status is "hands-on" and meets the hand status condition, and then activates the gesture recognition module to prepare for analyzing subsequent capacitance change patterns.

[0076] It should be understood that the preset speed threshold is set after comprehensive consideration of vehicle safety regulations and typical driving scenarios. This threshold is usually set at a relatively low speed value (e.g., 5 km / h), and its core purpose is to distinguish between the vehicle's "dynamic driving" and "static / quasi-static" states. When the vehicle starts from a standstill, once the speed exceeds this threshold, the control system (e.g., the main control MCU integrated in the steering wheel) determines that the vehicle has entered a driving state. In this state, to ensure driving safety, the system strictly limits the hand position to "on-hand". This means that the activation of any advanced gesture interaction function (such as tapping or swiping, which will be described later) requires the system to continuously monitor the capacitance value to confirm that the driver's hands are reliably holding the steering wheel. This mechanism effectively prevents safety risks that may arise from the driver taking their hands off the steering wheel to perform gesture operations at high speeds or in complex road conditions.

[0077] Situation (2): Hand status conditions include: the driver's hand status is either in hand or out of hand, that is, the driver's hand is holding the steering wheel or the driver's hand is off the steering wheel.

[0078] In one scenario, when the current vehicle speed is less than a preset speed threshold, the hand position condition allows the driver's hands to be in a "hands-on" state. For example, the vehicle is parked in a parking lot at a speed of 0 km / h. The driver's hands are on the steering wheel, and the system detects the "hands-on" state, which meets the condition.

[0079] It should be understood that when a vehicle is moving slowly in congested traffic or is in the process of automatic parking, its speed is below a preset threshold. In this "static / quasi-static" scenario, the system's requirements for hand position are more flexible. The allowed state of "hands-on" means that the driver can operate the vehicle with their hands on the steering wheel as if driving normally. For example, while waiting at a traffic light, the driver can perform gesture interactions without changing their grip, improving convenience.

[0080] In another scenario, when the current vehicle speed is less than a preset speed threshold, the hand position condition allows the driver's hands to be off-hand. For example, the vehicle is in a static display mode in the showroom (vehicle speed is 0). Salespeople or customers can demonstrate functions without touching the steering wheel.

[0081] It should be understood that this scenario applies to situations where the vehicle is completely stationary, such as when parked in a parking lot or in showroom display mode. In this case, the vehicle speed is zero, far below the preset threshold. Allowing the hand to be in an "off-hands" state greatly expands the flexibility of interaction. The driver's or user's hands can be completely removed from the steering wheel surface, yet the system will still maintain an active, listening state for gesture recognition. This enables more flexible function demonstrations, setting adjustments, or entertainment interactions when the vehicle is stationary, enhancing the user experience without the safety risks of accidental triggering.

[0082] It should be understood that if the driver's hand position meets the hand position conditions, the control system can further determine the driver's hand gesture based on the changing patterns of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas.

[0083] For example, the variation pattern of the above capacitance value can be either of the following two patterns.

[0084] Rule (1): The above-mentioned capacitance value change rule includes: multiple transition change rule.

[0085] Among them, the multiple transition change pattern is that the capacitance value undergoes multiple complete alternating changes from below the preset threshold to above the preset threshold within a preset time period.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the capacitance value of a single sensing area of ​​the steering wheel shows a pattern of multiple transitions, the driver's hand gesture is determined to be a slapping motion.

[0087] For example, taking the sensing area at the 3 o'clock position on the inner rim of the steering wheel as an example, when the driver quickly taps this area with their index finger, each touch causes the capacitance value to rapidly rise from a baseline of 150 fF (femtofarad) to 450 fF within 10 milliseconds, exceeding the preset threshold of 300 fF; when the finger is lifted, the capacitance value drops back below 150 fF within 10 milliseconds. The main control MCU captures this transition through real-time sampling (sampling frequency 200Hz), and when two complete "valley-peak-valley" waveforms are detected within a 500-millisecond time window, it is determined to be a double-tap action.

