Steering wheel contact detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12307790-B2
Application number	US-202217929042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Sep 1, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

An object can be detected in contact with a steering wheel of a vehicle. A first image of the steering wheel at a first angle of rotation and a second image of the steering wheel at a second angle of rotation are then obtained. A type of the object is identified based on at least one of the first image or the second image, as one of a human hand or a foreign object. A vehicle component is controlled based on the type of object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the processor is programmed to:
detect an object in contact with a steering wheel of a vehicle;
obtain a first image of the steering wheel at a first angle of rotation and a second image of the steering wheel at a second angle of rotation;
identify a type of the object, based on at least one of the first image or the second image, as one of a human hand or a foreign object; and
control a vehicle component based on the type of object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify the type of the object based on a depth estimate of the object.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further programmed to obtain the depth estimate of the object by determining a surface normal of the steering wheel by combining the first image and the second image.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify the type of the object based on data from one or both of a steering wheel torque sensor and a potentiometer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to control the vehicle component based on data about a current user of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data about the current user of the vehicle is eye gaze data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data about the current user of the vehicle is operator profile data.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive the first image provided from a first camera and the second image provided from a second camera.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first image or the second image is provided from a radar.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first image or the second image is provided from a lidar.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a contact sensor arranged to provide a signal indicating that the object is in contact with the steering wheel.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to, upon identifying the type of object as the human hand, control the vehicle component based on a position of the human hand with respect to a landmark on the steering wheel.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify the type of the object based on both of the first image and the second image.

14. A method, comprising:
detecting an object in contact with a steering wheel of a vehicle;
obtaining a first image of the steering wheel at a first angle of rotation and a second image of the steering wheel at a second angle of rotation;
identifying a type of the object, based on at least one of the first image or the second image, as one of a human hand or a foreign object; and
controlling a vehicle component based on the type of object.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying the type of the object based on a depth estimate of the object.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising obtaining the depth estimate of the object by determining a surface normal of the steering wheel by combining the first image and the second image.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying the type of the object based on data from one or both of a steering wheel torque sensor and a potentiometer.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling the vehicle component based on data about a current user of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving the first image from a first camera and the second image from a second camera.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying the type of the object based on both of the first image and the second image.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Herman david michael
• Jain Yashanshu
• Sorsby Ryan

Classifications

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30268

  Vehicle interior · CPC title

• G06T2207/30201

  Face · CPC title

• B62D6/10

  characterised by means for sensing {or determining} torque · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title