# US 2014/0195096 A1 · Apparatus and method for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby

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- Number: US 2014/0195096 A1
- Document ID: US20140195096A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/129,866
- Filed: 2012-06-29
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-30
- Assignees: Johnson Controls GmbH
- Inventors: Frank Schliep; Oliver Kirsch; Yanning Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195096A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 35/23: Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01)
- B60K 35/60: Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10)
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements}
- G06F 3/0425: {using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386)}
- B60K 2360/1438: Touch screens
- B60K 2360/146: Instrument input by gesture
- B60K 2360/21: using cameras
- B60K 2360/333: Lasers
- B60K 2360/774: on or in the centre console
- G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

An apparatus for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, is arranged in a vehicle interior and includes at least one lighting unit, a display unit and an optical detection unit. The lighting unit is formed from at least one infrared laser diode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus configured to be arranged in a vehicle interior and for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, the apparatus comprising:
at least one lighting unit;
a display unity; and
an optical detection unit,
wherein the lighting unit is formed horn at least one infrared laser.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit comprises at least one optical sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit is designed as a three-dimensional camera system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a time-of-flight method for distance measurement can be carried out by the optical detection unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical detection unit is designed as a stereo camera.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one optical sensor is designed as a photomixing detector.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical sensor is integrated in a three-dimensional camera system or a stereo camera or is coupled thereto.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is designed as a head-up display in a vehicle driver's field of view.

### Claim 9

A method for contactlessly detecting objects and/or persons and gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out thereby, comprising:
using an optical detection unit to detect three-dimensionally in a vehicle interior an object and/or a person and/or gestures and/or operating procedures made and/or carried out by said person.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a touch-sensitive display unit is emulated by an apparatus, said display unit enabling an emulated capacitive proximity method for distinguishing whether the display unit is operated by a vehicle driver or some other vehicle occupant.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein virtual displays of the display unit are manipulated, in particular shifted, exchanged, rotated and/or controlled, by actions and/or gestures made by a person in the vehicle interior.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for representing and manipulating virtual images on a display unit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for operating virtual operating elements generated on a display unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The use of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for monitoring and safeguarding a vehicle interior and/or openings in the vehicle with regard to an undesirable intrusion.