[0088] Furthermore, the number of slaps in the slapping action can be determined based on the number of complete alternating changes in capacitance value within the multiple transition change pattern.

[0089] For example, the system sets up a dedicated event counter to count the independent capacitive transitions of each sensing area. For instance, when three complete transitions are detected, the counter accumulates to 3, corresponding to three taps. Combined with time window constraints (e.g., within 1 second), if three transitions are detected in the 6 o'clock position sensing area on the inner rim of the steering wheel, the "Activate Autopilot" command is triggered; if two transitions are detected in the 9 o'clock position sensing area, the "Answer Call" command is triggered. This method allows a single sensing area to achieve multi-functional mapping through different numbers of taps.

[0090] Rule (2): The above-mentioned capacitance value changes include a continuous alternating change pattern.

[0091] The continuous alternating change pattern is the action of the capacitance value changing from one sensing zone to at least one adjacent sensing zone.

[0092] In some embodiments, when a continuous alternating pattern of capacitance values ​​in adjacent sensing areas of the steering wheel is detected, the driver's hand gesture is determined to be a sliding motion.

[0093] For example, when a finger slides from the inner 12 o'clock sensing area to the 3 o'clock sensing area, the capacitance value of the 12 o'clock area first increases from 200 fF to 600 fF within 50 milliseconds, and then the capacitance value of the 3 o'clock area increases from 180 fF to 550 fF within 100 milliseconds, while the capacitance value of the 12 o'clock area begins to decrease. The main control MCU determines a valid lateral swipe gesture by comparing the peak capacitance time difference (ΔT < 150 ms) and amplitude change (both exceeding the threshold of 350 fF) between the two channels.

[0094] Furthermore, the sliding direction of the sliding action can be determined based on the direction from the starting sensing area to the ending sensing area of ​​the capacitance value change in the continuous alternating change pattern.

[0095] For example, the system records the moment when the capacitance of each sensing area first exceeds the threshold using a timestamp. Figure 1 As shown in the layout, if the inner ring 2 zone (3 o'clock position) reaches its peak capacitance value before the inner ring 3 zone (6 o'clock position), it is determined to be a clockwise sliding direction, corresponding to the "increase cruise speed" function; if the inner ring 3 zone reaches its peak value before the inner ring 2 zone, it is determined to be a counterclockwise sliding direction, corresponding to the "decrease cruise speed". This time-priority-based judgment method can accurately identify the sliding direction and can work reliably even when the capacitance values ​​of the two sensing zones partially overlap.

[0096] S402. Control the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture.

[0097] In some embodiments, when the gesture is a tapping motion, a corresponding control signal is generated based on the number of taps, and the control signal is output to control the steering wheel.

[0098] Different numbers of taps correspond to different vehicle functions.

[0099] For example, the main control MCU pre-stores a mapping table between the number of taps and the function commands. For instance, for the sensing area at the 12 o'clock position on the inner ring, the mapping table can be configured as follows: 1 tap corresponds to the command "wake up the voice assistant", 2 taps correspond to the command "turn on / off the panoramic imaging", and 3 taps correspond to the command "switch driving mode". After recognizing the tapping action and the number of taps, the MCU generates the corresponding standard CAN (Controller Area Network) signal frame by looking up the table and sends it to the corresponding vehicle controller via the bus.

[0100] In one scenario, when the vehicle is in motion (speed ≥ 5 km / h) and the driver's hands are in the steering wheel, the driver keeps their palms on the lower half of the steering wheel and quickly taps the inner 3 o'clock sensing area twice with their index finger. After the system recognizes this "double tap" gesture, the MCU generates and sends a "next track" command to the in-vehicle infotainment system, switching songs. In another scenario, when the vehicle is in static display mode (speed = 0 km / h) and the hands are off the wheel, the user can tap three times from about 1-2 cm away from the inner sensing area. After the system recognizes this "triple tap" gesture, the MCU generates and sends a "cycle ambient lighting theme" command to the vehicle domain controller, demonstrating the display function. By mapping different tap counts to different commands, a single sensing area can achieve multi-functional reuse.

