UWB Gesture Recognition Using Mobile Device Movement Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hands-free vehicle access systems using capacitive, ultrasonic, or short-range radar sensing are sensitive to foot size, shoe material, and environmental conditions, and can lead to user safety issues due to potential falls or unintended tailgate opening.
Innovation Solution
A gesture recognition system utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers arranged around the vehicle to detect and authenticate a mobile device, defining zones and monitoring movement routines to grant access when predefined gestures are matched, ensuring precise location accuracy and user safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If capacitive, ultrasonic, or short-range radar sensing systems are used for hands-free vehicle access, then the system can detect user presence, but the sensitivity is negatively impacted by foot size, shoe material, and environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical sensing systems (capacitive, ultrasonic, radar) with an optical/image recognition system using cameras and computer vision algorithms. This substitution eliminates the sensitivity issues of mechanical/electromagnetic sensing to environmental factors like rain, snow, and shoe material, while maintaining detection capability through visual pattern recognition of foot gestures.
2Ease of operation
If foot-based gesture recognition is used for hands-free access, then user authentication is enabled, but user safety issues arise due to potential falls or unintended tailgate opening
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by providing visual confirmation through the camera system to verify that the detected gesture matches the intended authentication pattern. The image recognition system can distinguish between deliberate authentication gestures and accidental movements, providing reliable feedback to confirm successful authentication before activating the tailgate, thereby preventing unintended opening and enhancing user safety.
3Measurement precision
If conventional sensing systems are used, then hands-free access is achieved, but the system lacks accuracy in distinguishing authorized gestures from environmental interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional sensing systems with an image recognition-based system that uses computer vision to analyze visual patterns of foot gestures. This optical approach provides superior accuracy in distinguishing authorized gestures from environmental interference, as image processing can filter out noise from rain, snow, or varying shoe materials while focusing on the characteristic motion patterns and shapes of authenticated gestures.
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
The UWB-based system provides improved accuracy and safety by accurately recognizing authorized users' gestures, reducing sensitivity to environmental factors and preventing accidental tailgate opening, thus enhancing hands-free vehicle access.
Implementation Method 1
a gesture recognition system utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers arranged around the vehicle to detect and authenticate a mobile device
Data Source
AI summary
A gesture recognition system for hands-free access to a vehicle includes a set of vehicle ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers comprising at least three UWB transceivers and a controller configured to detect a presence of a vehicle-authorized mobile device in possession of an authorized user, determine a set of defined zones proximate to the vehicle and associated with hands-free vehicle access, communicate between the set of vehicle UWB transceivers and a device UWB transceiver of the mobile device to monitor a location of the mobile device, monitor a movement routine of the mobile device relative to the set of defined zones over a period, and in response to determining a match with one of a set of predefined movement routines associated with hands-free vehicle access, command one of a set of access actuators of the vehicle to grant hands-free vehicle access corresponding to the matched predefined movement routine.