Vehicle Movable Component Control Using User Trajectory Gestures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems for movable components, such as doors and hatches, rely on complex and expensive sensor systems like cameras and radar, which have limited detection ranges and require additional hardware, making them inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A control device for vehicles that uses a distance sensor to detect a user's portable device, couples with it to receive movement information, determines a trajectory and gesture, and generates a control signal based on the trajectory's tangent and angle relative to the vehicle, allowing reliable operation of movable components without additional sensors like cameras.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If additional sensor systems like cameras and radar are used to extend detection range, then the detection range is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing distance sensor is made multi-functional by not only measuring distance but also by using its signal strength variations to detect user gestures and trajectories. This allows the single sensor to serve multiple purposes: distance measurement, gesture recognition, and trajectory tracking, thereby extending functional capabilities without adding new sensor types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the interpretation parameters of the distance sensor signals. By analyzing variations in signal strength and distance measurements over time, the system extracts additional information about user gestures and movement trajectories. This parameter-based approach allows the existing sensor to provide richer data without hardware modifications.
2Area of stationary object
If additional sensor systems like cameras and radar are used to extend detection range, then the detection range is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing distance sensor is made multi-functional by not only measuring distance but also by using its signal strength variations to detect user gestures and trajectories. This allows the single sensor to serve multiple purposes: distance measurement, gesture recognition, and trajectory tracking, thereby extending functional capabilities without adding new sensor types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the already-deployed distance sensor infrastructure, treating it as a cost-effective solution rather than investing in expensive alternative sensor systems. By maximizing the utility of this existing component through software-based gesture and trajectory recognition, the system achieves extended functionality at minimal additional cost.
3Area of stationary object
If the detection range is extended using additional sensors, then the detection capability is improved, but the system becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The distance sensor performs self-service by simultaneously executing its primary distance measurement function and providing gesture recognition and trajectory detection capabilities. The sensor's own signal variations are analyzed to extract multiple types of information, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensors and improving overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing distance sensor is made multi-functional by not only measuring distance but also by using its signal strength variations to detect user gestures and trajectories. This allows the single sensor to serve multiple purposes: distance measurement, gesture recognition, and trajectory tracking, thereby extending functional capabilities without adding new sensor types.
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective operation of vehicle components by using a simple distance sensor and communication interface, eliminating the need for complex additional sensors, and personalizing control signals based on user gestures and trajectories, enhancing reliability and speed.
Implementation Method 1
Ultra wideband (UWB) technology or other distance-measuring systems, for example based on low frequency technology (LF 125 KHz), Bluetooth, and/or cameras are used for keyless access to a vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for operating a movable component of a vehicle. The system involves a control device that assigns a trajectory to the movable component and determines a control signal for operating the movable component based on the trajectory and a gesture. The assignment and control signal are determined using a tangent of the trajectory and/or an angle formed by the tangent and a reference direction relative to the vehicle. This approach effectively considers the vehicle's approach using straightforward techniques. The disclosure also encompasses a control device, a vehicle incorporating the control device, and a computer program for implementing the method.