Gesture Recognition Sensor Switching for Environmental Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for detecting user inputs via gestures with optical sensors in vehicles face reliability issues due to environmental influences like dirt, water, and strong sunlight, which can impair the sensor's ability to correctly detect predefined gestures, leading to failed input recognition.

Innovation Solution

The method and system switch from a primary gesture to a secondary gesture when the sensor's functionality is compromised, using signal and image quality checks to determine sensor functionality and automatically switching between gestures, ensuring reliable input recognition by assigning a second gesture when the first is no longer detectable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sensor uses a primary gesture for input detection, then the system operates with a defined recognition function, but environmental influences like dirt, water, and strong sunlight can impair the sensor's ability to correctly detect the gesture, leading to failed input recognition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegesture detection reliabilityVSAvoidenvironmental influence on sensor
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of sensor functionality by checking signal quality and image quality metrics before relying on gesture detection. Environmental sensors detect potential harmful factors in advance. This allows the system to proactively switch from a compromised primary gesture to an alternative gesture before detection failures occur, maintaining reliable input recognition despite environmental influences like dirt, water, or strong sunlight

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by switching between different gesture types based on sensor conditions. When environmental factors degrade signal quality or image quality for the primary gesture, the system transitions to detecting an alternative gesture with different characteristics. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to varying environmental conditions and maintain detection reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the system switches to a secondary gesture when the primary gesture cannot be detected, then input recognition reliability is maintained, but the system complexity increases due to multiple gesture definitions and switching logic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinput recognition reliabilityVSAvoidgesture switching system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor system is designed with multi-functionality to detect multiple different gesture types. Instead of being dedicated to a single primary gesture, the sensor can alternatively detect different gesture types when environmental conditions compromise primary gesture detection. This universality allows one sensor system to serve multiple detection functions, maintaining reliability without requiring entirely separate sensor systems for each gesture type

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Alternative gestures are pre-defined and stored in memory with their corresponding detection parameters. When the primary gesture becomes undetectable due to environmental factors, the system can immediately switch to using a pre-configured alternative gesture without requiring complex real-time adaptation logic. This preliminary preparation reduces the complexity of the switching mechanism while maintaining reliable input recognition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures continuous and reliable detection of user inputs by automatically switching to a secondary gesture when environmental factors degrade the sensor's ability to detect the primary gesture, maintaining system functionality and user interaction in vehicles.

Implementation Method 1

The sensor is configured to detect the input, e.g., a command, by capturing at least one gesture performed by the person that is associated with the input... The sensor is configured to optically detect the first gesture

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical detection: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3579082B1Method for recognizing an input
Publication Date: 2023.07.19 AUDI AG
  • EP3579082B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to methods for detecting an input from a person (10) using a sensor (6), wherein the input is detected by the sensor (6) through at least one gesture of the person (10) associated with the input, wherein a first gesture is applied to capture the input, which is detected by the sensor (6), wherein the functionality of the sensor (6) for capturing the first gesture is checked, wherein, in the event that the functionality for detecting the first gesture is not given, a second gesture is alternatively selected and assigned to the input, wherein, in order to detect the input, the sensor (6) switches from the first gesture to the second gesture.