Vein Pattern Gesture Recognition for Vehicle AVN Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The risk of accidents increases when drivers manipulate audio/video/navigation (AVN) devices while driving, as it distracts their vision and requires them to move their hands from the steering wheel.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with a gesture recognition system that detects and recognizes driver gestures by analyzing vein patterns in the hand, allowing for control of in-vehicle devices without physical interaction, using a storage unit for vein pattern lookup tables, an image acquisition unit, and a controller to authenticate and determine gestures based on vein patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver manipulates the AVN device during driving, then the driver can control audio/video/navigation functions, but the driver's vision is distracted and the risk of accidents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical interaction with the AVN device (touchscreen, buttons, knobs) with a gesture recognition system that uses optical sensing and image processing to detect hand movements. The image acquisition unit captures images of the driver's hand, and the controller processes these images to recognize gestures, thereby substituting the mechanical control system with an optical-field-based system that requires no physical contact with the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary gesture recognition system between the driver and the AVN device. Instead of directly manipulating the device, the driver performs gestures in the air that are captured by the image acquisition unit. The controller acts as an intermediary that translates these gestures into control commands for the AVN device, creating an indirect control mechanism that maintains safety while enabling operation.
2Ease of operation
If the driver moves hand from steering wheel to AVN device, then the driver can operate the device, but the risk of accidents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for physical hand movement to the AVN device with a gesture recognition system. The image acquisition unit captures the driver's hand position and movements in the air, and the controller processes these images to recognize gestures. This substitution allows the driver to maintain hand position on or near the steering wheel while still controlling the AVN device through recognized gestures, thereby eliminating the need to move hands away from the wheel.
3Measurement precision
If vein pattern recognition is used for gesture detection, then gesture recognition precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for gesture recognition from simple hand position coordinates to vein pattern characteristics. The image processing unit extracts vein patterns from captured images by analyzing the unique vascular structures in the driver's hand. This parameter change provides more distinctive and accurate identification features for gesture recognition, as vein patterns are unique to each individual and provide richer information than mere hand position or shape.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle including a storage unit that stores a vein pattern lookup table including a plurality of reference vein pattern images according to a rotation angle of a driver's hand. The vehicle also includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a driver's image including an image of the driver's hand. The vehicle also includes a controller that extracts a vein pattern image of the driver's hand from the driver's image, authenticates the driver by comparing the vein pattern image with the vein pattern lookup table, and determines a gesture of the driver including at least one of a position of the driver's hand, a direction directed by the driver's hand and a rotation angle of the driver's hand based on the vein pattern image.