Enhanced touchscreen operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836256-B2
Application number	US-201515761132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A location of a first wearable device is determined based on a first biometric signature. Operation of a touchscreen display is restricted if the location of the first wearable device is in an operator's side of a vehicle cabin and the first wearable device is within a first distance from the display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer to:
determine a location of a first wearable device based on a first biometric signature;
restrict operation of a touchscreen display if the location of the first wearable device is in an operator's side of a vehicle cabin and the first wearable device is within a first distance from the display;
determine a location of a second wearable device based on a second biometric signature;
restrict operation of the touchscreen display if the location of the second wearable device is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the second wearable device is within the first threshold distance from the display; and
restrict operation of the touchscreen display if the location of one of the wearable devices is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the both wearable devices are beyond the first threshold distance from the display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wearable device includes a biometric sensor to detect the first biometric signature.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to detect the first biometric signature by receiving data from a biometric sensor in a steering wheel.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wearable device is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin when the first wearable device is within a second distance from a steering wheel.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to prevent use of the touchscreen display if the first wearable device fails to detect the first biometric signature.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include instructions to determine the first biometric signature based on at least one of a heartbeat, a heart rate variation, a QT interval, a skin galvanic response, and a blood pressure.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to restrict operation of the touchscreen display if only one biometric signature is detected.

8. A method, comprising:
determining a location of a first wearable device based on a first biometric signature;
restricting operation of a touchscreen display if the location of the first wearable device is in an operator's side of a vehicle cabin and the first wearable device is within a first distance from the display;
determining a location of a second wearable device based on a second biometric signature;
restricting operation of the touchscreen display if the location of the second wearable device is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the second wearable device is within the first threshold distance from the display; and
restricting operation of the touchscreen display if the location of one of the wearable devices is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the both wearable devices are beyond the first threshold distance from the display.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the first biometric signature based on at least one of the first heartbeat, a first heart rate variation, and a first QT interval, a skin galvanic response, and a blood pressure.

10. A system, comprising:
a first wearable device;
a touchscreen display;
a Bluetooth proximity sensor configured to provide data indicating a distance of the first wearable device from a steering wheel;
means for determining a location of the first wearable device based on a first biometric signature; and
means for restricting operation of the touchscreen display if the distance of the first wearable device returned by the Bluetooth proximity sensor is within a second distance from a steering wheel that is greater than zero and the first wearable device is within a first distance from the display.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a second wearable device and means for determining a location of the second wearable device based on a second biometric signature.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising means for restricting operation of the touchscreen display if the location of the second wearable device is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the second wearable device is within the first threshold distance from the display.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising means for restricting operation of the touchscreen display if the location of one of the wearable devices is in the operator's side of the vehicle cabin and the both wearable devices are beyond the first threshold distance from the display.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising means for determining the first biometric signature based on at least one of the first heartbeat, a first heart rate variation, and a first QT interval, a skin galvanic response, and a blood pressure.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Greenberg Jeffrey Allen
• Ignaczak Brad Alan
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert
• Siddiqui Adil Nizam
• Holub Patrick Kevin

Classifications

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• B60K35/10

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

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/60 Primary

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K2360/652

  Crash protection features · CPC title