Method and Apparatus for Controlling Onboard System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019384413-A1
Application number	US-201916550950-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling an onboard system includes determining, using a sensor mounted in a steering wheel, a track of a current gesture of a driver in a process of holding, by the driver, the steering wheel; determining a type of the current gesture from preset gesture types based on the track of the current gesture; and controlling the onboard system to perform an operation corresponding to the type of the current gesture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling an onboard system in a vehicle, comprising:
providing a plurality of sensors mounted in a steering wheel, wherein the sensors are ultrasonic sensors; obtaining, using the ultrasonic sensors, ultrasonic signals within a period of time; determining, using the ultrasonic signals, a track of a current gesture of a driver; determining, according to the track, a type of the current gesture from preset gesture types; and controlling the onboard system to perform an operation, wherein the operation corresponds to the type of the current gesture.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the track of the current gesture further comprises:
selecting a reflected signal from the ultrasonic signals; and obtaining, based on the reflected signal, a position of a hand of the driver within the period of time; and determining, using the position, the track of the current gesture.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining directions of sound holes in a circumference of the steering wheel based on each of an active area of the hand of the driver and coverage of the ultrasonic signals, wherein the sound holes correspond with the ultrasonic sensors.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the track of the current gesture further comprises:
selecting a reflected signal from the ultrasonic signals; and obtaining, based on the reflected signal, a position of a finger of the driver within the period of time; and determining, using the position, the track of the current gesture.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining directions of sound holes in a circumference of the steering wheel based on each of an active area of the finger of the driver and coverage of the ultrasonic signals, wherein the sound holes correspond with the ultrasonic sensors.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset gesture types comprises at least one of the following gesture types:
sliding two fingers either inward or outward; sliding two fingers either clockwise or anticlockwise; sliding one finger either upward, downward, leftward or rightward; double-clicking the steering wheel with one finger; waving one hand; touching and sliding one finger along an inner side of a circumference of the steering wheel; or double-clicking the steering wheel with two fingers.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein before determining the track of the current gesture, the method further comprises determining whether the steering wheel is in a rotation state, and wherein the method further comprises determining the track of the current gesture when the steering wheel is in a non-rotation state.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the steering wheel is in the rotation state comprises determining whether the steering wheel is in the rotation state using a status of a gyroscope in the steering wheel.

9 . An apparatus for controlling an onboard system in a vehicle, comprising:
a memory comprising instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
obtain ultrasonic signals within a period of time from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors mounted in a steering wheel;
determine a track of a current gesture of a driver using the ultrasonic signals;
determine a type of the current gesture from preset gesture types based on the track of the current gesture; and
control the onboard system to perform an operation corresponding to the type of the current gesture.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
select a reflected signal from the ultrasonic signals; obtain a position of a hand of the driver within the period of time based on the reflected signal; and determine the track of the current gesture using the position.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine directions of sound holes in a circumference of the steering wheel based on each of an active area of the hand of the driver and coverage of the ultrasonic signals, wherein the sound holes correspond with the ultrasonic sensors.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
select a reflected signal from the ultrasonic signals; obtain a position of a finger of the driver within the period of time based on the reflected signal; and determine the track of the current gesture using the position.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine directions of sound holes in a circumference of the steering wheel based on each of an active area of the finger of the driver and coverage of the ultrasonic signals, wherein the sound holes correspond with the ultrasonic sensors.

14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the preset gesture types comprise at least one of the following gesture types:
sliding two fingers either inward or outward; sliding the two fingers either clockwise or anticlockwise; sliding one finger either upward, downward, leftward, or rightward; double-clicking the steering wheel with the one finger; waving one hand; touching and sliding the one finger along an inner side of a circumference of the steering wheel; or double-clicking the steering wheel with the two fingers.

15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
determine whether the steering wheel is in a rotation state; and determine, when the steering wheel is in a non-rotation state, the track of the current gesture.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to determine whether the steering wheel is in the rotation state using a status of a gyroscope mounted in the steering wheel.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for controlling an onboard system in a vehicle, comprising computer instructions that when executed by a processor causes the processor to:
obtain ultrasonic signals within a period of time using a plurality of ultrasonic sensors mounted in a steering wheel; determine a track of a current gesture of a driver using the ultrasonic signals; determine a type of the current gesture from preset gesture types based on the track of the current gesture; and control the onboard system to perform an operation corresponding to the type of the current gesture.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the processor to:
select a reflected signal from the ultrasonic signals; position either a hand or a finger of the driver within the period of time based on the reflected signal; and determine the track of the current gesture using the position.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein a circumference of the steering wheel comprises a plurality of sound holes, wherein the sound holes correspond with the ultrasonic sensors, and wherein the computer instructions further cause the processor to determine directions of the sound holes based on each of an active area of a hand or a finger of the driver and coverage of the ultrasonic signals.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the preset gesture types comprise at least one of the following gesture types:
sliding two fingers either inward or outwa

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Xinyu
• Liu Chengping
• Si Heshuai
• Su Yongfang
• Zhang Zeshi

Classifications

• G01S7/539

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• B62D1/06 Primary

  Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers (B62D1/11 takes precedence) · 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

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• B60K37/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic