Vehicle Face Direction Detector for Hand-Free Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating apparatuses for vehicles require drivers to use their hands or gaze at specific points on screens, leading to potential erroneous operations and interference with safe driving, as they need to perform gestures or maintain focus on screens during driving.
Innovation Solution
An operating apparatus equipped with a line-of-sight detector and face direction detector that estimates operation intentions based on the difference between face direction changes and line-of-sight changes, allowing operations to be performed without hand gestures or focusing on screens, by determining if the face direction change is greater than the line-of-sight change by a predetermined amount and exceeding specific threshold values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hand gestures are used for operation input, then operation capability is provided, but safe driving is compromised due to hand usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical hand gesture system with an optical/facial recognition system. The face direction detector captures images of the driver's face and determines operation intentions based on facial orientation, eliminating the need for manual gestures while maintaining operation capability and prioritizing driving safety
2Ease of operation
If drivers gaze at screen positions for operation, then operation input is enabled, but line of sight moves frequently causing erroneous operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces face direction as an intermediary between the driver and the operation system. Instead of directly detecting gaze at screen positions, the system detects the angle of the driver's face relative to the screen, providing a more stable and reliable indicator of operation intention that reduces erroneous operations
3Ease of operation
If face direction detection is used for operation input, then hand-free operation is achieved, but erroneous operations may occur from accidental face movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from simple face direction to the angle of face direction relative to the screen. By calculating this angle and comparing it against threshold values, the system distinguishes between intentional operation gestures and accidental face movements, thereby maintaining hand-free operation while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates threshold-based feedback mechanisms where the detected face angle is continuously monitored and compared against predetermined thresholds. This feedback loop ensures that only significant, intentional face movements trigger operations, filtering out minor accidental movements and preventing erroneous operations
Data Source
AI summary
An operating apparatus is provided with: a line-of-sight detector configured to detect a line of sight of an occupant of a vehicle; a face direction detector configured to detect a face direction of the occupant; and an estimator configured to estimate an operation intention intended by the face direction on the basis of the detected face direction, on condition that a change in the detected face direction is greater than a change in the detected line of sight by an amount that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount.