Input apparatus of touch gesture and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10725592-B2
Application number	US-201715820283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An input apparatus includes a first sensor device comprising a metal bar extending in a first direction and formed of a metallic material and a first sensor connected to the metal bar and configured to acquire information on a user's touch gesture with respect to the metal bar; a second sensor device comprising a plurality of second sensors disposed on one side of the metal bar along the first direction to be adjacent to the metal bar and configured to acquire touch or proximity information of a user with respect to the plurality of second sensors; and a controller configured to recognize the user's touch gesture based on sensor value information acquired by the second sensor device with the sensor value information of the first sensor device when the sensor value information is acquired by the first sensor device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input apparatus comprising: a first sensor device comprising a metal bar extending in a first direction and including a metallic material and a first sensor connected to the metal bar and configured to acquire information on a user's touch gesture via the metal bar when the user touches the metal bar; a second sensor device comprising a plurality of second sensors disposed on one side of the metal bar along the first direction to be adjacent to the metal bar, the second sensor device configured to acquire touch or proximity information of a user via the plurality of second sensors; and a controller configured to recognize the user's touch gesture based on first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device and second sensor value information acquired by the second sensor device when the first sensor value information is acquired by the first sensor device, wherein the first and second sensor devices are arranged and configured such that the first and second sensor value information are simultaneously acquired by the first and second sensor devices, respectively, and wherein the first and second sensor devices extend along the first direction in parallel relative to each other, and wherein the first and second sensor devices are disposed at different height levels from each other in a thickness direction of the input apparatus.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a third sensor device comprising a plurality of third sensors disposed on another side of the metal bar along the first direction to be adjacent to the metal bar and configured to acquire touch or proximity information of the user with respect to the plurality of third sensors.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller recognizes the user's touch gesture based on sensor value information acquired by at least one of the second sensor device or the third sensor device with the first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device upon receiving the first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second sensors are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the first direction.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensor device is disposed to be spaced apart from the metal bar by a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a metal bar guide having a base portion having a plate shape and a protrusion protruding upwards from the base portion to allow the metal bar to be fitted onto the protrusion; and
a nonconductive coating layer formed of a nonconductive material on a top surface of the base portion,
wherein the second sensor device is disposed on the top surface of the nonconductive coating layer.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a sensor cover disposed on the second sensor device to protect the second sensor device and the nonconductive coating layer from external impact.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor cover is formed of at least one material selected from wood, leather, and polycarbonate.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the metal bar guide is formed of a nonconductive material.

10. The input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor device forms a first sensing area around the metal bar, and
the second sensor device forms a second sensing area around the plurality of second sensors.

11. A method of controlling an input apparatus comprising: a first sensor device comprising a metal bar extending in a first direction and including a metallic material and a first sensor connected to the metal bar and configured to acquire information on a user's touch gesture via the metal bar; and a second sensor device comprising a plurality of second sensors disposed on one side of the metal bar along the first direction to be adjacent to the metal bar and configured to acquire touch or proximity information of a user via the plurality of second sensors, the method comprising: receiving first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device when the user touches the metal bar; and recognizing a user's touch gesture based on second sensor value information acquired by the second sensor device and the first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device, wherein the first and second sensor devices are arranged and configured such that the first and second sensor value information are simultaneously acquired by the first and second sensor devices, respectively, and wherein the first and second sensor devices extend along the first direction in parallel relative to each other, and wherein the first and second sensor devices are disposed at different height levels from each other in a thickness direction of the input apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the input apparatus further comprises a third sensor device comprising a plurality of third sensors disposed on another side of the metal bar along the first direction to be adjacent to the metal bar and configured to acquire touch or proximity information of a user via the plurality of third sensors, and
the method further comprises recognizing the user's touch gesture based on sensor value information acquired by at least one of the second sensor device or the third sensor device with the first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device upon receiving the first sensor value information acquired by the first sensor device.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Gideok
• Seok Donghee
• Lee Jong Bok
• Ro Heejin

Classifications

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H03K17/962

  Capacitive touch switches · CPC title