Systems and methods for distinguishing gestures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10860116-B2
Application number	US-202016741161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A gesture control system includes a processor, the processor in communication with a plurality of sensors. The processor is configured to perform the steps of detecting, using the plurality of sensors, a gesture in a volume occupied by a plurality of occupants, analyzing a prior knowledge to associate the gesture with one of the plurality of occupants, and generating an output, the output being determined by the gesture and the one of the plurality of occupants.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of transferring control in a gesture control system, comprising:
detecting a gesture performed by a first occupant within a first gesture control zone, the gesture corresponding to a request to transfer control of an operation to a second occupant, wherein the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation based upon a current activity being performed by the first occupant, and before transfer of control to the second occupant;
after determining that the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation, transferring the control of the operation to the second occupant;
returning the control of the operation to the first occupant upon detecting a second gesture performed by the second occupant within a second gesture control zone corresponding to an action which is required for response to an event; and
adjusting an area of the first gesture control zone or an area of the second gesture control zone based on a proximity of the first occupant to another occupant.

2. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , wherein the event is a message and the second gesture performed by the second occupant is a response to the message.

3. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , wherein the event is a launching of a navigation application and the second gesture performed by the second occupant is a destination for the navigation application.

4. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , comprising returning the control of the operation to the first occupant upon expiration of a predetermined timer.

5. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , comprising returning the control of the operation to the first occupant upon a change in a status of a vehicle.

6. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , comprising adjusting the area of the first gesture control zone or the area of the second gesture control zone based on a location of the first occupant relative to the other occupant.

7. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , comprising adjusting the area of the first gesture control zone or the area of the second gesture control zone based on historical proximity of the first occupant to the other occupant.

8. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 6 , wherein the first gesture control zone is associated with a greater permission level than the second gesture control zone.

9. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 6 , comprising determining a permission level of the first gesture control zone or the second gesture control zone based on a status of a vehicle.

10. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 6 , comprising determining a permission level of the first gesture control zone or the second gesture control zone based on a change in a status of the first occupant or the second occupant.

11. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 10 , wherein the change in the status is a change in location.

12. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 1 , comprising:
detecting a partial gesture performed by the first occupant within the first gesture control zone; or
detecting a partial gesture performed by the second occupant within the second gesture control zone.

13. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 12 , comprising:
determining the gesture performed by the first occupant based on prior knowledge and the partial gesture performed by the first occupant; or
determining the gesture performed by the second occupant based on prior knowledge and the partial gesture performed by the second occupant.

14. The method of transferring control in the gesture control system of claim 13 , wherein the prior knowledge includes a record or history of previously extracted features.

15. A gesture control system for transferring control between occupants, comprising:
a sensor detecting a gesture performed by a first occupant within a first gesture control zone, the gesture corresponding to a request to transfer control of an operation to a second occupant, wherein the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation based upon a current activity being performed by the first occupant, and before transfer of control to the second occupant;
a processor performing:
after determining that the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation, transferring the control of the operation to the second occupant; and
returning the control of the operation to the first occupant upon detecting a second gesture performed by the second occupant within a second gesture control zone corresponding to an action which is required for response to an event; and
adjusting an area of the first gesture control zone or an area of the second gesture control zone based on a proximity of the first occupant to another occupant.

16. The gesture control system of claim 15 , wherein the processor returns the control of the operation to the first occupant upon a change in a status of a vehicle.

17. The gesture control system of claim 16 , wherein the change in status of the vehicle is the vehicle entering park.

18. The gesture control system of claim 15 , wherein the processor performs: adjusting the area of the first gesture control zone or the area of the second gesture control zone based on a location of the first occupant relative to the other occupant.

19. The gesture control system of claim 15 , wherein the processor adjusts the area of the first gesture control zone or the area of the second gesture control zone based on historical proximity of the first occupant to the other occupant.

20. A gesture control system for transferring control between occupants, comprising:
detecting a gesture performed by a first occupant within a first gesture control zone, the gesture corresponding to a request to transfer control of an operation to a second occupant, wherein the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation based upon a current activity being performed by the first occupant, and before transfer of control to the second occupant;
after determining that the first occupant does not have current access permission to perform the operation, transferring the control of the operation to the second occupant;
detecting a gesture performed by the second occupant;
returning the control of the operation to the first occupant upon detecting the second gesture performed by the second occupant within a second gesture control zone corresponding to an action which is required for response to an event; and
adjusting an area of the first gesture control zone or an area of the second gesture control zone based on a location of the first occupant relative to another occupant.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Edge 3 Tech Inc

Inventors

• Yamamoto Stuart
• Conway Matt
• Asher Graeme
• Mcelvogue Matt
• Yun Churu
• El Dokor Tarek
• King Josh
• Holmes James E
• Cluster Jordan

Classifications

• G06V20/59

  inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions · CPC title

• G06V40/20

  Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition (recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06K9/00832

  Physics · mapped topic