Automobile, steering wheel, and driver identity recognition method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019337484-A1
Application number	US-201916457424-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an automobile including a processor and a sensing apparatus, and the sensing apparatus is installed on a part that is of the automobile and that may be in contact with a hand of a driver, and includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter sends a sound wave signal to the hand of the driver, and the receiver receives a reflected sound wave signal reflected by the hand of the driver, converts the reflected sound wave signal to an electrical signal, and sends the electrical signal to the processor. The processor analyzes the electrical signal to obtain a feature of the reflected sound wave signal, and recognizes an identity of the driver based on the feature of the reflected sound wave signal.

First claim

1 . An automobile, comprising:
a processor; and a sensing apparatus; wherein the sensing apparatus is installed on a part of the automobile that comes into contact with a hand of a driver, wherein the sensing apparatus comprises a transmitter and a receiver, wherein
the transmitter is configured to send a sound wave signal to the hand of the driver, and
the receiver is configured to: receive a reflected sound wave signal reflected by the hand of the driver, convert the reflected sound wave signal to an electrical signal, and send the electrical signal to the processor; and
wherein the processor is configured to: receive the electrical signal, analyze the electrical signal to obtain a feature of the reflected sound wave signal, and recognize an identity of the driver based on the feature of the reflected sound wave signal.

2 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: compare the obtained feature of the reflected sound wave signal with a pre-stored feature of the hand of the driver, and determine the identity of the driver based on a comparison result.

3 . The automobile according to claim 1 , further comprising a codec, wherein:
the receiver is configured to send the electrical signal to the codec; and the codec is configured to: encode the electrical signal into a digital signal, and send the digital signal to the processor.

4 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the part that comes into contact with the hand of the driver is a steering wheel of the automobile or a door handle of the automobile.

5 . The automobile according to claim 4 , comprising a plurality of sensing apparatuses, wherein the plurality of sensing apparatuses are evenly arranged around an outer side of the steering wheel of the automobile, and a spacing between any two adjacent sensing apparatuses is less than or equal to a preset palm width.

6 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: receive the electrical signal, and perform the analysis when determining that the electrical signal meets a hand bone vibration parameter.

7 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing apparatus further comprises a shock-absorbing component, and the shock-absorbing component is configured to reduce a sound wave signal transmitted by the transmitter to a rigid area of the steering wheel.

8 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein when analyzing the electrical signal to obtain the feature of the reflected sound wave signal, the processor performs digital filtering processing to filter a useless signal, and the useless signal comprises a signal that is directly sent from the transmitter to the receiver without being reflected by the hand of the driver.

9 . The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: when the obtained feature of the reflected sound wave signal matches the pre-stored feature of the hand of the driver, determine operation information associated with the matched pre-stored feature of the hand of the driver, and configure the automobile based on the operation information.

10 . A driver identity recognition method, applied to an automobile on which a sensing apparatus and a processor are installed, wherein the method comprises:
sending, by a transmitter of the sensing apparatus, a sound wave signal to a hand of a driver; receiving, by a receiver of the sensing apparatus, a reflected sound wave signal reflected by the hand of the driver, converting the reflected sound wave signal to an electrical signal, and sending the electrical signal to the processor; and analyzing, by the processor, the electrical signal to obtain a feature of the reflected sound wave signal, and recognizing an identity of the driver based on the feature of the reflected sound wave signal.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the sending, by the receiver of the sensing apparatus, the electrical signal to the processor comprises:
sending, by the receiver of the sensing apparatus, the electrical signal to a codec, and sending the electrical signal to the processor using the codec, wherein the codec is configured to: encode the electrical signal into a digital signal, and send the digital signal to the processor.

12 . A steering wheel, comprising:
at least one sensing apparatus disposed on the steering wheel, wherein the at least one sensing apparatus comprises a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter is configured to send a sound wave signal to a hand of a driver, and the receiver is configured to: receive a reflected sound wave signal reflected by the hand of the driver, convert the reflected sound wave signal to an electrical signal, and send the electrical signal to the processor.

13 . The steering wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the receiver is configured to: send the electrical signal to a codec, and send the electrical signal to the processor using the codec, wherein the codec is configured to: encode the electrical signal into a digital signal, and send the digital signal to the processor.

14 . The steering wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one sensing apparatus comprises a plurality of sensing apparatuses, the plurality of sensing apparatuses are evenly arranged arranged around an outer side of the steering wheel, and a spacing between any two sensing apparatuses is less than or equal to a preset palm width.

15 . The steering wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the sensing apparatus further comprises a shock-absorbing component, wherein the shock-absorbing component is disposed between the transmitter and a part that may be in contact with the hand of the driver.

16 . The steering wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is installed inside a central shaft of the steering wheel; and
the processor is configured to: analyze the electrical signal to obtain a feature of the reflected sound wave signal, and recognize an identity of the driver based on the feature of the reflected sound wave signal.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Xinyu
• Si Heshuai
• Liu Chengping
• Chen Yunzhe
• Zhang Zeshi

Classifications

• G07C9/00563

  using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns · CPC title

• G07C9/37

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title

• G07C9/25

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title

• B62D1/046

  Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches · CPC title

• B60R25/25 Primary

  using biometry · CPC title