[0101] In some embodiments, when the gesture is a swiping motion, a corresponding control signal is generated based on the swiping direction of the swiping motion, and the control signal is output to control the steering wheel.

[0102] Different sliding directions correspond to different vehicle functions.

[0103] For example, the main control MCU pre-stores a mapping relationship between sliding directions and function commands. For instance, for two adjacent sensing areas at the 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions on the inner ring, the mapping relationship can be configured as follows: sliding from the 3 o'clock area to the 6 o'clock area (sliding downwards) corresponds to the "lower air conditioning temperature" command, and sliding from the 6 o'clock area to the 3 o'clock area (sliding upwards) corresponds to the "raise air conditioning temperature" command. After recognizing the sliding gesture and direction, the MCU generates the corresponding control signal frame for output.

[0104] In one scenario, when the vehicle is in motion (speed ≥ 5 km / h) and the hand is in the hand position, the driver's thumb slides upwards between the adjacent sensing areas at the 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions on the inner circle. After the system recognizes this "upward slide" gesture, the MCU generates and sends a "increase adaptive cruise control set speed" command to the driver assistance system controller. In another scenario, when the vehicle is stationary (speed < 5 km / h) and the hand is off the wheel, the user's finger can slide laterally between the sensing areas at the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions on the inner circle. After the system recognizes this "lateral slide" gesture, the MCU generates and sends a "rotate 360-degree panoramic view" command to the panoramic imaging system. By mapping different sliding directions to different commands, intuitive and rich swipe gesture control is achieved.

[0105] Therefore, this application ensures that interaction is triggered only in safe or permissible driving situations by activating gesture recognition only when hand states meet specific conditions. This avoids accidental activation when the driver's hands are not properly gripping the steering wheel, thus improving driving safety and system reliability from the source. Furthermore, by accurately determining gesture movements based on changes in capacitance values, the capacitive sensing hardware originally used for basic detection can be reused without adding extra physical controls, significantly simplifying the steering wheel structure and reducing costs. Simultaneously, it provides an intuitive interactive experience through natural gestures such as tapping and swiping. Finally, the recognized gestures are mapped to corresponding control signals, directly driving the steering wheel functions. This not only enhances the convenience and enjoyment of operation but also ensures efficient and accurate function execution through conditionally triggered intelligent logic, achieving diversified and situation-adaptive control optimization within a limited space.

[0106] For example, such as Figure 5 The flowchart shown is another steering wheel control method provided in this application embodiment, which is described with the control system as the executing entity. Of course, the entity executing the control system action in this method can also be a device / module in the controller, such as an integrated circuit or a chip, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit it in this way.

[0107] For example, such as Figure 5As shown in the example, the control method provided in this application takes a vehicle's current speed being greater than or equal to a preset speed threshold. The control method may include: S501, Power-on steering wheel start function.

[0108] S502. Detect whether the driver's hands are gripping the steering wheel.

[0109] If so, then proceed with step S503.

[0110] If not, proceed with step S507.

[0111] It should be noted that the specific details can be found in the embodiments in S401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0112] S503. Identify whether the effective contact area meets the single-hand gripping area requirement.

[0113] If the effective contact area meets the single-hand gripping area, then proceed with step S504.

[0114] If the effective contact area does not meet the single-hand grip area requirement, then proceed with step S507.

[0115] It should be noted that the specific details can be found in the embodiments in S401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0116] S504. Detect whether there is a pattern in the change of capacitance value.

[0117] If so, then proceed with step S505.

[0118] If not, repeat step S502 above.

[0119] It should be noted that the specific details can be found in the embodiments in S401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0120] S505: Determine the driver's hand gestures based on the changing patterns of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel.

[0121] It should be noted that the specific details can be found in the embodiments in S401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] S506. Control the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture.

[0123] It should be noted that the specific details can be found in the embodiments in S401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] S507 sends a feedback signal to the main control MCU.

[0125] For example, when the vehicle's current speed is greater than or equal to a preset speed threshold, the conditions of gripping the steering wheel and having an effective area meet the requirements need to be met. Therefore, if both conditions cannot be met, a feedback signal is sent to the main control MCU.

