Vehicle GUI Segmentation for Gesture Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing graphical user interface systems for vehicles with large display screens require high-amplitude hand or arm movements for control, leading to user fatigue and precision issues, and necessitate expensive high-resolution sensors to accurately track gestures over a wide area.

Innovation Solution

A system that segments the GUI into active and non-active input segments based on user line of vision and gesture detection, allowing for reduced sensor resolution and amplitude of movement by focusing on a smaller active input area, using a processing device to associate user gestures with GUI elements within the active segment for input functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a large display surface is used for the GUI, then more content can be displayed with greater detail, but the user has to perform high-amplitude hand or arm movements to reach each GUI element, causing fatigue and precision issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay surface areaVSAvoiduser operation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The graphical user interface is divided into multiple segments or zones, each associated with specific control functions. Instead of requiring users to reach across the entire large display surface, the interface is segmented into regions that can be accessed through head position and gesture combinations, reducing the physical movement amplitude required while maintaining access to all functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Head tracking serves as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the large display surface. By detecting head position and orientation, the system determines which segment of the display is currently active or selectable, allowing users to control different parts of the large interface without physically reaching those areas, thus reducing fatigue while maintaining full functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If a large display surface is used for the GUI, then more content can be displayed, but high-resolution sensors are required to accurately track gestures over the wide area, increasing hardware costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay surface areaVSAvoidgesture detection precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The display surface is divided into multiple segments, and the sensor system only needs to track gestures within the currently active segment rather than the entire large surface. This segmentation approach reduces the required sensor resolution while maintaining accurate gesture detection within the relevant area, as the sensor focuses on a smaller portion of the display at any given time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Head tracking acts as an intermediary that provides contextual information about which display segment is currently relevant. By combining head position data with gesture detection, the system can determine the active segment and focus sensor resources accordingly, reducing the overall resolution requirements while maintaining precision where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If head tracking is used to determine the active input segment, then gesture recognition precision is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegesture recognition precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The head tracking system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it determines the active input segment, provides contextual information for gesture interpretation, and enables the system to adapt to different user positions and preferences. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple control mechanisms into a single integrated approach rather than requiring separate systems for each function.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3361352B1Graphical user interface system and method, particularly for use in a vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.06.05 ALPINE ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3361352B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3361352B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3361352B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a graphical user interface system (1), comprising a processing device (13) configured to provide a graphical user interface (30) to a display device (14) for displaying the graphical user interface (30) on the display device (14), a tracking device (11) coupled to the processing device (13) and configured to track at least a part of a user's head (21) and to provide tracking data indicative of a user's line of vision (24), and a gesture recognition device (12) coupled to the processing device (13) and configured to detect a user's gesture (23A, 23B) and to provide user gesture data in accordance with a detected user's gesture. The processing device (13) is configured to segment the graphical user interface (30) into a plurality of segments (31-34), and to determine at least one of the segments (31-34) as an active input segment (33) responsive for user input in accordance with the tracking data indicative of the user's line of vision (24), and to determine the other ones of the segments (31-34) as non-active input segments which are non-responsive for user input, and is configured to associate at least one element of the graphical user interface (30) within the active input segment (33) with a detected user's gesture (23A, 23B) for user input and to initiate at least one input function based on the user gesture data.