US 9,001,049 B2 · Method for determining the position of an actuation element, in particular a finger of a user in a motor vehicle and position determination device

Abstract

A method for determining the position of an actuation element, e.g. a finger of a user, in a motor vehicle when the element approaches a surface and to a position determination device, has the following steps: generating an HF signal; coupling the HF signal into the user; transmitting the HF signal via the body of the user; receiving the HF signal that has been transmitted via the body and the actuation element, using several sensors and determining the position of the actuation element using sensor signals of the sensors, the sensor signals forming a measurement for the received signal intensity of the HF signal and are used to first calculate the position of the centre of gravity of the approaching object, in particular the approaching body part comprising the actuation element, and the position of the actuation element is calculated, taking into consideration the position of the centre of gravity.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for determining a position of an actuation element in a motor vehicle during an approach to a surface, the method comprising:

detecting sensor signals of contactless measuring sensors, wherein the sensor signals indicate a distance of an object relative to a respective sensor position,
determining a current position of a center of gravity of the object together with the actuation element based on the detected sensor signals,
determining an offset vector based on the determined current position of the center of gravity and independent of the current actual position of the actuation element with respect to the current position of the center of gravity, the offset vector representing an estimated instantaneous difference in position between the current position of the center of gravity the current actual position of the actuation element, and
calculating the current position of the actuation element based on the determined current position of the center of gravity and using the determined offset vector.

1 more element

A position determination device of a motor vehicle for determining a position of an actuation element of a user in three-dimensional space during an approach towards a surface, the position determination device comprising:

contactless measuring sensors configured to generate sensor signals indicating a measure for a distance of an object of the user with respect to a respective sensor position, and
an analyzing and control unit configured to calculate a position of the actuation element relative to the display surface by means of the sensor signals of the sensors, the analyzing and control unit comprising:
a position of center of gravity determination module configured to determine a current position of a center of gravity of the object together with the actuation element based on the detected sensor signals, and
an actuation element position module configured to:
determine an offset vector based on the determined current position of the center of gravity and independent of the current actual position of the actuation element with respect to the current position of the center of gravity, the offset vector representing an estimated instantaneous difference in position between the current position of the center of gravity and the current actual position of the actuation element, and
calculate the current position of the actuation element based on the determined current position of the center of gravity and using the determined offset vector.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for determining the position of an actuation element, in particular a finger of a user in a motor vehicle and position determination device

Life of this patent

Method for determining the position of an actuation element, in particular a finger of a user in a motor vehicle and position determination device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22