System for detecting an input and controlling at least one downstream device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11996953-B2
Application number	US-202217736757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2022
Priority date	May 11, 2021
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for detecting an input and controlling at least one downstream device, wherein the system comprises at least one sensor device and an evaluation and control device connected to the sensor device for signalling purposes, wherein the at least one sensor device detects an input signal which varies at least over time in the form of a movement, wherein the evaluation and control device evaluates at least the time profile of the detected input signal, wherein at least one evaluation condition is specified, and wherein the downstream device is activated when the at least one evaluation condition is met.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for detecting an input and controlling at least one downstream device, comprising:
at least one sensor device; and
an evaluation and control device connected to the sensor device for signalling purposes, wherein the at least one sensor device detects an input signal in a form of a movement, wherein the input signal is a specific repeatable characteristic movement of a user, wherein the evaluation and control device evaluates at least one time profile of the detected input signal to determine if the input signal comprises an intentional input signal, wherein at least one evaluation condition is specified, and wherein the at least one downstream device is activated when the at least one evaluation condition is met.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of evaluation conditions are specified, wherein these evaluation conditions can be used to identify different types of movement by the user, and wherein due to different types of movement, different functions of the at least one downstream device and/or different downstream devices can be controlled.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor device comprises at least one sensor selected from:
at least one capacitive sensor, at least one optical sensor, at least one airflow sensor, at least one temperature sensor, at least one ultrasonic distance sensor and/or at least one electromagnetic sensor such as lidar or radar, wherein the at least one sensor device defines an active region in which a detection occurs.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a sensor data function is formed from the detected input signal, wherein raw data from the at least one sensor device are read out at a predetermined readout rate and stored in a storage device, wherein the storage device is a digital ring memory, wherein a smoothing/filtering method is applied to the raw data, creating the sensor data function, and wherein the smoothing/filtering method is selected from:
a method for determining the moving average, frequency filtering by means of Fourier analysis, use of a high-pass or low-pass filter, use of a Butterworth filter, use of a Chebychev filter, method for exponential smoothing, use of a Kalman filter, use of a Gaussian filter, use of a kernel smoother, use of a Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filter, use of a Laplace filter, use of a local regression, use of a Ramer-Douglas-Peuker algorithm, use of a Savatzky-Golay filter, use of a stretched grid method, a data restriction to a specific absolute range or variance range, and general fitting of data.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one time profile of the input signal is evaluated by differentiating the sensor data function according to time, wherein at least one first derivative function and/or at least one higher derivative function are formed, and wherein the at least one evaluation condition relates to the at least one first derivative function and/or the at least one higher derivative function is specified.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein a first evaluation condition is that the at least one first derivative function and/or the at least one higher derivative function exceeds a first threshold value, wherein the exceeding of the first threshold value by the at least one first derivative function and/or the at least higher derivative function establishes a first time value, wherein a second evaluation condition is that the at least one first derivative function and/or the at least one higher derivative function undershoots a second threshold value, wherein the undershooting of the second threshold value by the at least one first derivative function and/or the at least one higher derivative function establishes a second time value, and wherein a third evaluation condition is met if the difference between the second time value and the first time value is below a predetermined threshold value.

7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein a first evaluation condition is that the sensor data function exceeds a first threshold value, wherein the exceeding of the first threshold value by the sensor data function establishes a first time value, wherein a second evaluation condition is that the sensor data function undershoots a second threshold value, wherein the undershooting of the second threshold value by the sensor data function establishes a second time value, and wherein a third evaluation condition is met if the difference between the second time value and the first time value is below a predetermined threshold.

8. The system according to claim 4 , wherein a parameterised reference signal is stored in the storage device, and wherein the at least one evaluation condition comprises a correlation of the sensor data function with parameters of the parameterised reference signal.

9. The system according to claim 4 , wherein a first evaluation condition is that the sensor data function reaches or exceeds a predetermined maximum value, and wherein a second evaluation condition is that the sensor data function undershoots a second threshold value within a predetermined time interval.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least a third derivative function is formed, and wherein an evaluation condition comprises a change in the acceleration of the input signal in the form of a movement.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor device detects a spatially changing input signal in the form of a movement, wherein the evaluation and control device evaluates a spatial profile of the detected input signal, and wherein the at least one evaluation condition relates to the spatial profile.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a sensor data function assigned to the input signal which varies over time in the form of a movement can be stored in a storage device, and wherein a specific activation of the downstream device can be assigned to the stored sensor data function.

13. A household appliance having the system for controlling a downstream device according to claim 1 .

14. The household appliance according to claim 13 , wherein the downstream device is a door opening device.

15. A method for detecting an input and controlling at least one downstream device, comprising:
a) detecting an input signal which varies at least over time and/or spatially in the form of a movement by at least one sensor device, wherein the input signal is a specific repeatable characteristic movement of a user;
b) evaluating a time profile and/or spatial profile of the detected input signal by an evaluation and control device to determine if the input signal comprises an intentional input signal; and
c) controlling the at least one downstream device, wherein at least one evaluation condition is specified, and wherein the at least one downstream device is activated when the at least one evaluation condition is met.

16. A system for detecting an input and controlling at least one downstream device according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Emz Hanauer Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Schade Lukas
• Signorino Manfredi
• Brabec Martin

Classifications

• H04L12/282 Primary

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H03H17/0213

  Frequency domain filters using Fourier transforms · CPC title

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title