In-Vehicle Hand Input Detection on a Reference Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch-sensitive displays in vehicles require direct hand interaction, which can be inconvenient and unsafe, especially for drivers, and three-dimensional free-hand gesture monitoring is computationally intensive and less accurate.
Innovation Solution
A method using an image sensor to detect hand movements on a reference surface within the vehicle, allowing for function initiation without direct contact, utilizing two-dimensional movement analysis that requires fewer computational resources and provides safer operation by guiding user input relative to a reference surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If three-dimensional free-hand gesture monitoring is used to control vehicle functions, then contactless control is enabled, but computational resources are substantially consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the problem from three-dimensional free space gesture recognition to two-dimensional gesture recognition on a reference surface (such as the steering wheel surface). This dimensional reduction significantly decreases computational complexity while maintaining contactless control capability, as the image sensor only needs to track hand positions and movements constrained to the two-dimensional reference surface rather than analyzing full 3D spatial gestures.
2Ease of operation
If touch-sensitive displays are used for controlling vehicle functions, then direct hand interaction is enabled, but driver safety is compromised due to hand removal from steering wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary reference surface (such as the steering wheel surface) that mediates between the driver's hand and the vehicle control system. The image sensor detects hand gestures on this intermediary surface, allowing the driver to control vehicle functions without directly touching the display while keeping hands on the steering wheel, thus maintaining both ease of operation and driver safety.
3Ease of operation
If three-dimensional gesture monitoring is implemented in free space, then gesture control is achieved, but measurement accuracy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By constraining gesture recognition to a two-dimensional reference surface rather than three-dimensional free space, the patent improves measurement precision. The image sensor can more accurately detect and distinguish hand positions, movements, and gestures when they are confined to a known two-dimensional plane with defined boundaries, reducing ambiguity and improving detection accuracy compared to unbounded three-dimensional space.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method, in particular a computer-implemented method, for detecting an input of a user, in particular a driver, of a vehicle, comprising: (i) Determining a position of a reference-surface regarding an image sensor, which are located inside the vehicle; (ii) detecting a first hand of the user at a first position on the reference-surface by the image sensor; (iii) detecting a movement of the first hand from the first position to a second position on the reference-surface by the image sensor; (iv) determining a function of the vehicle based on the detected movement; (v) initiating the function by a control unit.