[0126] S508, End.

[0127] For example, such as Figure 6 The diagram illustrates a steering wheel control signal provided in this embodiment. First, the driver's actions are sensed by the sensing coil and converted into a capacitance signal. This capacitance signal is conditioned and digitized by a capacitance detection control circuit, extracting electrical characteristics representing the contact state and action mode. The processed data is then sent to the main control MCU. The main control MCU comprehensively considers the hand position, vehicle speed, and capacitance change patterns, performing multi-level judgments and identifications to ultimately determine the corresponding control command. This control command is output as an external button signal to drive the vehicle to perform the corresponding function.

[0128] This application provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory connected to the processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the control method of the dimming glass driving system in the above method embodiments.

[0129] This application provides a vehicle that includes the above-described electronic device, or includes the above-described dimming glass drive system.

[0130] This application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute the control method for the dimming glass driving system in the above method embodiments.

[0131] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the control method for the dimming glass driving system in the method flow shown in the above method embodiments.

[0132] The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires; a portable computer disk drive; a hard disk drive; random access memory (RAM); read-only memory (ROM); erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM); a register; a hard disk drive; an optical fiber; a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); an optical storage device; a magnetic storage device; or any suitable combination thereof; or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that may be used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0133] Embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform actions such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 Steering wheel control methods in [the context of the text].

[0134] Since the computer-readable storage medium and computer program product in the embodiments of this application can be applied to the above methods, the technical effects that can be obtained can also be referred to the above method embodiments, and the embodiments of this application will not be repeated here.

[0135] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0136] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0137] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0138] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A steering wheel control method, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to the driver's hand state meeting the hand state conditions, the driver's hand gesture is determined based on the change pattern of capacitance values ​​in multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel. The steering wheel is controlled based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture. The hand state condition is used to determine whether the gesture recognition function is enabled.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hand state conditions are determined in the following way: When the current vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state condition includes: the driver's hand state is in a hand state, which means that the hand is in contact with the steering wheel when the capacitance value is greater than the preset threshold; When the current vehicle speed is less than the preset vehicle speed threshold, the hand state conditions include: the driver's hand state is either in hand or off hand, and the off hand state refers to the state where the hand leaves the steering wheel when the capacitance value is less than the preset threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of determining the driver's hand gestures based on the changing capacitance values ​​of multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel includes: When the capacitance value of a single sensing area of ​​the steering wheel shows a pattern of multiple transitions, the driver's hand gesture is determined to be a slapping motion; wherein, the pattern of multiple transitions is that the capacitance value undergoes multiple complete alternating changes from below a preset threshold to above the preset threshold within a preset time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The number of taps in the tapping action is determined based on the complete alternation of capacitance values ​​in the multiple transition change patterns.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture includes: When the gesture is a slapping motion, a corresponding control signal is generated based on the number of slaps. Different numbers of slaps correspond to different vehicle functions. The control signal is output to control the steering wheel.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of determining the driver's hand gestures based on the changing capacitance values ​​of multiple sensing areas on the steering wheel includes: When a continuous alternating pattern of capacitance values ​​is detected in adjacent sensing areas of the steering wheel, the driver's hand gesture is determined to be a sliding motion; wherein the continuous alternating pattern is an action in which the capacitance value changes from one sensing area and continuously transitions to at least one adjacent sensing area.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the continuous alternating change pattern, the direction from the starting sensing area to the ending sensing area of ​​the capacitance value change is used to determine the sliding direction of the sliding action.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the steering wheel based on the control signal corresponding to the gesture includes: When the gesture is a swiping gesture, a corresponding control signal is generated based on the swiping direction, and different swiping directions correspond to different vehicle functions; The control signal is output to control the steering wheel.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of sensing areas includes a first sensing area disposed on the outer ring of the steering wheel frame and at least three second sensing areas disposed on the inner ring of the steering wheel frame.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes: Steering wheel; A processing unit configured to perform the steering wheel control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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